Grandmaster, I Want to Improve So Badly

"Looks like I don't have any talent for space."

Looking at the recorded Flying Thunder God Technique before him, Orochimaru could not help but sigh.

In the Original Work, it should not have been difficult for Orochimaru to obtain this ninjutsu. Setting aside his dealings with Danzo, he had personally visited the Sealing Jutsu Forbidden Area. There was no way he could not have gotten his hands on it.

Orochimaru would not have been unmoved by such a practical ninjutsu, useful for both escape and killing enemies, yet he had never learned it afterward.

He probably had failed to learn it. Although Orochimaru now possessed the Space-Time Ninjutsu known as Heavenly Ghost Evasion, it had been a system reward, akin to having the knowledge directly instilled into him. He had not needed to learn it from scratch.

"Other than Minato, no one else in all of Konoha has learned it. It seems this ninjutsu simply isn't meant for me."

After becoming Hokage, Minato had also taught this Space-Time Ninjutsu to his four guards, but none of them had managed to learn it. Two of them, however, could work together to use a teleportation array.

Thinking this, Orochimaru reluctantly put away the scroll. With Sonido, he was not at much of a disadvantage anyway. He simply could not use Flying Thunder God to redirect things over long distances like Minato could.

At close range, he could still transfer a Tailed Beast Bomb. Besides, with his special physique, there was no need to transfer one at all. He could simply absorb it and release it again.

After putting away the Flying Thunder God Technique, Orochimaru took out another ninjutsu scroll—the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu.

One month later, in a cave ten kilometers from Konoha.

Orochimaru studied the middle-aged ninja before him, whose skin was covered in countless cracks. The man wore blue armor and a Konoha Forehead Protector, with two long red markings on his cheeks. He was none other than the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.

Orochimaru had long since obtained tissue from the Second Hokage's body. He had captured a heinous bandit from a small village near Konoha and used him as a vessel to reincarnate Tobirama.

After placing a kunai engraved with talismans into the back of his head, the Second Hokage's consciousness gradually returned.

"Lord Second Hokage, it has been a long time!"

Orochimaru maintained a hand seal as he looked at the Second Hokage, whose awareness was returning.

"Hm? Wasn't I dead? Who are you? Where is this?"

The moment Tobirama Senju woke up, he saw Orochimaru, then surveyed his surroundings.

He found the place densely packed with documents and books, along with research equipment and instruments.

"Lord Tobirama, you were indeed dead. Your current state is the result of my Impure World Reincarnation."

After a pause, Orochimaru continued.

"This is one of my laboratories. As for who I am, I am your grand-disciple, Orochimaru. I even met you a few times when I was young."

Upon hearing Orochimaru say that he had been brought back through Impure World Reincarnation, Tobirama lowered his head and examined his hands, only then realizing his current condition.

When he heard Orochimaru call himself his grand-disciple, the vigilance in his heart eased somewhat.

"Hiruzen's disciple? Why did you summon me? You should know that disturbing the dead at will is deeply disrespectful!"

Sensing that he could not move freely, Tobirama simply folded his arms and waited to see what Orochimaru wanted.

Ever since his physique had become that of the Uzumaki Clan, Orochimaru's Chakra was no longer what it had once been. He now had roughly five times as much as before.

No wonder Mito had been able to draw upon the Nine-Tails' Chakra before fully taming it. This body was truly absurd.

With such abundant Chakra to rely on, Orochimaru was not worried that Tobirama could break free from his control.

"I had no choice but to summon you, Lord Tobirama. Recently, I have been researching a ninjutsu meant to counter Uchiha genjutsu, but I encountered some difficulties and require your guidance."

Orochimaru did not hide anything and directly stated his purpose.

As he had said, he had summoned Tobirama to discuss academic matters.

When it came to developing and researching ninjutsu, if Tobirama Senju claimed first place in the Ninja World, no one would dare claim second.

Orochimaru had just learned Impure World Reincarnation, yet his first thought had not been to summon someone for battle, but to summon someone to teach him.

If Tobirama had known of such dedication to learning earlier, Orochimaru would not even have needed to summon him. Tobirama would have wanted nothing more than to pry open his own coffin and discuss academics with him!

Tobirama, meanwhile, was somewhat surprised to hear that Orochimaru had summoned him merely to research ninjutsu together.

And it was to deal with the evil Uchiha, no less. His interest was immediately piqued, and he simply sat down cross-legged.

"Only for this?"

Tobirama still did not quite believe him and stared intently into Orochimaru's eyes. Orochimaru met his gaze without dodging, showing not the slightest trace of guilt.

"Grandmaster, I want to improve so badly!"

That address, Grandmaster, made Tobirama's gaze grow unfocused for a moment, as though it had carried him back to the days when he taught Danzo, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Kagami Uchiha, and the others.

"Go on. What do you wish to ask?"

Seeing that Tobirama had more or less accepted his reason, Orochimaru loosened his control and picked up a stack of documents from the side.

They were all ninjutsu related to Sealing Jutsu and spiritual power: Adamantine Chains, the Eight Trigrams Seal, the Four Symbols Seal, the Spirit Transformation Technique, the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique, and more.

They were covered in Orochimaru's notes and annotations. This was precisely the new ninjutsu he was researching to counter Uchiha genjutsu: the Eight Inner Gates Seal, a Sealing Jutsu for locking down spiritual power.

"You have learned quite a lot."

Tobirama picked them up with great interest and read them carefully. Only now did he completely believe that Orochimaru had gone through all the trouble of summoning him simply to develop a new ninjutsu.

"I only know a little."

For the textbook-like Second Hokage, the number of ninjutsu he knew was countless, and the Forbidden Jutsu he had developed were innumerable.

No matter how much information or how many ninjutsu Orochimaru had, how could they compare to the Second Hokage teaching him personally?

In the Original Work, perhaps Orochimaru had failed to fully decipher Impure World Reincarnation, or perhaps his own abilities had been limited, leaving him unwilling to take such a risk.

After all, one wrong move could get him beaten to death by the Second Hokage he had summoned. Moreover, Orochimaru had already defected by then. Even if the Second Hokage taught him ninjutsu, he would not have dared learn it.

What if Tobirama deliberately taught him the wrong method? Tobirama would not even need to lift a finger; Orochimaru might practice himself straight into the grave.

Over the following period, Orochimaru smoothly began discussing the development of the Eight Inner Gates Seal with Tobirama.

Through their conversation, Tobirama also noticed Orochimaru's extraordinary comprehension. Otherwise, he could never have conceived of such an unconventional method for developing a new technique.

At first, Orochimaru had remained somewhat guarded against him. But as time passed and their discussion deepened, Orochimaru unconsciously loosened his control more and more, until he eventually released it completely.

It was not that Orochimaru was being careless. Even if Tobirama suddenly attacked, he could not kill him in one blow, and escaping was even less possible.

Orochimaru had long set up a barrier outside. Tobirama would not be able to leave for a while, and even with Flying Thunder God, he could forget about getting out without a marker.

Besides, Orochimaru was no pushover. As long as he had a moment to react, he could control Tobirama again. That was why he was not worried.

As for why he had used hand seals to control him at first, it was because he feared that Tobirama might act recklessly upon waking without understanding the situation.