Night fell, and only after returning home did Gojo Yoru finally open the scroll Orochimaru had given him.
Dense lines of text filled his vision. After only a few glances, Yoru clicked his tongue in amazement. "As expected of 'Orochimaru-sama'… just like in canon—he's ridiculously generous!"
Yoru didn't lack training methods for nature transformation.
In this life, his father had been an all-round jōnin—and the basic requirement to become that kind of jōnin was mastering at least two nature transformations.
And a family with a surname usually meant the ancestors had once been someone.
The scrolls in the Gojo family basement contained training methods for four different nature transformations.
But those methods were the kind of common, mass-circulated stuff everyone had.
The scroll in Yoru's hands, on the other hand, recorded Orochimaru's own understanding of nature transformation.
As a rare all-attribute genius in the shinobi world, Orochimaru's scroll didn't just cover the five elements—it even contained insights into the two hidden attributes: yin and yang.
Hidden attributes, naturally, were the kind that even chakra test paper couldn't detect.
But Yoru knew he had yin and yang attributes too.
His development was way too abnormal. That overflowing vitality and chakra had to be related to yang.
And with his unusually strong soul, he'd already mastered sensory techniques and a C-rank genjutsu by the end of last year.
Add in fire and earth detected by chakra paper, and Yoru's attributes were probably four in total: yin, yang, fire, and earth.
But how to actually develop those two hidden attributes? Yoru had no clue.
Because that kind of knowledge was an important inheritance controlled by Konoha's upper ranks and the secret-technique clans.
And now, that knowledge had somehow appeared in the scroll Orochimaru gave him.
No wonder Yoru was so shaken.
This kind of knowledge might be a massive help for mastering his space–time chakra.
After all, yang release represented the body, and yin release represented the mind.
With Rasengan as a "cheat," Yoru's chakra control had already reached a certain level. If he wanted to push further, he'd need either yang-release knowledge or medical ninjutsu to help him.
Only by achieving the kind of perfect chakra control seen in the Senju's monstrous strength, the Hyuga's Gentle Fist, or the Akimichi's Multi-Size Technique—controlling chakra flow and release precisely through every meridian and every tenketsu, shaping it, changing it—could Yoru go further.
Only then could he properly command space–time chakra, and fuse normal chakra with space–time chakra in a controlled ratio to cast techniques.
If he succeeded, he could both buff ordinary ninjutsu with space–time effects and reduce the consumption of space–time chakra.
He wouldn't be "just an ordinary ninja" whenever he fought with normal chakra—only turning terrifying when he used space–time chakra.
And maybe then, he could truly inject space–time chakra into the Rasengan—creating a unique "Rasengan ultimate" that never existed in canon, belonging to him alone.
With that thought, Yoru immediately used the Shadow Clone Technique he'd already mastered last year, creating two clones to read the scroll alongside him and "learn on cheat mode."
…
While Gojo Yoru was frantically absorbing new knowledge—
On Konoha's Central Street, inside an izakaya.
"Orochimaru, it's really hard to see you these days!"
"If you want to see me, you can go to Sarutobi-sensei and have him transfer you to the border. I'm sure he'd be delighted."
"Haha… let's not. My dream isn't to become Hokage, so I don't need that many merits to run. This kind of lazy, coasting life is way more comfortable."
"I think you just don't want to leave someone behind, do you?"
"Cough—cough—"
Clinking cups and teasing laughter rose from behind the warm noren curtain.
The future Konoha Sannin were having a class reunion.
They were at the best age of their lives—full of spirit and swagger.
Tsunade, still single, was stunning. Resting her cheek in one hand while casually swirling a sake bottle with the other, she radiated a bold, dashing charm.
Watching the two of them—unchanged from childhood, ready to roast each other at the slightest provocation—Tsunade only smiled, saying nothing.
Orochimaru using her as a joke and "assisting" Jiraiya—making the guy choke on sake and turn red, flustered and a little shy—didn't bother her in the slightest.
Tsunade understood Jiraiya's feelings perfectly, and she'd told him more than once: he wasn't her type.
And the bond between the three of them wasn't going to be damaged by romance.
She tapped cups with Orochimaru and shifted the topic. "How many days can you stay this time?"
Orochimaru's faint smile faded, and his expression turned serious as he shook his head. "No idea. The borders have been very quiet lately. All the great nations have pulled back at the same time. I don't know if they've secretly allied… or if they're plotting something."
"Probably not," Tsunade said. "Unless they're willing to put down their grudges, they can't form a four-nation alliance like the last great war."
"Or maybe they've all given up on expansion," Jiraiya added. "With their economies, they can't support that kind of massive consumption anymore."
"Let's hope so," Orochimaru said, taking a sip, gaze deep. "But the atmosphere… it makes me uneasy."
"That's because you've been stuck on the border too long and your mind's gone weird. Let Tsunade prescribe you something," Jiraiya joked—then, sensing the mood turning heavy, he quickly pivoted, eyes bright with excitement. "Speaking of which, I found a really good seedling at the Ninja Academy recently. He just entered fourth year in April and already has the strength to graduate early. The talent he's shown… I don't think he's any worse than us."
"What, you lazy bum—thinking about becoming a jōnin instructor?" Tsunade laughed, but her heart stirred. She looked toward Orochimaru, about to say something—
When Orochimaru suddenly lifted his eyes and stared at Jiraiya. "What's his name?"
"Na… Namikaze Minato. Why?" Jiraiya blinked, startled by that look. "Don't tell me he's your guy—or you already picked him first?"
If so, that would be awkward.
Hearing it wasn't Gojo Yoru, Orochimaru relaxed and smiled lightly. "I've also taken a liking to a seedling. He's only nine this year. If both of them enrolled at six, they might be in the same grade—maybe even the same class."
"Oh?" Interest sparked in both Jiraiya and Tsunade. Jiraiya exhaled in relief, then leaned in curiously. "If you've noticed him, his talent must be incredible. Is he a descendant of some big clan?"
"No. And you both knew his parents," Orochimaru shook his head. "He's Gojo Sa and Gojo Mio's son."
Tsunade's face softened with sympathy, as if remembering something. "One of the orphans from that major mission…?"
"The First Hokage handed out the tailed beasts as checks and balances," Jiraiya said bitterly. "And those villages actually sent jinchūriki out on missions… damn them."
"Life is fragile," Orochimaru said quietly. "Once you become a ninja, you have to be prepared for accidents at any time."
"Enough. Drink," Tsunade cut in, raising her cup to stop the mood from sinking further—and also crushing the thought that had just surfaced.
She'd been about to suggest Orochimaru take Nawaki as a student. But since Orochimaru already had someone he was interested in—and that person was even her little brother's underclassman—there was no need to trouble him.
She'd go back and discuss it with her grandmother instead—either she would guide Nawaki herself, or she'd arrange for a Senju clansman who had already abandoned the surname and integrated into Konoha to become Nawaki's jōnin instructor.