121-125

*Chapter 121: The Fourth Battle, Training Before the Fight!*

On the way back to camp after leaving the dense forest.

"Tsuyoshi, I think—"

"Stop!" Uchiha Tsuyoshi immediately cut off Shisui.

Taking a deep breath, he frowned and looked at Shisui, advising gravely:

"Shisui, I’ll keep this a secret for you, but you must stop getting involved with them."

"Trust me, it’s dangerous."

At this point in time, the Akatsuki organization is still in its infancy and will manage to linger for a few years. But after the Kannabi Bridge battle erupts, everything changes.

When Uchiha Obito descends into darkness, the Akatsuki will quickly become a tool for the larger scheme.

In that tragic incident that forced Yahiko to commit suicide and drove Nagato into a frenzy, the Akatsuki—already powerful enough to be recognized as a threat by the three great nations—had the capability to turn the tide.

However, to push Nagato into despair, Obito intercepted and eliminated Akatsuki reinforcements, leaving the organization in shambles.

Uchiha Tsuyoshi doubted he’d live to see that day, so he didn’t want Shisui taking unnecessary risks.

Shisui stayed silent for a moment before nodding.

By now, the two had reached the entrance of the camp.

"Oh, by the way, Tsuyoshi," Shisui suddenly remembered, "the Elder arranged for Jinichi to teach you the clan’s ninjutsu. Don’t forget about it."

"This will be evaluated for results."

"If you’re not assigned a mission, head to the small forest behind the main camp every morning at nine to train."

Shisui glanced at the sky and added, "It’s almost time now. Let’s go meet Jinichi together."

Hearing this, Uchiha Tsuyoshi’s expression twitched slightly.

Training—

What a distant concept.

Since arriving in this world a year ago,

He had only managed to recall and master the basics, such as water walking, tree climbing, and the Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu during his first three months.

The rest of his time had been consumed by an endless series of D-rank missions, teetering on the edge of overwork.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to train other techniques; the problem was that his body’s aptitude was, frankly, absurdly poor.

He’d spent six months juggling missions and training just to make minimal progress on a simple D-rank Fire Release: Flame Bullet Jutsu.

Of course, he adamantly refused to admit this might be due to his low Wisdom stat.

Only after acquiring the Steel Will and the Sharingan had he managed to master a variety of flashy techniques.

Now, the idea of serious training instantly brought back painful memories of that arduous time, and his face practically donned a mask of anguish.

After a brief silence, he sighed and said,

"Got it. Let’s go."

However—

Just then,

A Root ninja wearing a jet-black cloak and a bird-patterned mask suddenly appeared before Uchiha Tsuyoshi with a Body Flicker.

The masked ninja’s cold eyes bore into Tsuyoshi as he said flatly,

"Shura, Lord Ryoma summons you."

"Now. Follow me immediately!"

Seeing this, Shisui sighed helplessly and rescheduled.

"In that case, you go ahead. But don’t forget to show up for training."

Uchiha Tsuyoshi nodded, then followed the Root ninja through the rain to a military tent.

Lifting the flap, he saw Aburame Ryoma, clad in a black cloak with a distinctive purple mark on the side of his face.

At the moment, Ryoma stood with his back to him, facing a map, exuding the air of a commanding officer.

It seemed as if he was about to issue orders and reveal an impressive strategy.

But—

As Tsuyoshi drew closer, he noticed Ryoma wasn’t studying the map or strategizing at all.

This eccentric man was using his finger to play with a stag beetle on the map, chuckling foolishly as his cheeks twitched, causing his sunglasses to wobble.

"Ahem. Lord Ryoma."

Uchiha Tsuyoshi coughed twice, thinking that only the Aburame clan could have such peculiar tastes.

"Huh?!"

Ryoma flinched, hastily snatched up the beetle, stuffed it into his pocket, and stood with his hands in his pockets, gravely facing the map as though nothing had happened.

"Ahem. Yes, yes," he cleared his throat, turning back with a serious expression.

"You’re here."

"What were you doing just now?" Tsuyoshi asked quietly.

"Wha—what? What nonsense are you spouting? Of course, I was strategizing, figuring out how to help Lord Danzo crush the Sand’s resistance!"

Ryoma nonchalantly adjusted his sunglasses—

Though it would’ve been more convincing if there wasn’t still a beetle clinging to his finger.

"Oh~ Is that so."

Tsuyoshi glanced at his shameless superior with a mix of resignation and disdain.

Shaking his head, he asked,

"So, why did you call me here?"

Ryoma raised an eyebrow, slung an arm over Tsuyoshi’s shoulder, and steered him toward the map.

With a serious tone, he said,

"Your next mission has arrived!"

He pointed to a red-circled area on the Rain Country map—a barren desert region behind the Sand’s front-line outposts.

At the location marked by the red circle, further ahead lies the native desert of the Land of Wind.

Shinji raised an eyebrow slightly.

After last night's ambush by Sunagakure, it's time for the Konoha side to retaliate.

"A spy embedded deep within Sunagakure has sent back intelligence,"

"This location will receive a shipment of strategic supplies in three days. Among them is a poison concocted using a formula provided by Sunagakure’s Chiyo."

"If we can destroy this batch of supplies, the next large-scale attack by Sunagakure will be much easier to handle."

"At the very least, it will save hundreds of lives on our side."

Aburame Ryoma pointed to the red-circled area.

"At that time, a Sunagakure squad of about thirty will be transporting these supplies."

Shinji looked at the map, activated his Sharingan, and recorded the information.

Raising his head, he frowned and asked,

"So, is this my mission?"

"Take out those thirty people?"

"No."

Aburame Ryoma shook his head, smirking as he replied,

"That's my mission."

"Your mission is here—"

As he spoke, Aburame Ryoma pointed to the Sunagakure camp closest to the supply route.

"You are to intercept this group."

"Their numbers total three hundred."

Shinji blinked in disbelief and pointed at himself.

"Me?"

"Alone?"

Aburame Ryoma nodded expressionlessly.

"How you handle it is up to you. Until I fire the signal flare, even if you die here, you must hold them off."

