Leaving the Village

No one understood the importance of ninjutsu as a resource better than the ninja clans.

Monopolizing ninjutsu was equivalent to monopolizing books and knowledge.

Ninja clans were families that passed down inherited ninjutsu.

Take Ino-Shika-Cho, for example.

"What do you want to use it for?" Nara Shikaji easily saw through the deeper need behind Kagetsu's words.

It was not merely that Orochimaru was willing to vouch for the ownership of this ninjutsu. Kagetsu also had his own plans for it.

"Blut Arterie is very suitable for the Akimichi Clan," Kagetsu said.

"It certainly is." Nara Shikaji considered it in his mind and nodded seriously.

The Akimichi Clan's Multi-Size Technique placed no small amount of damage and strain on the body. On top of that, they had the Three-Colored Secret Pills, enhancement pills specially made according to the Akimichi physique.

The Akimichi Clan's secret Yang Attribute transformation ninjutsu, combined with their capacity to accumulate fat and energy through eating, indeed made them better suited to Blut Arterie than other shinobi.

Looking at it the other way around, Blut Vene was also very suitable for the Nara Clan. With Blut Vene's defensive effect, the Nara Clan's Shadow Imitation Technique and other Shadow Secret Techniques would instead be granted even greater killing power.

The Imitation Technique restrained the enemy, then they pulled out a kunai and slit their throat. With Blut Vene protecting them, the Nara Clan could dispatch controlled enemies at minimal cost—or even no cost at all.

"Then give this ninjutsu to them, as a technique shared by all three clans." Kagetsu brought the Yamanaka Clan into it as well. Though the Yamanaka Clan, renowned for their support ninjutsu, might not have many people willing to practice it.

A ninja clan with an orderly inheritance would not easily change course or alter its training methods. For instance, as veteran clans that had joined when the village was founded, would clans like Ino-Shika-Cho lack channels and means to acquire high-level ninjutsu if they needed it?

But why did these Secret Technique Clans still focus on their own inherited secret ninjutsu?

Because that was already a broad path paved by their predecessors, a ninjutsu system best suited to their bodies. They did not need to seek outside help; what they had internally was enough to satisfy them.

A powerful shinobi was someone who strengthened and brought one outstanding trait of theirs to the absolute extreme.

Just as Kekkei Genkai Shinobi would inevitably prioritize their own Kekkei Genkai.

This made clans like Ino-Shika-Cho, whose inheritances stretched back at least several centuries, extremely cautious about learning new ninjutsu. Even if a technique was highly suitable, they would spend a long time verifying it bit by bit. Only after final confirmation would they formally incorporate it into the clan's training system.

Otherwise, individuals could only decide for themselves whether to learn it.

Kagetsu also understood that even if this technique was delivered to the Akimichi and Yamanaka Clans, for various reasons it would either be shelved away or only temporarily read and practiced by a small number of people.

Unless one day its importance rivaled each clan's signature inherited secret ninjutsu, it might truly spread. But no matter what, as long as someone practiced it, it could bring Kagetsu Recognition.

Nara Shikaji put away all three ninjutsu scrolls. Any one of the three scrolls, if taken out on its own, could enable a shinobi to rise and give them the foundation to establish a small ninja clan.

"Also, Orochimaru Sensei is taking Anko and me out of the village on a mission two days from now," Kagetsu casually mentioned while returning to his room to rest.

Nara Shikaji waved weakly, indicating that he understood. Leaving the village for missions was something every shinobi had to experience. With Orochimaru accompanying him, he was not worried about Kagetsu's safety.

Time soon passed in a rush.

After accepting a B-rank Mission, Orochimaru took Kagetsu and Anko out of the village.

"Sensei, will you become the Fourth Hokage?"

Perhaps because she rarely left the village, Anko was especially curious along the way. Though she still remembered some of the rules Orochimaru had taught her for carrying out missions outside the village, as well as what she had learned at school, the way she kept looking around exposed her immaturity.

"Why would you ask that?" Orochimaru's gaze instantly landed on Anko beside him.

