"Apologize to my teacher!"

"Drink."

After summarizing his findings, Orochimaru handed the cup in his hand to Zhengyi.

It was white, and the bottle emitted a faint scent of powdered milk.

As students, how could they please their teacher? Naturally, by drinking whatever the teacher handed them without a second thought.

Zhengyi did not hesitate; he unscrewed the cup and downed it in one gulp, showing absolutely no guard against Orochimaru.

After all, he was neither Uchiha nor Senju; even if his teacher wanted to perform a soul transfer, he wouldn't be eyeing his body.

Helplessly, Orochimaru didn't care about such social nuances; he was a pure scientist who only wanted to know if the results matched his expectations.

After finishing, Zhengyi smacked his lips twice. "Protein powder?"

Orochimaru paused for a moment. "Oh?"

"Did you extract this from milk, Teacher?"

Orochimaru looked at Zhengyi in surprise and clapped his hands. "Not bad. Based on my research these past few days, things like milk..."

Zhengyi could barely understand what Orochimaru said at the beginning.

By the end, it sounded like he was listening to a heavenly scripture.

In summary, Orochimaru had extracted whey protein from milk; the protein content in 100g of whey protein was equivalent to 320g of beef or eating 12 eggs at once.

Is this really Orochimaru?!

Zhengyi was completely stunned.

It had only been a few days?!

He had merely provided an idea for healthy eating, and his teacher, Orochimaru, had already developed high-protein food in the ninja world.

This research by Orochimaru would absolutely bring earth-shattering changes to the ninja world.

To explain it in scientific terms, the human body cannot synthesize muscle without protein.

Why were ninjas on average so thin? Because their daily protein intake was insufficient, and the body would break down its own muscle to keep functioning.

In other words, if ninjas consumed enough protein daily, their strength could reach a much higher tier.

Genetics guaranteed the upper limit of strength, but a sufficient diet was what guaranteed the lower limit.

"Do you have any more, Teacher?"

Zhengyi... Zhengyi was just too eager to improve. As a twelve-year-old Chunin, he was a bit afraid—afraid of failing to keep up with the T0 tier of strength in the ninja world.

"Our ranch's milk production isn't enough, Zhengyi-kun," Orochimaru said meaningfully.

"Teacher, it seems we need to take a trip to the Land of Lightning."

"Zhengyi, you will be the one to find a way to intercept the AB brothers of Kumogakure."

"? I'm to intercept them?"

"I know it is difficult, but this is an order."

Hiruzen Sarutobi had thought his student would drag his feet for a while longer before heading to the battlefield.

On the front lines where Kumogakure and Konoha were at war.

Two days ago, Orochimaru had returned to the battlefield with his students and subordinates.

Leading the Kumogakure forces against Konoha were the AB brothers of Kumogakure.

The future Fourth Raikage, A, and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer B.

Their father was still alive and overseeing the big picture from the rear, so the carefree A was less here to fight a war and more here to pursue physical thrills on the battlefield.

"Not enough, not enough, you guys aren't enough—call Orochimaru here!"

With a single elbow strike, A sent a Konoha Jonin flying; a comrade caught him, but facing this dark-skinned man, the Konoha ninjas were at a loss.

Just A's rugged, muscular physique standing there was enough to create a sense of oppression. "Why doesn't Orochimaru dare to come?"

"Yo, Orochimaru is a coward, Orochimaru is weak, Orochimaru doesn't dare to come to the front lines to fight us."

Killer B's "disdain" deeply stung the hearts of the Konoha ninjas.

Especially his clumsy rapping, which felt more like a mockery.

Who would have thought Kumogakure would be so good at taunting people?

But there was no help for it; Orochimaru knew full well the gap in quality between the two sides, so he played it quite conservatively, refusing to engage head-on.

"Konoha's commander is nothing but a coward."

A and B found it quite boring; they couldn't push the map forward, and this Orochimaru was truly like a slippery snake. It was another day of retreating.

"Konoha Village really is a gathering place for cowards."

"Nani?!"

"Don't fall for his provocation. We are no match for them; retreat if you can."

The Konoha shinobi were burning with rage, but the more rational among them offered words of comfort.

Everyone understood the logic, swallowing their fury and holding it back.

"Still, it's true—an incompetent commander leads the whole army to their deaths."

"What did you say?!"

Just as A and Bee were finding things dull and preparing to lead the Kumogakure forces in a retreat.

"Stop right there!"

A child who looked to be about twelve years old stepped out from the Konoha ranks, roaring at A in a fit of uncontrollable rage.

A turned his head, a giant question mark appearing on his forehead.

The Kumogakure shinobi were equally bewildered.

"Hey, Zhengyi, don't lower yourself to his level." The speaker was a shinobi from the Inuzuka Clan. Seeing that the Cloud ninja were already retreating, he broke into a cold sweat as he realized Orochimaru's student was about to turn back and argue.

Others immediately stepped in to explain to A who the boy speaking was.

He was a student of Orochimaru.

"What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?" A crossed his arms and looked at Zhengyi. "Your teacher is a coward through and through."

"Damn you!!"

A: "?"

A had assumed Zhengyi was just going to spout some trash talk before leaving, but he could hardly believe his eyes—the kid was actually charging at him.

He thought he must have seen wrong.

Yet, he hadn't.

"Lariat!"

That was what Zhengyi shouted, his arm slightly bent as if he intended to elbow A to death.

"Interesting."

Had the brat used any other technique, he would have killed him on the spot, but he had chosen to imitate the signature taijutsu of Kumogakure.

If someone were killed while imitating their village's ultimate technique, it would sound terrible if word got out.

"Come on then, let me see what you've got."

The outcome was as expected; if a twelve-year-old Zhengyi could pin a young A to the ground and thrash him, the ninja world would reach its finale in less than two years.

A treated Zhengyi to an authentic Lariat.

He went flying like a kite with a snapped string.

"Hahaha, your physical constitution isn't bad." Although Zhengyi had been sent flying, force is reciprocal, and A felt a certain sting from the blow despite holding back.

His assessment: Zhengyi possessed physical stats approaching those of a Jonin.

"I don't bully children. Be off with you." A looked at Zhengyi, who was lying on the ground staring at the sky, and decided not to kill him, turning around to wave his hand and lead the Cloud ninja in retreat.

He hadn't taken more than a few steps.

"Wait!"

A turned back once more to see Zhengyi struggling to his feet, assuming a combat stance.

A: "?"

"Who gave you permission to insult my teacher!!"

Zhengyi charged again.

The Konoha side didn't even try to stop him, because they never imagined that after coughing up blood just moments ago, he would actually go back in; they were completely caught off guard.

No, seriously, was he really this reckless?

"Bold!" A hated cowards, and a reckless fool like Zhengyi—no, a person of such courage—was very much to his liking.

Zhengyi charged, and Zhengyi went flying again.

"That wasn't a Shadow Clone." A's eyes held a hint of approval. "For now, I am an insurmountable mountain to you, little one. Come back and challenge me in a few years."