Groaning from another missed blow, I wiped blood that poured out of my bruised nose and struggling to get up from the ground, watching how this snake grinning broadly at me keenly looking at the fruits of his work.

I could assume that in the last 5 days I have get great progress in learning some positions and kata taijutsu. This is also suggested by sensei words from our few long sparring in time our breaks in the travel.

"As always, you're hitting me too hard and blunt blows, Orochimaru-sama. Why it seems to me that you are trying to kill me, and not make me stronger. With this way with training, I'm not sure, that I will live to be 10 years old, because with a new our sparring, you increase the intensity of your punches." - I noticed with a grin, nearing to him, spitting out blood and taking a fighting stance beside to him, received from him only a malicious smile and a glint in eyes.

Oh, how that expression annoyed me, which screamed about my inability to resist this man. At the moment I have only one wish, erase that arrogant and annoying smile from this face, but to disappointment, my taijutsu experience was not comparable to skills which this man had and in five days, I have never even able to touch him during in our sparrings.

"No pain, no gain, Kourai-kun. I don't want to treat people so lightly. If you continue to keep these beatings with honor and improve yourself, then it's very likely that you won't be a waste of time for me. Although to be honest, I'm surprised at how you find the strength to rise from time to time." - and as it seemed to me, he said the last part with a pride in voice, but his face said otherwise.

'Well, damn, there is some truth in his words. It's better to have a person, who will get me to unconsciousness at every training than will I be dissatisfied with process, and result of these training's' - such a thought ran through in my head and at that moment I decided, that in the next time, a blow to Orochimaru-sama face so that he will remember this blow for a long time.

This punch will also prove that the time spent with him was not wasted. In any case, I had to become strong from words to this snake sannin.

The stronger a human is, the more famous he is.

"Hey, Orochimaru-sama, I'm gonna define your face a little, so get ready for an unexpected" - with determination I rapidly approaching to his androgynous figure, delivering a few punches that he didn't show me, causing him to raise an eyebrow, what told me that he was amusing my strategy, but just kept dodging every punch, even if he probably could have ended it all much earlier.

Continuing to send unreadable punches and kicks in his direction over and over again, I began to gradually increase my speed, intently look out for potential holes in his defense and try to think a few steps ahead.

Only because of this, I chose not to use tactics in which I delivered a lot punches on Orochimaru-sama different body trying to lull his vigilance.

I tried to hit him on his right shin, but he dodged it with hand, grabbing my left leg in the lock, giving me opportunity to step on this hand with my right leg, leaning so that gave me a chance to use impulse and shoot with my right hand right into his impudent face, forcing him to block this blow with his free hand.

"Not bad..." - he began to say cheerfully, looking into my eyes...

But I didn't let him finish his smug speech because now there was nothing stopping me from striking him because, that he is unable to evade this blow, which is about to touch his face and even then, that he tried to distance himself from it didn't help because his back was clash a tree.

My eyes flashed triumphantly, and he clicked tongue in annoyance and took a blow with my head right in his face, dispersal in the air.

"Well, at least now I've managed to defeat his clone, I suppose this is a great progress if we get fact, that I have been training under his guidance for only 5 days" - I muttered slowly, watching how Snake sannin sitting by the fire and diligently writing something in a scroll.

'Geez, he really looks more like a nerd scientist, than a ninja, meeh, he doesn't even pay attention to how my training is doing. I wonder if he's even interested in my progress' - I thought, shaking head, grabbing a bottle of water and go for the campfire.

FLASHBACK

Crackling fire sounds and I slowly opened eyes with looked up into the dark sky, sudden rising up from a lying position. Unfortunately, I quickly deduced that it was a stupid decision due to the onset of dizziness and nausea.

Sensing a rapid heartbeat due to previous events with me and the fact what I did a few moments before unconsciousness, I inhaled and exhaled trying heart rate back to normal.

After a few seconds of repeating these activities, I finally became able to concentrate on different objects, restoring visual acuity.

Knowing that I was in my camp at the same time calmed and warned me because I was comfortably lying near to campfire, but this nukenins corpses were not lying beside to me, which means, that someone who appeared here a moment before my fall into darkness helped me.

