The Foolish Teacher's Foolish Disciple

The next day, Jiraiya took Minato to Orochimaru's laboratory.

On the way, Jiraiya said, "I specifically checked the Cloud ninjas' itinerary. Their schedule is unusually packed.

The Third Lightning Kage will meet with representatives of the Land of Lightning's Multinational Commerce Association here to discuss matters such as mission escorts. Your opponent—that kid—will also attend as the Third Lightning Kage's disciple.

He can't train too openly in Konoha Village. This is your chance to overtake him."

"Overtake him?" Minato said. "Sensei, why would I be worse than him? Shouldn't I be staying ahead?"

"Fine, fine, whatever makes you happy. Call it whatever you want." Jiraiya said, "But when you see Orochimaru, don't mention one person."

"Who?"

"Nawaki. Senju Nawaki. Tsunade's younger brother, Orochimaru's disciple." Jiraiya sighed. "Nawaki was in the same class as Fugaku Uchiha, whom we met last time. He had originally been a brilliant ninja as well.

Unfortunately, Nawaki died in the Second Ninja World War. He died in an Exploding Tag trap, right in front of Orochimaru.

Orochimaru never apologized to Tsunade, and Tsunade never blamed Orochimaru. But the grief they carried was immense. Tsunade changed greatly, and Orochimaru changed greatly too.

Orochimaru treated Nawaki the way I treat you... No, he treated Nawaki even better than I treat you.

I was always off having fun or peeping on people, but Orochimaru kept Nawaki by his side at all times.

Orochimaru had always wanted to teach Nawaki the Ryuchi Cave Summoning Technique, but the Slug Sage refused. The Slug Sage didn't like stinking snakes.

Once, there was a child from the Nara Clan who looked somewhat like Nawaki. Thinking himself clever, he believed he could win Orochimaru's favor by imitating Nawaki, but then..."

"But then what?"

"That child disappeared. The Nara Clan searched for several days, then eventually dropped the matter. They didn't dare investigate any further. The Nara Clan was in the wrong over this matter, so even if they made a fuss, it would have been useless."

Minato nodded repeatedly. He would absolutely not mention Nawaki in front of Orochimaru.

Everyone had their own joys and sorrows. When one was young, emotions burned fiercely; love and gratitude could easily be etched into one's bones.

After growing older, few things could stir ripples in one's heart. Outwardly, that manifested as a person becoming indifferent.

Orochimaru's later coldness was also because everything he had cherished in his youth had vanished.

After entering Orochimaru's laboratory, Jiraiya chatted with Orochimaru.

Minato looked around the laboratory. It was a semi-underground lab, with narrow clerestory windows on one wall.

Many medicine bottles lined the walls, containing deformed tissues soaking inside.

There were also two naked corpses on the table, their faces covered so that it was impossible to tell who they were. Numerous IV tubes connected the corpses, though it was unclear what kind of experiment was being conducted.

Soon, Minato found something that interested him.

Beneath the clerestory windows were three pots of vines. The vines seemed alive, their branches swaying through the air.

It was too strange. These plants were very unusual.

After Jiraiya left, Orochimaru took three scrolls from a drawer and handed them to Minato.

"There are two people in Konoha Village with the strongest Wind Release: me, and Shimura Danzo.

The village has collected over four hundred Wind Release ninjutsu. Danzo and I both know them, but we only use the types of Wind Release we excel at.

Wind Release can broadly be divided into three schools: impact-type, represented by Great Breakthrough; cutting-type, represented by Wind Cutter; and binding-type, represented by Tornado.

These three scrolls contain introductions and secret principles for the three types of Wind Release ninjutsu.

I excel at impact-type Wind Release. Shimura Danzo excels at cutting-type Wind Release. As for binding-type Wind Release, you could give it to the village strays and even dogs wouldn't train it. Its combat effectiveness is the worst.

Read them yourself first. Ask me if there is anything you don't understand.

Study the scrolls and memorize the secret principles today. Train tomorrow. For Jiraiya's sake, I can give you two days."

Minato hurriedly said, "Orochimaru-sensei, please don't send me away yet. Since I only have two days, may I ask some questions that concern me more?"

