Underground Laboratory
In the dimly lit underground lab, Djinn projected a recording of what had happened in the Pure Land—both the soul and body's experiences—like a flowing stream of memories made visible.
"...The soul body is recovering steadily," he said. "Once it reaches its peak state, I'll remind you to retrieve him."
"How long will that take?" Orochimaru asked, licking his lips, visibly impatient. He wasn't just interested in healing his fragmented soul and body—he also wanted to deepen his understanding of the Pure Land. No matter how detailed Djinn's explanations were, they couldn't compare to firsthand experience.
"It shouldn't be too long," Djinn replied, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "The Pure Land has been saturated with pure soul energy for thousands of years. If the Sage of the Six Paths didn't prevent the spirits from fighting and devouring each other, they might've accidentally nurtured a second Sage-level being. For your soul to fully heal, I'd say about two months should be enough."
"Two months..." Orochimaru frowned. From Djinn's casual tone, he quickly realized he had underestimated how damaged his soul truly was.
"Well then," he said, "let's make use of the time. I'll train Mute and the others."
---
One Month Later
Time passed quickly. While his physical body remained weakened and his soul continued its restoration in the Pure Land, Orochimaru devoted himself to teaching his disciples.
Anko, Shizune, Guy, Yamato... even Kakashi, though not his own disciple, received occasional guidance when Orochimaru was in the mood.
Surprisingly, Kakashi showed more aptitude than Orochimaru's direct students. Setting aside his natural grasp of all five elemental natures, Kakashi had a uniquely sharp mind. Of the three who learned the breathing techniques, Kakashi progressed the fastest—he had already begun transforming the traditional Water Breathing style into a variant of Thunder Breathing. Though it had its own advantages and drawbacks, it was clearly better suited to Kakashi's nature.
Guy, by contrast, followed a completely different path. He trained the hardest, improved the fastest, and stuck rigorously to the original methods. But his understanding lagged behind—he struggled with adaptation and nuance. Even so, he had an iron will and a determination that never faltered. He would break through any wall in front of him, no matter how hard.
Yamato and the others were more flexible, tweaking their approach during training to blend the original breathing styles with their own natural strengths. With enough time, they would eventually forge techniques tailored to their individual physiques, much like Kakashi did.
Guy, however, wasn't trying to adapt the style—he was reshaping himself to fit it completely. His goal was to remake his body to match that of a practitioner of Water Breathing. While unconventional, it was still a viable path, one that perfectly matched his tenacity.
Orochimaru thought about adjusting the technique for Guy, but in the end, he decided not to interfere. It reminded him of how most people couldn't communicate with natural energy directly, but could still train in the White Snake Sage Arts by shedding their human form.
Water Breathing was a nature-aligned technique. If someone could push it far enough to awaken markings like those in sage training, the potential was staggering. In that case, Guy would stand as one of the strongest in the ninja world.
Not everyone is meant to chase perfection.
Kakashi's newly developed breathing method may not be as refined as the original, but that doesn't matter much—it all comes down to dedication and effort.
Guy, however, is different.
He doesn't need to worry about such things. His training is unwavering, and his path is one of raw willpower.
---
Meanwhile, Shizune was at a standstill.
Unlike the others, she had hit a wall. Though she was honest with herself, Shizune had to admit—she lacked the talent for mastering the Spiritualization Technique.
"Lord Orochimaru, I'm sorry. I've let you down,"
she said with an awkward smile, seated in a ward at Konoha Central Hospital.
Over the past month, Orochimaru had poured considerable time and effort into teaching her. His explanations were meticulous, perhaps excessively so. Shizune had given it her all, but no matter how hard she tried—she simply couldn't grasp it.
Tsunade, wearing a doctor's coat, glanced at Orochimaru with narrowed eyes.
"Happy now?" she said dryly.
She had watched Orochimaru push Shizune for weeks. He had worked hard, yes, but so had Shizune. From her point of view, Shizune never even asked to learn the Spiritualization Technique in the first place.
"Don't worry," Orochimaru replied calmly. "Today's the last lesson."
He spoke without frustration. In truth, he had already given up on her potential two weeks ago. Still, failure had its uses—studying what doesn't work could be just as valuable as understanding what does. Even if it's ten times harder.
"Tsunade, how is her body?" he asked, glancing at the monitor beside the bed.
Tsunade was now officially the head of Konoha Hospital, overseeing all medical-nin operations. A post that would normally stir resentment if handed to a regular ninja—yet with her renowned skills and powerful political backing, no one dared question her authority.
More importantly, it allowed her to provide top-tier medical support, even for people like Aoi—under the radar.
"She's in perfect shape," Tsunade said, scanning the readouts. "Better than ever, actually."
"When she gave birth to Karin, her body was drained of blood continuously. Anyone else would've died. But Aoi? She only ended up malnourished. No major complications."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, impressed.
"It didn't even take much effort to nurse her back. The Uzumaki bloodline really is something else."
Though part of her wanted to study that resilient physique—purely out of medical curiosity—Tsunade wasn't Orochimaru. She respected Aoi's feelings and chose not to ask.
"Good," Orochimaru muttered, licking his lips. "Then let's begin the next phase."
Tsunade frowned but said nothing. With both her and Jiraiya watching Orochimaru closely, she knew he wouldn't dare go too far.
---
Later – Konoha Forest Training Ground
Orochimaru brought Aoi to a quiet clearing where a familiar figure stood—Guy, the boy with the unmistakable bowl cut, training intensely at the center of the field.
"From today onward," Orochimaru said, "you'll train alongside him."
Before Aoi could respond, Kai turned in surprise.
"Me? Teach her? No way, Orochimaru-sensei!"
Kai didn't care much for how others viewed him, but he was painfully aware of how… unusual his training style was.
If others followed my path, he thought, they'd fall into madness!
Orochimaru shook his head.
"She's not here to learn how to be a ninja. Just to do physical training with you."
He wasn't aiming to turn Aoi into a fighter. Combat techniques, ninjutsu, weapons—none of that mattered. What he wanted was simple: for Aoi to awaken and refine the dormant power of her Uzumaki bloodline.
But physical training was grueling, repetitive, and dull. Many gave up before they saw results. In that regard, no one was more perfect than Kai. His endurance and relentless energy made him the ideal partner for someone like Aoi.
Orochimaru reached into his pocket and pulled out a detailed training schedule.
"Follow this," he said, handing it over.
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