On the first day of school, the Ninja Academy did not teach anything special.
Many civilian children lacked the educational resources of the shinobi clans. Their parents might be illiterate, and the limited education they received at home meant they had never systematically learned to read.
They could not even recognize all the characters, let alone move on to further studies.
Thus, the first-year curriculum focused on mathematics, literacy, and physical training.
For many children from shinobi clans, this was child's play.
On his very first day, Orochimaru discovered that there was almost no need to deliberately distinguish the clan children from the civilian children. They quickly formed their own little groups, proving the saying that birds of a feather flock together.
When classes let out at noon.
Orochimaru sat at his desk in a daze.
Ever since he had run back from the Cherry Blossom Grove, a cloud of unease had lingered in his heart. At first, he could not figure out why.
Not until classes ended and Tsunade brought over a large lunch box to eat with him.
Looking at the brightly colored, attractive, yet especially awful-tasting lunch, Orochimaru could not help thinking of "Mom's cooking."
Thinking of "Mom's cooking" naturally made Orochimaru think of Yanbai.
And then...
Holy shit-
Orochimaru felt his whole world fall apart!
Back in the Woods, because he had two idiots beside him, Orochimaru had used "Projection Ninjutsu" that would not alert them.
Without thinking, Orochimaru had used what he considered the most reliable "Projection Ninjutsu."
It was the "Flower of Thorns" Yanbai had given him.
As it turned out, this was like firing an antiaircraft gun at a mosquito.
He had used such a "reliable" Projection Ninjutsu just to puncture a few clones!
The clones' memories would return to their originals, which