"Why aren't you going back to rest so late?" Amemiya Kenichi asked helplessly, glancing at the little tagalong behind him. Why did this little one like to stick to him so much?
"Senior brother, the teacher hasn't been paying attention to me lately. Is he angry with me?" Mitarashi Adzuki lowered her head, fiddling with her fingers, looking dejected.
Amemiya Kenichi scratched his head. He knew what their teacher meant. After all, the teacher had said that Mitarashi Adzuki wasn't suited to leave Konoha Village with them.
The truth was that the teacher had other arrangements for his junior sister: she was meant to remain in Konoha to grow stronger, forgetting about the teacher for a while. However, Amemiya Kenichi could never tell her this, so he had to find another way to ease her mind.
"Of course not. It's just that the teacher has been very busy lately. I rarely see him myself," Amemiya Kenichi said with a reassuring smile, gently ruffling her hair. This little girl was quite sensitive.
"Not even senior brother can see him?" Mitarashi Adzuki asked with surprise.
Amemiya Kenichi nodded. He could relate to her sense of isolation.
"Teacher's just very busy. There were rumors about him possibly becoming the Fourth Hokage," Mitarashi Adzuki added, sounding a little more at ease as she continued the conversation.
Amemiya Kenichi listened quietly while picking up two skewers of tri-color dumplings from a nearby vendor, handing one to Mitarashi Adzuki.
As he looked at the dumplings in his hand, Amemiya Kenichi's mind briefly wandered to Itachi and Shisui. It had to be said, the Uchiha clan produced some truly extraordinary talents. The Kaleidoscope Sharingan was a truly powerful ability—at least, that was the case in the ninja world right now. Later on, it would become even more formidable, a crucial combat force in the battles to come.
"By the way, senior brother," Mitarashi Adzuki suddenly remembered something and tugged at his sleeve.
"What's wrong?" Amemiya Kenichi asked in confusion.
"The ninjutsu that the teacher taught me before... I don't quite understand it. Could senior brother teach me?" Mitarashi Adzuki asked, looking up at him with big, hopeful eyes.
Amemiya Kenichi scratched his head. He didn't mind helping her. In fact, the teacher had been advising him to lay low recently, so teaching his junior sister was a good way to stay under the radar while still appearing helpful.
So, they headed to the training ground. Over the past few months, Amemiya Kenichi's strength had grown rapidly, and teaching his junior sister had become much easier.
However, their session was cut short by a sudden flash of lightning followed by a deafening crack of thunder.
"It's thundering." Amemiya Kenichi said thoughtfully. Speaking of which, he recalled that Sasuke would later create a powerful ninjutsu called Lightning Release: Kirin. It was a difficult technique that used the power of nature and required the Sharingan to track the lightning's movements.
Amemiya Kenichi glanced at his Three-Tomoe Sharingan's progress. The research was still at 23%. Not slow, but not fast enough to make significant progress in other areas. Without the Sharingan's help, he couldn't afford to waste time experimenting with complicated ninjutsu. So, he decided to call it a night and sent his junior sister home.
The next morning, as soon as he woke up, Amemiya Kenichi was dragged away by his teacher.
"Kenichi, do you know about summoning beasts?" Orochimaru asked calmly.
Amemiya Kenichi blinked, a bit surprised. "I know about them. The most famous summoning beast in the Naruto world is probably the toads of Mount Myoboku. They often appear with the protagonist."
Orochimaru nodded, but Amemiya Kenichi wasn't particularly interested in his teacher's summon, Manda. Manda's personality was... well, difficult to describe.
"Do you want me to contract a summoning beast, teacher?" Amemiya Kenichi asked, still confused.
"No. What you need now is to focus on honing your ninjutsu," Orochimaru said, shaking his head.
Orochimaru, having once been a student under Hiruzen Sarutobi, understood the importance of steady growth from Genin to Jonin. While a Chunin's strength could be seen as neither high nor low, it was a stage where the foundation had to be solidified. Once the basics were mastered, becoming a Jonin would come naturally in time.
In the final analysis, whether one is a Jonin or a Chunin is just a title. The true measure of a ninja lies in their strength. There may even be exceptional Genin who possess the power to defeat elite Jonin, or even reach the level of a Kage, once they fully unleash their potential.
"You are my disciple. If your strength isn't greater than that of an elite Jonin, I would be embarrassed to admit it," Orochimaru said, a rare smile on his face. His expectations for Amemiya Kenichi were high.
Previously, Orochimaru had thought that this disciple of his would only be able to rely on him to survive. He hadn't expected the rapid growth in Kenichi's strength, which filled Orochimaru with a sense of pride.
"Hehe... I will work hard. By the way, teacher, what were you saying earlier?" Amemiya Kenichi scratched his head, then couldn't help but ask, curiosity getting the best of him.
Orochimaru's smile remained as he answered, "I was wondering if summoning beasts can get cancer." His eyes shone with an unusual, almost fanatical curiosity.
Amemiya Kenichi blinked in confusion. Summoning beasts getting cancer? That was certainly an odd question.
If this had been his previous life, Kenichi might have immediately agreed. After all, animals in the real world could get cancer, so it wouldn't be surprising if summoning beasts did too. But this was the world of Naruto, where the physical resilience of powerful summoning beasts far exceeded that of regular humans. Not to mention, summoning beasts like those with Sage Chakra could be on an entirely different level altogether.
"Teacher, that's an interesting question, but it seems like this would require experimentation," Kenichi said, thinking aloud. "Are you planning to summon Manda to check?"
Orochimaru's expression darkened at the mention of Manda. "Don't even bring him up," he muttered, his mood souring immediately. "That damned Manda has become more and more insufferable. If it weren't for the White Snake Sage behind him, I'd have dealt with him by now."
Kenichi coughed awkwardly. That was certainly true. He'd only ever seen Orochimaru summon Manda during the war, and it was clear that Orochimaru had no desire to summon him casually. Manda's personality was infamous, and his arrogance was a serious problem.
"Maybe your summoning beast needs a check-up," Kenichi joked, trying to lighten the mood.
Orochimaru merely scowled, the thought of dealing with Manda not one he relished.