Orochimaru read them… Uchiha Hikari secretly looked forward to it.
A moment later… Uchiha Hikari stared blankly at the bookshelf in the room, which almost occupied an entire wall. This didn't even include the scrolls piled up in the other bookshelf.
"Do I… have to read all these books and scrolls?"
Uchiha Hikari's fingers trembled as she pointed at the astonishing number of books, her eyes filled with a glimmer of hope as she looked at Orochimaru, hoping it was just a joke.
"Of course. Didn't I tell you? I read through all these books and scrolls before I learned Sealing Technique."
Orochimaru looked at those books and scrolls. She had read them all once before learning Sealing Technique. These weren't books and scrolls from the Senju Residence, but ones she had copied and collected herself.
"All… all of them?!"
Uchiha Hikari's voice trembled slightly, and she looked at Orochimaru as if she were looking at a demon.
It was too terrifying. How did Orochimaru manage to read so many books?
"Yes, it took me a long time to read them all back then. After you read these books and scrolls, you'll find learning Sealing Technique very simple."
Orochimaru said with a smile. Uchiha Hikari saw that smile and couldn't help but shiver.
Is it too late for me to regret it now?
Uchiha Hikari had never expected that learning Sealing Technique would require reading so many books and scrolls. She hadn't read many books since she could remember, only reading a bit more recently.
"Don't let the number of these books and scrolls intimidate you. You can actually finish them quickly. Besides, I'm not asking you to read them all at once. Time management is very important."
Orochimaru had already planned Uchiha Hikari's time for training, reading, and resting and healing her body.
"I think I'm going to become a bookworm…"
Uchiha Hikari mumbled softly.
"What did you say?"
Orochimaru tilted her head slightly, pretending not to have heard her words.
"Ah… I mean, I will definitely work hard!"
Uchiha Hikari clenched her fists, looking like she would work hard. She wanted to force a smile, but she truly couldn't smile now. She finally understood why Orochimaru seemed to know everything—it was because she worked hard enough.
"Here, this is the schedule I arranged for you."
Orochimaru handed a schedule to Uchiha Hikari.
Uchiha Hikari looked at the schedule in her hand, her pupils dilated, and she plopped down on the floor. She realized she had been too naive. Such a strict schedule would give even a good-for-nothing a chance to become a diligent "genius," wouldn't it?
"Just kidding, it won't be that strict."
Orochimaru took the casually written schedule from Uchiha Hikari's hand, crumpled it up, and threw it into the trash can.
"Is that so…"
Uchiha Hikari breathed a sigh of relief.
"However, there are no shortcuts to learning Sealing Technique. You still have to read the books. I'll perform your first treatment once I'm ready."
Orochimaru found Uchiha Hikari's relieved expression amusing.
"Yes, I know."
Uchiha Hikari suddenly thought of the Sealing Technique learned by the students of the Sealing Team at the Ninja Academy. The Sealing Technique they learned was a disassembled version.
"Orochimaru, the Sealing Technique learned by the Sealing Team, it seems…"
"The Sealing Technique they learn is a disassembled Sealing Technique. To be effective on the battlefield, they don't need to understand Sealing Technique too deeply. Whether they want to study it in depth depends on their interest in Sealing Technique."
Orochimaru knew what Uchiha Hikari was thinking and pointed at the books, saying, "These are all books and scrolls related to Sealing Technique. The reason Sealing Technique can seal the target's Chakra, movements, and even life requires a certain level of knowledge accumulation, and these are just a relatively basic part of it."
For Orochimaru, who had read the Forbidden Technique of the Uzumaki Clan, these books and scrolls were truly the basics of the basics.
"Of course, there is a way to speed up learning, and that is the Shadow Clone Technique."
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Uchiha Hikari saw hope in reading all these books and scrolls, her large black eyes looking at Orochimaru with anticipation.
"However, using the Shadow Clone Technique also has drawbacks."
"Drawbacks?"
"Exactly, drawbacks, very serious drawbacks."
Orochimaru extended two fingers and said seriously, "First, it requires a sufficient amount of Chakra. You, who maintained the second form of Susanoo for so long, already have enough Chakra."
"Second is the body's tolerance. When a Shadow Clone disappears after being attacked, its memories, remaining Chakra, the sensation of being attacked, and fatigue all return to the original body."
Orochimaru looked at the thoughtful Uchiha Hikari and suddenly asked, "Hikari, do you know why Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, which creates more Shadow Clones based on the Shadow Clone Technique, is classified as a Forbidden Technique?"
"Hmm…"
Uchiha Hikari, combining what Orochimaru had just said about the drawbacks, replied, "Is it because of Chakra distribution issues and the fatigue from numerous Shadow Clones that the user cannot bear it?"
"Precisely. Because that technique consumes too much Chakra, the accumulated fatigue from the Shadow Clones can be terrifying. Without a massive amount of Chakra and extremely strong endurance, it's easy to harm oneself and endanger one's life. That's why that technique is classified as a Forbidden Technique."
"Therefore, the Shadow Clone Technique also cannot be used carelessly, understood?"
Orochimaru summarized, also explaining why she had given Uchiha Hikari a lengthy explanation of the Shadow Clone's drawbacks.
Not everyone is like Uzumaki Naruto, that scatterbrain, who uses Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu as an ordinary Ninjutsu, and when facing enemies, besides human wave tactics, can't do anything else, purely wasting Chakra.
If he didn't unleash Nine-Tailed Chakra in critical battles, he would have died countless times over.
"I understand, I'll be careful!"
Uchiha Hikari couldn't help but hear Orochimaru's concern in her words, and she hugged her, deeply moved.
This child… isn't she too easily moved?
Orochimaru merely stated what she felt needed to be clearly explained. She placed her hand on Uchiha Hikari's back and patted it gently.
Sigh, she really worried that this child would be easily deceived by sweet talk later on.
After Orochimaru left, Uchiha Hikari picked up a book and began to read.
Laboratory
Hyuga Mio looked at Orochimaru, who was preparing for Uchiha Hikari's treatment, and thought of the frighteningly large number of books and scrolls. She couldn't help but ask, "Orochimaru, does learning Sealing Technique really require reading so many books and scrolls?"
"Mio, Sealing Technique is a technique where the richer one's knowledge accumulation, the greater its potential. Only when Hikari's theoretical knowledge is sufficient will I formally teach her Sealing Technique."
Orochimaru believed it was absolutely necessary for Uchiha Hikari to read those books and scrolls. Only by building a solid foundation could she learn and master the Sealing Technique she taught.
Learning Sealing Technique formulaically was meaningless!
Why do I pity Hikari while also feeling a bit envious of her?
Hyuga Mio's emotions were somewhat complex, seeing Orochimaru so serious.
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