"That shouldn't be too hard for you."

"After all, Orochimaru said that for you, this should be—"

"An appetizer."

Shinji swallowed hard, his gaze sharpening.

"Alright!"

Without hesitation, he accepted the mission. After all, he had left the village precisely for battles like this!

Aburame Ryoma nodded in approval.

Then, as if recalling something, he suddenly chuckled, patted Shinji on the shoulder, and offered a reminder:

"Oh, by the way,"

"For the next two nights, make sure to sleep fully equipped."

"And here, take this."

"Orochimaru demands that you memorize this by tonight. Otherwise, your mission will be canceled."

With that, Aburame Ryoma tossed over a cobalt-blue scroll adorned with serpent patterns.

Hearing this, Shinji frowned deeply.

Damn you, Orochimaru, you've got some nerve!  

Giving me a sweet deal only to slap me with a burden—what do you take me for, a mule?  

Furious, Shinji caught the scroll and unrolled it to take a look.

His expression froze instantly.

On the scroll’s cover, a bold title gleamed in bright characters:

*"Orochimaru Style: Substitution Jutsu!"*

(End of Chapter)

**Chapter 122: Science Sharpens My Mind, Orochimaru's Night Raid!*

The Root’s methods were highly efficient.

After informing Shinji of his mission, Aburame Ryoma signaled a Root ninja wearing a bird-patterned mask outside the tent. The ninja escorted Shinji to his designated quarters.

Soon after,Shinji was led to another section of the Konoha ninja camp to collect supplies, such as bedding and food. Once these tasks were completed, the Root ninja promptly departed.

Left alone, Shinji stood in the shadow of his tent, watching the rain-soaked scene as Root ninjas darted through the camp. They moved between Orochimaru’s command tent in the center and Aburame Ryoma’s quarters with an air of urgency.

Clearly, his two superiors were exceptionally busy, even during wartime.

Every Root ninja Shinji encountered shared the same hurried demeanor.

On the Rain Country battlefield, these silent warriors undertook most of the high-risk intelligence-gathering missions deep behind enemy lines.

No one paid Shinji any attention, nor did anyone offer him any formal Root initiation training.

As a clan ninja who only knew how to throw shuriken, fight, and eat,Shinji couldn’t make sense of what they were doing and was utterly useless in their operations.

Suddenly, he found himself idle. With nothing to do, he reluctantly retreated into his tent, sat on his bed, and begrudgingly began reading the scroll Orochimaru had given him.

*"The Orochimaru-Style Substitution Jutsu."*

Before long,Shinji’s brow furrowed deeply.

The version of the technique Orochimaru had provided was clearly not the simplified one he had taught Sasuke Uchiha—a chakra-intensive but straightforward version.

No, this was Orochimaru’s *plus* version: a grotesque technique involving spitting snakes, having snakes spit him out, and an endless cycle of snake regeneration.

To even attempt this, one needed both rapid regenerative abilities and an enormous chakra reserve.

Moreover, this substitution jutsu was evidently still in its prototype stage. It wasn’t a fully developed technique but rather a direction for scientific research.

The scroll was crammed with Orochimaru’s theories, analyses, and complex terminology. It also included sections on human modification, soft-body transformation, and genetic engineering—concepts far beyondShinji’s comprehension.

AsShinji unrolled the seemingly unremarkable scroll, it stretched from one end of the tent to the other. Its contents spanned over 100,000 words.

Faced with this overwhelming task,Shinji’s expression turned blank, as if he were a senior struggling with pre-exam prep.

“Are you kidding me? You expect me to memorize all this in one day?”

Although the Sharingan enhanced his observational abilities, the intense stimulation of awakening his eyes only marginally improved his cognitive capacity.

It wasn’t as if he could instantly memorize everything he read!

Swallowing nervously,Shinji shut his eyes in resignation. With a heavy sigh, he began painstakingly recording the scroll’s contents from the beginning.

If he didn’t memorize this, Orochimaru might revoke his mission, leaving him unable to participate in the battlefield.

Thus, in the first hour,Shinji’s eyes gleamed with determination, his spirit unyielding. He could almost feel his mind expanding under the baptism of science.

“Through homologous sequence exchange, exogenous DNA fragments replace the gene at the original locus, thereby deactivating specific genes or repairing defective ones…”

His clear recitation echoed from the tent, earning admiration from passing Root ninjas.

“Master Orochimaru’s apprentice is so humble and studious,” they whispered. “Even during wartime, he can focus on his studies. A role model for us all!”

However, by the second hour, the voice inside the tent had devolved into:

“Blah blah blah…”

Root ninjas passing by shook their heads in pity.

“This is what happens when you push a kunai-wielding kid to study. He’s already on the brink of insanity. Truly a waste of talent.”

By the fourth hour:

“Zzzz… Snore… Snore…”

The snoring from inside the tent rivaled thunder, causing the Root ninjas outside to exchange silent, exasperated glances.

---

Unbeknownst to Shinji, night had fallen, and the rain had ceased. The Rain Country sky cleared for the first time in ages, revealing a star-filled expanse that formed a dreamlike celestial ribbon.

The full moon cast its gentle glow upon the damp earth below.

Inside one of the Root camp’s tents, under the flickering light of a candle,Shinji lay slumped over a desk. Drool streamed from his mouth, soaking both the desk and the scroll beneath him, cascading like a waterfall.

He smacked his lips, producing the adorable snores of a contented piglet.

Suddenly, the candlelight flickered.

A cold, austere man clad in a pitch-black kimono appeared silently in the tent.

His jade earring and distinct purple eye markings betrayed his identity: Shinji’s master, Orochimaru.

The sight of his disciple sprawled across the desk, the precious scroll he’d meticulously written now drenched in drool, rendered Orochimaru speechless.

Fortunately, as someone who often spat swords, scrolls, and other bizarre objects from his mouth, Orochimaru had made the scroll waterproof.

Still, as the thunderous snores reverberated in his ears, Orochimaru’s expression grew darker…

Orochimaru’s face twisted uncontrollably, and a vein bulged on his forehead.

