Watching Naruto, bursting with energy as the Water Elemental chased him and beat him senseless, Fuyuki scoffed, "You think a mere Transformation Technique can tempt me? You're such an idiot!"
As a transmigrator, Fuyuki's soul had long been stamped with the marks of his past life. No matter how beautiful you were, if you weren't white-haired, silver-haired, or red-haired, he wasn't interested.
As the ancestors had said: "White hair, youthful face." Clearly, a fondness for white hair had been passed down from the ancestors!
As for red hair, that was because redheads in Naruto tended to have fiery tempers. Fuyuki liked people with fiery tempers. Marrying one would definitely be fun. Otherwise, if he married someone soft and meek, he wouldn't even have anyone to pick a fight with when he got bored!
"Sigh."
An old man's sigh rang out. The moment the Third arrived, he saw Fuyuki beating up Naruto. He didn't even need to think about it: Naruto must have gotten bored and asked for a beating, and Fuyuki had obliged.
"Fuyuki, make your Summoned Beast stop. Don't bully Naruto. Everyone, come over and let's begin the lesson!"
"Sure."
Fuyuki beckoned, and the Summoned Beast immediately vanished. Soaked through, Naruto had learned his lesson this time and didn't keep challenging Fuyuki to a one-on-one fight. He just glared at Fuyuki indignantly and muttered, "Sissy."
"Naruto! This is class time!"
Seeing Naruto asking to get beaten again, the Third hurriedly cut the little troublemaker off before he could say anything else. He didn't want to leave Fuyuki alone with Naruto, only to find that Fuyuki had dragged him into the woods. No one could say what might happen then.
"Heh." Fuyuki chuckled, wearing a cryptic smile.
Today you're calling me a sissy. Just wait until I take you out on the street and show you how popular this so-called sissy really is!
People in the Ninja World judged everything by looks. Fuyuki wasn't entirely satisfied with his appearance in this life, but by Konoha's preference for pretty boys, he was the kind of sweet-looking kid who might get snatched up by some strange older girl if he went out without a bodyguard.
You stupid fox, what do you know about what girls like?
After stopping Naruto's muttering, the Third began teaching the three of them in earnest. His approach was simple: he squared off against them and fought them in a live PVP match. His only requirement was that they do everything they could to defeat him.
The Third did know better ways to teach them, but he didn't have time to guide the three slowly. There was only one shortcut!
Real combat. Let their bodies memorize every lesson. The pain of their injuries wasn't pain anymore; it was experience points!
With Orochimaru's and the Uchiha's plots to rebel keeping Konoha busy, the Third could train his three students only in the afternoons, and he had at most a week to do so. After that, he would be swamped with Konoha's endless affairs.
The Ninja World did have the Shadow Clone Technique, but the Third would never use it to attend meetings. It would be disrespectful to Konoha's other elders, and people might even take it as a sign that the Third was shirking his responsibilities.
The combat training began. The Third held back on the power of his attacks, but not on his speed or stamina. His bewildering serpentine movements left the three of them stunned. Even with his Byakugan activated, Fuyuki couldn't keep up with the Third's movements.
After all, the Byakugan's powers of perception surpassed even the Sharingan's.
According to the clan's Great Elder, Fuyuki's skill in developing his Byakugan was comparable to a Sharingan with two Tomoe in the left eye and one Tomoe in the right.
Yet even a two-Tomoe left eye and a one-Tomoe right eye couldn't lock onto the Third's movements. In an instant, he disappeared from view, then came at them from unexpected angles, taking them down one by one.
The first class was Taijutsu. The Third used his own skills to teach them how to defend against Taijutsu attacks and what angles an enemy might use to ambush them from.
The second class was Taijutsu as well. Near the end of the lesson, though, the Third took some time to talk with them, mainly about Naruto. His fundamentals were terrible. He'd spent almost the entire session getting beaten by the Third, unable to fight back.
"Lord Orochimaru, is it really okay for us to be this brazen?"
Wearing a conical hat, Yakushi Kabuto walked through Konoha's bustling streets, feeling somewhat at a loss.
You've infiltrated Konoha and are even openly eating ramen at Ichiraku Ramen. How is that supposed to count as infiltration?
"Kabuto, are you afraid?"
Orochimaru, who had used the Vanishing Facial Copy Technique to take on an unfamiliar face, chuckled. He paid no heed to the crowds passing by. "All the Hyuga Jonin who could see through our disguises have been sent away. The Anbu are also scouring the Land of Fire for us. Konoha's defenses are at their weakest right now."
The only person in all of Konoha whom Orochimaru had to worry about was his former teacher, the Third.
He'd used a scheme to lure away the Hyuga Clan and the Anbu. Now, only Root, hidden in the shadows, and the Third were still forces to be reckoned with. Every other notable shinobi was out in the Land of Fire playing hide-and-seek with the decoys he controlled.
"Heh. Konoha's defenses may be weak, but the Third is still not to be underestimated!"
Orochimaru glanced at the Hokage Office Building, a trace of greed flashing in his eyes. A wicked smile appeared on his face, and he ran his snake-like tongue over his lips. "The Sealing Scroll."
He had once infiltrated Konoha's Forbidden Jutsu Library, so he knew just how many terrifying forbidden techniques the village had hidden away.
He had also caught a glimpse of the Second Hokage's genius. Unfortunately, he hadn't had enough time to memorize all the manuscripts in the library, and had only seen a portion of them.
The so-called Sealing Scroll was actually bait, meant to lure out disloyal spies.
The real "Sealing Scroll" was the Second Hokage's study and manuscripts. After the Second Hokage died, the Third had turned the study into a library. This library, hidden inside the Hokage Office Building, housed every forbidden technique from Konoha's founding under the First Hokage through the Fourth Hokage's era.
Orochimaru had returned this time for the Second Hokage's manuscripts, as well as an experimental subject he'd once overlooked.
And the one who had invited him back was none other than Root, the organization said to hold up Konoha like the roots of a great tree!
In exchange for a perfect transplant of the First Hokage's Cells and a Sharingan, Danzo had promised Orochimaru the Second Hokage's complete manuscripts!
It was a fair deal, but a dangerous one!
It was fair because what each side gave and received was proportional.
It was dangerous because Danzo was currently in Konoha's central district. If he turned on Orochimaru, he could have Root shinobi surround and kill him. The chances were slim, but Orochimaru still had to be wary of Danzo. The man had never cared about shame!
Aside from Danzo, no one knew that Orochimaru, an S-rank missing-nin, had infiltrated Konoha. He was strolling down the street toward Root in broad daylight. With Danzo's help, Orochimaru had sent every shinobi skilled in search and sensory techniques out of the village.
Of Konoha's four top leaders, Danzo had betrayed them, the Third was teaching children, and the two Konoha elders were still leisurely drinking tea in the Hokage Office Building.
"Heh."
Orochimaru gave a cold laugh and said nothing. Inwardly, he was disgusted by Konoha's rot.
Back in the day, Konoha had been glorious. In terms of potential, strength, and combat power, it had been the strongest village in the Ninja World.
But now? The Uchiha were rebelling, and Konoha's top combat forces were depleted. Of its four leaders, one was a traitor, one was old and had lost his edge, and the other two had no idea how ordinary people lived.
Disgusting!
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