Clearly...
Just Orochimaru...
Crack—
A crisp sound of breaking bones rang out. Orochimaru's expression did not change. "Could you be a little gentler? I think the bones in my hand got crushed."
Kamizuki rose indifferently and released Orochimaru's hand.
"What can you teach me?"
This cold attitude was a stark contrast to his earlier eagerness to prove himself.
Orochimaru did not mind his attitude and said slowly, "I'll need to understand your body well enough before I can reach a conclusion, but I can at least teach you taijutsu and swordsmanship."
"Your movements rely too heavily on your physical strength. There's still plenty of room for improvement."
"If you're willing, could you tell me what you know about your own abilities?"
Kamizuki hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Heavenly Restriction. That's what I call my ability."
"It's an inborn restriction. The instant I combine spiritual energy and physical energy to form chakra, the chakra directly reinforces my body."
"I see... That's a simple, easy-to-understand description."
Orochimaru reached out and pressed a hand against Kamizuki's shoulder. "Then can chakra transferred to you by someone else also be used to strengthen your body?"
"You can try. People in my clan have tried."
Kamizuki curled his lip. "Their chakra purity was too low. It was useless."
Orochimaru tried using the Mystical Palm Technique. It felt like trying to transfer chakra into a piece of metal with no chakra compatibility.
Clearly, his chakra was useless too.
"Maybe it isn't a matter of purity." Kamizuki tried to spare Orochimaru's dignity.
"No, it should be exactly as you said—a purity issue."
Orochimaru pinched his chin and said seriously, "Since your own chakra can be converted, there's no reason other chakra can't work."
"High-purity chakra..."
Such a thing did exist in the Shinobi World.
Orochimaru thought of something, but because it concerned that respected person, he immediately dismissed the thought.
"We can discuss that later, but your constitution..." Orochimaru frowned. "What if you get injured? Wouldn't medical ninjutsu be useless on you?"
Boom—!!
Kamizuki raised his hand and smashed the huge boulder by the riverbank, sending shards of rock flying.
"I don't think that's much of a problem. With my current physical strength, I can heal minor injuries very quickly."
"As for severe injuries... against an enemy like that, the chances of being saved would be slim."
"Don't be so pessimistic, Kamizuki-kun."
"Anyway, today I'll first teach you some bone-setting techniques and the Suture Technique. We'll use the hand you just crushed as a model..."
"Sorry, Orochimaru... Sensei."
Orochimaru smiled faintly. "Don't worry about it. I'll get my revenge during taijutsu training. Snakes hold grudges, you know."
The next day.
"Good morning! Kamizuki!"
Nawaki was as energetic as ever as he waved in greeting.
Kamizuki gave a slight nod and walked past.
Nawaki's hand froze in midair, tears welling in his eyes.
Yesterday, Kamizuki had ignored his greetings in the morning, at noon, and in the afternoon. He had not expected any response at all...
But today, he nodded!!
Maybe tomorrow he'll greet me too! If I keep at it, we'll definitely become friends!
He's actually easy to get along with! Kamizuki!
Encouraged beyond measure, Nawaki stopped listening to the lesson and kept pestering Kamizuki across Hiashi. "Hey, hey! Kamizuki, what do you think of Teacher Fujiwara's lesson? I think it's super boring!"
"The principles behind the Clone Technique are way too hard to understand. I'm so jealous you don't have to learn this stuff..."
"Shut up! Keep talking and I'll kill you!"
"Don't casually say something so scary! Sorry, Nawaki!"
Because of Orochimaru, Kamizuki had wanted to be a little nicer to Nawaki.
He had been wrong.
Give someone like Nawaki an inch, and he would take a mile. He absolutely could not let his guard down!
He did not want to get tangled up with someone doomed to die young.
Teacher Fujiwara could hear everything from the podium.
But he was just a civilian teacher drawing a salary. Why would he risk his life meddling with these children from powerful clans?