He narrowed his golden, snake-like eyes dangerously, directing his gaze at Shinji. A sudden wave of killing intent radiated from him.

The killing intent struck.

Originally sleeping soundly like a little pig, Shinji jolted awake abruptly.

His right hand grabbed the sealing bracer on his left wrist, instantly summoning the Kusanagi Sword. His left hand immediately reached behind him toward his ninja tool pouch.

With a swift motion of his five fingers, he drew out four shuriken. Threads of Earth Grudge Fear wrapped around the shuriken from his wrist, securing them tightly.

Just as his body assumed a battle-ready stance, Shinji suddenly froze. He woke up from his dream, his eyes snapping wide open.

“Who’s there?!”

Seeing Shinji’s sudden and intense reaction, a flicker of surprise flashed in Orochimaru’s golden eyes.

“This response… a physical reflex engraved beyond consciousness, into instinct,” Orochimaru murmured. “Interesting.”

Hearing this remark, Shinji raised his eyes and frowned slightly.

“Hm? Orochimaru? Why are you—”

Before Shinji could finish his sentence, Orochimaru shook his head and spoke coldly:

“Your reflexes are impressive, but you’re still too weak.”

With that, his eyes turned icy. He raised his hand and made a sweeping motion.

“Ninja Art: Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!”

The ground within the tent suddenly split open as four enormous pythons lunged toward Shinji, aiming to coil around his limbs.

Startled, Shinji didn’t have time to question why Orochimaru was attacking him. He immediately swung the Kusanagi Sword.

“Uchiha Style: Momentary Slash!”

A crescent arc of light flashed, slicing through the massive pythons in an instant.

Without hesitation, he hurled four shuriken, each aiming for Orochimaru’s head, eyes, throat, and heart.

Leaping off the bed in a fluid motion, Shinji’s feet created a splash of water on the ground. His Sharingan flared to life in his eyes.

A spark of fire ignited in his chest, surging down his arm and into the Kusanagi Sword. The blade became engulfed in fiery chakra, extending into a six-foot-long flaming edge. The tip of the flame surged forward, lunging toward Orochimaru.

But then—

“Genjutsu: Bringer-of-Darkness Technique.”

Orochimaru’s raspy voice rang out.

Suddenly, an intense darkness enveloped Shinji.

In an instant, his vision was consumed by blackness. He couldn’t see anything.

Still, he remembered Orochimaru’s position. Closing his eyes, he relied on pure instinct to swing his blade.

The flaming sword illuminated the entire tent, but the slash landed with a squelch, as though hitting a lump of mud. Judging from the texture, Shinji recognized it as a substitution jutsu—most likely Orochimaru’s Earth Style: Earth Substitution.

Alarmed, Shinji realized the danger. He calmed his mind, closing his eyes and relying on his sense of the threatening presence in the darkness to defend himself.

Yet whether his eyes were open or closed, the world remained pitch-black. Orochimaru must have noticed Shinji’s extraordinary battle instincts.

The question was: how would Orochimaru attack in a way that Shinji couldn’t counter?

Soon, Orochimaru’s composed voice echoed once more.

“Nirvana Temple Technique.”

Within the darkness, Shinji seemed to see dreamlike feathers drifting downward. As they floated, an overwhelming drowsiness began to overtake him.

Instinctively, he tried to disrupt his chakra flow, using the basic genjutsu-release technique taught by his clan.

But before he could act, a swift hand chop struck the back of his head.

Thud!  

Shinji’s eyes snapped wide open for a moment before he collapsed heavily to the ground.

Inside the tent, Orochimaru frowned at the unconscious Shinji at his feet.

“Your strengths are obvious, but so are your weaknesses.”

“Ninjas can’t always fight on favorable terms. Genjutsu, poisons, restraints, sealing techniques, highly refined elemental jutsu, specialized tools, or sheer speed like Minato’s—any of these could easily take you down.”

Shaking his head, Orochimaru opened his mouth and spat out a scroll. Grabbing a brush, he marked circles around the words ‘genjutsu’ and ‘chakra disruption’.

Then he formed a series of hand seals.

“Ninja Art: Snake Mouth Bind!”

The ground beneath the tent rippled. A giant serpent burst forth, its maw as large as a house. It swallowed both Orochimaru and Shinji whole.

The serpent dove back into the earth.

Under the full moon, it slithered through the ground, its tail coiling and propelling it forward. It carried the two of them toward a secluded battlefield—an undisturbed location where Orochimaru could truly train his chosen protégé.

---

Shinji had no idea how long he had been unconscious…

He was startled awake by a warm glob of mucus landing on his face.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw a massive, purple head staring at him with exaggerated expressions.

It was none other than Orochimaru's most powerful summoned beast,

Manda!

“Hahaha! This brat woke up from just one spit of mine!”

“Orochimaru, this is my doing. Don’t forget to give me ten more sacrifices!”

When Manda saw Shinji wake up, it threw its head back and laughed, the earth trembling violently with its thunderous sound.

In the cold moonlight, a hoarse, indifferent voice came from not far away.

“In the next battle, eat as much as you want.”

Shinji abruptly turned his head to look,

And then was horrified to see—

Under the endless starlight, Orochimaru stood on the edge of a quiet valley’s cliff,

wielding two scalpels with finesse as he operated on a Sunagakure ninja strapped to an open-air surgical table.

The conditions were far from sterile, and Orochimaru wasn’t even bothering to use anesthesia, leaving the captive Sand ninja screaming in agony.

The shrill cries were so piercingly horrifying that they made one’s scalp tingle.

At that moment,

Orochimaru smoothly twisted his head 180 degrees. His face, still splattered with fresh, steaming blood,

His golden, snake-like eyes locked dangerously onto Shinji.

“You’re awake? Good. I’ll be done shortly.”

“Now, let me ask you a question first—”

Orochimaru’s golden eyes narrowed with a dangerous gleam as he asked softly:

“How much of the scroll I gave you have you memorized?”

At this question,

cold sweat immediately started dripping from Shinji’s forehead and back.

