"Nawaki, come here," Orochimaru called out with a wave.
He had noticed Nawaki just now and beckoned him over. Though Tsunade had asked him to look after this disciple, Orochimaru found himself genuinely fond of the boy.
After all, he'd watched this kid grow up. He knew his personality inside and out.
A fourth-year student with big dreams—wanting to become Hokage and restore the glory of the Senju Clan.
That was Orochimaru's assessment of him.
"Orochimaru-san!"
Nawaki ran over with a bright grin on his face.
"Are we learning some powerful ninjutsu today?"
His eyes sparkled with anticipation, though he couldn't help sneaking glances at Uchiha Kaien.
Up close, the little girl looked even cuter.
Nawaki, who had long grown tired of being smothered by his big sister's suffocating hugs, had zero resistance to this type of delicate, pretty-faced loli.
There was no overwhelming pressure—just a charming, adorable appearance. It was perfect!
[Affection from Nawaki +1]
"Heh… Nawaki, from now on, you should call me Sensei, not san."
Orochimaru corrected him gently.
Before apprenticeship, it was fine. But now that Nawaki had formally become his student, Sensei was the proper title.
"Given your excellent physique, I'll be putting together a training regimen that'll burn through every drop of your energy."
Orochimaru was well aware of the physical prowess of the Senju bloodline.
Take Tsunade, for example—his teammate. Her brute strength defied logic, and her absurd chakra recovery speed was borderline ridiculous. Compared to ordinary civilians, shinobi born into such clans had way too many natural advantages.
He turned his eyes to the two new disciples standing before him.
One, a descendant of the Senju.
The other, an heir of the Uchiha.
The two strongest clans of the Warring States Period—now standing side by side under his tutelage.
One was the grandson of the God of Shinobi. The other, a young prodigy born with the Uchiha's three-tomoe Sharingan lineage. Their potential was undeniable.
Then again, only geniuses can truly understand other geniuses.
And Orochimaru himself? Wasn't he also a genius?
He had mastered the Shadow Shuriken Clone Technique at the age of five. That alone was proof of his exceptional talent.
Compared to Kakashi Hatake, who would later master the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu at five, Orochimaru wasn't inferior in the slightest.
The three disciples of Hiruzen Sarutobi—including Jiraiya—were undoubtedly the brightest stars of their generation.
Orochimaru, chosen by the White Snake.
A genius unearthed by Sarutobi after finding the discarded skin of a white snake at his parents' grave.
Jiraiya, bearer of the family's Toad Summoning Contract.
Though the so-called "gift of fate" came at a price—without a clan scroll, how could he have "accidentally" stumbled into Mount Myōboku?
And Tsunade, granddaughter of the God of Shinobi.
Blessed from birth with more resources than most could dream of—access to the Slug Summoning Contract, countless forbidden techniques recorded in scrolls, and talent to match.
Even Jiraiya, often considered the least gifted of the three, had already surpassed most Elite Jonin in strength.
Now, Orochimaru and Jiraiya's disciples were following in their footsteps.
"Nawaki, get along well with your junior," Orochimaru said with a sly smile. "And keep in mind—if you get shown up by someone younger than you, the Uchiha are going to have a field day mocking you."
"Something like… 'The Senju heir can't even keep up with a younger Uchiha.' That kind of thing."
Though Orochimaru's words were meant to inspire, all Nawaki could hear was:
Your junior, your junior, your junior…
Wait.
That cute little girl…
Was actually a boy?
Nawaki's world crumbled in an instant.
The dream of training alongside an adorable junior sister—poof, gone before it could even start.
Kaien noticed the change in Nawaki's expression instantly.
Yep.
That devastated look said it all.
Kaien had long since gotten used to this kind of reaction.
Being mistaken for a girl? That was just the burden of being a good-looking Uchiha. Nothing to be ashamed of.
Ten years from now, he'd be an even bigger heartthrob than Namikaze Minato. Just wait and see.
Still…
[Affection from Nawaki +1]
That notification felt a little… off, didn't it?
...
"Alright, let's begin the training."
Orochimaru clapped his hands, pulling Kaien and Nawaki back to the present.
They weren't here just for introductions—real training was about to start.
"I'll be in your care, Orochimaru-sensei," Nawaki said seriously.
"Of course."
...
"Before diving into high-level ninjutsu, the foundation you two need most right now is stamina."
"Chakra, as you both know, is created by mixing physical and spiritual energy. So, if you want stronger chakra, you must train both the body and the mind."
"Physical energy is built through daily training—strengthening the body and refining your taijutsu."
"In addition, medicinal baths can help your body absorb the benefits of training more effectively, enhancing your overall constitution."
"A strong physique brings power that defies reason… and grants massive chakra reserves."
As he spoke, Orochimaru glanced toward Nawaki.
This kid had inherited both Senju and Uzumaki blood—when it came to chakra volume, he was going to be a beast.
"I'm not a taijutsu specialist, but physical conditioning is something every proper shinobi must go through."
...
To be honest, Orochimaru found it a little embarrassing that, out of the three of them, he had the weakest body.
He still couldn't understand how Jiraiya managed to have even more chakra than Tsunade.
But it was true.
And that wasn't even factoring in Tsunade's future mastery of the Yin Seal, which would let her store massive amounts of chakra over time. That kind of technique was a game-changer for any ordinary ninja.
Orochimaru made a mental note—he needed to start developing a jutsu that could increase chakra reserves.
He turned back to the class, which now included his two disciples and Namikaze Minato, who had come to sit in.
"Spiritual energy, on the other hand, comes from persistent training and accumulated experience. In fact, most people tend to have stronger spiritual energy than physical."
"Those with dojutsu-based bloodline limits typically have even more spiritual energy than the average shinobi. To evolve the eyes, one must possess exceptional talent in that regard."
"Take Kaien, for example. Most members of the Uchiha clan are naturally gifted in genjutsu."
"And to master genjutsu, you need a solid foundation in spiritual energy."
"But that's a lesson for another day. Today's focus is taijutsu."
"Build up your bodies now, and when your growth spurt hits, your chakra will explode in volume..."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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