The first was the Cursed Seal obtained from Orochimaru, which was a fragmented and twisted form of 'Sage Mode'.
True Sage Mode was a ladder to climb to the peak of Kage-level and touch legendary powers.
Every user of Sage Mode was a very powerful existence even among Kage-level ninjas.
While the Cursed Seal could similarly grant a power boost beyond the mundane, its effect was closely tied to the strength of the user themselves.
Just like the first Battle at the Valley of the End between Sasuke and Naruto in the original story, the strength they displayed could not compare to Sage Mode at all.
The true value of the Cursed Seal mode lay in its universality; it didn't have requirements as high as Sage Mode.
In the eyes of a researcher like Takuno, Sage Mode and the power of the Cursed Seal were both extremely special 'independent multipliers,' except that Sage Mode had more multipliers.
This meant it could be stacked, or even multiplied! Whether it was the violent power of a Tailed Beast or the legendary power of the Sage of Six Paths, all could be blended with it.
If he could master a stable and controllable Cursed Seal, with his current strength being boosted, there was indeed a great possibility of stepping over the threshold of the Kage-level peak!
Unfortunately... Takuno sighed in his heart.
Research on the Cursed Seal had long been shelved by him; from the moment he obtained the research data from Orochimaru, the war had broken out.
During the early stages of the war, in order to fuse the third bloodline, he had devoted himself entirely to the research of the Chimera Technique.
By the time he finally completed the research on the Chimera Technique, the war had developed into an extreme situation, leaving him overwhelmed and unable to attend to other things.
Naturally, he could only postpone this research. Looking at it now, it was time to start it.
Fortunately, he held Orochimaru's detailed research data and the most critical research material, the active cells of Jugo, the source of the Cursed Seal. Developing it shouldn't be difficult.
One year at the fastest, two years at the slowest, and there would surely be results.
The second method was to rely on stimulation to forcibly break through to the realm of the Mangekyo Sharingan.
That peak existence of the Kekkei Genkai provided an improvement in strength that was instantaneous and earth-shattering.
But unfortunately, Takuno could not choose to do so; he couldn't recklessly use that auxiliary device and risk causing a mental breakdown.
It was normal to pay a price to obtain power, but there were some prices he could not accept!
As for wanting to open the Mangekyo Sharingan normally, he estimated it couldn't be done without several years.
He couldn't help but lament again that compared to those geniuses who shone like meteors, Shisui, Itachi, and even the mad Obito, his own path to 'awakening the eyes' was truly long and difficult.
What was even more unsolvable was that the Sharingan he chose was solitary; he had no blood-related siblings to replace the Mangekyo's ocular power, cutting off the innate path to obtaining a true 'Eternal Mangekyo'.
However... a cold arc curled at the corner of Takuno's mouth.
When had he ever feared the problem of 'going blind'?
Obito also didn't have the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, yet until the end, his ocular power never ran out, relying precisely on the powerful vitality and regenerative power brought by Hashirama's vast Sage Body cells.
And he, Takuno, also possessed a sufficient reserve of Hashirama cells!
Once he perfectly integrated them into himself in the future, the side effects of overusing the Mangekyo Sharingan would naturally vanish into thin air.
At that time, the absolute advantage of the 'Eternal' compared to the 'Ordinary' Mangekyo would likely only be that one crucial evolution of ocular power.
He drifted off for a moment, even looking forward to the ability his Mangekyo would awaken.
Would it be space-related? In the world of Naruto, the power of time and space was, without exception, a terrifying divine skill that broke the rules.
He didn't have the talent to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique; if he wanted to master this type of power, the Mangekyo Sharingan was almost his last hope.
Ultimately, Takuno shook his head and stopped thinking about it; he still needed to keep his feet on the ground and move forward step by step.
He stretched his bones after standing for a long time as the morning light filtered through the gaps in the forest leaves and fell on his shoulders.
The sense of urgency seemed to fade slightly during his deep reflection.
For now, he didn't seem to need to be in such a hurry; the subsequent fusion mechanism of the Chimera Technique was still being explored.
Moreover, the gains in strength from fusing ordinary Hyuga bloodlines were actually minimal, so even if he left it for the very end to fuse, he wouldn't lose much.
When time passed and his strength naturally reached the peak, and the Chimera Technique was tempered to perfection, it wouldn't be too late to ascend to the Palace of the Lone Moon.
At that time, Ōtsutsuki Toneri, the purest descendant who inherited the Ōtsutsuki bloodline in the current Shinobi World, would become the most perfect and priceless cornerstone on his path to pursuing supreme power!
If that failed, then the bloodline of the Hyuga Main Family in his hands could serve as a backup.
