Summoning Technique: Rashomon Gate

That night, at the Uchiha Clan Grounds.

Under the dim yellow light, Uchiha Gen looked at the books piled across the table, stacked more than a meter high, and could not help but sigh.

No matter what world one was in, studying medicine was hard labor.

There was simply too much prerequisite medical knowledge to learn. Taken together, these books far outnumbered the textbooks at the Ninja Academy.

Fortunately, Haruno Sakura's Character Card was still quite useful at a time like this.

Although Sakura back in her Ninja Academy days had been pretty lacking, with little actual combat ability, her learning ability was top-notch. She was perfectly suited to grinding through these dull, tedious books.

Still, it was foreseeable that even with Haruno Sakura's aptitude for learning theoretical knowledge, it would take him quite a while to finish all these books.

"Let's take a look at the Ninjutsu Scroll Orochimaru-sensei gave me first."

With a thought, Uchiha Gen took out the Ninjutsu Scroll whose slime had long since been wiped clean.

"This style... looks a lot like the summoning scroll for contracting Ninja Crows."

Uchiha Gen slowly unrolled the scroll and discovered that it really was a summoning scroll. Its artwork was simply rather eerie: a depiction of the gates of hell. Tucked inside was a sheet of neatly written paper recording the specific details of the technique.

Summoning Technique: Rashomon Gate.

In the original timeline, only three people had used this technique.

Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage; Orochimaru at the height of his power, one of the Sannin; and the Sound Ninja Sakon Ukon.

The numbers of Rashomon Gates they summoned varied, and the effects they displayed differed enormously. The former two had used them against Tailed Beast Bombs, while Sakon Ukon had used one to block Fang Wolf Fang.

Both its upper and lower limits were quite high. The fact that experts like Orochimaru and Hashirama Senju used it showed that its defensive power was certainly far greater than ordinary Defensive Ninjutsu.

Its learning requirements, however, were also exceptionally harsh.

Uchiha Gen looked over the explanation Orochimaru had copied down himself, reading it carefully.

"Rashomon Gate is said to have existed even before the era of Ninshu. Legend has it that after the Sage of Six Paths subdued all demons, he created the Pure Land and left behind the Rashomon Gate as the threshold separating the living from the dead. Its true origins are impossible to verify, and countless locations have been claimed as its site, none of them genuine. Only the summoning scroll was passed down through the successors of Ninshu, eventually falling into the hands of the Senju Clan during the Warring States Period. This summoning scroll is merely a copy. After carving one's name upon it and forming the hand seals for the Reverse Summoning Technique in reverse, one will be summoned near the Rashomon Gate..."

No wonder people called the Rashomon Gate the gatekeeper of hell. It really might be one.

"Perhaps it truly is the gate separating reality from the Pure Land. The Second Hokage's research notes also confirm that an extremely abundant amount of Yin Release Chakra is contained here to sustain the gate. Perhaps to drive away living people who approach by accident, every Rashomon Gate is fitted with bells capable of producing sound waves. Under the effects of Yin Release Chakra, they generate immensely powerful vibrations that make it difficult for anyone to approach.

According to the records left by the First Hokage, he relied on his powerful Mudra-less Healing Ability to reach the fifth gate. Aside from him, only I have been able to reach the third gate..."

Uchiha Gen continued reading Orochimaru's cultivation notes.

Other than Orochimaru and the First Hokage, no one in Konoha had been able to reach the third gate. Even Tobirama Senju and Hiruzen Sarutobi had tried many methods, only to stop at the second gate.

That was because the Shockwaves penetrated everywhere. They were not merely sound waves. Even Wind Release Ninjutsu and Water Release Ninjutsu could only weaken part of them, not block them completely. Other Defensive Ninjutsu were almost entirely useless; one could basically only endure them through brute force resistance.

If there were only two Rashomon Gates, their defensive power would still be decent, but it would not be enough for Kage-level Experts of their caliber.

Orochimaru, however, had modified his body into a soft-bodied form, possessed the Orochimaru-Style Substitution Technique, and made use of all sorts of experience left behind by his predecessors. That was how he had successfully reached the third gate and carved his summoning mark onto it.

Uchiha Gen remembered that, in the original timeline, Sakon Ukon, with his Separate Bodies Same Body, also possessed healing abilities beyond those of ordinary ninja. It was equivalent to having two Health Bars.

No wonder Orochimaru had repeatedly warned him that he needed permission before forming the contract.

The next day.

From that day onward, life in Orochimaru Squad seemed to settle into a cycle.

After breakfast early each morning, they would head to the Training Ground for low-intensity morning exercises and warm-ups under Orochimaru. Then, during the most energetic part of the day, they would study useful knowledge with him and carry out preliminary practical exercises according to his arrangements—such as how to track and counter-track, how to deal with poison on the battlefield, how to identify, destroy, and bypass enemy traps, and how to administer first aid after being injured. Orochimaru explained the last two points in particular with great care, practically wishing he could break the information into pieces and stuff it directly into their heads.

All of it was teaching them how to survive on the battlefield.

And clearly, when it came to staying alive, Orochimaru was an expert among experts.

Uchiha Gen was certain that if some disaster capable of destroying the entire Ninja World ever occurred, his beloved Orochimaru-sensei would definitely be the last one to die—and the one most likely to escape before he did.

If Uchiha Gen could learn even half of Orochimaru's survival skills, it would be enough to get him through the Ninja World War.

After that came an entire day of hellish training.

They would not train to death, but they would train as if they were trying to die.

With detailed physical data as a foundation, Orochimaru's training plans were extremely scientific. They could drain a person until not a single drop of stamina remained.

The kind where they did not even want to move a finger.

Orochimaru was not worried about training accidents either. His professional standards were high enough, and if things truly went wrong, he could just send them to the Senju Old House and throw them at Tsunade for treatment. Nothing serious would happen.

Every other day, Orochimaru would suspend training and switch to mission work.

But these were no longer C-rank missions like last time. Instead, they followed the usual route, doing D-rank missions like ordinary newly promoted Genin teams.

Pulling weeds, catching cats, harvesting rice, clearing riverways—tasks other teams found dull and boring were rare, low-intensity relaxation for Orochimaru Squad.

Even so, Orochimaru did not let the opportunity pass.

The purpose of D-rank missions was not to develop practical combat ability, but to deepen team coordination and teach them how to cooperate in battle. Every ninja also needed to start with D-rank missions in order to become familiar with the processes of accepting, coordinating, carrying out, and reporting missions. Only then could they gain the ability to lead teams on missions alone in the future.

After completing a typical D-rank mission, they could get about half a day of rest. But it was not truly meant for resting; it was time for them to arrange their own training.