Border Conflict

A month passed quickly.

Orochimaru, having grasped the basics of Enchantment, was completely immersed in this marvelous knowledge that seemed to connect with existing ninjutsu, yet was entirely different.

Of course, as an excellent teacher, he didn't neglect the training of Satoru and the other two.

In fact, because he placed even more importance on his students, Orochimaru put in a great deal of effort.

Chakra's Nature Transformation and Shape Transformation, which they wouldn't normally encounter at this stage, were also taught to Satoru and the others early by Orochimaru.

To increase the chances of survival for his adorable disciples on the battlefield, Orochimaru's training could only be described as grueling.

Nawaki's initial chakra nature was, without a doubt, the Water Release he had used before, while Mikoto's was the Fire Release common among the Uchiha clan.

As for Satoru...

Fire and Water, though relatively rare, weren't unheard of for those born with dual affinities, and Orochimaru didn't find it too strange.

Naturally, Satoru could simulate whichever element he wished.

Fire and Water were simply to correspond with fire-based spells like Flame Burst and the Water Creation Technique; if he needed to conjure Lightning Arrows, he could find a way to simulate the Lightning Release attribute.

It was just that he hadn't yet progressed beyond the Fire and Water elements.

"Regarding Fire Release and Water Release, I've heard that in Kirigakure, the Village Hidden in the Mist in the Land of Water, there's a Kekkei Genkai that combines these two Release techniques, much like the combined ninjutsu Nawaki and Mikoto displayed during the Genin test."

"Oh—!"

Nawaki and Mikoto remembered how, under Satoru's arrangement, they had combined the Water Release: Water Bullet Technique and the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique to create a large area of high-temperature steam.

"That Kekkei Genkai is called Boil Release. If you encounter such a ninja on the battlefield, be cautious."

Ninjas with Kekkei Genkai, unless they were too young and relied on bloodline inheritance, usually indicated that the user had at least Jonin-level skill if they had cultivated it themselves.

"Nature Transformation imbues chakra with elemental properties, while Shape Transformation makes ninjutsu's attack methods more flexible and varied."

Orochimaru explained earnestly to the three:

"Typical examples include the chakra threads used by Puppet Masters to control their puppets and mechanisms, and the chakra scalpels used in Medical Ninjutsu."

While they weren't very familiar with Puppet Masters, both Nawaki and Satoru, having seen Tsunade use it, were well-acquainted with chakra scalpels.

"I won't say much about medical ninjas. If you're interested, you can volunteer at the village hospital to witness it."

"Sunagakure, the Village Hidden in the Sand in the Land of Wind, has very powerful Puppet Masters. The key to dealing with them lies in those chakra puppet threads."

Orochimaru taught them some less common knowledge. War with Sunagakure was almost a certainty, and if they ever encountered a Puppet Master, they would be able to respond.

"Combining Shape Transformation and Nature Transformation can make techniques stronger.

The ability to alter a jutsu's attack range, power, and nature according to combat needs is a combat quality that an excellent ninja must possess."

From this perspective, Orochimaru could be considered one of the most outstanding teachers among all the Jonin in Konoha.

Even Satoru benefited greatly from Orochimaru's tutelage.

In fact, controlling Arcane Power also involved similar techniques. Controlling the intensity and range of Arcane Power as needed, as well as shaping elemental types, were essential spellcasting skills for powerful mages.

After Orochimaru's training, Nawaki had mastered Earth Release in addition to Water Release.

Although he knew that the combined Kekkei Genkai of Water Release and Earth Release was Wood Release, which his grandfather, the First Hokage, had used to dominate the Shinobi World, Nawaki had no clue how to achieve it.

Even so, he was already very happy.

After all, if he couldn't awaken Earth Release, there would be even less hope.

Mikoto, on the other hand, focused more on Genjutsu. The three Genjutsu taught by Orochimaru had already been mastered by Mikoto.

As for Satoru, he had his own ideas.

Therefore, he concentrated on the Nature Transformation of Wind Release.

At least, in Orochimaru's eyes, Satoru had successfully refined Wind Release chakra through "arduous training" and a bit of luck!

This was also a significant trump card for Satoru.

As someone who was also proficient in Wind Release, Orochimaru was very happy that Satoru had learned this rare attribute.

Orochimaru also generously taught Satoru some Wind Release ninjutsu.

Besides using powerful long-range cutting ninjutsu against enemies and enhancing the power of Fire Release ninjutsu, Wind Release had another application.

Attaching Wind Release chakra to a weapon could greatly enhance the user's close-combat attack power.

Thus, Satoru's diligent practice of his staff techniques finally came into play.

For this purpose, Satoru specifically asked his father to find someone to help forge a chakra staff using special chakra metal.

It was a bit expensive, but his father knew how to manage it.

"Today's training ends here!"

After training for two hours in the afternoon, with the sky still bright, Orochimaru stopped the session.

"Gather at the village entrance tomorrow morning at precisely seven o'clock, bringing all your ninja tools and necessary supplies. You will be carrying out your first practical mission!"

Orochimaru looked at the three, Satoru included, who had made significant progress compared to when they first graduated, his expression serious:

"A-rank mission, escorting a small merchant caravan from my Land of Fire to the Land of Wind!"

"An A-rank mission!"

Satoru and the other two were startled and exchanged glances.

Weren't they told that missions were usually B-rank?

B-rank missions required Chunin to be deployed, so having the three of them, Genin, take on an A-rank mission?!

Even with an elite Jonin like Orochimaru leading them, it was a bit…

"Don't be surprised. Escorting a merchant caravan was indeed originally a B-rank mission."

Orochimaru took out a scroll, the intelligence scroll used by the village for mission assignments:

"But this is a time when border conflicts have begun to occur frequently. You all know where these so-called border conflicts refer to, don't you?"

Orochimaru opened the scroll and placed it on a training dummy. Satoru and the other two leaned in.

"Border conflicts, that means the Land of Rain. They want to expand their territory, so they are expanding not only into our Land of Fire but also into the Land of Wind and even the neutral Land of Iron!"

Nawaki replied. By now, border conflicts were no longer a secret even among civilians, so someone like Nawaki naturally knew even more clearly.

"Not only that." Satoru frowned. The firsthand information he received from his father meant he knew even more than Nawaki:

"Sunagakure in the Land of Wind is also eyeing our Konoha covetously."

"They seem to want to take advantage of this opportunity, using the Land of Rain's Amegakure to greatly weaken Konoha's strength and seek benefits."

"So, in reality, our Konoha is facing threats from both Amegakure and Sunagakure?" Mikoto asked curiously. "Sunagakure is that confident?"

"They are simultaneously confronting Amegakure, the Land of Iron, and our Konoha. Is Sunagakure that strong?"

"Heh heh… Not quite," Orochimaru chuckled and explained the intelligence Konoha had gathered so far to the three of them.