Orochimaru!

"Li, starting tomorrow, you will follow my disciple Orochimaru for a period of time to study!"

It was another morning. After Li arrived at the home of the Third Hokage, he saw another person standing beside him: Orochimaru, one of the Sannin. He had a long, snake-like face and eyes that were cold and sinister; even when he smiled, he gave off a chilling sensation.

"Yes, Teacher!" Li nodded. He knew that because the Second Shinobi World War had just ended, the village had many matters to attend to, such as alliances or war reparations. Although Orochimaru would later develop a pathological obsession with the Sharingan, he did not have it yet, and following him for the time being was not a bad idea.

"You must be the genius student Hiruzen Sarutobi often mentions. My name is Orochimaru, and I suppose I am your senior. For the next while, you will train with me!" Orochimaru chuckled, his tone indescribably cold.

Li merely nodded upon hearing this. While he felt no particular aversion to Orochimaru, he did not like him either. After bidding farewell to Hiruzen Sarutobi, Li began his training with Orochimaru.

"When fighting others, if you want to win the final victory, chakra is one aspect, but the second is the application of Ninjutsu. Note, I said application. In battle, the strength of a Ninjutsu only determines the decisive blow, but before that blow arrives, you need many small Ninjutsu and Taijutsu techniques to pave the way. I have heard from Hiruzen Sarutobi about your situation. You are quite good; you have dabbled in everything. Your Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Genjutsu have all reached the limits of what someone your age can achieve. However, being a jack-of-all-trades also implies mediocrity. No matter what abilities you possess, you must choose one decisive skill. In the future, you must rely on this ability to secure final victory. Li, I do not know who taught you before, but now that Hiruzen Sarutobi has entrusted you to me, I will teach you well. Come, follow my method for the next stage of training!"

On a flat grassy plain, Orochimaru was explaining some critical issues to Li.

Li did not take all of Orochimaru's words to heart. Indeed, decisive power was indispensable, but one could not let other abilities fall behind. For instance, if one specialized only in Ninjutsu, what would happen if the opponent engaged in close-quarters combat? If one specialized only in Taijutsu, what if the opponent used Ninjutsu to kite them? Li would never allow such things to happen to himself. Never let your own shortcomings become your fatal weakness—this was the truth Li believed in. It was precisely because of this that Li spent several times more effort than others to enhance his capabilities in every aspect.

Although their philosophies differed, Orochimaru was indeed a capable teacher. After just a few exchanges, he could point out Li's mistakes and set specific areas for improvement. Thus, Li's life of training under Orochimaru began.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Three muffled sounds echoed as three Kunai buried themselves into the bullseye on the tree trunk. Kushina jumped up in excitement; this was the first time she had hit the bullseye with all three Kunai.

"Li, thank you! If it weren't for you, I couldn't have improved so quickly!" Kushina came to Li's side with a slightly flushed face. Before Li could reply, she clenched her small fists and said indignantly, "Hmph, in tomorrow's Kunai class, I'll make sure those people who laughed at me see who the real genius is!"

Watching Kushina get lost in her own daydreams, Li smiled helplessly. He had been training with Orochimaru for nearly a month, and likewise, he had been teaching Kushina for a month. However, Kushina was careless; it had taken her nearly a month to master a simple Kunai throwing technique.

"Alright, it's getting late. Let's stop here for today. I'll come to see you tomorrow!" Li stood up and said to Kushina with a smile.

Kushina looked up at the sky; the night breeze was a bit chilly, and it was indeed late. Thinking about how she took up Li's time every day, she felt a bit embarrassed and whispered, "I'm sorry, you have to come help me train every day!"

"What are you saying? Aren't we friends? Helping you is only right!" Li flicked her on her smooth forehead, which made Kushina roll her eyes. After some playful bickering, both fell silent.

"Alright, I really have to go. You should get some rest too!" Li said, turning to leave. However, suddenly remembering the recent events in Konoha, he turned his head back to look at Kushina, frowned slightly, and said, "Kushina, if it's not necessary, don't go out at night. Lately, many people from other villages have come to Konoha!"

In the original story, there was an incident where Kushina was kidnapped. Although it didn't happen at this time, who knew if others were eyeing her? After all, every one of the five great villages had a Tailed Beast, and members of the Uzumaki Clan were the best candidates for Jinchuriki. Now that the envoys from Sunagakure had come to Konoha to sign a war reparations treaty, the place was crowded and chaotic. As the best candidate for a Jinchuriki, it was inevitable that Kushina might be targeted.

"It's fine, I'm very strong! If anyone dares to target me, I'll beat them all to the ground!" Kushina shook her head dismissively and waved her fists indignantly.

Seeing this, Li knew Kushina hadn't taken his words to heart, but there was no point in saying more. Perhaps he was just worrying needlessly. Thinking this, Li waved his hand and left the courtyard.

Under the starless night sky, two figures moved rapidly through the streets. They wore masks, but their attire was not that of Konoha ninja.

"Tch, does kidnapping a child who hasn't even graduated from the Ninja Academy really require two Genin? The village is making too much of a fuss!"

"Shut up. We lost the last war because we didn't have a Jinchuriki. If we had one, combined with the strength of the Third Kazekage, how could Konoha have been our match?"

"We're here. Stay hidden!"

The two ninja arrived in front of the house where Kushina lived and concealed themselves. Although they were only Genin, judging by their movements, they were likely the "eternal Genin" type.

"If we complete this mission, even if we are only Genin, we should be able to get a special promotion to Chunin!" One of the Genin chuckled, a cold glint flashing in his eyes as he stared at Kushina's house.