Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 450 Becoming Orochimaru's Apprentice

It's important to know that Itachi Uchiha had also joined the Akatsuki organization, a group shrouded in evil and mystery. The reason Sasuke Uchiha led a group of younger members from Konoha's ninja clans to this training ground for refuge was because they had received intelligence that the Akatsuki was about to launch a devastating attack on Konoha. Before this, he had heard heartbreaking news—Konoha had already suffered brutal destruction at the hands of the Akatsuki. That once familiar and warm village was now likely a ruin, countless innocent lives lost. Thinking of this, Sasuke Uchiha's heart clenched, and anger and hatred burned fiercely in his chest.

Sasuke Uchiha, a young man burdened with a deep-seated hatred for Itachi Uchiha, burns with boundless rage and resentment. He yearns to personally kill the man who destroyed his clan and murdered his parents and loved ones, to avenge that unforgettable grudge. However, achieving this goal is no easy task. His enemies include not only Itachi Uchiha himself, but also the entire mysterious and powerful Akatsuki organization.

As is well known, the Akatsuki organization gathered top-tier fighters from all walks of life; they possessed extraordinary strength and ruthless methods. Even a renowned powerhouse like Orochimaru had to retreat in defeat against the Akatsuki. Therefore, it's clear that Sasuke Uchiha's hopes of achieving revenge were extremely slim. Yet, even so, he remained undeterred, resolutely embarking on this thorny and perilous path of vengeance.

For Uchiha Sasuke, revenge had become the sole meaning and purpose of his life. This obsession burned like a raging fire in his heart, sustaining him through countless hardships and difficulties. No matter what dangers and predicaments awaited him, he never wavered or gave up in the slightest. Even when he realized he might die on his path of revenge, he had no regrets and was willing to pay any price for it.

However, faced with a training ground that offered no help in increasing his strength, Sasuke Uchiha felt an overwhelming sense of despair. Each time he stepped into this land full of hope, he could only leave disappointed and resentful. What was once seen as a place of hope for self-improvement and reaching higher levels had now become a shackle binding his progress.

Just as Sasuke was about to fall into the abyss of despair, news about Orochimaru suddenly entered his field of vision like a ray of dawn in the dark night. This news instantly rekindled the dying flame in his heart, and a bold and crazy idea emerged in his mind—perhaps seeking guidance from Orochimaru, a top-tier expert, would be the key to escaping his predicament and achieving a leap in strength.

After all, Orochimaru's name was legendary in the ninja world. He was once a pinnacle of the ninja world, and his exceptional combat skills and profound ninjutsu were awe-inspiring. Sasuke firmly believed that such a peerless powerhouse must possess unique insights and training methods that could guide him to quickly break through his current limitations and obtain the powerful strength he longed for.

When the thought crossed his mind, Sasuke Uchiha didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately decided to put it into action. Because at this moment, for him, it had become the only feasible way.

As for whether Orochimaru would genuinely offer him guidance and assistance, Sasuke Uchiha wasn't particularly concerned. He knew Orochimaru was no benevolent figure, but so what? As long as there was even the slightest chance to improve his strength, he would be willing to pay a huge price.

At this moment, Sasuke Uchiha held only one unwavering belief: to become stronger! No matter what hardships and obstacles awaited him, he would never back down. He knew that only by possessing sufficient power could he achieve his goal and complete his path of revenge. Therefore, even knowing that cooperating with Orochimaru was fraught with risks, he still resolutely chose to seize this seemingly rare opportunity.

Sasuke Uchiha knelt respectfully on the ground, his head bowed, obscuring his expression. However, his slightly trembling body revealed his inner tension and anticipation. Orochimaru, standing before him, crossed his arms and looked down at Sasuke, his pale face covered with strange markings, his narrow eyes revealing a thoughtful expression.

Orochimaru was in a state of inner turmoil. This young, ambitious, and formidable Uchiha Sasuke had taken the initiative to seek his guidance, which undoubtedly surprised him. However, Orochimaru was no longer the powerful ninja who had once dominated the ninja world. For a long time, he had abandoned the training of the traditional chakra system, instead focusing his energy on other, more mysterious and profound realms.