He looked exactly like a student in language class being called to recite a classic poem but, having stayed up all night playing video games, couldn’t even recall the first line.

“Well… I-I’ve actually memorized quite a bit,”

Shinji stammered nervously, swallowing hard as sweat poured down his face in a futile attempt to bluff his way through.

“Oh? Is that so?” Orochimaru wasn’t so easily fooled. Raising a brow, he asked:

“Then, explain the principles of base editing technology.”

Shinji’s eyes widened in shock. He frantically searched his brain but found it completely blank. All he could recall was a dream where he and Mei Terumi had been shopping at a mall, and he had cheerfully declared,

“Everything here is on me today!”

Base editing technology?

What was that? Why would learning a simple Substitution Jutsu require something like that?!

“Hahahahaha! Orochimaru, this kid is clearly an idiot!”

“You actually tried to teach him your techniques?!”

“Hahaha, this is killing me! Hahaha!”

Seeing the expression on Shinji’s face, Manda couldn’t stop laughing, shaking the earth with its deep, booming voice.

Under the vibrations of Manda’s laughter, Orochimaru’s hand slipped,

and the Sand ninja beneath him breathed his last.

Orochimaru frowned, turned his head back to align properly with his body, and then cast a cold glance at the two fools in the valley.

He shook his head, discarded the bloodied scalpel,

And his golden snake eyes landed coldly on Shinji as he sneered:

“If memorization won’t work, let’s try another method.”

“My dear disciple,”

“You’re so eager to die, aren’t you?”

“I’ve found you an opponent. Now, fight to the death!”

Hearing this, Shinji froze.

“An opponent? Where’s the opponent?”

Looking around, he saw that only he and Manda were in the valley.

Man and snake exchanged confused glances.

For a moment, the atmosphere grew tense.

I mean, seriously, we have no beef with each other. Why do we have to fight?

Just then,

Orochimaru turned to Manda, his lips curling into a sinister grin as he said,

“Hehehe.”

“Manda, kill this brat, and I’ll give you 100 more sacrifices!”

At these words,

Manda’s eyes widened as it lowered its massive head to look at Shinji, who was still covered in its spit.

The snake’s pupils immediately contracted.

Meanwhile, a line of text seemed to appear in front of Shinji’s eyes:

*[Manda has developed killing intent toward you!]*

The next moment,

Shinji felt an explosion of dread at the back of his head.

His vision blurred for an instant,

and then it was as if a skyscraper had collapsed—the massive, purple tail of Manda whipped up a terrifying sandstorm as it came crashing down on him!

In an instant, the air was crushed layer by layer.

A thunderous roar erupted, shaking the earth to its core!

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 123: Grilling the Giant Snake, Shedding Snake Technique!*

When a creature grows to a massive size, every movement becomes an attack impossible to ignore.

At this moment, the giant snake's tail lashed out like the whip of a god, smashing downward with incredible force!

The violent winds it generated howled like blades, whipping up and lifting Shinji’s hair. The edges of his high-collared robe flapped wildly in the turbulent air.

Even his mouth was forced open, baring his gums, while the skin of his face was pulled back by the gale.

Standing upright was nearly impossible, and the sheer wind pressure made forming hand seals a near-impossible task.

This devastating strike was coming in fast.

No matter if you had an immortal body or used forbidden techniques like physical regeneration—if this landed, you’d be reduced to nothing but pulp.

Shinji felt his scalp tingle with fear. Instantly, he focused chakra in his feet, transforming himself into a splash of water.

*Water Style: Water Surface Skimming Technique.*

Using this jutsu, he reduced the friction between his feet and the ground, allowing him to glide backward with the wind’s momentum.

Barely managing to dodge the attack by a hair’s breadth, his body was still inevitably sliced by the debris whipped up by the wind, leaving him with bleeding cuts.

After the strike, the massive snake reared up, its enormous eyes—like windows on a house—scanned the battlefield. It quickly locked onto Shinji, who was in the middle of forming hand seals.

"Hmph!"

It sneered, lowering its head and opening its massive, fanged mouth, biting down with tremendous force!

It seemed as though it would devour Shinji along with a large section of the ground beneath him in one go.

But at that moment, Shinji finished his hand seals. His hands extended toward the ground, striking a pose reminiscent of launching a Kamehameha.

Then—

*"Wind Style: Void Slash Wave!"*

A massive amount of chakra condensed between his hands, transforming into a powerful air-pressure wave and ultrasonic blast that erupted downward!

Whoosh!

The intense wind carried Shinji upward, propelling him into the sky and just barely helping him evade the enormous jaws.

The snake’s attack missed, but its momentum didn’t stop, leaving a massive crater where it bit, its entire body burrowing deep into the ground.

For a brief moment, the battlefield fell silent as the gale subsided.

The next moment, a menacing, gigantic snake head burst from the earth again, its mouth wide open, lunging into the sky!

It looked as though a skyscraper had sprung up from the ground, aiming to devour Shinji, who now had nowhere to escape in midair.

Taking a deep breath, Shinji steeled himself.

This couldn’t go on. On flat ground, the fierce winds generated by the snake’s movements completely suppressed his ability to maneuver and counterattack effectively.

He had to use its strength against it.

His Sharingan glinted brightly, its crimson lines pulling across his eyes as he scanned the surroundings. His mind worked furiously to calculate a counterattack.

Although Orochimaru’s lessons had always put him to sleep, in this adrenaline-fueled moment, everything became vividly clear.

His mind had never felt sharper.

In an instant, he memorized the entire topography of the valley, creating a detailed 3D mental map.

Paths crisscrossed like threads, possible shuriken trajectories aligned, the snake’s reactions calculated, and even some of Orochimaru’s teachings surfaced in his memory. He was almost ready to recite a lesson on the spot.

Shinji swiftly flung eight shuriken into the air, which embedded themselves in the valley walls.

*"Uchiha Style: Thread Manipulation Shuriken Technique – Eight Spider Crash!"*

The shuriken formed a makeshift trampoline as thin threads intertwined between them.

