The Officially Established Master-Disciple Relationship

"I must admit, you surprise me."

Sitting on a rock, Orochimaru watched Qi with keen interest. Because today's battle was merely a probe, he hadn't intervened, choosing instead to leisurely observe Qi's performance on the battlefield and his conduct after returning to camp.

"Children with your background who also know how to get along with others are rare in the ninja world."

Orochimaru clicked his tongue, adding, "It seems you are indeed qualified to become my disciple."

He was genuinely satisfied with Qi's performance. Generally speaking, at Qi's age, possessing a bloodline limit and a certain level of strength usually made kids act like they were untouchable, as if they could become one of the Five Kage by tomorrow.

It wasn't that low-key individuals like Qi didn't exist, but they were certainly rare. How much depth could a young child really have? Being young and impetuous was the norm.

Unlike Jiraiya, he placed great importance on background. In his view, those without a pedigree had limited potential and were not worth the effort of cultivation.

Qi's background had met his standards during the tests on the road, and his performance on the battlefield today had satisfied him just as much.

Those who didn't know how to handle relationships with others died quickly; there was no need to carefully cultivate an idiot who only knew how to kill.

One could say that Orochimaru's trial of Qi had only truly ended now. From this moment on, he would treat Qi as his true disciple and instruct him with care.

"Does Master mean that I have been undergoing your tests all this time...?"

Qi wasn't stupid enough to miss the implication. Hearing Orochimaru speak this way, he knew that if he had actually died, this man wouldn't have even blinked.

This highlighted the difference between Orochimaru and Jiraiya. Jiraiya was more than just a teacher; he was practically acting like a father.

But Orochimaru was different. He would teach you and provide a platform for you to hone your skills, but if you got yourself killed, it was because you lacked the ability, and he wouldn't bother to care.

"That is exactly the case. At the very least, you have the qualifications to be my disciple for now. I have another student; you can meet them after we return to Konoha."

Qi knew Orochimaru was referring to Anko. Without his own intervention, Anko would have been the only disciple Orochimaru formally acknowledged in his entire life.

By comparison, Sasuke could only be considered half a disciple.

"Thank you, Master. I will not bring shame upon you."

Knowing Orochimaru's exact attitude toward him now, Qi felt a sense of relief. What he had feared most was that Orochimaru would hold back his teachings or that he was merely a whim of the moment.

It seemed there was no need to worry about that now. If Orochimaru was willing to teach someone carefully, the results would be quite remarkable.

"Go back and rest. Tomorrow's battle will not be like today's. I don't have extra time to explain it to you now. Take this scroll and study it. Remember, slaughter is the best training; those who cannot adapt to slaughter cannot become the strong."

Orochimaru handed over a scroll that looked brand new, clearly written just moments ago.

"Yes."

Qi took the scroll, bid Orochimaru farewell, and left.

Since Orochimaru had made his intentions clear, he also needed to rest and prepare for tomorrow's major battle. If he couldn't even understand that, what kind of disciple would he be?

Soon, he returned to his camp.

Although it was only a temporary camp, the conditions for ninjas were clearly much better than for ordinary people, with better hygiene and countless medical teams coming and going.

Because of the new concepts proposed by Tsunade, medical teams even accompanied ninjas into battle. It would have been strange if a team like Qi's didn't have a single medical ninja.

"Back already?"

As soon as he entered his team's tent, Uchiha Xiu, who was sleeping on his bed, looked up and greeted him.

"Yeah... going to wash up."

After finishing, Qi organized his belongings into his pack, grabbed a change of clothes, and walked out of the tent to fetch a bucket of water to rinse off.

He wasn't worried about the scroll Orochimaru gave him being lost; his teammates wouldn't engage in such petty theft.

The laws, or rather the rules, of the ninja world were much stricter than those for ordinary people. Theft by an ordinary person might not be a big deal, but for a ninja, it was a death sentence.

Even if a ninja from a prestigious clan stole a scroll from a comrade, no matter how ordinary the victim was, the thief would meet a miserable end. Because they had violated the rules, if the victim couldn't do anything about it, those with the power to enforce order would certainly take action.

