So This Was an Attempt to Brainwash Me

The talent boost brought by his first evolution had made Gojo Yoru a genius in every sense of the word.

This was also the main reason he had succeeded in infusing Fire Style Nature Transformation into the Rasengan after only a little over a year.

When Orochimaru began teaching him the basic Extension Techniques of Earth Style, Gojo Yoru learned Earth Clone, Earth Substitution, Earth Invisibility, and the Earth Body Flicker he wanted most in just three days.

Seeing this, Orochimaru was satisfied with Gojo Yoru's comprehension, but he stopped teaching him any other Earth Style techniques.

A qualified teacher should formulate a reasonable training plan based on a student's traits and abilities, allowing their strengths to reach their fullest potential rather than blindly patching up their weaknesses.

Gojo Yoru had already mastered the immensely powerful single-target Rasengan, as well as Fire Style: Rasengan, which could inflict widespread damage after exploding. He did not lack powerful offensive methods.

With his amount of Chakra, learning high-level ninjutsu that consumed enormous amounts of Chakra would instead easily lead him into a dead end.

Gojo Yoru's strengths were his speed and the concealment ability of the Phantom Body Flicker Technique.

He was practically a born assassin!

His only shortcoming was that his normal concealment ability was not strong enough, and his Chakra could easily be detected by Sensing Techniques.

Now that he had learned the basic Extension Techniques of Earth Style, Gojo Yoru's concealment and infiltration abilities had both improved considerably.

As long as he mastered these Extension Techniques or integrated them with the concealment ability of the Phantom Body Flicker Technique, throughout the entire Ninja World, only some top-tier Sensing Techniques or possessors of dojutsu such as the Byakugan and Red Eye would be able to discover Gojo Yoru.

By then, Gojo Yoru would be a first-rate assassin in the Ninja World.

With this skill alone, he could easily become an Anbu squad captain or a Special Jonin.

That day, Orochimaru created a Shadow Clone and took Uzumaki Kushina away for Perception Training.

His real body, meanwhile, took Gojo Yoru on a mission.

That was the difference between a disciple and a subordinate.

After other Genin had just graduated, even if they passed their Jounin Instructor's test, they still had to slowly earn their instructor's appreciation through missions and long periods of interaction before they would be taught ninjutsu.

Orochimaru only took Gojo Yoru on missions because he temporarily had nothing left to teach him.

At the Hokage Building, Gojo Yoru saw the Third Hokage again after many years.

The last time he had seen this Ninja Hero was during the Will of Fire speech in his first year.

As the principal of the Ninja Academy, Sarutobi Hiruzen showed his face several times every year.

The ones who interacted with him most were always the first-year freshmen who had yet to have their seeds planted.

"So you're Sa and Mio's child? Not bad. Just as outstanding as Orochimaru said." Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled kindly as he examined Gojo Yoru, as though he were seeing him in person for the first time.

Gojo Yoru immediately put on a flattered expression and bowed to Sarutobi Hiruzen. "Teacher Orochimaru has praised me too highly. Thank you, Lord Hokage, for recognizing me. You not only approved my early graduation, but also arranged for Teacher Orochimaru to be my Jounin Instructor."

"Hehe, Orochimaru was not arranged for you by me. He took the initiative to mentor you, even resigning from his work at the border for it. This is fate between the two of you. Do not disappoint his expectations."

Gojo Yoru immediately raised his head and looked at the smiling Orochimaru in astonishment. Then he pursed his lips and said with a resolute expression, "Please rest assured, Lord Hokage. I definitely will not disappoint Teacher Orochimaru!"

Seeing that Gojo Yoru had untied the knot in his heart and changed from a withdrawn child into someone who valued relationships and was exceptionally polite, Sarutobi Hiruzen became even more satisfied with this grand-disciple of his.

Other than being taller, the current Gojo Yoru was simply as adorable as Orochimaru had been as a child.

Especially since he was also the person the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki relied on most.

As long as Gojo Yoru was one of his own, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki would be the strongest trump card he could use, rather than standing aloof like Lady Mito.

If Gojo Yoru could learn the Flying Thunder God Technique, Sarutobi Hiruzen would hold two great trump cards in his hands. Even if powerful clans like the Uchiha Clan and Hyuga Clan joined forces, they would not be able to shake his position.

That was precisely why Sarutobi Hiruzen was so eager to bring Gojo Yoru into the Hokage's faction and even allowed Orochimaru to mentor him alone.

He believed that his most prized disciple would certainly be able to cultivate Gojo Yoru into an inheritor of the Will of Fire.

After chatting for a few more moments, Sarutobi Hiruzen assigned Gojo Yoru a mission.

It was an utterly ordinary D-Rank Mission: helping villagers with farm work.

Since Gojo Yoru had no teammates and Orochimaru would not personally help, he could only create two Shadow Clones to assist himself.

When the Shadow Clones were dispelled, Gojo Yoru felt a rare wave of exhaustion.

There was still plenty of time left in the day, so Orochimaru took Gojo Yoru to complete two more D-Rank Missions, both involving helping villagers resolve various minor matters.

On the way back to the Hokage Building, Orochimaru looked at the somewhat grimy Gojo Yoru and asked with a smile, "Do you find this kind of mission boring?"

"A little." Gojo Yoru nodded honestly.

"Then have you wondered why, despite already being so strong, you are still being made to carry out such low-level missions?"

"It is to cultivate our sense of responsibility and basic execution abilities as ninja, laying the foundation for accepting higher-ranking missions."

Orochimaru was slightly surprised by Gojo Yoru's answer.

He glanced at the youth, whose mind was as mature as his body, his eyes filled with approval. On the surface, however, he merely nodded. "That is indeed one reason, but more importantly, it is to let you personally experience the lives of the villagers and come to understand anew this village founded by the First Hokage."

"You have never left Konoha, so you do not know how cruel the outside world is."

"Once you go out and return, you will realize how wonderful Konoha is. There are no barriers between clans here, nor are people divided into ranks because of powerful clans and ordinary clans. Everyone in the village is family."

As he said this, Orochimaru's golden eyes seemed to gleam with a brilliance as dazzling as the sun. His tone turned firm. "We strive to become stronger not only for ourselves, but also to protect our fellow villagers, to safeguard this hard-won peace and happiness. This is... the Will of Fire."

Gojo Yoru: "..."

Well, damn. So this was an attempt to brainwash me!

Orochimaru at this stage was a little too idealistic. He was practically a completely different person from his later self.

Any other child would have been fired up by Orochimaru's words long ago.

Yet Gojo Yoru felt no ripples in his heart at all. He even found it a little funny.

Still, worried that he might give himself away, he looked at Orochimaru with worshipful eyes and nodded as if he had suddenly understood. "I understand, Teacher Orochimaru!"