"As expected, you're either at the training grounds or in the library."
Tsunade's eyes brightened when she entered the library and saw Orochimaru sitting cross-legged on the floor, engrossed in a medical textbook. His Shadow Clone, curled beside him, was flipping through pages silently. Without hesitation, she strode toward him.
"The fatigue from reading is far less than that from training," Orochimaru said softly as he glanced up, his pale face touched with a faint smile.
"The brain processes information after sleep, so proper rest is essential," he continued.
Tsunade's curiosity was piqued when she saw the thick book in his hands. "Wait... Orochimaru, why are you reading medical books? Don't tell me you want to become a Medical Ninja?"
Her eyes scanned the table. Several medical books lay open, some stacked in neat piles.
Orochimaru tilted his head slightly. "I'm interested in Yin and Yang Chakra transformations. Medical Ninjutsu is a Yang transformation, while Genjutsu is a Yin one. By studying both, I hope to grasp the principles of Yin Release and Yang Release more quickly."
His eyes briefly darkened as he added, "If I could, I would prefer to study the more advanced Yin and Yang techniques, but unfortunately, these are closely guarded secrets of the Ino–Shika–Chō families. Even if Danzo Shimura were interested, he wouldn't dare try to obtain them. It would cause great scandal and resistance from the clan elders."
Tsunade listened carefully. "But wouldn't it be impossible if you don't have both Yin and Yang Chakra natures?"
She placed her hands on her hips. She knew Orochimaru possessed five chakra natures. If he also had both Yin and Yang, he'd be a full-fledged user—a rarity. To her knowledge, only Sarutobi-sensei came close to possessing such a power.
Orochimaru's lips curled. "You know I don't waste time on useless things."
With a sudden motion, he extended his hand, and a pale green chakra briefly flickered on his fingertips. "I'm not going to demonstrate Genjutsu."
He refrained from showing Tsunade Genjutsu; the fear of being hit by her iron fists afterward still lingered in his mind. He could still vividly recall the time when Jiraiya had been blasted away by such force.
"Do you want to become someone who can master everything in Ninjutsu?"
Tsunade, despite feeling confident about her recent progress in Medical Ninjutsu, was humbled by Orochimaru's calm demeanor. Facing someone of such intellect made her feel inexperienced.
"Someone who can master everything?" she asked softly. "I'm not interested."
Orochimaru shook his head and sighed. "Every technique has its limits. There's no downside to mastering more Ninjutsu. My chakra attributes are sufficient to learn whatever I desire."
Hearing that, Tsunade's eyes widened in disbelief. She nervously twirled her fingers. "Orochimaru, about the Lightning Release technique you mentioned last time… would you help me train?"
Orochimaru arched an eyebrow. "Wouldn't Sarutobi-sensei be a better choice? He's a master with full chakra attributes. No one in Konoha can surpass him in elemental transformations, Taijutsu, or Genjutsu."
Tsunade's cheeks flushed slightly. Orochimaru's eyes followed her expression, and he suppressed a smile. "I can help you with training, but I'm not sure I'm at the level to teach others. Why don't you train with me instead?"
"I knew you'd say that," Tsunade grinned and playfully looped her arm over his shoulder. "I was wondering whether I should ask Sarutobi-sensei after all!"
If she hadn't witnessed his stubbornness firsthand, she might have almost believed him.
Orochimaru suppressed an urge to roll his eyes, snapped his book shut, and replied, "Fine. Meet me at the Third Training Grounds at 1 PM. I need to go home and prepare."
"All right, darling!" Tsunade beamed and left, already excited for the afternoon's training.
---
Training Begins
For beginners like Tsunade, learning Ninjutsu is one of the most direct ways to understand chakra nature transformations. Orochimaru, closing his Shadow Clone, absorbed the memories and fatigue from reading, and felt a slight improvement in his understanding of human anatomy and medical techniques.
That afternoon at the Third Training Grounds, Orochimaru laid out four scrolls on the ground, each labeled: Fire Release, Lightning Release, Earth Release, and Water Release.
"Tsunade, I suggest you master at least one or two techniques from Fire, Lightning, Earth, and Water. You possess the attributes for these transformations. It would be a waste not to utilize them."
Each scroll was handwritten by him, containing foundational techniques that would help in sensing chakra changes and elemental transformations more effectively.
Tsunade stared at the scrolls, already overwhelmed. Her head throbbed, and she rubbed her temples.
Seeing this, Orochimaru suggested calmly, "You can specialize in Medical Ninjutsu and Lightning Release while using Fire, Earth, and Water as secondary attributes. You already know the Shadow Clone technique and have ample chakra reserves, so using clones for training should be manageable."
The thought of designing her future combat style made Orochimaru grimace internally. He envisioned her as a tank, and the headache hit him instantly. How could anyone believe that a Hokage-level shinobi lacked mastery in elemental techniques outside of healing ninjutsu?