Pulling the threads taut, Shinji leaped, his body compressing the threads downward, building tension.

Then, like an arrow released from a bow, the elasticity launched him skyward once more.

The snake's strike missed yet again, and its massive face twisted into an almost human-like expression of fury and frustration.

“You’re like a damn flea!”

“You little brat, let’s see how you dodge this time!!!”

The snake’s enormous eyes locked onto Shinji, who had reached the peak of his jump and was beginning to fall. Its tail lashed out, snapping the threads in midair. Its gaping maw awaited, perfectly positioned to swallow him whole.

Shinji smirked viciously.

“Dodge?”

“Dodge my foot! You dare to spray me with saliva? You’re the first!”

Glaring at the snake, he slammed his palm against his chest.

“Watch closely!”

“Today, I’m going to turn you into—”

*“Grilled Snake!”*

*"Fire Style: Chakra Mode, Activate!"*

In an instant, brilliant flames of fire-natured chakra erupted from Shinji’s body, forming a near-tangible aura of blazing energy.

He summoned the Kusanagi Sword, gripping its hilt with both hands as he pointed its tip downward.

With a sudden twist, he infused the weapon with all of the raging fire chakra, causing flames to erupt and expand, transforming the blade into a massive, blazing sword over 40 meters long.

Using the tremendous momentum from his fall hundreds of meters above, he thrust the fiery blade straight toward the snake’s gaping mouth, ready to turn it into a flaming barbecue!

BOOM!

From the snake’s perspective, this single strike illuminated the entire surroundings, transforming night into day.

It was as if a blazing sun had plummeted from the sky—and the snake was about to swallow it whole.

In that moment, the giant snake froze in terror.

"Whose idea of a sliding tackle involves a forty-meter-long sword?!

But its massive body became a burden at a moment like this, making it impossible to evade.

In desperation, Manda tightly shut its jaws, hoping its sturdy, resilient scales could get it through unscathed.

Its enormous serpent eyes glared at Orochimaru, practically cursing him out in rage.

‘You want me to kill this thing?

And you're only giving me 100 sacrifices afterward?

Do you think I’m stupid?!’

There was no time to rant.

The Flaming Sword of Flowing Flame plunged down, failing to pierce Manda's scales but striking like a sledgehammer.

The blow smashed Manda's head deep into the ground, sending up a massive cloud of dust.

And then—

The giant sword exploded in a fiery surge!

In an instant, the valley turned into a sea of fire.

"Orochimaru! Ahhh, damn you and your ancestors!!!"

Manda wailed in agony, bathed in raging flames.

At this moment, Shinji landed on Manda's head.

With a flick of his sword, he sent the last brilliant ember flying off the blade before sheathing it.

Before him, a line of text suddenly appeared:

*[Ding!]*

*[You courageously counterattacked Manda, who intended to trade you for sacrifices. You have obtained a random skill from Manda: Snake Shedding Technique (Mastery, B Rank).]*

*[Your Steel Heart level has increased.]*

Seeing the text floating in front of him, Shinji was momentarily stunned.

*"Steel Heart can extract skills from summoned beasts too? And the Snake Shedding Technique? That’s considered a jutsu?"*

A sudden realization struck him, and his expression shifted.

If Manda knows the Snake Shedding Technique, then what exactly did I just cut? Was it... snake skin?!

Shinji instinctively looked up—

And immediately, darkness descended as a colossal shadow loomed over him, blotting out the sky.

At that moment,

Manda burst through the ground, opening its massive jaws to swallow him whole!

Shinji’s eyes widened in shock as he instinctively drew the Kusanagi Sword, gripping it tightly.

In a moment of desperation, he could only hope that the sword was sharp enough to cut his way out before Manda's stomach acids digested him.

However, just then—

*Bang!*

The overwhelming shadow abruptly vanished, replaced by a thick plume of white smoke.

From within the dissipating smoke, Orochimaru emerged.

Dressed in a kimono and wooden clogs, a faint smile played across his face as he finished forming the hand signs for the Summoning Technique.

He had dismissed Manda back to the Ryuchi Cave.

Interrupted mid-battle, Shinji frowned in frustration and was about to say something when—

A sudden, chilling sensation crept down his spine.

Behind him,

A dual-edged ancient sword darted through the white mist, flying straight toward him at lightning speed!

The blade gleamed with a ghostly green poison.

*Thwack!*

In the blink of an eye, the sword pierced Shinji’s back and shot clean through his chest.

The venom on the blade took effect immediately, disrupting his chakra flow and even rendering his forbidden technique, Flesh Regeneration, temporarily unusable.

*"Cough... ugh!"*

He spat out a mouthful of black blood, staring at Orochimaru in shock.

It was the Kusanagi Sword: Blade of the Void.

A divine weapon capable of flying freely through the air, controlled entirely by Orochimaru's will.

With a dull thud, Shinji collapsed onto the ground, motionless.

Footsteps approached.

Orochimaru, in his wooden clogs, stood over Shinji’s body, narrowing his eyes as he examined it.

The corpse was eerily lifelike.

But Orochimaru, knowing his disciple’s every secret, wasn’t fooled.

After all, with Shinji’s immortality, there shouldn’t even be a concept of a "corpse" for him.

“It seems the experiment was a success.”

“As expected, you have the talent—the ability to replicate any technique.”

Orochimaru stared coldly at the lifeless Shinji on the ground, letting out a raspy chuckle.

“Foolish disciple,

Stop pretending. Manda only knows one jutsu—you couldn’t possibly have learned any others from it.”

The next moment,

Under Orochimaru’s calm, penetrating gaze,

Two hands tore apart Shinji’s corpse’s mouth, pulling it open forcefully. From the old, shed snake skin emerged a new, naked, saliva-covered Shinji, completely unharmed.

He crawled out, glanced back at his discarded "corpse," and exhaled heavily.

“You win, Master Orochimaru.”

Activating his Sharingan, he looked at Orochimaru with a blank expression.

“Hmm-hmm-hmm~ That’s the spirit!”

Orochimaru’s golden serpent-like eyes gleamed with satisfaction and excitement as he stared intently at Shinji’s body.

