"How intere-sting," I hissed. "I urgently need to get my hands on a genetic analyzer. I'd very much like to have such wonderful eyes. If I can't awaken them myself, then I'll just steal them from the Chinoike. Since I'm related to them, they should take root nicely."
"Honestly, Chi-chan, how cruel you are," Mitsuko tittered into her hand.
"Cruel, not cruel girl?" I raised a brow. You surprise me, Mom.
"Ah, I suppose I'll have to get used to calling you what everyone else does—Orochimaru," the woman lamented. "You did a very good job, Chi-chan—no one even suspects you're a girl! And that really upsets me."
"The attitude toward women in this feudal world isn't exactly great," I grimaced. "Men rule the world, and they have far better chances of founding a clan."
"Ho-ho! And who rules the men? Certainly not their brains," Mitsuko waved a hand dismissively.
Mitsuko, as always.
I'd already noticed that all shinobi carry psychological scars. A harsh childhood—no nailed-to-the-ceiling wooden toys could even come close to what they go through: murder, violence, betrayal. And that's if the ninja doesn't belong to a clan! Just now, two girls left me—girls whose minds their own relatives have clearly trampled all over. Mikoto and Nami have effectively been robbed of their childhoods! What a madhouse.
"And what abilities does your dojutsu give you?" I asked, changing the subject.
"I can cast genjutsu that even the Byakugan can't detect," Mitsuko began listing, counting on her fingers. "I can control iron-containing liquids if I infuse them with my chakra. Enhanced perception and analytical abilities, similar to the Sharingan. I can't compare them myself, but from what I've heard, it fits. I can see chakra. Not as clearly as the Byakugan; I mostly see physical energy and can manipulate it along with blood. I can see and hear over long distances and through obstacles, but again, not like the Hyuga—not in a full sphere around me, only in front of me. And I mostly perceive energy—chakra—rather than physical objects."
"Yeah… The power of those eyes is indeed intriguing—and worthy of standing alongside the Three Great Dojutsu," I clicked my tongue in admiration.
I want them! To hell with the Sharingan—it's nothing but trouble! I want the Ketsuryugan. That's something I can actually obtain and use without too many complications. Maybe I should try looking for dojutsu development techniques among the Uchiha and the Hyuga? My eyes are already inhuman—serpentine, almost draconic—maybe that'll help.
"Oh! I can feel it—Chi-chan is already making grand plans to upgrade his body," Mitsuko laughed. "By the way, none of the DNA samples from Mito Uzumaki produced the desired results."
"Damn it!" I had a feeling it would turn out this way. "Fine. I'll try again. INow I have a second Uzumaki specimen—I've collected enough of his DNA. But something tells me I'm on the wrong track. I should talk to Hiruko, see how things are going with Hashirama's genome. Ever since I was put in charge of the department, I haven't been able to focus on any one thing."
"For now, you could work on the Senju genome."
"We'll definitely do that! Starting today. If only you knew how tired I am of being so frail."
Chuckling softly, Mom leaned across the table and flicked me on the forehead.
"Don't put yourself down! Your strength is already very high for a sixteen-year-old. You just set your standards far too high. And you're training under the Hokage, with the most talented genin gathered in your team. Compared to Tsunade and Jiraiya, it may indeed seem that you're weaker than your peers—but that's far from the truth."
"I know that. But life is already demanding too much from me, so I need more power. I ran into Chiyo recently—good thing she didn't notice anything, or we might not be talking right now."
"Are they trying to get rid of you too?" the girl narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Unlikely. I have a suspicion they simply sent me out of the village without expecting me to complete the mission," Mitsuko's theory was something I'd already considered and dismissed. "You know I've already used Hiruzen a couple of times to pull you out of questionable missions at the last moment. What I still don't understand is why you were such a problem for him or for Danzo."
"It's simple," she shrugged. "They want to raise you themselves, without my interference. Like Jiraiya, for example—he's completely devoted to his sensei and the village. Or maybe they plan to use you differently because of your genome."
"Anything's possible," I shrugged. "But since we're already talking about genomes—let's work on improving mine!"
If someone had told me back in my previous life that I'd be itching to turn myself into a chimera… And yet, here we are. I can hardly wait to do it. I was never the most reasonable person to begin with, but this world seems to have finally broken something in me. And the worst part? There are no psychologists here! And the local monks wouldn't understand the problem anyway. Becoming stronger is a perfectly normal aspiration—as long as it benefits the Motherland.