Hiashi was having an even worse time than Fujiwara.
He could not endure this damn class for another day. If he could not change seats, he would drop out even if his father punished him!
—
—
Hokage Building, office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen puffed on his pipe as he handled documents when someone entered without being announced.
"How did it go?" Sarutobi Hiruzen did not look up. His tone was more like he was speaking with an old friend than a subordinate.
The visitor sat down on the sofa. He had a conspicuous cross-shaped scar on his chin, neat black short hair, sharp brows and eyes, and hard, angular features that made him seem cold and stern.
Konoha's Hokage advisor, Shimura Danzō.
Resting his hands beneath his chin, Danzō said in a low voice, "Hanzo has been making bigger and bigger moves lately. According to the information I received, he's likely preparing to attack the Land of Iron."
"The Land of Iron..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen stopped writing and looked toward the map of the Shinobi World on his right.
The Land of Grass and the Land of Waterfalls, two small countries, lay between the Land of Rain and the Land of Iron.
The Land of Grass was the kind of small country anyone could pass through. The Land of Waterfalls lay behind a massive waterfall, and its natural barrier had kept it from being affected by the Shinobi World War.
There was no such thing as the First Shinobi World War yet. After all, the second had not begun.
But it would soon...
"Hanzo's ambitions definitely don't end there. He probably intends to conquer the weapon-rich Land of Iron first, then invade Konoha."
Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned slightly. He trusted Danzō's judgment greatly.
Besides, the militant factions in every major village of the Shinobi World shared one consensus: once they had the strength, they should try attacking the Land of Fire first.
The Land of Fire possessed the richest resources and strongest economy in the Shinobi World. Only by attacking the Land of Fire could they guarantee profits from war.
War was not only born of hatred. More importantly, it was about profit.
That was why, as wars dragged on, Konoha often ended up in a one-against-many situation.
Only someone as irrational as the Second Mizukage would travel an absurd distance to seek mutual destruction with the Second Tsuchikage, gaining nothing in return.
"Should we stop him?"
Danzō paused, then shook his head. "No. While Hanzo is occupied with the Land of Iron, we can pass through the Land of Rain and attack the Land of Earth!"
"Your reason?"
Danzō took out a scroll and tossed it to Sarutobi Hiruzen. "This is Iwagakure's troop deployment in the Land of Grass. They're too close to the Land of Fire proper."
"Attack where the enemy must defend. We can pull the battlefield into the Land of Rain, and we can also force Hanzo to return to defend his territory and halt his expansion."
Although the First Shinobi World War, which had affected the entire Shinobi World, had ended, friction between Konoha and Iwagakure never ceased. Small-scale battles broke out frequently.
Who knew what Ōnoki had taken? He was extremely displeased with Konoha and had no intention whatsoever of signing a ceasefire agreement.
Huff—
Sarutobi Hiruzen let out a long breath of smoke and nodded. "All right. I'll leave the front lines to you."
"Once the intensity exceeds the critical threshold, notify me immediately. I'll come over."
He had secured his position through Tobirama's final orders and the renewed peace treaty with Kumogakure, but he also knew that he lacked decisive prestige.
At this time, he even hoped for a major war to prove himself.
After delivering his report, Danzō rose to leave, then stopped and turned back. "I heard the Uchiha have produced a rather strange fellow?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded and chuckled softly. "An interesting young man named Kamizuki. Orochimaru has taken him as a disciple."
Danzō hesitated before saying, "Keep a closer eye on him. I hope Orochimaru can cultivate him into a companion like Kagami."
Even Danzō was not as gloomy and harsh as he would become in his old age. Because of Kagami Uchiha's sacrifice, he still held some expectations for the Uchiha.
Time and war were the best at changing people.
"He will. I trust Orochimaru. You should be careful too."
"Mm."
Danzō gently closed the office door behind him. No traditional drama unfolded.
Konoha's golden age would be forged by their hands, and destroyed by those same hands.
Before you continue