Ch.270 Observation!

The next day. 

After finishing the morning classes at the shinobi academy, Uchiha Shinji headed to Hidden Leaf Hospital during the noon break. 

He planned to use this brief window of free time to visit the medical team's laboratory and continue some unfinished cell fusion experiments. 

These included tests fusing Yakumo's cells with White Zetsu cells, as well as experiments combining Neji's cells with Kimimaro's. 

Whether two types of cells could fuse depended on numerous factors. 

The fusion technique, the preparation of the fusion solution, the timing of the fusion, and even the condition of the cells themselves—all influenced the outcome. 

There was no shortcut for this; it required trial after trial. 

Fortunately, the medical team held high hopes for Shinji. 

The village's higher-ups also seemed to want this remnant of the Uchiha clan to develop in the direction of medical ninjutsu, so they provided some support for the resources he requested. 

However, this support only allowed Shinji to conduct basic cell fusion experiments. 

If he wanted to dive deeper into research and access higher-tier materials—like the First Hokage's original cell samples—the village clearly wouldn't approve. 

As a result, Shinji had already begun planning to build a laboratory of his own. 

Of course! 

Limited by his current skills and finances, the idea of constructing his own lab remained in the conceptual stage for now. 

Lunch break ended, and Shinji packed up and left the lab. 

"I'm all rested up—time to head back to the shinobi academy!" 

Just as Shinji was about to leave Hidden Leaf Hospital and make his way to the academy, a loud shout caught his attention. 

Following the sound, he spotted Naruto yelling noisily at the entrance of a nearby hospital room along the corridor. 

And the one blocking Naruto was none other than Tsunade! 

Tsunade pressed down on Naruto's head, shoving him back into the room: "Quit yapping and lie down on that bed like a good boy!" 

"Granny Tsunade, I'm seriously all better now!" 

Naruto struggled to break free and head out the door. 

Ever since learning Tsunade's real age from Jiraiya, he'd changed how he addressed her. 

Hearing this, Shinji's heart skipped a beat. 

Boom! 

Sure enough, upon hearing Naruto's new nickname for her, Tsunade smashed a fist onto his head, knocking him out cold. 

Shizune, standing by, sighed and carried the unconscious Naruto back to the bed. 

Shinji noticed that Naruto's hand was wrapped in thick bandages, suggesting a severe injury. He mused to himself, "Naruto hasn't been at the academy these past few days. Has he been with Jiraiya and Tsunade this whole time? That injury on his hand—could it be from training the 'Rasengan'?" 

At that moment, Tsunade passed by Shinji. Seeing him staring at Naruto's room, she paused: "Uchiha Shinji?" 

Shinji nodded: "Lady Tsunade!" 

"I've seen your surgical recordings. You've got a real knack for medical ninjutsu. Keep working hard—don't waste that talent!" 

After a few casual words of encouragement, Tsunade walked off. 

Shinji felt a pang of regret. 

His performance in the medical team had partly been an attempt to catch Tsunade's eye, hoping she'd take him on as a disciple. 

After all, he was quite covetous of her "Yin Seal." 

But from the looks of it, even though Tsunade acknowledged his skill, she had no intention of teaching him medical ninjutsu. 

He wasn't surprised. 

The relationship between the Senju and Uchiha clans had always been delicate. Aside from the First Hokage, most Senju harbored an innate aversion and wariness toward the Uchiha. 

Add to that the Akatsuki, currently wreaking havoc across the shinobi world and threatening the five great villages, with several members wielding the Mangekyo Sharingan. 

In this climate, the Hokage's faction hadn't let their guard down against the Uchiha after the clan's massacre—in fact, their wariness had only intensified. 

So the odds of Tsunade taking him as a student were slim. The fact that she even bothered to encourage him now was likely only because he'd chosen the path of medical ninjutsu. 

Soon, Shinji returned to the academy. 

The afternoon session was combat training. Each class was led to the field by their instructors for one-on-one taijutsu sparring. 

While attending the lesson, Shinji discreetly observed his experimental subjects. 

Karin, wearing goggles, seemed to have adapted to her blindness. She quietly sparred with Shiro in a corner, showing no sign that the fully damaged Mangekyo Sharingan in her sockets could no longer perceive light. 

"Who'd have thought restoring her eyes would end up boosting her mastery of 'Mind's Eye of Kagura'…" 

Shinji felt a bit exasperated. 

At this rate, he worried that his chakra disguise might one day be seen through by Karin's "Mind's Eye of Kagura." 

Sighing, his gaze subtly shifted to the far end of the field, where Yakumo from Sasuke and Naruto's class stood. 

Having just received the Koryugan, Yakumo looked a little odd at the moment. 

She seemed brimming with curiosity about everything, her eyes lingering on objects for a second or two without realizing it. 

In truth, the Koryugan, like the Sharingan, was a dojutsu kekkei genkai that altered the pupil's shape when activated. 

In its dormant state, its pupils were an ordinary brown. 

Since its pupil color was somewhat similar to Yakumo's natural eyes, Shinji hadn't asked her to wear anything to conceal them. 

And in its dormant state, the Koryugan lacked transparency abilities. 

So Shinji felt exasperated again. Yakumo's wide-eyed, curious demeanor—as if she could see through everything—wasn't because she actually could. She was simply awestruck by the Koryugan's potent insight, even when unactivated. 

Indeed. 

Even in its dormant state, the Koryugan's perceptive power far surpassed Yakumo's original eyes. 

Bang! 

Just then, with a dull thud, a student was sent flying by Sasuke's kick. 

Sasuke stood on the field, arms crossed: "Iruka-sensei, one-on-one sparring is too boring." 

Iruka rubbed his forehead helplessly: "Sasuke, this is a classroom!" 

Sasuke spread his hands, scanning all his classmates: "Iruka-sensei, why not let them all come at me? I want to test the results of my recent training!" 

"Is Sasuke crazy? Challenging all of us by himself?" 

"That wouldn't include Kimimaro too, would it?" 

"Did he learn some new ninjutsu or something?" 

Instantly, murmurs erupted around them. 

Faced with this troublesome student, Iruka was at a complete loss. 

He'd already submitted a request to the higher-ups, asking for Sasuke to graduate early from the academy, like the Uchiha prodigies before him. 

But for some reason, after sending the request, it vanished without a trace—no response whatsoever. 

It was as if the village leadership didn't want Sasuke leaving the academy anytime soon.