White Fang's suicide was also a violation of ninja rules. It wasn't Konoha that forced White Fang to his death, but the ninja system itself. Naruto wanted to change this system, though whether he succeeded or not, Qi wasn't entirely sure—he hadn't watched Naruto in a long time.

After washing up and changing clothes, Qi returned to the tent. By then, everyone was already asleep. He lay down on his bed as quietly as he could and pulled out Orochimaru's scroll to read.

After a long while, he let out a soft breath.

"As expected of... one of the Sannin..."

This was his honest opinion; he admired Orochimaru immensely now.

After observing only a single day of combat, Orochimaru had already gained a fairly detailed understanding of his capabilities.

What was written on the scroll was Orochimaru's evaluation and advice regarding his first battle today. Qi looked closely and found dozens of points, all detailing the fatal flaws he had displayed.

And this was only because Orochimaru was saving time, writing down only the most major and fatal ones.

However, the scroll wasn't just a critique of his flaws, as Orochimaru had also written down directions for improvement and various methods to choose from, including ways to strengthen his weapon usage with wind-style chakra and his Ice Release bloodline.

The top experts in the ninja world were mostly non-bloodline users, but that didn't prevent them from understanding how to use bloodline limits. Orochimaru was undoubtedly one such person.

For instance, Orochimaru pointed out that Qi's precise control training for individual chakra natures could also improve his bloodline control.

Ice Release was the fusion of water and wind chakra natures. The more refined and balanced his control over water and wind chakra became, the more his mastery of Ice Release would improve.

To be honest, Qi had never thought of it this way. He had always viewed bloodline and non-bloodline abilities as completely separate systems.

He finally understood why, despite having the secret scrolls of the Yuki Clan, his progress in cultivating his bloodline had been so unsatisfactory.

It was because he was unbalanced... he had barely practiced any Wind Release chakra...

The reason why Bloodline Limits are so enviable is that once such an ability is awakened, it almost becomes an instinct for the user; they only need to train on how to utilize it better.

The same holds true for the Ice Release of the Yuki clan. Once awakened, the fusion of chakra is entirely spontaneous rather than the result of deliberate manipulation. However, the stronger Qi's control over his chakra becomes, the more proficient he will inevitably become in applying his own Bloodline Limit.

All of this happens as naturally as water flowing to form a channel. He can effortlessly make his Ice Release more powerful, cast it faster, and consume less chakra in the process.

However, what concerned Qi the most was Orochimaru's explanation regarding the sheer volume of chakra, as he had always wanted to increase his own reserves.

But Orochimaru's take was that, fundamentally, the so-called "increase" of chakra is more accurately described as "overdrafting."

In other words, barring special circumstances, the amount of chakra a person possesses is basically fixed at birth; it will naturally increase or decrease as one grows or ages...

Although chakra is a combination of spiritual energy and physical energy—the so-called fusion of Yin and Yang attributes—if you don't use special means, how can you strengthen this innate gift?

But if you do use special means, who knows what the side effects might be? Moreover, these so-called special means are essentially Forbidden Jutsu.

What is a Forbidden Jutsu? It is the kind of thing you had best not use unless necessary, and if you do use it, you must be prepared for the consequences.

This was a complete dead end, perfectly reflecting the saying—for every gain, there is a loss...

"It seems that increasing chakra through conventional methods is a no-go..."

After a long while, Qi reached this conclusion, feeling somewhat disappointed.

"Forget it, things will work out when the time comes. At the very least, while I can't increase the quantity, I can improve my control. My control seems to be quite good, after all..."

Thinking of this, he quickly felt relieved.

Since it was something he could not possess, there was no need to dwell on it; a person shouldn't let themselves be stifled by such things.

Having settled his mood, he put the scroll away and, like the others, lay down on his bed and fell asleep.

When he opened his eyes again, the sky was already beginning to brighten...

Back when he was fleeing the Land of Water, he had already learned how to sleep with maximum efficiency; he could replenish his energy in only a very short amount of time.