With his mind set, Takuno's figure quietly blended into the morning light and disappeared at the end of the forest.
One day, while Takuno was meticulously organizing his scrolls, preparing to set off again for the frozen Land of Snow to continue his quest for the secrets of the Kekkei Genkai.
—
Suddenly, his plans were abruptly interrupted by a burst of hearty laughter and an unceremonious sound of a door being pushed open.
"Yo! Takuno kid! Long time no see!"
Jiraiya's signature white hair appeared at the door. He barged in carelessly, his bold laughter almost shaking the doorframe, instantly dispelling the cold silence in the room.
Takuno helplessly put down the scroll in his hand and looked up at this uninvited guest.
"Lord Jiraiya, where does this 'long time no see' come from? At yesterday's grand ceremony for the signing of the truce between Konoha and Kumogakure, you were sitting in the observation seats, and I wasn't far from you."
His voice carried a faint, imperceptible sense of exhaustion. Fortunately, he didn't keep anything unsightly at home; otherwise, it would be troublesome if someone like Jiraiya, who entered without knocking, discovered something.
However, it was precisely because of such uncertainties that Takuno chose to conduct his experiments outside rather than in the Village.
"? Is that so?" Jiraiya blinked in feigned surprise, then let out an even louder laugh, "Hahaha, look at my memory! I'm getting old, getting old!"
While laughing, he deliberately slapped his forehead hard, intending to cleverly mask the embarrassment of his oversight being caught.
Takuno's keen gaze swept over Jiraiya's exaggerated expressions and behavior, and he had already made a clear judgment in his heart. For this hero to be so forgetful and relaxed, the progress of the truce between Konoha and Kumogakure must be exceptionally smooth, which had lifted the burden from his heart.
"Does Lord Jiraiya have some urgent matter for visiting at this moment?" Takuno simply put aside other thoughts and cut straight to the chase, not wanting to waste time on pleasantries.
Hearing this direct question, the smile on Jiraiya's face suddenly vanished, replaced by a rare seriousness that took over his usual cynicism.
"Ah, speaking of that—" He cleared his throat, "remember that matter I mentioned to you before? The proposal to have Tsunade take you as a disciple."
"Lady Tsunade?" Takuno was slightly startled, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly. "Has Konoha... already scouted Lady Tsunade's exact whereabouts?"
Despite his question, an inexplicable headache surged deep within him.
Apprenticing under Tsunade? He truly couldn't muster much enthusiasm for this. If he were in his weak period, becoming Tsunade's disciple would indeed have helped him a lot, but now he was no longer that weak self from years ago.
Admittedly, the exquisite techniques Tsunade mastered—the 'Yin Seal' that could condense Chakra at the forehead, the 'Creation Rebirth Technique' that could be fully released in a crisis to erupt with astonishing power, and the crucial contract for the summoned beast.
These were all highly valuable, and learning them would be of great benefit to him.
Thinking of this, Takuno let out a soft breath.
Fine, he never cared much for the title of master and disciple; as long as he could learn real skills, it was fine.
His only worry now was whether that legendary 'Lady Tsunade' would require her disciple to serve by her side at all times.
If so, that would be a total pain and would greatly affect his research plans.
"Uh..." At this moment, the look of embarrassment that Takuno was extremely familiar with appeared on Jiraiya's face again, even more obvious than before, and his eyes began to dodge.
"No way?" Takuno looked at his predicament, and the last bit of hope in his heart was extinguished. He was expressionless, his tone carrying a bit of realization and helplessness.
"Could it be that Lady Tsunade's whereabouts are still unknown? Are you planning to take me with you to find her now?" His slightly cold eyes stared straight at Jiraiya, as if silently questioning: Can you really be relied upon?
"Hahaha! Young people need to have patience!" Jiraiya felt a bit uneasy under the stare and immediately put on that bold smile again, trying to drown out his guilt with a wave of sound.
"The journey itself is part of training and growth! Appreciating the local customs and doing some relaxing 'field research' along the way, this is a rare pleasure, so why not?"
As he spoke, he gestured exaggeratedly, trying to create an atmosphere that 'finding someone is also very fun'.
Takuno maintained his expressionless face, staring at Jiraiya with a look almost like dead fish eyes; his intense suspicion was almost about to materialize and pierce through the other party.
Unable to keep it up under this gaze, Jiraiya finally stopped his exaggerated performance and said in a slightly more serious tone.
"Hey! What kind of look is that, kid! I'm very reliable! Based on my understanding of Tsunade, she must be within the borders of the Land of Fire lately, and..." his tone was certain, "not too far from Konoha! Believe me, finding her won't be difficult!"
This time, Takuno carefully examined Jiraiya's expression and didn't read any deception from it; in fact, he didn't have much doubt about this statement.
