Sasuke, who had been given a severe scolding, could only swallow his anger.
Here, he is no longer the orphan of a wealthy family in Konoha, nor is he the most talented one.
No one will indulge him without reason. Even if Orochimaru tries his best to teach him as a reward from the system, it is not a reason for him to be arrogant!
He doesn't care about the process as long as he can achieve his goal!
As it turns out, discipline has proven effective. After that day, Kabuto, who often frequented the laboratory, noticed that Sasuke seemed to have become much more polite.
Even if they don't greet each other verbally, they will still nod politely when they meet.
A few days later, Guren's mission was over, and she had to leave with some reluctance. Before leaving, Orochimaru cooked her a meal, a scene that surprised Kabuto and Uchiha Sasuke.
On one hand, they were surprised that Orochimaru could cook; they never expected that this seemingly unapproachable person would have this side to him.
On the other hand, people are curious about the relationship between Guren and Orochimaru. In the past, when ninjas came, whether it was Ringo Ameyuri Zabuza, they were all treated as businessmen. But when Guren came, she was treated specially.
This scene made Sasuke and Kabuto elevate the importance of Guren in their hearts, and Sasuke also felt that he was not wronged when he was beaten that day.
Regardless of their inner grumbling, they still benefited from Guren's presence and got to enjoy Orochimaru's feast.
A few days after Guren left, another person came here.
"Grown ups!"
The newcomer had white hair, golden Byakugan, and a very cold and stern face.
Orochimaru smiled when he saw him. Sasuke had been getting a bit arrogant lately, and he needed someone to keep him in check, so Orochimaru called Kimimaro over.
In terms of lethality and attack power, almost none of the Konoha 12 can compare to him. Even if he were to face Gaara, Kimimaro, with his health certificate, would make his opponent die on the spot!
"Don't keep a long face all the time, smile more!"
As he spoke, Orochimaru patted him on the shoulder. So many years have passed, and now he's almost as tall as Orochimaru.
Kimimaro's loyalty was no less than Guren's. Both of them were trained by Orochimaru from a young age and knew his identity perfectly well. However, no matter what Orochimaru was doing or what he was going to do, neither of them cared.
Upon hearing Orochimaru's words, Kimimaro's lips curled into a smile, and the coldness on his face vanished instantly. His looks were quite impressive even in the Ninja World.
"Just relax this time, don't put too much pressure on yourself..."
Orochimaru then inquired about his eyes, asking if he felt any discomfort.
From that day on, Sasuke once again experienced the feeling of being crushed; the power of the Shikotsumyaku made it hard for him to breathe.
Kimimaro's Taijutsu, eyes, Chakra, and physical attributes are all inferior to his; he is essentially an enhanced version of him.
And this is just the beginning. In the next two or three months, Orochimaru will send over even stronger ninjas.
For example, Bai's strength is almost doubled in such a snowy and icy environment, but he has been a bit busy with work lately, so he can only send Kimimaro over first.
Behind them are Deidara, Kakuzu, Kisame, and Hozuki Mangetsu, each more troublesome than the last, enough to give Uchiha Sasuke a real headache.
Since we spent most of our time training Sasuke in the past two years, now is the time to see the results and also to put some pressure on him.
Otherwise, every time the weather clears up and the rain stops, he thinks he's all good!
However, Orochimaru did not suppress Sasuke all the time. After teaching him a lesson, he gave him his Kusanagi Sword.
Previously, he had only used ordinary swords, which would soon become dented or break. A good sword was also very necessary.
"This is the Kusanagi Sword - Sword of the Void. As far as I know, there are only three known in the Ninja World. I have two here, and the other one is with your brother!"
Upon hearing this, Sasuke's pupils dilated slightly. He had been very concerned about everything related to Itachi, and Orochimaru seemed to know a lot about Itachi, which was one of the reasons he was here.
Orochimaru didn't seem reluctant to hand the Kusanagi Sword to Sasuke. At his level of strength, swords were no longer that important to him.
In particular, he has better alternatives, whether it is a lightsaber or Chakra Blade formed by using energy or Yin-Yang Release, they are more suitable for him.
In addition, the attack methods such as black rods and Truth-Seeking Orb are even more unconventional.
Taking the Kusanagi Sword, Sasuke immediately drew it out and examined it, a cold glint reflecting on his face.
He reluctantly put the knife away after performing a few flourishes.
"Thanks!"
Having obtained a weapon he desired, Sasuke surprisingly thanked Orochimaru. He had no choice but to, otherwise he was afraid of getting beaten up again.
Even if he harbored deep resentment towards Orochimaru, he dared not show it at this moment. Just as he took the sword, he heard Orochimaru say:
Do you know why knives need sheaths?
Seeing him deep in thought, Orochimaru didn't expect him to answer.
"Because the true meaning of the sword lies not in killing, but in concealment! Your sword is too sharp; it must be properly concealed in its sheath!"
Orochimaru spoke to him earnestly, saying that he had put a lot of effort into Sasuke's Orochimaru, not only to improve his strength but also to refine his character!
Kimimaro is training him now, is a good whetstone.
Further on are Kisame and Hozuki Mangetsu. If the plot continues as it did in the Original Work, he doesn't want to be utterly humiliated by Killer B again.
And then there's that utterly disgusting scene where he's finally provoked by Uchiha Madara.
Unlike Jiraiya and Naruto's harmonious relationship, Orochimaru wouldn't focus his energy solely on Sasuke. He now has a large group of promising talents under his command and doesn't really want to find himself a living father figure.
His relationship with Sasuke is now more like that of a traditional master and disciple: strict, disciplined, and respectful of his teacher.
If it weren't for the fact that sect rules weren't common in this world, he would definitely have put the rule "one must not betray the sect or deceive one's master" as the first rule.
However, from this moment on, Sasuke's impression of Orochimaru changed slightly. It wouldn't be bad to have someone as clear about right and wrong as his teacher.
Several more months passed quickly, and after Sasuke had been training for more than two and a half years, Orochimaru stopped teaching him.
"Let's put our cultivation aside for now, I'll take you somewhere!"
Orochimaru then summoned Manda, and after exchanging a few words with Manda, Sasuke Orochimaru inside its enormous maw.
This familiar scene immediately tells you where we are – it's Ryūchi Cave, one of the Three Great Sage Lands.
Orochimaru had used this method to get to Ryūchi Cave, and now he wanted to let the other party experience that power that is too easily obtained is not cherished.
After Manda disappeared, Orochimaru opened the Black Void and immediately appeared beside Manda as he stepped inside.
At this moment, Sasuke, covered in foul-smelling slime, emerged from the snake's mouth. However, after so much training, he only frowned at the situation.
"This is Ryūchi Cave. I brought you here to see if you can cultivate immortal Senjutsu, and also to find you a Summoning Beast!"
After saying that, he gestured for Sasuke to go inside. Learning Senjutsu was not easy; one had to go through a series of tests.
Orochimaru himself went through the same thing. Even though he has some connection with Ryūchi Cave now, he wouldn't ask them to give him special treatment. He doesn't have that much influence!
Whether he can learn it or not depends on his fate. But even if he can't learn it, he won't die. After all, he is the reincarnation of Indra, a child of the same plane.