A blur of blue shot through the eastern forest outside Konoha, trailing fine strands of white thread that clung to the branches like cobwebs. With a sharp tug, Kadoya hurled himself forward, weaving through the trees like a phantom.
Up ahead, a wild boar burst from the underbrush, panic in its eyes, far too late.
In a blink, Kadoya closed the distance. A strand of white string lashed out from his right hand, anchoring him mid-air, while his left wielded a blade of water, now hardened into a gleaming shard of ice, razor-thin and deathly cold.
The blade flashed.
One clean, arcing strike carved through flesh and bone. The boar dropped with a strangled grunt, its side split in a flawless, surgical line. Blood sprayed the forest floor, steaming against the earth.
Kadoya didn't flinch.
He slammed into a nearby tree and shattered. His form fractured into a cloud of white doves that scattered into the canopy.
In the same heartbeat, he reappeared beside the boar's corpse, kneeling silently. He placed a hand on the animal's still-warm body, checking the precision of the cut.
His thoughts drifted to the findings of one of his shadow clones. Ice constructs, though brittle, were deadlier than water-based weapons. Sharper. Cleaner. Colder.
He couldn't replicate the Yuki Clan's techniques. Not exactly. But by infusing his water constructs with his own Ice Release, he created his own tools of death, silent, efficient, and devastatingly sharp.
Their team has split into three groups, with each one of them looking for animals to hunt.
Kadoya already suspected that the main goal the Third Hokage set up for them here was to train their survival skills.
Under normal circumstances, what a normal Jonin should do is bring them to the training ground before performing the mission and have a cordial exchange.
Talk about ideals, hobbies, become friends, and then have a barbecue or ramen.
Perhaps, there will also be a popular regular program - bell grabbing.
This is the correct way to unfold things.
After all, before the mission, it is most important to consider the strength and cooperation of the few of them.
However, Orochimaru did not let them grab the bells in the training ground as usual.
Moreover, on the way to the mission point, Snake Uncle's speed was always maintained within the limit that Saiguu and Nawaki could accept.
At first, none of it made sense. Maybe the war really was that urgent.
However, Orochimaru did not allow them to eat soldier pills and dry food, but instead asked them to go to the forest to find prey themselves. Not testing them fully on their cooperative ability.
Someone should quickly arrest him.
So, Orochimaru should have changed the way to test them. After all, the real purpose of this mission is to train them and improve their survival skills on the battlefield. Not to teach them to learn about cooperation, they would have to discover that by themselves.
And now is undoubtedly the best opportunity.
Therefore, the proposal for the three of them to separate was quickly accepted. After all, only by separating can each person's perception ability be better trained.
Kadoya wasn't worried about Saiguu, after all, she had received Orochimaru's training two years ago. And he knew her strength wasn't weak.
In fact, she was also the first person to react upon hearing Orochimaru's order.
The only one of the three who didn't react instinctively was that idiot Nawaki.
Despite his Senju blood, he'd only inherited a fraction of his clan's legendary vitality and precious little else.
No wonder a single explosion was enough to kill him.
Jumping back, Kadoya swiftly avoided a hidden explosive tag on the ground that he had just stepped on.
Kadoya was happy that his Instinct skill warned him in advance before he got caught in it. His Instinct flared up again, and he jumped toward a tree, avoiding another explosion. He raised the dead boar up, blocking three kunai-trapped shots toward him.
Previously, Kadoya's movement was too fast; he didn't trigger any traps on his hunt, but now, when he travels at a regular pace, he finally notices the many traps Snake Uncle placed.
Nawaki, don't worry, if you get blown up early, I'll take care of your big sister.
Under this kind of situation, whether Nawaki can survive is a question.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, a loud explosion came from a distance. Someone should have stepped on the explosive tag.
"Die! I must kill you. Orochimaru! You bastard!" Nawaki's shrill voice suddenly came from the distance.
Kadoya: "..."
...
Half an hour later, Kadoya smoothly dragged a wild boar back.
And Saiguu also came back holding four grass chickens.
As for Nawaki, Kadoya did not see him. He should have been blown to death by the explosive tag.
After all, this is his destiny.
However, when he got closer, Kadoya noticed that a black, unknown thing was squatting on the ground.
"What the?"
The thing was too dark just now, he didn't notice it at first. Then he took a closer look, playing it safe, he pushed the black lump over with his foot, and it turned out to be Nawaki.
His whole body had turned black, and the clothes on his body had become tattered.
"Huh, are you dead?" Kadoya asked with a disgusted expression, before seeing Nawaki's fingers twitching in annoyance, and concluded that he wasn't dead, yet.
Orochimaru's golden eyes stared blankly at the campfire.
"If it were on the battlefield, Nawaki, you would have been blown to death by the explosive tag."
"What is really important for a ninja is not strength. Of course, this is also very important, but what is really important is the power to survive."
Orochimaru paused and continued to say to the three of them, "Maybe I won't teach you many ninjutsu or genjutsu, but I will give you the power to survive on the battlefield or in missions. This is more important than any power."
Kadoya didn't say anything, although he didn't fully agree with Orochimaru here, he could understand where he was coming from.