With a hoarse laugh, he said:

“Now that you’ve mastered the basics of the Snake Shedding Technique, memorize the scroll when we return. Even someone as dense as you should eventually master my ultimate technique—

*The Orochi Style: Substitution Jutsu.*”

With that,

Orochimaru reached into his throat, his mouth opening wide.

*"Cough... cough... blegh!"*

Before a slightly horrified Shinji, Orochimaru regurgitated a massive scroll as tall as a person.

Patting the scroll, Orochimaru unrolled it before Shinji.

Then, fixing his golden snake eyes on his disciple, he rasped with a grin:

“Come now, this is my true legacy!

Sign your name on this scroll—

And become a summoner of the Ryuchi Cave!”

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 124: Signing with Ryūchi Cave, Learning Summoning Jutsu*

Staring at the summoning scroll of Ryūchi Cave that stretched to his feet, Shinji fell silent.

Now, no matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t deny one fact: Orochimaru genuinely seemed to be nurturing him as a disciple.

Although the methods were extreme, the results were undeniably impressive.

Even Shinji was a bit surprised at how quickly he, a self-proclaimed ninjutsu idiot, had managed to learn this technique.

His teacher was truly adept at tailoring his teaching to the student, with no reservations.

At this point in time, Orochimaru had not yet undergone Living Corpse Reincarnation, nor was he bound by the limitations of his immortality techniques. He wasn’t yet in the frantic pursuit of replacing one body after another.

The master-disciple relationship between Orochimaru and Shinji wasn’t as strained or confrontational as it would later be with Sasuke.

Orochimaru’s dream, as he had said, was to master all ninjutsu, all forbidden techniques, to uncover the truths of the world, and to become the ultimate being.

But that dream was too distant, too vast.

The world contained countless jutsu.

How could one person possibly master them all?

Not to mention the secret techniques, kekkei genkai, senjutsu, kekkei tōta, and the endless heights of the Sage of Six Paths.

The more Orochimaru learned, the more he felt his insignificance.

Even attempting to master Ryūchi Cave’s senjutsu had already led him to countless failures.

The more he struggled, the more lost he became.

This is why, in the future, after repeatedly seeking but failing to achieve his goals, Orochimaru became extreme, obsessed, and inhuman.

But now, through a series of coincidences, Orochimaru encountered Shinji.

In him, Orochimaru saw the possibility of walking the path to success.

That was because all of Shinji’s techniques were traceable and had answers within the ninja world.

This amalgamation of forbidden and secret techniques embodied the beauty Orochimaru sought,

the very answers he yearned for.

It was for this reason that Orochimaru decided to place his dreams onto Shinji.

At this moment, the valley was ablaze, thick black smoke rising to the sky.

Amid the crackling and popping, embers erupted, bursting into dazzling sparks in the air.

Standing in the flames, Orochimaru looked at the silent Shinji and rasped,

“Still hesitating?”

“In your eyes, I see fear, dread, and confusion.”

“But you must have a reason you can’t refuse.”

Narrowing his golden serpent-like eyes, Orochimaru’s gaze became sharp, cold killing intent suddenly flashing within.

Then, with a pointed and menacing tone, he threatened:

“My disciple, if you want to stop here, that’s fine.

But I will truly kill you, in the way you fear most.”

“You understand what I mean.”

Faced with such a threat, Shinji realized that Orochimaru must have deduced something and knew what he truly feared.

After all, his behavior was so peculiar that even Uchiha Setsuna had managed to mentally pummel him with wild logic. Now, under the scrutiny of Orochimaru, a high-IQ villain, what Orochimaru deduced and how he threatened would only be far more excessive.

However, Shinji took a deep breath and spoke heavily:

“Orochimaru!”

“You have no idea what you’re doing.”

“To fulfill your ambition, you’re betting this world’s future on a true coward!”

He coldly glared at Orochimaru, bit his finger,

and crouched down to sign his name on the Ryūchi Cave summoning scroll.

Afterward, Shinji took a deep breath and stared at Orochimaru with a ghostly calm.

“Orochimaru, you’ll regret this.”

“And the void left in this world will end when I inherit everything from you.”

When the abilities of those hardest to kill are concentrated in one person,

even if Shinji wanted to die, it wouldn’t be easy anymore.

From then on, the question wasn’t how to escape,

but how to rewrite this world!

Orochimaru sneered indifferently.

“The Orochi Substitution Technique is merely the most basic of my techniques.”

“To fully inherit everything from me, you’re still far from ready.”

“However, reaching the point where no one in this world can kill you—”

“That will probably only take three years.”

“In these three years, let me have some fun with you.”

Orochimaru rasped with a laugh, turned his back, and walked away through the flames.

His figure gradually disappeared into the raging inferno.

From the distance, a voice, distorted by the searing fire, echoed:

“Keep memorizing the scrolls. If you haven’t memorized all their contents by the time I summon you next—”

“Your current stance in the photo...”

"I'll send it to those two kids from the Hidden Mist and the Hidden Hot Water Villages."

As soon as those words were spoken, a flash of white light appeared, followed by the rapid sound of a camera shutter clicking.

Shinji froze, his expression shifting drastically in an instant.

Turning his head quickly, he saw a small white snake on the muddy ground nearby, carrying a camera and darting away at full speed.

Just as he reached for a kunai to kill the snake and retrieve the fleeing camera, the little white snake swallowed the camera whole. With a puff of white smoke, it vanished without a trace.

At the same time, Orochimaru's figure disappeared as he hurriedly left the scene.

The valley was now silent, leaving Shinji standing alone. The surrounding area was eerily still.

Shinji was dumbfounded.

He never expected that Orochimaru's idea of truly "killing" him would involve this.

Using compromising photos to blackmail him?

Ruining his reputation?

No way—this was just too despicable!

If those photos reached his younger brother Hidan or Terumi Mei, how would he ever hold his head high again?

A chilly breeze seemed to blow through, making Shinji shudder. He hurriedly grabbed some clothing from a discarded snake skin nearby and put it on.