Moreover, the Rinnegan he had recently acquired was capturing most of his attention. These eyes, containing boundless power, were like a vast mystery, waiting for him to unravel their secrets. To do so, he needed to dedicate a great deal of time and energy to studying them, making it difficult for him to spare much free time to teach this hopeful young man.

However, this encounter with the mysterious figure hidden behind the masked man revealed an extraordinary level of familiarity with the Sharingan, suggesting that this person likely also possesses this powerful ability. Therefore, carefully guiding this young man named Uchiha Sasuke, enabling him to more thoroughly understand the mysteries of the Sharingan, would undoubtedly lay a solid foundation and provide ample preparation for facing that mysterious and powerful enemy in the future. Furthermore, he himself harbors a deep interest and a strong desire to explore the power of rules that the evolved Sharingan can unleash. Perhaps, in the process of teaching Uchiha Sasuke, he could truly deepen his own understanding and knowledge of the Sharingan? Perhaps he could even uncover some previously unnoticed potential secrets or unique techniques. In short, this not only concerns whether he can help Uchiha Sasuke improve his strength, but may also bring unexpected gains to himself.

As for whether he could teach Uchiha Sasuke and help him grow faster and more outstanding, this was merely a trivial problem for Orochimaru. After all, Orochimaru was once a powerful ninja who stood at the pinnacle of the ninja world! Even though he had abandoned the traditional ninja training system, his teaching ability in ninja-related fields remained unquestionable. After all, his accumulated experience and knowledge were vast, and he possessed extremely profound and unique insights into all aspects, from the understanding and application of ninjutsu, the formulation and implementation of tactical strategies, to the cultivation of a ninja's mentality and willpower. Therefore, as long as Orochimaru was willing to spend time and energy carefully guiding Uchiha Sasuke, helping the latter achieve rapid growth would be no difficult task.

At this moment, for Orochimaru, time had become the only crucial factor he needed to carefully consider and weigh. Time was now incredibly precious to him, flying by like a fleeting moment. On one hand, improving his cultivation level was no easy task, undoubtedly requiring a significant amount of precious time to dedicate to intensive training, accumulate experience, and break through bottlenecks. On the other hand, the Rinnegan he had just acquired was like a treasure trove containing endless mysteries, its rules profound and obscure; to delve into and comprehend its essence would inevitably require a considerable investment of time and energy.

Moreover, based on the bits and pieces of information inadvertently revealed by Hyuga Kanan during his seclusion, it's highly likely that the world is about to undergo a cataclysmic upheaval. This premonition grows stronger, as if the calm before the storm is merely a temporary illusion, and the real turmoil could surge forth at any moment. Therefore, Orochimaru has very little time left to calmly deal with the situation; every minute and every second is precious, allowing him no room for the slightest slackness or waste.

For Orochimaru, the time left to teach Sasuke Uchiha was running out. Although he was deeply interested in the mysterious and powerful Sharingan of the Uchiha clan and hoped to better deal with potential future enemies through in-depth research, reality did not allow him to spend too much energy and time on it.

In this perilous, dog-eat-dog world, the only way to survive and win is to constantly improve oneself and become incredibly powerful. If one possesses terrifying strength far surpassing that of one's enemies, even without a thorough understanding of the Sharingan, one can still be assured of victory and remain invincible.

Therefore, Orochimaru understood the importance of prioritizing details and wouldn't sacrifice long-term gains for short-term benefits. He would concentrate his limited time and resources on honing and evolving his own power, striving to become someone everyone feared as soon as possible. Only in this way could he roam freely across this cruel continent and control his own destiny.

After thinking about this, Orochimaru said to Sasuke Uchiha in front of him, "Sasuke-kun, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. I really don't have time to teach you."

Upon hearing Orochimaru's words, Sasuke's last hope shattered, and a look of despair appeared on his face. He had given up hope of revenge, his eyes lost their light, and he became lifeless, like a walking corpse.

Orochimaru's thoughts shifted slightly upon seeing this. He then continued, "If you don't mind that my teaching time is limited, I can spend some time teaching you and giving you some advice. As for whether you can improve, that depends entirely on your own efforts."

Upon hearing Orochimaru's final words, Sasuke's eyes lit up once more. For him, as long as there was hope, he would not give up.