"Tsk tsk tsk~ It's truly incredible."
In a room that could be described as a biological laboratory but looked more like a research room in a hospital intensive care unit, Orochimaru held a report, clicking his tongue in amazement as his eyes scanned the paper continuously, his face full of joy.
Tatsuma, on the other hand, surveyed his surroundings. It was quite different from what he had imagined Orochimaru's laboratory to be like. At this moment, Orochimaru's laboratory lacked the intimidating things that would typically be associated with it, such as organs or special organisms.
It was very clean and tidy, albeit with a bit more Sealing Jutsu-style equipment. Surprisingly, there were also computers here that Tatsuma had never seen in the ninja world, not even in the Hokage's office. Yet Orochimaru had one here.
Suddenly, Tatsuma felt a strong urge to go over and play with it. After all, it had been five years since he last touched one of these things. And upon seeing the computer, what came to his mind was an old game he used to play when he was a child, a card game.
The simple, classic built-in game in the system was something Tatsuma was curious about. He wondered if Orochimaru's computer had this game. However, upon seeing the Sealing Jutsu-style on the computer, Tatsuma abandoned the idea of playing with it.
Perhaps at this moment, "Snake Uncle" hadn't turned dark yet, hadn't delved into the taboo research challenging human moral boundaries. But given his status and position, there were bound to be too many confidential contents. Tatsuma didn't want to get into trouble.
"Tsk tsk tsk, what in the world are you seeing?"
Compared to Tatsuma's restraint in this small research room, Tsunade seemed much more familiar. After all, it wasn't her first time here; she had borrowed Orochimaru's equipment several times before.
At this moment, Tsunade only wanted to know what Orochimaru had analyzed and researched. With Tsunade's prompt, Orochimaru also snapped out of his thoughts and said,
"Tatsuma's cellular vitality and the energy storage of individual cells are astonishing. Compared to... ahem... peers of the same age, it's simply night and day."
"Does that mean he's very healthy then?" Tsunade asked. Orochimaru nodded and then shook his head, saying, "I should say... robust, but not without issues."
"Speak quickly!"
Hearing that her disciple had health issues, Tsunade's brows furrowed, her face showing some urgency. Orochimaru turned the page and continued, "Tatsuma's blood sugar is unusually high for his age. I suggest conducting another set of tests, one on an empty stomach and another after a meal.
Of course, it would be best to conduct continuous monitoring throughout the day, checking blood sugar levels at different time intervals and observing fluctuations after meals. We need to determine whether it's due to his body's condition or the impact of foods with high glycemic index. After all, before sampling, Tatsuma had just finished eating grilled meat and consumed four ice creams, which could have resulted in inaccurate test results."
Finishing his explanation, Orochimaru glanced at Tsunade with some reproach. After all, yesterday, after they had finished their duty reports, they were both in a fasting state, which would have been the most accurate time for sampling. However, Tsunade, citing concern for Tatsuma going hungry, had taken him to lunch first, introducing variables and flaws into Orochimaru's research.
"Cough, cough~" Tsunade also felt a bit embarrassed. Of course, she knew that fasting examinations were more accurate. But yesterday, she herself was hungry, so there was no reason for Tatsuma not to be hungry. After all, Tatsuma was in a phase of growing up; how could he be allowed to go hungry?
Initially, Tatsuma had some resistance to Orochimaru's examination. But after hearing Orochimaru's words, he suddenly felt an urge to request Orochimaru to conduct continuous monitoring on him.
After all, the probability of falling ill at an extremely low rate was meaningless for individuals because an individual either fell ill or didn't. Tatsuma didn't dare to leave everything to chance.
Seeing the panic on Tatsuma's face, Orochimaru was also somewhat surprised. After all, Tatsuma didn't seem like someone afraid of injury or illness. Why was he so nervous? Could it be that he thought high blood sugar was some kind of rare disease?
But that didn't make sense. While Tatsuma may not have inherited Tsunade's expertise in the medical field, he had a good understanding of medical knowledge, including emergency medicine, surgery, orthopedics, and clinical Medical Ninjutsu. There was no reason he wouldn't understand what Orochimaru was saying.
Could it be that this genius was afraid of death? Or perhaps Tatsuma had his own thoughts about life, believing that there were more important things to accomplish and that he couldn't afford to lose it easily?
Thinking this, Orochimaru looked at Tatsuma with a slightly more approving gaze. He spoke up, asking, "Tatsuma, are you currently fasting or have you eaten?"
