Chapter 201: My Beloved Disciple Has the Potential of the First Hokage

In the village of Konoha, amidst a dense training ground…

"Swish, swish, swish..."

Several shuriken tore through the air, flying at high speed.

Seeing this demonstration of the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu, Hiruzen Sarutobi's face showed satisfaction.

As the Hokage, he was busy with official duties every day, so it was rare for him to have the time to personally train his disciple one-on-one.

The shuriken shot straight toward him, but Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't dodge. Instead, he was struck directly, his body turning into a pincushion.

Orochimaru frowned, watching as the Hiruzen before him crumbled into clay.

Earth Release: Shadow Clone?When did he...

"Over here, Orochimaru~"

A teasing voice came from behind him. Startled, Orochimaru instinctively turned his head. Hiruzen Sarutobi had somehow appeared behind him, his narrowed pupils reflecting the man's hand signs.

"Earth Release: Earth Flow River."

The ground surged, and a torrent of mud and stones erupted like a broken dam.

Caught off guard, Orochimaru was swept away by the raging mudflow. Even with his abilities, he struggled to free himself and looked rather disheveled.

Hiruzen Sarutobi held his hand signs and taunted, "What's wrong? Are you out of options already?"

Unwilling to sit idly by, Orochimaru extended his right hand. From his sleeve, four serpents slithered out, coiling around his arm. With a slight buildup of force, they suddenly sprang forward, latching onto a large tree for support.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands."

The four snakes contracted like springs.

With the tension of their bodies, Orochimaru was yanked into the air, escaping the suffocating mudflow.

Thud.

Bending his knees, he landed on a treetop, staring directly at Hiruzen Sarutobi below. His golden, slit-like pupils narrowed with a trace of seriousness.

Hiruzen Sarutobi lifted his chin, eyes filled with approval.

He was quite pleased with Orochimaru's quick thinking in escaping the Earth Flow River.

Orochimaru propped himself up with his hands on his knees, slowly straightening his posture. "As expected of my teacher, your mastery of ninjutsu remains as formidable as ever."

A smile appeared on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face, deepening the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes. "Orochimaru, I know that's not all you've got, right?"

Orochimaru leaped down from the tree, forming a cross-shaped hand sign in response.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze sharpened. With just the starting sequence of the hand sign, he already had a good idea of the upcoming jutsu.

Shadow Clone?It wasn't that he was particularly well-versed in all jutsu, but rather, the hand sign for this technique was too distinct.

As expected, Orochimaru performed the Shadow Clone Jutsu, summoning four additional copies beside him, making a total of five.

Even though Hiruzen Sarutobi had already anticipated it, he couldn't hide his surprise when he saw Orochimaru actually using this technique.

Every ninja had their own unique combat style, and as Orochimaru's teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi understood his disciple's fighting habits better than anyone.

Using Shadow Clones in battle was definitely not Orochimaru's usual approach.

A smirk played on Hiruzen Sarutobi's lips. "This is unusual—you're actually using Shadow Clones in combat."

Orochimaru nodded and admitted, "It's true that using Shadow Clones isn't my usual style, but the technique I'm about to use is rather special, so I have no other choice."

A new jutsu?

A flicker of curiosity crossed Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes.

From what he knew, Orochimaru didn't typically rely on Shadow Clones for his techniques.

Could it be a new jutsu?Considering that it had been quite some time since he last taught Orochimaru any new techniques, this must be something Orochimaru developed on his own.

As expected of his disciple—at his age, he was already creating original jutsu.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked forward to witnessing his beloved disciple's new technique. "I see... In that case, let me have a good look at this new jutsu of yours."

"Then Next, Please Be Careful—This Jutsu Is No Joke."

Hearing Orochimaru's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi grew even more expectant. If Orochimaru gave such a high evaluation, then this jutsu must be something truly extraordinary.

"Alright, let's begin."

Orochimaru commanded four of his shadow clones to advance in an attack while he and another clone remained in place.

As the four clones launched their assault, Hiruzen Sarutobi chose not to counter with ninjutsu. Instead, he engaged them in taijutsu, using the opportunity to observe Orochimaru's movements. In a way, he intentionally left openings.

Orochimaru stretched out his right hand, and the shadow clone beside him placed both hands over it. A visible swirl of blue chakra began to form, spiraling rapidly. As time passed, the chakra condensed into a brilliant, spherical shape.

The sight of this new jutsu made Hiruzen Sarutobi widen his eyes in shock.

To be able to mold chakra into such a form—this jutsu was astonishing, even to someone like him, the so-called "Professor of Ninjutsu."

"Be careful, Lord Hiruzen," Orochimaru warned one last time before using his clones as cover to charge forward.

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not dare underestimate him. As he dodged, he grabbed one of the shadow clones and hurled it toward Orochimaru.

Orochimaru sidestepped the incoming clone and immediately used Hidden Shadow Snake Hands with his left hand.

The snakes wrapped around his arm suddenly extended, coiling tightly around Hiruzen Sarutobi's body.

With immense constriction force, the snakes held Hiruzen Sarutobi in place, leaving him immobile. Seizing the opportunity, Orochimaru drove the spiraling sphere into his teacher's body. The sheer ferocity of the attack could make an outsider think he was attempting to kill his master.

But Orochimaru knew very well how deep and unfathomable his teacher's strength was. He firmly believed there was no way Hiruzen Sarutobi could be defeated so easily—otherwise, the title of Hokage would be far too cheapened.

That was why he attacked with full force, without holding back in the slightest.

Boom!

A spiraling gust erupted, scattering dust and debris. A massive, dome-shaped crater was left in the ground, revealing some churned-up earth beneath.

But Hiruzen Sarutobi, the one who had been struck, was nowhere to be seen.

Orochimaru exhaled, letting his arms drop slightly, a wry smile forming on his face. "As expected of Lord Hiruzen."

His teacher had likely escaped using Earth Release: Earth Clone. By now, his own chakra was nearly depleted—continuing the fight any longer would be meaningless.

Hiruzen Sarutobi appeared behind Orochimaru, gazing at the crater with a thoughtful expression.

This was clearly a concentrated attack-type jutsu—if used on a human body, the destructive force would far surpass wide-area ninjutsu.

"I never would have thought that such a small chakra sphere could hold such power," Hiruzen Sarutobi remarked.

He did not hesitate to praise his disciple. "You're truly impressive. Perhaps I've underestimated you all this time."

Hearing his master's compliment, Orochimaru smiled humbly.

Curious, Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, "What is this jutsu called?"

Orochimaru replied, "Rasengan."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in understanding. "Rasengan, huh… What an incredible technique. Even without incorporating chakra nature transformation, it already possesses this level of power—it's no simple feat."

"Just with chakra shape transformation alone, you've managed to reach this stage. I'd estimate this jutsu to be A-rank. If you were to integrate elemental chakra into it in the future, it might even reach S-rank."

"For someone your age to create such a technique—truly remarkable."

At these words, Orochimaru recalled the one who had taught him this jutsu—Tōshirō. He shook his head and responded modestly, "It's nothing special."

Hiruzen Sarutobi liked his disciple's attitude even more and smiled warmly. "Orochimaru, don't be so self-effacing. Humility is good, but being too humble isn't always a virtue. Young people should carry a bit of youthful pride."

After all, in this era, there were far too few young geniuses who remained humble.

Orochimaru's unparalleled talent reminded him of the First Hokage.

Perhaps he had indeed been underestimating Orochimaru's potential all this time.

My beloved disciple… truly has the makings of the First Hokage!

(End of Chapter)

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