Sealing Jutsu Sensei

It would probably be difficult for Orochimaru to understand the thought process of a foodie, given that he had never placed much importance on food. The only things he seemed to enjoy eating were eggs, apples, the Kusanagi sword... and himself.

Clearly, he was someone who could eat anything without being picky.

However, at this moment, Orochimaru finally developed a slight interest in the young girl named Mitarashi Anko.

No wonder the teacher recommended this child as his disciple. It seemed like it wasn't entirely a joke.

Orochimaru thought to himself.

But it was still too early to conclude, so he decided to continue observing her, just as he was observing the changes in the toad on the table...

Without turning his head, he spoke in his raspy voice: "Please wait a moment. If you're bored, you can grab a book from the bookshelf over there."

"Oh."

Anko responded and walked to the bookshelf Orochimaru had mentioned. Looking at the rows of books crammed on the shelves, she couldn't help but let out a sound of amazement.

She had never seen so many books in her life!

What should I read? Anko, who had never been interested in reading, decided to pick one anyway, hoping to leave a good impression on the weird man.

What she didn't know was that behind her, Orochimaru was subtly watching her choice, curious to see which book she would pick.

After all, this was part of the test.

"Introduction to Ninja Studies," "Kojiki," "The Priestess and the Demon Dog," "Hashirama and Madara: The Forbidden Wild Rose"...

With her limited knowledge, Anko struggled to read the titles on the spines of the books, finding it hard to choose one that would earn the strange man's approval.

Just as she felt her brain was about to overload, one book title caught her attention.

This book's title was so long it had to be impressive.

"I'll go with you!"

Standing on her tiptoes, Anko reached up to pull a not-too-thick book from the higher shelf.

The book's title was A Guide to Summoned Beast Maidens: Volume on Snake Maidens.

Just as she was about to open the book, a flash of white appeared, and before she could react, the book was gently taken away from her.

"Sorry, this book is still too early for you."

Orochimaru appeared in front of Anko with a strange expression on his face.

"Eh—"

Instinctively, Anko raised her hands, wanting to jump up and snatch the book back, but under Orochimaru's piercing golden gaze, she sheepishly lowered her hands.

However, she couldn't help but mutter under her breath: "I'm not a three-year-old anymore. I'm about to enter the Ninja Academy this year, which means I'm already old enough for romance..."

Orochimaru's mouth twitched slightly at her words as he realised he couldn't exactly argue against them.

Maybe he should talk to the teacher about the issue of young ninja students falling in love too early.

The thought crossed his mind.

At the same time, seeing Anko's behaviour triggered some memories within Orochimaru, softening his expression a little.

He glanced at the bookshelf, pulled out a thin picture book, and handed it to Anko: "Take a look at this for now, and just wait a little longer..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a sudden noise from the experiment table interrupted him.

He handed the picture book to Anko, shoved the A Guide to Summoned Beast Maidens back onto the shelf, and quickly turned to return to the experiment.

Anko, now holding the picture book, couldn't help but glance at the forbidden book on the shelf. Her big eyes sparkled with mischief, clearly plotting something in her head.

Back at the experiment table, Orochimaru saw that the toad was letting out weak croaks while snake-like scales began growing on its body.

Orochimaru, unfazed by the sight, picked up a pen and paper, recording the toad's condition while muttering to himself:

"It seems that this neutraliser isn't effective either. Is mastering Sage Mode really only a matter of risking one's life?"

Meanwhile, Anko sat at a nearby table, flipping through the picture book.

The Heroic Tale of Jiraiya tells the story of the great hero Jiraiya and his wife Tsunade, who defeated the great demon Orochimaru together.

The author was unknown.

Though the story was simple and the illustrations crude, it was more than enough to entertain a child like Anko, who read it with great interest.

She quickly finished the book and even went back to the beginning for a second read.

Before she could finish her second reading, Orochimaru had completed his research.

With a final pitiful cry, the half-snake, half-toaded creature on the table succumbed to its violent transformations and died.

Orochimaru sighed, leaving the body on the table for now, and walked over to Anko, who was still engrossed in the picture book, with a complex look in his eyes.

In truth, Orochimaru wasn't particularly opposed to taking Anko as his disciple.

After all, having his teacher's recommendation meant the child had potential. As long as she didn't meet an untimely end under his guidance, she could at least become an elite jonin.

And from her behaviour so far, her personality reminded him of his former students, which meant there were no major compatibility issues.

However, the most important reason was that Anko's father, Mitarashi Zixiao, one of his teacher's trusted subordinates, had recently died on a critical mission.

The Mitarashi clan, a small ninja family, now consisted only of Anko and her mother.

So his teacher suggested he take Anko as a disciple early, mainly to provide them protection under the guise of mentorship, reducing the risk of others taking advantage of them.

Even if it was just for appearances, Orochimaru didn't mind taking Anko as a student.

However, everything paled in comparison.

Having missed out on the perfect disciple, Amou Natsuhiko, Anko's potential no longer excited him.

If he had taken Natsuhiko as a student, he would have immediately gained significant support. Whereas with Anko, she was still too young to be of any help, at least for another five years.

Given the effort and resources required, he decided to subject her to more tests to determine whether she should be trained extensively or allowed to develop on her own.

In a secluded woodland of Konoha...

Hidden within the crown of a large tree was a roughly constructed treehouse.

Inside the treehouse, Asuma, Obito, and Ebisu were gathered, their expressions solemn.

"Ahem."

Asuma cleared his throat and said:

"Then, let's begin the fifth Shuriken Squad strategy meeting, and this time, I'll be the one chairing the meeting as the squad leader."

(End of Chapter)

Situation is really grim…

Suddenly a Tsunade wearing glasses emerges for the rescue!

Natsuhiko silently appreciates the elegance of Tsunade!

What happens next? Find out on the advanced chapters on my Patreon!

pat reon.com/ReidAstrea