But soon, he was faced with another problem. Orochimaru had brought him here, only to abandon him and run off. Now, how was he supposed to return?

Looking around at the mess in the valley, Shinji appeared utterly lost.

In the end, his eyes fell on the summoning scroll for Ryūchi Cave lying on the ground.

Why not consult the magical snakes?

After a moment of silence, he decided to try his luck. Forming the seals for the Summoning Jutsu, he concentrated his chakra.

Boar - Dog - Bird - Monkey - Ram!

Following the method Jiraiya had taught Naruto in the original story, he channeled his chakra and slammed his hands onto the scroll.

The summoning patterns spread rapidly, and a thick cloud of smoke rose up.

Shinji felt the ground beneath his feet tremble, and the next moment, he was launched into the air.

Below him, a massive purple snake rolled its eyes upward and roared in irritation, "Hmm? Orochimaru, you bastard, why are you summoning me again?!"

"If you don’t offer a sacrifice soon, I’ll eat you!"

Seated awkwardly on the snake's head, Shinji met its piercing gaze with a nervous laugh and weakly raised a hand.

"Uh, hi~!"

The giant snake’s pupils narrowed sharply. It immediately recognized him as the fool who had just burned its shed skin. Furious, the snake snorted out twin jets of steam from its nostrils.

The next second, it flung its head back and opened its massive jaws, ready to swallow Shinji whole.

But there was no way Shinji was going to let that happen. Panicked, he tried to dispel the summoning and replace it with a more docile green snake.

Unfortunately, he soon realized that while he knew how to summon snakes, he didn’t know how to send them back.

What followed was chaos.

The valley, which had just begun to quiet down, was once again filled with tremors and commotion.

A battle resembling a child trying to tame an out-of-control vehicle erupted in the valley, lasting from the starry night until the sun rose high in the sky.

After summoning a horde of large and small snakes, Shinji had no choice but to flee the valley, launching a desperate escape through the wilderness.

Finally, after what felt like endless struggles, he managed to summon a good-tempered green snake.

Under the snake's bemused stare, he quickly learned how to dispel summoned creatures and perform directed summoning. As a bonus, he also picked up the Reverse Summoning Jutsu.

Meanwhile, watching everything from afar while hidden with Earth Release techniques, Orochimaru allowed a faint smile to cross his lips.

His disciple, it seemed, had managed to master a series of summoning techniques in just half an hour under extreme battle conditions.

Raising an eyebrow slightly, Orochimaru coughed up a scroll, picked up a brush, and recorded the information.

"As I suspected, combat sharpens this kid’s learning ability."

"Not bad. This could be useful."

With that realization, Orochimaru took one last glance at Shinji, who sat atop the green snake’s head, wiping sweat from his brow with a look of relief.

Letting out a chuckle, Orochimaru leaped out from his hiding spot.

Summoning a snake mid-air, he landed gracefully and swiftly made his way back to the camp.

As he traveled, he glanced at the sky, estimating it to be around eight or nine in the morning. Pausing for a moment, he murmured to himself:

"The Uchiha clan should start training this boy soon."

"However, the Uchiha in the Land of Rain are far too soft in their methods."

"I’ll have to turn up the heat."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 125: What? Jiraiya Wants to Teach Me How to Style My Hair?

By noon, the sun of the Land of Fire was high overhead.

Not far from the camp, Shinji, exhausted and disheveled, jumped down from the blue snake and followed the underground tunnel created by Orochimaru back to his tent.

Inside, the tent remained as chaotic as when he left the night before: scattered scrolls, a crooked table, a toppled candleholder, scorched blade marks on the ground, and a large hole in the center of the floor.

Surveying the mess in the tent, Shinji wanted to tidy up but simply didn’t have the energy.

He was utterly drained. After a night of “dancing with Manda,” both literally and figuratively, his legs felt like jelly.

All he wanted was to collapse onto his bed and sleep like the dead.

But just as he was about to make that desire a reality, a sharp voice suddenly called from outside the tent—

“Shinji, come out!”

At that moment, Shinji felt like cursing. He propped himself up on the tent frame, pulled back the flap, and stepped outside.

Standing there was a tall, stern-faced young man wearing a Uchiha shirt under a jonin vest, frowning at him.

Shinji raised an eyebrow, faintly recognizing the guy but unable to recall where he’d seen him before.

He frowned slightly and asked impatiently, “Who are you?”

“Uchiha Shinichi,” the tall man replied coldly, arms crossed.

Hearing the name, Shinji finally remembered. This was the person Shisui mentioned yesterday, someone tasked with teaching him ninjutsu. His name was also on the elder’s list of team members dispatched to the Land of Rain.

This guy was the captain of the Uchiha squad for this mission, a jonin—Uchiha Shinichi.

But why was this guy here now?

Shinji looked up, his voice weak as he asked, “What do you want?”

Uchiha Shinichi stared at the disheveled young man with evident displeasure. He snorted and scolded:

“Did you forget?”

“When there’s no mission, you’re supposed to meet in the forest behind the camp at 9 a.m. for special training under my supervision.”

He looked Shinji up and down, taking in the torn clothing, half-open shirt, and his exhausted, borderline unhealthy appearance.

Glancing into the tent through the open flap, he saw the overturned candleholder, the messy bed, and the chaos within. Uchiha Shinichi’s eyes widened, his expression sour.

Damn it.

This kid is living it up!

As a bridge between the clan and the village, lucky enough to become one of the Sannin’s disciples, this brat wasn’t cherishing the opportunity. Instead, he was taking advantage of his status to fool around and sow his wild oats.

For God’s sake, this is the front line!

Uchiha Shinichi’s anger boiled over.

“I heard Shisui say you’re supposed to be the pride of the clan,” he sneered, disdain evident in his voice.

“Looking at you now, it’s clear you’re nothing special.”

“The stories about you from Yoshihide and the others are true.”

“So young, yet so undisciplined—violating the three ninja prohibitions. Back in the village, I heard about your love for brothels and how you exploited the clan’s influence to hoard mission rewards.”