Because even during her most frustrated and cynical periods, Tsunade's deep sense of responsibility toward Konoha was never truly severed.
Though she often complained verbally, whenever the Village was on the brink of destruction, she would inevitably return without hesitation to shoulder her mission as one of the 'Sannin'.
This Great Shinobi War was the same. She didn't participate because of her 'hemophobia,' which left battlefield medics helpless, not because she was evading responsibility.
And her choice to linger in the areas surrounding Konoha was undoubtedly a preparation; once the war situation truly reached a critical point, she would act like a guardian deity and contribute her strength to this final line of defense.
"I see." Takuno's heart suddenly cleared, and he instantly understood why Jiraiya was so urgent to take him to find Tsunade.
In this sensitive window where the war had ceased but the aftershocks hadn't settled, while Konoha was temporarily safe and before Tsunade completely relaxed her guard or potentially set off on another long journey, it was the best time to find her.
Takuno let out a long breath in resignation and asked in a heavy voice, "In that case, when do we leave?"
As long as he could avoid the fate of being a chore-boy by Tsunade's side, he seemed willing to accept any condition.
Moreover, Konoha was currently in need of manpower. As the Anbu Vice-Captain General, he had quite a few affairs, and the higher-ups probably wouldn't be willing to leave him 'idle' with Tsunade for long.
He silently calculated that at most, spending some time to master the Yin Seal and the Creation Rebirth Technique should allow him to retire honorably.
With his exquisite and subtle control over Chakra, learning these two Ninjutsu wouldn't be difficult.
In the worst-case scenario, even if he really had to stay by Tsunade's side for a while, he wasn't helpless; he just needed to send a Shadow Clone to stay in the lab, and the research on the Cursed Seal wouldn't be interrupted.
It was just that the experiments regarding the Kekkei Genkai would likely have to stop for a while, but that wasn't urgent. This thought relaxed his tense nerves somewhat.
"Now! We leave immediately!" Jiraiya blinked hard, his tone carrying a bit of his usual playfulness. "I've already spoken to Minato. Don't worry, someone is temporarily keeping an eye on your affairs."
Takuno was helpless and sighed deeply again. This 'Legendary Sannin's' style of doing things was indeed as erratic and unrestrained as the rumors said.
Oh well, since the matter was settled, rather than delaying, it was better to settle it quickly. Find Tsunade as soon as possible, finish learning and return, and escape from under the nose of this 'Konoha's number one information broker' who seemed careless but was actually excessively shrewd.
In front of Jiraiya, he had to be extra careful with every move.
Just as Takuno finished packing his few belongings and was ready to set off, Jiraiya's sharp gaze fell on his face, carrying a hint of scrutiny-like surprise.
"Speaking of which, it's strange, I was so busy on the battlefield that I didn't pay attention. Takuno kid, your face, so how does it look a bit more youthful than before?"
"Because I am young." Takuno rolled his eyes irritably, trying to brush it off with a casual tone.
He knew exactly what the other party saw. Since fusing the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai, he had indeed noticed subtle changes in his appearance; his skin was finer and tighter, but the change was extremely subtle, so there was no need to worry too much.
However, this old fox Jiraiya's insight was indeed terrifying, an alarm bell rang slightly in Takuno's heart.
This small episode caused a trace of unease to cross his mind: fusing Wood Release was already like this; if he successfully obtained the power of Shikotsumyaku in the future, his body's abnormal 'reverse aging' would likely become even more eye-catching.
At this moment, Takuno couldn't help but think that perhaps learning the Yin Seal as a cover wouldn't be bad.
It could explain why his appearance would remain so young later on.
After all, the secret of eternal youth in the Yin Seal was enough to drive thousands of women in the Shinobi World crazy.
Unfortunately, its requirements for Chakra control were so harsh they were daunting.
If it weren't so, why would Tsunade not pass this ultimate skill to the loyal Shizune by her side?
To Tsunade, was there any difference between Shizune and Sakura? In fact, Shizune's relationship with her was even closer.
Ultimately, it was just that Shizune's ability was not yet enough to touch its threshold.
"Oh? Is that so—" Jiraiya suspiciously scratched his messy white hair, staring at Takuno for a few seconds, and finally didn't delve further.
Maybe this kid just naturally had a baby face and didn't look old? He muttered in his heart.
After all, he himself was in his early forties, and Takuno was in his mid-thirties; although not old, he was far from being a 'young lad'.
Takuno had no intention of explaining. He didn't have much luggage and was ready after a brief moment of packing.
Thus, the two said no more, their figures crossing in the morning light of Konoha as they quickly embarked on the long journey to find that wandering 'Medical Saint,' Tsunade.