When Mitotic Regeneration is active, brute force becomes everything. Such confidence came from burning through one's lifespan!
"I know, I know… I'll learn it, okay?" Tsunade muttered impatiently, mustering motivation. She formed the necessary hand seals. "Shadow Clone Technique!"
A puff of smoke, and three clones appeared beside her. Each took one of the scrolls—Fire, Earth, and Water—while the original Tsunade grabbed the Lightning scroll.
---
Meanwhile in the Hokage Office
Hiruzen Sarutobi had just finished processing paperwork. Lighting his pipe, he exhaled a long breath and stared out at the peaceful village of Konoha bathed in afternoon sunlight.
He wondered how Orochimaru and Tsunade were doing. Was Jiraiya's training at Mount Myōboku going smoothly?
Without warning, he stood up, formed a hand seal, and vanished from his seat.
"Hokage-sama?!" ANBU ninjas tasked with guarding him were startled. How could the leader of the village disappear so suddenly?
---
Training at the Grounds
Back at the training grounds, Tsunade had already begun practicing.
"Lightning Release: Earth Run!"
She stomped the ground, and bolts of lightning sprang out, skipping several meters ahead.
Her clone near the lake formed hand seals rapidly.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive fireball shot from her mouth, vaporizing the lake's surface and sending a cloud of steam into the sky.
"Earth Release: Earth Shore Return!"
The clone near the rocks slammed the ground, causing stone slabs to rise and shatter before they could be used.
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"
The final clone created a water jet that punched into the ground, opening pits nearby. The shapes confirmed that they were all made by the same technique.
Just then, Hiruzen Sarutobi appeared, observing with a puzzled look at the clones and Tsunade's rapid practice.
"Why have you started learning Ninjutsu?" he asked in disbelief.
Tsunade, panting lightly, replied, "If I don't work hard, Orochimaru and Jiraiya will leave me far behind!"
She glanced at Hiruzen's pipe and the book clutched in his hand. It looked as if it had just been sold yesterday.
"Honestly, Sarutobi-sensei is such an old pervert!" she muttered under her breath.
Hiruzen's face flushed red as he hastily stuffed the book into his bag.
"Ugh! That's far too early for you to be reading this!" he grumbled.
---
Confusion and Resolve
Later, Hiruzen arrived at another training ground and saw Orochimaru sitting before a strange wooden post. A dead fish lay lifelessly on a cloth inscribed with inked spells.
"Orochimaru, are you training in Medical Ninjutsu?!" he asked, stunned.
His confusion deepened as he realized that Tsunade and Orochimaru had swapped roles. Medical training was being used to practice elemental techniques and vice versa. It felt as though he had time-traveled days or weeks into the future!
"Sarutobi-sensei, I'm studying Yin and Yang transformations. Learning Medical Ninjutsu helps me better understand the Yang aspect," Orochimaru explained simply.
Otherwise, Hiruzen would have suspected his student had gone insane.
He sighed in relief, thinking Orochimaru's dedication was misguided but at least understandable.
"I'm not interested in doing those boring missions anymore," Orochimaru added with a dispassionate expression.
His last mission had involved investigating a nobleman's wife's affair; before that, babysitting children. All of it was, to him, a waste of time.
"I understand," Hiruzen replied, though uneasy.
"I can't help you with Medical Ninjutsu," he admitted honestly.
"I know nothing about it," he said. "I don't have the time to learn it."
"I'll learn from Tsunade then," Orochimaru stated without changing expression.
Hiruzen was left speechless, feeling useless, and walked toward the lake, gazing at his reflection.
---
Final Thoughts
As the sun set, the sky blazed red with fire-like clouds.
Lightning Release had left burns on Tsunade's hands, and sweat streamed down her face. Orochimaru, carrying a netted bundle of fish, studied her exhausted expression.
"Tsunade, let's end today's training here," he suggested.
"No! You start first! I want to practice more," she replied stubbornly, staring at her hands.
"Blind hard work is pointless and inefficient. It's the most foolish way to train," he said firmly.
"Mastering Lightning Release involves training your cells to respond using chakra, thereby improving your speed and reaction time. It's about understanding the transformation of chakra into motion."
He demonstrated by snapping the fishing net, bolts of lightning flickering around him as he instantly moved behind her and returned to catch the falling fish.
"That's how it's done. Feel the chakra's changes as you form seals. The change in chakra is the transformation of nature."
He extended his hand, releasing sparks of lightning, waves of flame, water jets, gusts of wind, and eruptions of earth in a sequence. The five nature transformations appeared around him in a dazzling display.
"Tsunade, once you've gained a certain understanding of chakra nature transformations, you'll be able to do this as well."
Tsunade's eyes widened in awe. "Orochimaru, you really are a genius!"
Orochimaru scoffed lightly. "Genius, huh? I've lost count of how many times I've heard that."
But deep down, he knew praise was empty in the face of lineage and power.