Upon hearing this, Tatsuma instinctively touched his stomach and said, "It's been four hours since I had breakfast, and I've done some training, so I'm almost in a fasting state."
Orochimaru nodded and took out the blood sampling equipment from the side, asking, "Do you mind if I take another blood sample?"
"Not at all!"
Tatsuma's resolute and fearless demeanor made even Tsunade feel something was amiss. This disciple of hers seemed really down! Could it be that as her student, he was afraid of mere injuries and illnesses?!
At this moment, Tsunade couldn't think of any injuries or illnesses that she couldn't handle. If there were any, it must be injuries or illnesses that hadn't been discovered yet!
Not to mention, even if Tatsuma's blood sugar was just a little high, she had confidence she could cure it.
"Is this enough? Or should I take more? To thoroughly examine?"
Watching Orochimaru carefully finish collecting the blood, Tatsuma spoke with some lack of confidence. Orochimaru shook the hand holding the blood collection tube and gave Tatsuma a speechless look.
If he had known this kid would be so cooperative, he wouldn't have had to go to the trouble of finding those pompous excuses. And this was too cooperative, wasn't it? Wasn't he worried about Orochimaru conducting other research with his blood?
He's still too young! Even if Orochimaru wouldn't use his blood samples for other research, once they were retained, there would be risks. Orochimaru might not pursue it, but if the person on the front lines heard about Tatsuma's anomaly, they might rekindle their thoughts.
"Your situation is very special. If people find out about the significant changes you've undergone in such a short period, it might attract some unwanted attention. Protect yourself. Even a drop of blood shouldn't be given away lightly."
Orochimaru spoke solemnly, leaving Tatsuma stunned, staring blankly at Orochimaru. Could Orochimaru say such things? Unsure, should he listen further?
Tsunade also chimed in, "Previously, in the Land of Iron, Orochimaru misled Mifune. If Mifune were to reveal what he believed about your identity, more people would have their eyes on you."
"In the future, when you go into battle, try not to get injured. If you do get injured, heal yourself. Blood-stained clothes or items should be dealt with promptly. Without my presence, you must not undergo any examinations with others, understood?"
"So, why mislead Mifune then?"
Upon hearing Tatsuma's question, Orochimaru showed a rather peculiar smile and said, "You need some endorsement from others, even if it's a false truth. It will be beneficial for you."
Tatsuma shrugged indifferently, then pulled down his sleeve again, saying, "Orochimaru-sama, may I come back this afternoon or tomorrow to collect the report? I want to go back to training."
"Sure, come after your training. I don't have any other projects right now, so I can conduct limited examinations for you."
After Orochimaru finished speaking, he looked at Tsunade. After all, Tsunade was Tatsuma's sensei. If she said Tatsuma could go back to training, then Tatsuma could leave. Tsunade nodded and said, "Go back, review your training, and ask recent Chunin for information. If you don't pass the Chunin exam, I'll come back and kill you."
!
"Alright, I promise to complete the mission!"
After Tatsuma finished speaking, he was about to leave Orochimaru's research room. Tsunade added, "Whenever you have time, please give Nawaki some guidance. He's also about to graduate soon, and his sensei isn't very attentive, so you need to help more."
Orochimaru coughed, "Well, I'm busy too. Besides, I'm helping you guide Tatsuma, and Tatsuma can help me guide Nawaki. It's reasonable."
"Who just said there were no other projects on hand?"
Seeing Tsunade pointing out the flaw in his words, Orochimaru's expression stiffened. He liked Nawaki, but guiding him in training... let it go. Nawaki had already been led astray, and he felt incapable of teaching him.
Tatsuma hurriedly left. He knew how unreasonable his sensei could be, and if he accidentally got involved, his small frame couldn't withstand Tsunade's blows.
He quickly headed home. After all, he was really hungry. He had to go back and cook because eating out was too expensive. He needed to save money to buy ice cream to eat.
However, as soon as Tatsuma returned home and reached the ground floor, he stopped in his tracks. His classmates, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, were unexpectedly downstairs, all wearing troubled expressions. Tatsuma greeted them and asked, "Are you three not going to school?"
Shikaku scratched his temple, looking distressed, and said, "The school is calling for early graduation. The three of us were called back home to learn Secret Jutsu, so we don't have to go to school."
"Oh, if you're not studying properly, what are you doing here then?"