"Go ahead."

Orochimaru enjoyed speaking with geniuses of thought. Looking at Minato Namikaze, he only hoped Minato would not be like Jiraiya and ask some idiotic question.

As Jiraiya's disciple, he was probably just like Jiraiya—he did not even know how he became stronger, nor did he know where his weaknesses lay. He relied entirely on instinct and had no capacity for logical thought.

Still, that type of ninja was difficult to predict.

Minato pointed at the pots of vines and asked, "Orochimaru-sensei, have you studied plant cultivation? Could I learn some knowledge about cultivating plants?"

"Oh?" Orochimaru's eyes suddenly filled with interest. "After spending so much time around the Senju and Uzumaki, have you begun coveting the Senju Clan's Wood Release?"

In that instant, many thoughts ran through Orochimaru's mind. He even wondered whether Hiruzen Sarutobi had sent Minato Namikaze to test him.

He and Shimura Danzo had been researching Wood Release behind Hiruzen Sarutobi's back. Shimura Danzo was the one who mainly wanted Wood Release; Orochimaru himself was not especially interested in it.

If Nawaki were still alive, it would have been nice. Their Wood Release research could have been used on Nawaki.

Minato repeatedly denied it.

"No, no, I'm not interested in Wood Release. It's just one of my hobbies. I don't know why, but seeing farmland makes me happy."

"Teacher Orochimaru, you once said my agricultural ninjutsu was garbage, but those D-Rank Ninjutsu gave me a different kind of sense of accomplishment.

"Spring Blossom, Autumn Fruit—this was exactly what I liked to see.

"Rather than cramming some Wind Release techniques at the last minute, I would rather face the Third Raikage's son with a good mindset.

"Before the decisive battle, I'll tinker with some plant-related ninjutsu to lift my spirits and stay in good condition."

If Minato wanted to increase his strength, the best way was to obtain the Power of Reformation.

How could learning a few Wind Release techniques raise his strength in such a short time? Using cheats was still simple and direct.

He currently had 225 units of chakra. The average chakra reserves of a jonin were 200 units. If his chakra reserves could explode into growth once more, he could simply bury Ei Yano Yu under sheer chakra.

Orochimaru let out two strange chuckles.

Minato Namikaze's request was so outrageous that it could not possibly have been faked. It did not seem like he was deceiving him or testing him on Hiruzen Sarutobi's behalf.

Thinking of how he had investigated Minato Namikaze for teaching ninjutsu to people outside the village some time ago, Orochimaru felt that Minato Namikaze really was the sort of person who would do such a thing.

Jiraiya's disciple was just as absurd as Jiraiya himself.

Jiraiya was obsessed with peeping, and recently he had apparently become infatuated with writing as well. Neither hobby had anything to do with being a ninja. It was utterly baffling.

Minato Namikaze was obsessed with farming, which was just as absurd as Jiraiya being obsessed with writing.

A foolish teacher's foolish disciple—sure enough, they were cut from the same cloth. Their stupidity had reached an extreme, yet there was something bizarrely endearing about it.

Orochimaru took out a scroll and handed it to Minato. "This contains some knowledge about cultivating plants. Sometimes, when extracting reagents, I use extracts from certain plants."

You don't need to explain. I know you're researching Wood Release, Minato thought.

After obtaining the four scrolls, Minato hurriedly left. The smell of preservative fluid was simply unbearable.

After returning home, Minato immediately began studying the scrolls on plant cultivation.

Three days later, a letter was sent from Konoha to Guangxia.

Host's chakra reserves: 225 units.

As the Host reforms, the Chakra Breeding Technique has begun development. Food production in the ninja world will see a small-scale increase several years from now.

The Host is rewarded with 50 units of chakra. The Host's chakra reserves have become 275 units.

Minato reflexively stretched. The feeling of his power suddenly surging was wonderful.

During their last match, his direct combat strength had been about equal to Ei Yano Yu's. Now that his chakra reserves had suddenly increased by more than twenty percent, he would definitely give Ei Yano Yu a surprise.

He hurriedly opened the Wind Release scrolls. There were only two days left—now he truly had to sprint.