“Hmph, greedy and lecherous, through and through.”

“I thought being taken in as Orochimaru-sama’s disciple would make you shape up, work hard, and shoulder your responsibilities.”

“Now? Hah!”

Uchiha Shinichi scoffed, his sharp gaze darting into the tent, clearly looking for some evidence of debauchery to further condemn him.

“Wait a minute!”

Shinji was dumbfounded. The scolding didn’t bother him—he was used to the clan’s sharp tongues, and the accusations weren’t exactly false. He was greedy and liked women, no point denying it.

But what’s with that look in your eyes?

That glare, dripping with jealousy and resentment, as if you were just itching to activate your Sharingan and analyze the situation’s “artistic beauty.”

Following Shinichi’s judgmental gaze into the tent, Shinji spotted the overturned candleholder, the disheveled bed—wrecked by Orochimaru’s abrupt intrusion—and the puddle of drool he’d left on the desk last night.

It clicked. This guy had completely misunderstood the situation.

“Damn it, what bad luck to deal with this first thing in the morning.”

“If you want to look, just look! I’ll pull back the flap and let you see!”

Fuming, Shinji yanked the tent flap wide open, exposing everything inside.

If you’re here to catch me in the act, fine, I get it. Doing that kind of thing in the camp would be bad.

But I didn’t do anything! I’m not going to take the blame for this!

Seeing Shinji defiant gesture, Shinichi immediately turned his back, crossing his arms. He refused to look.

“Hmph, you think I’ll look just because you told me to?”

“What a joke!”

Grinding his teeth in frustration, Shinji snapped, “Look, damn it! I’m giving you a full view—what, you chicken now?”

Shinichi kept his back turned, arms still crossed, and let out another sour snort.

“Hmph!”

“As if I haven’t seen anything like this before!”

Shinji glanced at the stubborn man, still posturing despite the situation, and noticed a steady drip of nosebleed staining the ground beneath Shinichi’s feet.

He was both furious and amused, realizing that this birdbrain was just a timid fledgling with grand ambitions but no courage to match.

At this moment, who knows what kind of lewd fantasies were running through his head.

Damn, even his nose was bleeding.

Shinji took a deep breath, utterly helpless. Finally, he could only grit his teeth and ask:

“So, Jonin Shinichi, what exactly are you here for?! Are you here to pick a fight?!”

Hearing this, Shinji wasn’t the one to get angry first; instead, Uchiha Shinichi was so furious his shoulders trembled.

Turning his back, Shinichi raised one hand to wipe his nose, pointed to the sky, and cursed:

“You brat! Do you even realize what time it is?!”

“I’ve been waiting for you on the back mountain for three hours! Three hours!”

“I waited so long that the flowers wilted, and here you are, messing around in the main camp!”

“Clean up this mess immediately! Right now! Get yourself to the back mountain forest without delay!”

“Finish your training with me, or don’t blame me for reporting this to the elder council!”

With that, Uchiha Shinichi covered his nose and stormed off, not looking back. He walked so quickly that he disappeared in no time.

This left Shinji standing alone in front of the chaotic tent, unable to make Shinichi turn back for even a single glance.

He shut his eyes in frustration, feeling unjustly accused and lamenting his tarnished innocence.

“Damn it, what kind of crap is this? At least take a proper look!”

Furious, Shinji punched the tent pole.

With a creak and a crash, the entire tent collapsed.

Exhausted both physically and mentally, Shinji sighed, too tired to clean up the mess. Dragging his body with dark circles under his eyes, he made his way toward the forest behind the Fire Nation’s main camp.

---

Crossing the border and leaving the Rain Nation for the Fire Nation, the weather visibly turned brighter.

As he passed through the Fire Nation’s camp, more people came into view.

The peaceful atmosphere greeted his eyes, and he could almost hear the cheerful tune of “The Peace of Konoha.”  

White doves fluttered into the sky. Groups of ninja were playing cards, while busy medical ninjas hurried through the camp carrying stretchers and shouting, “Make way! Make way!”

Walking down the street, he saw some familiar faces.

The cat ninja shopkeeper who used to sell ninja tools back in the village was now pushing a cart, selling tools in the camp. He even greeted Shinji warmly.

A dog from the Inuzuka clan sat near a tent, prompting Shinji to squat down and pat its head. He jokingly asked, “Will I be lucky this year?”

The dog, however, turned out to be a tough one, baring its teeth and chasing him halfway down the street.

Wandering around like this, hands in his pockets, Shinji enjoyed a rare moment of peace and quiet.

He wasn’t in a hurry—might as well take his time and relax.

That birdbrain Shinichi had wronged him, so he could wait a little longer.

Finally, after strolling around the camp and just as he was about to leave for the back mountain, a large, gauntleted hand suddenly clapped him on the shoulder.

A cheerful, booming middle-aged voice followed:

“Yo~!”

“Kid, that hairstyle of yours isn’t bad!”

“I’ve got a killer move—want me to teach you?”

Startled, Shinji turned his head sharply, only to see a cheerful, white-haired man with spiky hair. The man was wearing a red cloak over a brown outfit and a forehead protector inscribed with the kanji for “oil.” Grinning widely, he gave a thumbs-up while pointing to his own hair.

“This is one of my secret techniques! Even my disciples haven’t learned it—it’s a super-strong ninja skill!”

Shinji was momentarily stunned. It was as if he had just seen God himself advertising a new hairstyle on the roadside.

Wait, wasn’t this Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin alongside his teacher, Orochimaru?

What was this turn of events?

Why would Jiraiya suddenly show up offering to teach him hairstyling techniques?

Having never met Jiraiya before, Shinji could only respond politely, “And you are...?”

Hearing this, Jiraiya’s grin widened. He jumped up, clapped his wooden sandals together, landed in a crouch, and spread his arms wide in an imposing stance.

He laughed heartily and declared:

“Good question!”

“I am the Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku! The White-Haired Boy Wonder of the Legendary Sannin! The Enlightened Hermit Extraordinaire!”

“Known far and wide as the Toad Sage, here I am!”

(End of Chapter)