Orochimaru loved researching forbidden techniques.
Research was etched into his very bones. Even though he had just been through a major battle and his body was severely worn down,
he had no intention of taking a breather. He immediately threw himself into his work.
Ao felt ashamed by comparison. After a battle, the thing he wanted most was a good meal.
Ryūchi Cave lay deep underground.
Apart from snake eggs, he hadn't seen any other ingredients.
He wondered if his teacher had anything at home.
"Teacher, is there anything to eat?"
Ao glanced around the room. There didn't seem to be much in the way of daily necessities.
Most of the space was crammed with books and scrolls.
The bookshelves were packed with all sorts of scrolls and books.
Only the bedding and pillow on the tatami suggested that anyone lived there. Otherwise, it could easily have been mistaken for a study.
"Hungry?"
"There are some dry rations in the room next door. Just boil a little water, and you can eat them."
Orochimaru answered without looking up.
He had no particular standards when it came to food. As long as it filled his stomach and met his body's needs, that was enough.
At that, Ao got up and went to the next room.
The room was simply furnished. There was a stove, and the firewood beside it had rotted away.
In the cold, damp depths of Ryūchi Cave, wood couldn't be kept for long.
The only place where things lasted longer was the Sage's temple. Most of it was built from stone and wood, and it had been preserved for centuries thanks to the Natural Energy that nourished it from the White Snake Sage.
Orochimaru's residence looked like it had only been put together recently.
Ao searched the room and eventually found around ten pounds of white flour in a large jar.
There were also some strange beans on the shelves, along with salt, sugar, and seasonings.
From what he remembered, they were ingredients for making natto.
The beans were already fermenting.
There was also a pile of eggs in the corner, though he had no idea how long they'd been there.
Ao did some simple preparation on the flour and left it to rise, then went next door and asked Manda for a few snake eggs.
Manda had no reason to refuse.
Ao easily got ten snake eggs.
He'd make some steamed buns.
Unfortunately, there was no yeast, so he could only make unleavened buns.
Then he used the snake eggs to make an egg pancake.
Both were simple dishes.
He had them ready in a little over an hour.
The meal was very humble, but still much better than what he'd eaten while learning Snake Script from Zuijinji.
Zuijinji hadn't had any white flour. The snakes only brought over some bloody meat from time to time.
Most of it came from animals.
One day, they'd even brought him a human hand.
He'd ended up drinking nothing but water that day.
"Teacher, would you like something to eat?"
Ao brought the unleavened buns over to Orochimaru, along with a plate of egg pancakes—five or six of them.
He'd already eaten his fill in the kitchen.
Orochimaru caught the aroma, put down his scroll, and looked at the food a few times. ...Bread?
He'd never seen this food before.
It was whiter than bread.
He picked up a bun and took a bite.
It tasted a little sweet.
Had Ao added some sugar?
The hot food warmed his stomach.
It felt pretty good.
Orochimaru realized he hadn't had a proper meal in a long time.
He hadn't expected Uchiha Ao to know how to cook, too.
Had he just discovered another one of Ao's talents?
"It tastes pretty good."
Orochimaru nodded in satisfaction. Compared to cold rations, this bread-like food was quite acceptable. After finishing it, he picked up an egg pancake.
"Teacher, these are made with snake eggs. You don't mind, do you?"
Ao reminded him. Since Orochimaru's soul had transformed into a White Phosphorus Snake, Ao worried he might have some reservations.
But Orochimaru didn't answer. He simply picked up an egg pancake and took a small bite.
"Ao, you're pretty good at this."
After tasting it, Orochimaru's eyes lit up, and he praised Ao cheerfully.
He was clearly very pleased with the egg pancake.
He finished one in a few bites, then quickly took another from the bowl.
After their simple meal,
Orochimaru pulled two apples from his sleeve and handed one to Ao before biting into the other.
"Next, we'll be getting into research on Kekkei Genkai. How prepared are you? Once you return from your mission, we'll need to get started..."
"Are you confident?"
Orochimaru asked. Research into Kekkei Genkai, which involved the power of bloodlines, wasn't something he had originally considered.
It was merely a side project in his research into immortality.
Ao took the apple and bit into it. It was quite sweet.
"Teacher, I don't think research into Kekkei Genkai is very complicated. While looking through the materials recently, I found that it can be divided into two main categories."
"The first is the nature-transformation type. Some shinobi manipulate two basic Chakra natures at once and combine their properties to create a new Release. That can be considered a Kekkei Genkai. Ice Release and Lava Release are examples."
"The second type comes from changes in the body or organs, brought about by a special bloodline or a mutation. The Sharingan, Byakugan, and Uzumaki Constitution are examples."
"I don't think the first type is worth researching right now. It depends on talent in controlling Chakra, so it doesn't have much research value. The second type is what we should focus on. Studying bloodline power can help us understand more quickly how human bloodlines affect talent."
"It's also highly hereditary and relatively easy to reproduce."
"Once we fully understand bloodline-based Kekkei Genkai, researching Chakra talent may become much easier."
Ao answered in an orderly manner.
He poured out all his research insights from the past few days in one go.
Orochimaru chewed on his apple, nodding from time to time in approval.
"Very good. It seems you've put a lot of effort into this."
"Chakra has been passed down since the era of the Ninjutsu Sect. Throughout shinobi history, all kinds of Releases have appeared, but every Kekkei Genkai that has been passed down has been related to bloodlines."
"Mastering the nature transformation of one Chakra nature is enough to qualify as a Jonin, while mastering two already makes someone one of the elite in any shinobi village."
"It really is troublesome to study."
"However, let me remind you of one thing: combining Kekkei Genkai is extremely complicated. You need to be fully prepared before you begin. Don't waste experimental materials. I don't have a source of income at the moment, so every specimen is important."
"Which direction are you planning to start with?"
Orochimaru cautioned him.
He still needed to establish a way to make money so their research wouldn't have to stop because of funding.
"I understand, Teacher."
"As for the specific direction, I've settled on the Hyuga bloodline, which I'm more familiar with."
Ao replied solemnly.
"Hmm... the Hyuga? Aren't you more familiar with the Uchiha bloodline? Since you've already made your decision, use your own judgment."
Orochimaru felt that the boy was making some sort of dig at him.
But he didn't take the bait.
He didn't have time to go stir up trouble with the Hyuga Clan right now.
He had more important things to do.
"I understand. Teacher, I have one more question. Do you know about Senjutsu?"
Ao nodded and asked Orochimaru about a question he'd kept buried in his heart.
"The White Snake Sage gave me a cultivation inheritance. I've just started to understand a little of it, but I've run into some new questions."
He didn't hide the White Snake Sage's gift. He only left out the details about the Sage's Snake Slough.
He told Orochimaru directly.
Orochimaru looked at him in surprise and said, "Senjutsu? The Sage once told me it was a new kind of power, different from Chakra, but I wasn't interested."
"She also said I didn't have the talent to practice Senjutsu."
"If she thinks highly of you, then give it a try... But keep one thing in mind: Natural Energy can cause severe damage to the body. If you notice anything wrong, stop immediately."
A trace of envy flashed in Orochimaru's eyes.
In fact, the White Snake Sage had once taught him Senjutsu. But his body couldn't withstand Natural Energy, so he'd been forced to give it up.
Only later had he been forced to develop the Cursed Seal, a shortcut for borrowing Natural Energy to increase his strength.
Natural Energy was the key to using Senjutsu.
The more attuned someone was to it, the more powerful the Senjutsu they could use.
The stronger Ao became, the more help he would be to Orochimaru in the future.
Orochimaru didn't stand in the way of Ao's training in this area.
Before you continue