Startled by Orochimaru's sudden look, Anko puffed out her cheeks. "If you become the Fourth Hokage, then wouldn't I be the Fourth Hokage's disciple? Maybe after you step down, I could even take over as the Fifth Hokage."

"You want to become Hokage too?" Hearing Anko's words, Orochimaru's face went blank for a moment.

From his younger self, to Nawaki, the disciple who had died on the battlefield before he could grow up, and now Anko, everything seemed like a circle.

Did he still want to become Hokage?

Orochimaru could no longer be certain. After all, the desire for immortality seemed to have taken an incomparably important place in his heart by now.

"The First, Second, and Third Hokage were all so cool! I want to be as powerful as them and you, Sensei!" Anko's current understanding of the Hokage was simply that the Hokage was openly the strongest person in the village.

"What about you, Kagetsu? Do you want to become Hokage too?" Orochimaru looked toward Kagetsu on the other side.

"Of course, but only if it does not interfere with what I want to do. Such as research." Kagetsu was equally honest.

Orochimaru smiled.

"Sensei, you still haven't answered me. Will you become the Fourth Hokage?" Anko somehow felt the two of them had ignored her. She immediately raised her voice again, wanting to draw their attention back and at least be included in the conversation.

Whenever Kagetsu and Orochimaru began talking, she always felt like an unnecessary tagalong. Her talent was not bad, either.

"Perhaps. But Sakumo-senpai might be the one to take the position." Orochimaru neither confirmed nor denied it. He had long since stopped trying to guess what his own teacher was thinking.

"Sakumo-senpai is really strong." Hearing Hatake Sakumo's name, Anko muttered a few words. It was true. The Fourth Hokage candidates were not only the Sannin; there was also Hatake Sakumo, whose prestige rivaled the Sannin's and even seemed to surpass them slightly.

"Focus on carrying out the mission first." Orochimaru patted Anko on the head, and her face immediately flushed bright red.

"A B-rank Mission involves shinobi, right? I'll perform well and complete the mission for you to see, Sensei." Anko stammered out her promise, her tone brimming with delight and fervor.

"This mission is not important. It is merely something to do along the way." Orochimaru shook his head. "This time, I am leaving the village because I need to take you somewhere to meet someone."

"Meet who?" Anko raised her head in confusion.

"Tenbin Jugo." Orochimaru spoke a name that Anko could not recall no matter how hard she thought.

Kagetsu gave Orochimaru a strange look. Though his memories could not be called particularly clear, he still vaguely remembered certain key people and events.

Tenbin Jugo—wasn't he the foundation of Orochimaru's rise?

Nearly all of Orochimaru's later research had originated from Tenbin Jugo. With his help, Orochimaru created the incomplete Sage Art Cursed Seal, perfected Living Corpse Reincarnation, and took a huge step toward immortality.

In Kagetsu's view, the so-called Cursed Seal plus Living Corpse Reincarnation was equivalent to the weakened version of the Otsutsuki Clan's Karma used for resurrection. What limited him was merely that his body and Chakra had failed to meet the required standard.

That alone showed just how outstanding Orochimaru's research talent was.

His vision had simply been too limited, causing him to remain obsessed with the Sharingan's power in his later years.

As for how Orochimaru, while remaining in the village, knew about news from the outside world, Kagetsu could not even be bothered to think about it. At Orochimaru's level, he would more or less have subordinates doing dirty work for him or loyal followers reporting all sorts of intelligence.

What Kagetsu had not expected was that Orochimaru had already snatched Jiraiya's role and begun striding toward the position of kindergarten principal.

Unfortunately, he had ultimately missed the most valuable one in the Rain Country.

Shinobi traveled quickly. If not for having to accommodate Kagetsu and Anko, Orochimaru could have moved even faster. After several days of continuous travel, they arrived at their destination.

"This place..." Before a dilapidated village, Anko shifted uncomfortably. Suddenly, her gaze swept toward the dense forest to her left.

"Found you!" Anko pulled a kunai from the pouch behind her waist. With a swing of her arm, she hurled it toward a spot in the forest.

Clang!