Unless you have overwhelming power like Hashirama Senju or Madara Uchiha, survival skills should be more important than power for weaker shinobi.
A small campfire dispelled the surrounding darkness.
Orochimaru picked up a piece of wood from beside his feet and threw it into the fire. The wood slowly crackled and burned.
"Nawaki, your stamina and speed are still lacking," Orochimaru commented blandly on Nawaki's shortcomings during the day. "Saiguu, you have improved a lot from what I can remember."
"Speed and stamina are very important things for any ninja. In the coming days, I will guide you to learn some methods that are suitable for you."
"However, before you start learning, you also need to understand what methods can improve your speed," Orochimaru said while roasting a wild boar.
The wild boar's black skin slowly oozed a golden oil under the high temperature.
"There are many ways to increase speed. The first is high-speed movement using pure physical skills. This kind of high-speed movement is based on physical fitness. Therefore, you completely need to do physical training day after day."
Orochimaru sighed, "Some people can move quickly solely based on their physical skills."
He paused for a moment and continued, "Of course, besides the Body Flicker Jutsu using pure physical skills, the second type of Body Flicker Jutsu is to stimulate cells with chakra to activate them for high-speed movement."
"The most famous in this regard is the Yotsuki clan of the Land of Lightning. Each Raikage is a leader among them. They use Lightning Release to stimulate chakra to achieve high-speed movement."
"I remember, Saiguu possesses Lightning Release, right?" Orochimaru turned his gaze to Saiguu.
She nodded.
"There is also the Body Flicker Jutsu using ninjutsu. This kind of Body Flicker is the instantaneous movement of material replacement using various ninjutsu, but it requires hand seals."
"The most famous of this kind of ninjutsu is the leader of the Rain Country ninja village, sandwiched between several great powers. Rain Ninja Village, Hanzo of the Salamander!" Orochimaru showed a yearning expression.
"His ghostly Body Flicker Jutsu, coupled with his unpredictable summoning beast... Although I haven't fought him, I've seen him take action, and I'm not his opponent at all. There's too much of a gap between us."
"Of course, the last type of Body Flicker Jutsu is the Second Hokage's Flying Raijin Slash. This is a space-time ninjutsu. To this day, no one has been able to learn this move."
Orochimaru didn't mention Kadoya's father, Kagami's, kind of Body Flicker. That kind of Body Flicker is a combination of several kinds of Body Flicker.
So, in essence, it is still within the scope of these kinds of Body Flicker.
Hmm, now that he thinks about it. His family actually relies on speed. His father used several kinds of Body Flicker. His sister also relies on the Body Flicker for her ninja work. His brother would later be known for high-speed Flying Raijin. He possessed speed-type Ninja Art that could be mistaken for the Body Flicker. And his nephew or son later on will be famous for his Body Flicker.
Orochimaru continued to chat with them about various ninjutsu.
Once Orochimaru was involved in his own professional knowledge, Orochimaru's words became very numerous. Completely unlike a reclusive youth, who peaks on women for inspiration.
Orochimaru was a little tired from talking and then stopped. He divided the roasted pig legs among Kadoya and the three of them, respectively.
The wild boar's exterior was already glistening with golden oil, and the aroma was rich.
"Eat quickly, you've been hungry all day," Orochimaru said gently in a hoarse voice.
He pointed to the campfire.
"This kind of campfire can only be lit in this kind of environment. If you go deep into another country, this kind of behavior is no different from courting death."
"Also, food. If your team goes on a long-term mission and gets trapped somewhere, and all the dry food is eaten, you can only go hunting yourself."
Orochimaru kept instilling in the three of them his experiences and precautions during his missions over the years.
These are all experiences summed up by predecessors, and they only need to accept them and apply them in actual combat.
"By the way, Snake Uncle, I sensed traces of genjutsu around. What's going on?"
Orochimaru looked at Kadoya with an admiring gaze and then nodded.
"Your sensitivity to genjutsu is really high. That's right, I used chakra to set up some genjutsu around. In addition to this, there are also many traps."
"These all need to be set up in advance. This way, once an enemy comes, it will give us some warning. So that others don't touch us and we don't even know it."
After Orochimaru finished eating his grilled meat, he grabbed the roasted chicken before he continued, "Kadoya, I heard Tsunade talk that you didn't use genjutsu much before."
"Did you train your genjutsu in your free time?"
"Yes, I have some free time, so I practice a little," Kadoya said with a smile. After all, his Shadow Clone has been working hard, so he should give himself a pat on the back for his own hard work.
Kadoya's Shadow Clones: "..."
Orochimaru smiled and said nothing. Kadoya is an Uchiha after all, so learning Genjutsu is actually beneficial to his growth. Genius cannot be explained clearly in a single sentence.
Looking at Kadoya, Saiguu, and Nawaki surrounding him, Orochimaru suddenly felt a strange feeling.
He seemed to see the scene many years ago when Teacher Hiruzen took himself, Tsunade, and that idiot Jiraiya out on a mission.
At that time, they were just like now. They went on missions all the way, arguing and making noise. As time passed, they were already ninjas who could stand alone.
He couldn't help but laugh in his heart.
"Teacher Hiruzen, did you feel this way when you took us out back then?"