Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

Nagato's appearance had changed drastically compared to ten years ago.

He still liked to leave his long red hair untied, draped over his shoulders with a few loose strands obscuring half of his face. However, he no longer hid himself in the shadows; the gloom that once shrouded him had largely dissipated.

His skin was fair, but no longer an unhealthy pallor—it was a vibrant, healthy white with a touch of color. His cheeks were no longer sunken, making him look much healthier and more energetic.

Currently, Nagato wore a white lab coat typical of researchers, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The collar was left open, revealing a dark turtleneck underneath. A pair of silver, thin-framed glasses rested on the bridge of his nose, the round lenses catching a faint gleam under the lights.

He looked entirely like a researcher—gentle, focused, and composed—rather than a ninja.

The former gloom was completely gone, as if he were a completely different person.

Hearing the little girl's voice, he turned his head and smiled.

The smile wasn't large, just a slight curve of his lips, but it was genuine—the kind of smile an adult gives when seeing a beloved child.

But the most striking feature was his eyes. They were pure white from the iris to the pupil, without a single trace of impurity.

"Reiko is here."

His voice was soft yet gentle, carrying the doting tone of an elder toward a younger generation.

He set down the small tweezers in his hand on the workbench, walked over to the sink, and turned on the faucet. The water splashed out.

He dispensed some hand soap and rubbed his hands together, washing thoroughly from his fingers to his palms, the backs of his hands, and even between his fingers. He cleaned them meticulously.

After finishing, he rinsed off the foam, dried his hands with a paper towel, and then walked over to Uchiha Taiga, reaching out to take Reiko from his arms.

His movements were incredibly gentle, supporting Reiko's back with one hand and her waist with the other as he lifted her out.

Nagato's practiced movements made it obvious that this was far from his first time holding her.

Once in his arms, Reiko looked around, her little head turning this way and that as her eyes swept over the equipment and containers in the laboratory.

Uchiha Taiga walked over to the workbench on his own, his gaze falling on the containers.

The workbench was large and made of metal. Its smooth surface reflected a cold gleam under the lights.

Several containers were arranged on the table—some glass, some ceramic, some metal.

They varied in size and shape, holding liquids and solids of various colors. Some liquids were transparent, some pale yellow, and others light red. The solids were in powder, granular, or clumped forms.

His gaze swept over the containers before landing on the one right in the center.

It was a small glass jar filled with a clear, light red liquid that allowed visibility straight to the bottom. Suspended right in the middle of the liquid was an eyeball.

The eyeball wasn't large, about the size of a normal human eye. The iris was a deep, striking red, like coagulated blood. On that red iris sat a distinct black tomoe, shaped like a comma with its tail pointing toward the pupil, looking as though it had been painted on.

It was a Sharingan.

Uchiha Taiga couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and nod.

"Not bad. You actually managed to cultivate this thing."

His tone carried genuine praise as he shifted his gaze from the eyeball to Nagato.

Holding Reiko, Nagato simply pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, looking even more mild-mannered.

"It's just a Sharingan," he said flatly.

"Following the concepts you provided, cultivating this wasn't difficult."

He paused, looking down at Reiko, who was still looking around, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

Uchiha Taiga nodded, shifting his gaze from Nagato back to the containers on the workbench.

"Indeed. Whether it's you or me, we both descend from the Otsutsuki clan of the stars. It's nothing more than some dormant traits in our bloodlines waiting to be activated. Given its unique genetic expression, catalyzing it isn't difficult."

He paused, looking away from the containers to Nagato's face, staring at those pure white eyes.

"So, how much longer can this pair of Byakugan last?"

Nagato thought for a moment, shifting his gaze away from Reiko. He frowned slightly before relaxing his brow and answering, "They should last about another month."

"A new pair of eyes is already being cultivated and will mature soon."

He paused, looking back at Uchiha Taiga.

"You don't need to worry about that."

His tone was certain.

Uchiha Taiga nodded, his expression unchanged.

"It doesn't matter. Since they're cultivated from your own genes, they're convenient to use."

He shook his head and chuckled.

"But I still have to advise you: don't overtax the Byakugan's abilities. If you keep this up, no pair of eyes will be able to withstand your usage."

Nagato simply replied, "As long as they suffice, I don't really care about anything else."

Uchiha Taiga looked at him, falling silent for a moment, feeling a bit helpless.

"I've told you before, the superior form of the Byakugan is the Tenseigan. With your constitution and our current technology, achieving that wouldn't be difficult; it just takes some time."

He looked at Nagato earnestly.

"What you should be doing right now is cultivating a pair of Byakugan perfectly suited to you, and using them as a foundation to awaken the Tenseigan. Only eyes like that would truly suit you."

Nagato just smiled, offering no response.

He looked down at Reiko in his arms, gently teasing her. He reached out a finger and lightly tickled her chin. Reiko giggled, her little hands grabbing his finger tightly.

Watching him, Uchiha Taiga felt even more helpless.

Ever since Nagato was defeated by him ten years ago and agreed to his recruitment, this man had stopped caring about anything else. He didn't care about the state of the ninja world, the conflicts between nations, or the endless cycles of killing.

He locked himself in the laboratory, dedicating his entire being to research.

Truth be told, Nagato was indeed a genius, especially in the field of research.

With the various concepts, conveniences, and assistance provided by Uchiha Taiga, he had managed to develop the Byakugan entirely through his own abilities.

These weren't transplanted Byakugan; they were cultivated directly from his own cells.

Using his own genes, he grew Byakugan cells in the lab and transplanted them into his own eye sockets. Those eyes fused perfectly with his body, with no rejection or side effects.

Furthermore, building upon the Byakugan's telescopic vision, he had developed an even stronger microscopic vision.

His Byakugan could see cellular structures, and if he pushed them forcefully without regard for the consequences, he could even see genetic sequences and the microscopic world invisible to the naked eye.

This ability was a tremendous asset to his research.

However, the man was completely reckless with his visual prowess. A pair of Byakugan would typically be ruined after just six months to a year of use. His research intensity was simply too high. Staring at various things every day, his Byakugan couldn't handle that level of strain—blood vessels would burst, nerves would atrophy, and cells would undergo necrosis.

After all that, he would have to swap them out for a new pair.

It was a massive drain on resources.

Yet Nagato didn't care in the slightest. If his eyes broke, he just replaced them; he could always grow more anyway.

Uchiha Taiga had spoken to him about it several times, but Nagato remained indifferent. He would just smile, say they were sufficient for his needs, and dive right back into his research.

Reiko stared curiously at the eyeball in the container, showing not a hint of fear despite her young age. Her eyes were wide open, a bright gleam shining in her dark pupils. She reached out a hand, pointing at the glass jar.

"Papa, I want that."

Her voice was soft and sweet, carrying a child's willful expectation.

Uchiha Taiga chuckled. "I can't give you this one."

His voice was light, filled with the gentle tone of coaxing a child.

"When you grow up, you'll have much better ones of your own."

He paused.

"Be a good girl, we don't play with trash."

The corner of Nagato's mouth twitched. He gently squeezed Reiko's little hand before letting go, diverting her attention.

Nearby, Yugito Nii let out a soft chuckle. Her voice wasn't loud, but it was crisp. Standing by the workbench with her hands in her pockets, she watched Taiga and Reiko with a smile on her lips.

Reiko's eyes darted around as she tilted her little head and looked at Taiga.

"Then I want to go see the special tree."

Uchiha Taiga raised an eyebrow, a smile forming on his lips.

"Alright, let's go see the special tree."

His voice was soft, laced with pure adoration.

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