'Who the hell is he and why did he help me? No, it's not like that, can it be considered as help and what does he want from me' - I thought with blinking eyes, trying to find this man, although he could barely be called a man because he has snake eyes.

"Oh, screw, if he wants, he would have killed me long ago. Now the most interesting thing is where he went. I wanna ask him a few questions and hope to get answers to it. It doesn't look like he was a member of this group that I and my dogs killed." - I asked out loud, getting to feet and stretching muscles.

'How long have I been unconscious?'

"Oh, you're finally awake, If you had wasted a little more of my time and had nothing cool, I would have left for sure, leaving your body lying like this, but fortunately, I get you very interesting and I hope, that you can explain to me how you able to summon those entities" - suddenly, a man's voice rang out behind me and my head turned in his direction at the same moment.

It was him. It was who appeared behind my back a moment before I fall.

"I suppose it would be fair if you introduce yourself and tell me who you are, shinobi-san" - I said confidently, paying attention to how his tongue clicked and eyebrow twitching from my careless behavior.

He definitely didn't like my tone and the fact that I wasn't being too polite.

"Fuf, kids in new days don't respect their elders at all and don't know the famous shinobi. Do you really not know who I am?" - he asked with interest crossing his arms over his chest, assuming I'm just trying to fool him with my behavior.

'Oh yeah, another cons is that I've lost memory. It's looks likely that the last I almost certainly knew about him' - I thought awkwardly scratching the back of my head, hiding blush on my cheeks

Should I tell him about myself? Maybe he can help me.

"If you are famous, then I almost definitely knew about you, but recently I woke up on the riverbank and figure out, that from my past I only remember my name and the fact that I was able to summon these dogs" - I said and shrugging, create handsign and watching this man reaction, whose eyes flashed with interest, and shoulders trembled in anticipation.

'Gyokuken' - I commanded and 2 dogs appeared out of the black matter, rushing towards me and dropping to the ground with licking me.

Hearing laugh of this mysterious man with snake eyes, I dissleped my technique.

"So that's how it works, strange, I really don't understand how you do it because I don't feel chakra in your body. Can't you tell me something about yourself" - he asked in a demanding tone, taking out a scroll and a brush with ink, sitting down by the fire.

Listening to his speech, a shiver ran down my spine because he definitely would not accept a negative answer.

"Well, as I said earlier, the only thing that remains in my memory of the past is that my name is Kourai and that I lived somewhere on the border near Amegakure and Iwagakure. That's all I know about myself. Could you tell me where I am right now? I need to find kasan" - I exclaimed without lying, approaching to backpack and checking is to see how many entire things left.

See, that more than half clothing from past have been preserved, I sighed with relief and threw backpack on my shoulders intending to leave this place, hoping that I had satisfied shinobi interest, but unexpectedly for me, he blocked my way with an imperturbable look.

"Do you really think that without knowing location you will be able to get to village and then find kasan? How about a little contract, I want to explore your abilities, and in return I will train you until you find her. You should understand that the stronger human is, the more famous he is. I can make you strong and at that time learn the technique which you use."

I looked at him doubtfully and trembled at the look he gave me. Now it looked like until I satisfied his interest, he wouldn't let me go. My heart told me not to agree to his suggestion, but mind say to agree to this because I am a child and I have little chance of finding kasan without outside help. I will also need protection from nukenin, which I will probably meet on my journey.

"How are you gonna help me find kasan? You won't just focus on finding her, isn't it, you should have many personal goals, right? I don't wanna make you waste your time." - politely trying to express my opinion, I grabbed head, which was terribly hurt.

"You're wrong here, Kourai-kun, such an insignificant thing won't hurt me. Being a famous and influential person, I have a lot of followers. I have my own people and spies in almost every great village, you can find out from your dogs how your kasan looks and I will give these descriptions to my people."

"I guess I don't have a choice, right? Fine, Im in, if you make it so that I meet with woman who was my kaachan, I will do anything for you" - I nodded humbly in defeat and adjusted backpack, holding out my hand to him to confirm our agreements.