At Tatsuma's words, Shikaku sighed, looking even more troubled, and said, "The purpose of learning Secret Jutsu is to graduate early, but the battlefield is such a dangerous place. It's unlikely that one or two Secret Jutsu will be enough to survive. So... I thought about asking someone who has been on the battlefield how to survive there. Minato has disappeared somewhere, so I had no choice but to come to you."
As for why he didn't ask Tatsuma first, it's because Shikaku just wanted to survive. He knew that Tatsuma could single-handedly kill two Jonin and a bunch of Chunin last year, which they couldn't do. In comparison, Minato seemed more down-to-earth.
"Considering your personality, you're actually thinking about surviving on the battlefield instead of avoiding it altogether?" Tatsuma was curious. Shikaku sighed again and said, "As part of Ino-Shika-Cho, I could intentionally fail the exams, after all, neither my old man nor I care, but these two can't."
Choza and Inoichi nodded, their faces looking as bitter as if they had accidentally bitten into a capsule while taking medicine, filling their mouths with powder.
"I see," Tatsuma realized, then continued, "How about we assess your skills first?"
"Yeah, that's our goal."
"Then you'll have to treat me to a meal first."
"Alright."
In the afternoon, Ino-Shika-Cho, having been exploited for a meal, looked resentfully at Tatsuma. They remembered Tatsuma wasn't such a big eater before. Tatsuma ate in one meal what they could earn from selling deworming medicine in a month.
"Haha, don't look so glum. My coaching will definitely be worth it. Will you come one by one or all together?"
"Let's go one by one. On the battlefield, you might not always encounter situations where you can cooperate."
A while later, Tatsuma, with an unchanged expression and steady breath, looked at Shikaku in front of him. The other two had already collapsed from exhaustion, and Shikaku was also at his limit. However, he still initiated his final technique.
"Shadow Binding Jutsu!"
Shikaku's shadow extended from his feet, connecting to Tatsuma. Tatsuma struggled slightly, tilting his head. Although it seemed like he was exerting effort, he could still move. Instead of using both hands for seals, he opted for a One-Handed Seals, conserving energy by only moving his fingers.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A powerful gust of wind surged towards Shikaku, lifting him off the ground and breaking the connection of his shadow. Tatsuma's movements became fluid again. Watching Shikaku fall to the ground, Tatsuma remarked, "Your chakra is too weak to restrain me completely. Also, the jutsu you've learned is too limited. After all that effort, it only immobilizes the enemy, leaving you unable to move as well."
"There's no choice. Beginner-level Secret Jutsu are limited, and this is already the most practical one. But you're right, relying on others and immobilizing oneself is definitely not feasible. It would be great if I could move while using Shadow Binding Jutsu. It would be even better if I could control the opponent's movements. That would be ideal."
Shikaku lay down where he was, not even considering getting up. Suddenly, he sat up from the ground and said, "Tatsuma, what do you think if I develop a Secret Shadow Technique? It would forcefully control the opponent to mimic my movements through their shadow. Then, while facing them directly and connecting with their shadow, they would mirror my movements. Meanwhile, I would switch the position of my ninja tool pouch to a spot where an average ninja wouldn't expect. Could I then use Ninja Tool Throwing to kill them while they're left helpless?"
As Shikaku spoke, a hint of energy appeared on his normally lethargic face. Tatsuma, hearing this, said, "Shadow Imitation Jutsu?"
"Shadow Imitation Jutsu? That name sounds good. And such a technique, although not present in our clan, has similar unstructured uses. Previously, elders in the clan used shadows to control deer, making them shed their antlers faster."
Upon hearing Shikaku's words, Tatsuma scratched his head. He seemed to realize that Shadow Imitation Jutsu didn't exist yet. In the future, when Shikamaru used Shadow Imitation Jutsu, outsiders would mistake it for Shadow Binding Jutsu.
Seeing Tatsuma hesitate to respond, Shikaku became somewhat doubtful. Was his idea not practical? Or was it not useful on the battlefield? He tentatively asked, "Tatsuma, what do you think?"
It was only then that Tatsuma reacted, saying, "It has great potential. You're truly remarkable, Shikaku. When you develop it, I can help you test the ninjutsu. But I think I can overcome this technique."
"Yeah, developing and testing can be troublesome."
Suddenly, Shikaku lay back down. He didn't want to develop a new ninjutsu anymore.
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