After enjoying his dessert, Xu Ming left the Sarutobi clan.
Instead of heading straight home, he decided to take a leisurely walk to aid digestion and soon found himself in the forest behind Hokage Rock.
The surroundings were quiet.
After walking a few hundred meters, he stopped in front of a large boulder covered in moss.
"This is a nice rock," he muttered, nodding in approval.
Suddenly—
Zzzzt!
A crackling sound filled the air as bright arcs of electricity coursed through his arms, slithering like pythons.
Xu Ming concentrated, gathering the lightning together into a brilliant blue sphere in his palm, resembling a miniature thunderstorm.
Squeak!!!
The sharp chirping sound it emitted was deafening—like a thousand birds screeching in unison.
The once-quiet forest was instantly disturbed.
Birds took flight in panic, beasts retreated into hiding, and even the smallest insects scurried away, mistaking the noise for an incoming thunderstorm.
"Lightning Style: Chidori!"
With those words, Xu Ming vanished.
Whoosh!
In a flash, he crossed a distance of twenty meters, reappearing in front of the massive boulder.
At that moment, he thrust his Chidori forward!
Rip—!
Like a hot knife through butter, the enormous rock provided no resistance.
It was sliced clean in half.
Boom!
The two halves of the boulder crashed to the ground, causing a tremor and sending a cloud of dust into the air.
"Not bad," Xu Ming mused, canceling the Chidori.
As the dust settled, he examined the stone.
The cut was unbelievably smooth—polished like a mirror, as if a colossal blade had descended from the heavens and cleaved it in two.
That was the power of Chidori.
A highly concentrated Lightning Style chakra formed into an energy capable of piercing through anything—be it stone or steel.
Moreover, the electric current stimulated the user's cells, enhancing their speed to an extreme level.
Once activated, the technique became an unstoppable force—lightning striking in an instant, leaving no room for evasion.
"I wonder how long it will take for Orochimaru to master this technique?"
Xu Ming pondered.
With the system's tenfold feedback, once Orochimaru perfected Chidori, Xu Ming would receive its entire set of derivative jutsu.
Chidori Stream, Chidori Blade, Chidori Senbon, Chidori Sharp Spear...
In the original timeline, Sasuke had used these techniques to defeat numerous Kage-level enemies.
Even years later, in Boruto's era, they remained effective in battle.
It was a collection of jutsu that never became obsolete—a true powerhouse in any era.
"Time to head home."
Before leaving, Xu Ming formed an Earth Style seal.
Crack!
The split boulder crumbled into spears of stone, scattering across the ground.
The traces left by Chidori were erased.
Crack… crack… crack…
Xu Ming repeated the technique a few more times, ensuring there was no evidence of his training left behind.
"All done."
Clapping his hands, he turned and left.
A Week Later – Senju Clan
Orochimaru sat at a table, drenched in cold sweat, his lips pale from pain.
Across from him, a red-haired woman gently placed her hand on his arm.
A faint green chakra glow enveloped her palm.
As the light spread, the burns and wounds on Orochimaru's arm rapidly healed—scabs formed, fell off, and left behind fresh skin.
The pain subsided, and his tense expression relaxed.
"There, all done," Uzumaki Mito said as she withdrew her hand, sighing.
"Little Orochimaru, you push yourself too hard. Even when developing new jutsu, you don't have to be so ruthless with yourself."
Orochimaru smiled, unfazed.
"Senior Mito, I know my limits. Every injury I sustain is within my tolerance. There won't be any lasting damage."
Mito frowned.
"That's exactly what worries me! Who deliberately trains until they're just barely avoiding permanent damage?"
She could tell Orochimaru wasn't going to listen, and shook her head.
"Just be careful."
With that, she turned and left.
"Thank you for your concern, Senior Mito," Orochimaru said, standing to see her off.
As soon as she was gone, he eagerly returned to his desk, pulling out a thick stack of research notes.
His mind was already racing.
By studying different Lightning Style jutsu, he had gained a much deeper understanding of ninjutsu mechanics.
At this point, he could probably write an entire textbook analyzing the functions, significance, and interactions of various hand seals.
Some seals weakened techniques.
Some strengthened them.
Some provided stability, maintenance, or even enhanced compatibility between different jutsu.
The combinations were endless.
Orochimaru felt like he had opened the door to a new world—like an adventurer stepping into a land filled with treasures.
How could he stop now?
"Alright, let's move to Experiment No. 8 and try adding the 'Rabbit' seal after the fourth sequence."
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with excitement as he dived into his notes.
If Xu Ming were present, he would be shocked to see that Orochimaru had unknowingly discovered the scientific controlled experiment method.
By designing different experimental sequences, he was gathering large amounts of data on hand seal effects.
Then, by analyzing the results, he was uncovering the underlying rules of jutsu composition.
"I've spent most of my time collecting data on different hand seals. There are still many unknowns, but what I've learned so far…"
"It's enough to complete this technique!"
Determination burned in Orochimaru's golden eyes.
Zzzt!
Lightning sparked across his arms as he began forming hand seals.
"Ox—Rabbit—Monkey!"
SQUEAK!!!
The sound of crackling electricity intensified, growing from a faint noise to a deafening roar—
As if thousands of birds had gathered in one place, crying out in unison.