But even agreeing, doubts crept into my mind because he didn't look like a shinobi, he looked like a scientist, what could he actually teach me? I grimaced at my stupidity since I didn't even know his shinobi skills.

"Well, then I think I need to introduce myself. You can call me Orochimaru-sama or Orochimaru-sensei." - he said monotonously, striking me five and going forward along the beaten path.

UH. Just like that? He didn't say anything about himself at all.

"Hmm. Orochimaru-sama, you don't look like a shinobi, are you some a scientist? If it so, then I've hurried to agree to your terms." - I quickly caught up with him and looked with sharp eyes at his figure

He looked at me with a piercing glance and muttered something under breath that I could consider him as I wish.

'I wonder where he's going, I have a sense that he simply has nowhere to go and is wandering around in search of a new place to stay for the night and he's not goes to his hideout. Besides, I still don't believe that, that he is so strong enough to could be the one who was nominated of Hokage. Although again, there was no point in him inventing such fairy tales to convince a child like me' - I was thinking, digging into a plate of salad watching how he has been writing something in a scroll for 2 hours after a little experiment on nukenin body, who tried to attack us with Ice release, which, from Orochimaru-sama, was called "kekkei-genkai" and combined 2 different elements.

No matter how I tried to attract his attention in last hour, he was immersed in research and did not attach importance to my existence.

The only thing I've knew in the last 2 months is, that in the next few years we will live on the territory of the Land of water because this country is filled ninjas with different bloodlines.

This man's obsession with different abilities is frightening, I thanked kami three times sense Orochimaru-sama's interest in me is related only from a scientific point of view, and not in trying to study abilities.

"Uh, Orochimaru-sama, what are we going to do while we're living in the hideout?" - I asked with interest wiping my chin from the remains of a meat dish that had an excess of hot sauce

He looked at me for the first time and sealed this scroll on his wrist.

I wonder if I'll be able to bear an extra load in my shadow?

"Isn't it obvious? You will continue to train from my instruction alone, creating your own taijutsu style to which it will be impossible to adapt. Maybe you'll have to use dogs in taijutsu training. I will have my own goals, and then in a few months I will leave you, but someone will replace me, to whom you can turn for help." - he answered politely, paying bill and ascend from the table, not paying attention at all to the fact that I didn't have time to finish even half of my salad.

'What a cold attitude, but it's not to complain me now, now at least he pays attention and feeds me, and does not cause me to catch animals in the forest' - I thought about it to filling my mouth with fish salad, running out of the tavern.

But I also frowned because of his words about that he would leave hideout and put my training on his assistant shoulders. Didn't he say that he wanted fast progress from me?

Sighing in defeating, that it's not even worth starting a talk about it, I caught up with him and put my hands in pockets in disappointment. Yes, I prefer to study at him, but if person who will care about me when you leaves me, will qualified and experienced, I will easily accept such conditions.

"So, Kourai-kun, have you thought about question I asked you?" - I turned my gaze to sannin, who, to my wonder, spoke with me.

Right now, he wanted to know what I would consider my shikigami.

Friends or slaves.

It took me almost a week to think about it, and now I was ready to give him an answer.

"Actually, I'm not going to use it as cannon fodder or slaves. I think this is a vile. Honestly I assume that if I use it in such a dirty way, they will rebel against me sooner or later and refuse to help." - I shrugged expressing my position, I slowly follow him and watch how the clouds cover the moon.

I don't know if he liked my answer, but from his eyes narrowed, he was clearly considering my opinion about it.

"Does it really matter? You can control them with strength. If you are strong, then they will have nothing left but to follow your orders."

My reaction to this was wide open eyes because in my awareness, a person like Orochimaru-sama should have known the essence of relationship between people with and without power.

"Mehh, forgive me, Orochimaru-sama, but I thought you were smarter. Quite recently, you told me about shinobi world structure and about who escape from villages and becoming nukenins. All of this crush your theory about control. They ran away from their boss, the strongest and most influential man in their village despite his orders. Simply say, they betrayed him. I don't want such betrayals. No matter how strong a person is, the boss-slave stance will sooner or later make this slave refuse his boss's orders." - I answered lazily, concentrating on hand, in which tried to gather my CE.