The kunai thrown into the forest struck something hard and was knocked away. A Black Shadow burst from the woods amid a howling gale.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The prepared Sannin immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to leave their spots. The next instant, the ground where they had been standing exploded into a huge crater beneath a crushing impact.

"This looks a bit like Lady Tsunade's Chakra Enhanced Strength Punch."

Seeing the heavily damaged terrain, Anko's eye twitched involuntarily. If that had hit her, even if she had mastered Blut Vene, she might not have felt too good—let alone when she had not mastered it yet.

As the dust settled, she fixed her gaze on the Black Shadow, wanting to see exactly who dared to openly attack the three of them.

"I'll kill you all!"

With a savage roar, the boy whose body had half-mutated into strange limbs stared at the three of them with eyes full of madness.

Whoosh!

The boy vanished from where he stood and dropped from the air like a cannonball toward Kagetsu and the others.

Another huge crater appeared. At its center stood the boy, his wolfish eyes sweeping around in search of prey.

"Don't run! Let me kill you! If I kill you, I can find peace!" The boy muttered incoherently as he searched for Kagetsu and the others.

Blut Arterie: Activate.

Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!

A blazing pillar of fire erupted from the shadows and struck the boy before he could evade it. The flames spread outward, turning the area around him into a sea of fire.

The flame pillar continued for a full ten seconds before finally dying out.

Anko's chest heaved as she caught her breath. Looking at the area where flames still raged, she asked instinctively, "Is he dead?"

"Unfortunately, no." Kagetsu and Orochimaru exchanged a glance. Kagetsu took the initiative to step forward, placing himself in front of Anko.

"Damn it, that hurts!"

The shockwave of his roar scattered the surrounding flames, revealing the enemy who had been struck by the Dragon Fire Technique. His body bore marks of severe burns, but strangely, he was consuming enormous amounts of Chakra to heal at an unimaginable speed.

At the same time, the mutation across his body became even more severe, nearly covering him from head to toe.

If he had still looked like a human before, he now resembled a beast. His skin and flesh had also transformed into a thick insulating layer, shielding him from heat while increasing his defense.

As he spoke, large amounts of steam began billowing from the pitted holes on his body's surface, releasing the heat.

"What is that?!" Anko could barely believe what she was seeing. She had never seen or heard of such a monstrous existence.

Was it some unknown Kekkei Genkai?

Anko could not help thinking so. With her knowledge and understanding, the most logical explanation she could imagine was that the other side possessed some kind of unknown body-enhancing Kekkei Genkai.

"More power!"

The boy, now mutated into a monster, charged again.

A golden snake as thick as an adult's thigh suddenly shot from Orochimaru's sleeve. Like a predator pouncing on its prey, it wrapped around the Mutated Boy again and again with lightning speed, suspending him in midair.

"It seems his mental will has been deeply affected. He can no longer communicate." Seeing the madness and bloodlust overflowing from the boy's entire body, including those golden eyes, Orochimaru seemed somewhat bored.

No matter how strong a beast without intelligence was, it was still only a beast. Besides, it was not as powerful as imagined.

Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique!

Pulling the Mutated Boy closer, Orochimaru immediately cast a Genjutsu on him.

Though the Hell Viewing Technique was only a D-rank Genjutsu, regardless of the target's willpower, it forced them to confront their fears and manifested the terror in their heart.

The greater the fear within the target, the more powerful the Hell Viewing Technique's impact.

Under Orochimaru's Genjutsu, the Mutated Boy suffered a mental breakdown with virtually no resistance, then fainted from the overwhelming shock.

At the same time, the mutated parts of his body gradually receded, revealing a somewhat youthful face.

"It seems we are quite fortunate." Orochimaru looked at the unconscious boy with great interest, his long tongue licking his lips. "We found the target as soon as we arrived."

"Huh?" Anko poked her head out from behind them and looked at the boy lying on the ground in astonishment. "Is he the Tenbin Jugo you were looking for, Sensei? Why is he like this? Is it some kind of Kekkei Genkai?"

"No. His body mutated after being steeped for a long time in an area with an extremely high concentration of Natural Energy. His loss of control is also because the Natural Energy ran wild and affected his mind." Orochimaru clearly had sufficient intelligence.