The key to sleep lies in its efficiency, not its duration.

Climbing up from the bed, Qi felt that his energy had been fully restored.

"As expected, no matter where you are, the morning air is the best!"

Walking out of the tent, he took a deep breath and, following his usual habit, began the muscle-training regimen that Ogata had taught him. In Ogata's words, this method could fully exercise the body and make it robust.

It was very similar to the radio calisthenics from his past life, only the ninja world didn't have a radio...

Since it was still quite early, several passing patrol ninjas nodded at him, signaling him not to wake the others.

This was an entirely redundant gesture; Qi certainly wouldn't wake the others. People who have just woken up are notoriously grumpy, and he had no desire to be beaten up by a mob...

However, being a ninja was never a profession that allowed for a good night's sleep. The more formidable a ninja, the less they were entitled to the luxury of "sleep." Just as Qi was still performing his muscle-training, more and more people walked out of their tents to stretch their limbs.

Even Qi's four companions walked out of their tents one by one.

"Is this training? Your method seems quite unique..."

There was something called admiration in Hyuga Tong's gaze.

While Ogata could only be considered an average expert in the ninja world, his control over his body was genuinely top-tier. This set of muscle-training exercises was tailor-made for Qi, and Hyuga Tong, who specialized in taijutsu, could naturally see the benefits.

"Yeah... my former master taught it to me. Want to learn?"

Qi didn't mind teaching others; Ogata had said this wasn't something worth hiding, and it only had the maximum effect on him personally.

"That won't be necessary. This training method seems tailor-made for you. If someone else practiced it, I doubt they'd even get half the results you do."

Hyuga Tong had a sharp eye; after all, he came from a prominent clan and was well-informed.

Qi smiled, and just as he was about to say something else, a sharp whistle suddenly rang out through the camp. This was the signal used by Konoha to indicate an immediate assembly.

Assembly meant that a battle was about to begin. The command center would assign combat missions to each team, and those who were late would be punished—lightly with a reprimand, severely with death—just like military law.

"Assembly! Let's do a good job today!"

Uchiha Xiu looked at his teammates with burning eyes. The battlefield was that kind of place; even if you were strangers at first, once you survived together, it was easy to become best friends.

This was the so-called "three iron-clad bonds of life": having killed people together, having attended school together, and having shared a bed together.

Compared to the latter two, the experience of having killed people together was naturally extraordinary.

"Everyone must return to Konoha alive!"

Genin could die at any moment, even those from prestigious families. On the battlefield, no one cared about your background; if your strength wasn't enough, even the son of a Kage would be killed just the same. Uchiha Xiu wasn't cursing anyone; he was offering a blessing, and everyone understood that.

"Leave the opponents who specialize in close-quarters combat to me. The Rock ninjas' Hardening Jutsu is ineffective against our Hyuga Gentle Fist."

Hyuga Tong also spoke up. He had tested it yesterday; the Hardening Jutsu, even at the genin level, was virtually defenseless against his Gentle Fist.

"Leave the harassment to me. My Bloodline Limit is very well-suited for the battlefield environment."

Qi also nodded. Against the Earth Release Hardening Jutsu, Gentle Fist was indeed extremely effective.

During this process, the five of them arrived at the assembly grounds. Soon, hundreds of Konoha ninjas had all arrived, waiting for their mission assignments.

Just like yesterday, the mission for Qi's team was still to attack the formation.

If there was any difference, this time it wasn't a probe, but a true confrontation, because several Jonin, including Orochimaru, would also be taking the field.

Yesterday, a mere probe between genin units had resulted in over a hundred deaths. Now that the Jonin of both sides were joining the fray, the outcome would inevitably be the total annihilation of one side, while the victorious side would likely suffer at least fifty percent casualties.

A battle between ninja armies with Jonin involved was always a high-mortality affair! It had been this way since the dawn of the ninja world.

If one had to ask why, it was simply because for a Jonin to kill a ninja below their level was even easier than a genin killing an ordinary person!