Under Orochimaru-sama glance, I have been trying to do this for several days. From his words, this exercise is spread in teaching chakra control and he believes that CE is no different from the chakra, although it gives more opportunities.

As we walked further and further away from the small town, I get up with an idea that would better characterize this, how I tried to express the idea of using my shikigami

"Uh, Orochimaru-sama, I found a method how describe it which that you will understand my position. I mean Manda-sama. I have already heard several times that it is your summon partner, but relationship between the two of you is always strained and Manda-sama carries out your orders only because you promised it human sacrifices. Imagine that one day even taking into your proposed sacrifices, it will eat them and not execute order given by you."

'Orochi' - I folded the one-handed seal and poured some CE into the shadow, summoning a small snake that quickly wrapped around my shoulder and lay there

'I hope he understands my analogy, after all, he often disappears in this so-called Ryuchi cave.' - I thought, rubbing the snake's head with hand, earned a shrewd look from sensei, but after a couple moments he nodded hinting at, that he got my point, to which I simply told Orochi to return to the shade.

Lost in my thoughts, I barely able to dodge the sheathed tanto that was launched at my head. Examining it with great interest in hands, I clicked my tongue irritably and rubbed my neck.

"You could have warned me, I have no desire at all to get blows to my head beyond our sparrings" - I frowned at him, but took tanto out of its scabbard and look it.

Orochimaru-sama just rolled eyes at my childish behavior

"I called you for about 2 minutes, but you didn't answer me. You need to thank my glad mood that I didn't hit you. You're missing everything I've told you, aren't you?"

"Uh, probably. My bad, Orochimaru-sama" - I replied, rubbing my chin, waving the sharp weapon from side to side.

I didn't really want to use such a weapon, but according to snake sannin, it will help me keep enemies at a long distance from me, which will protect me from fatal damage.

To be honest, I thought this statement was too absurd since my pain tolerance is so strong, that I lived for 2 days with two broken ribs and didn't even notice it while continuing to train.

"I order you to start studying using tanto as soon as we reach hideout, you will also learn some standard things that are taught at the shinobi academy. You will need to know basics in order to adapt more easily to everything that your enemies offer you. I would also like to see you cover this tanto with your cursed energy." - looking at how deep he went into studying this energy, it might seem to me, that he has found a new goal in life to also try to master this energy because of that in comparison with chakra, it was really interesting and much more effective.

"Even if you ignored my words that I didn't want to learn kenjutsu, I will listen to you, Orochimaru-sama, but you should know that I am against it..." - I didn't have time to finish my speech because that we into some came whose exit was closed immediately after we disappeared into the darkness of this mountain.

Looking around the big room, which will be my own for the next few years, I looked at Orochimaru-sama in wonder, waving hand to him, attracting his attention.

"Hey-hey-hey, Orochimaru-sama, why did we stop here instead of going to Oto? Do will it all safe? If I remember properly there is a civil war going on in Kiri right now, what if someone who escaped from Kirigakure come across upon this place?" - I threw backpack on the bed and start to look around my room for some things and books that might interest me.

While waiting for his answer, my curiosity made me go to the bookshelf and take one of books in my hands.

'Biology and human structure. Human cells' - I mentally ran through the title of the book and opened it.

The content of this book was mainly about cell separation as well as a little about the theory of complete restoration of lost limbs.

"Everything is not ready in Otogakure yet, as in fact, even if everything was ready there, I did not plan to return in this village. I want to collect as many specimens as possible specimens kekkei-genkai from this country. You shouldn't worry, no one will be able to attack this place because there are a lot of explosive tags around it." - he said briefly as left my room slamming the door, making me shudder and drop the book from my hands.

"Well, at least he's in a good state" - I remarked, picking up the book and returning it to the shelf.

As it turned out a few moments later, the books on this shelf were related to iryojutsu and fuinjutsu.

'When I get bored, it will be necessary to read it. From number of this books, this room early belong to Orochimaru-sama. Now I still doubt more that he is interested in shinobi affairs' - I thought, plopping down on the bed, looking at the ceiling and exploring every crack on the walls.