"It seems it was still restrained by worldly morals, preventing this forbidden jutsu from reaching true perfection," Orochimaru murmured to himself.
Although it was only speculation, he was firmly convinced that this was the truth.
After all, Orochimaru seriously doubted that the Second Hokage, a man capable of creating such a profound forbidden technique, lacked the ability to perfect it further.
Indeed, truth was often misunderstood by the masses and therefore destined to remain in the hands of a select few.
As these thoughts passed through his mind, Orochimaru began to contemplate, in earnest, how this flaw might be resolved.
Before long, a solution took shape. "I could use talismans to strengthen control over the Reanimation subjects… perhaps even erase their personal consciousness entirely."
It had to be said—he truly lived up to his reputation as a master of forbidden jutsu research.
Despite having just obtained the Impure World Reincarnation technique, he had already devised a potential solution with startling speed.
"Aoshi-kun," Orochimaru said softly, a strange glint in his eyes, "once I perfect the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu, I wonder if you will still be able to maintain your current stance."
A few days passed in the blink of an eye.
Aoshi had finished delivering his introductory lectures on medical ninjutsu to every class at the Ninja Academy.
Next came the official launch of the Special Medical Training Class.
Once the announcement spread, applications flooded in almost immediately.
This was not because everyone possessed a genuine passion for medical ninjutsu—it was entirely the result of Aoshi's overwhelming popularity.
As a result, when the first session of the Special Medical Training Class officially began, even the largest classroom was packed to the brim.
Some students couldn't find seats at all and were forced to stand along the back wall. The scene vividly demonstrated Aoshi's extraordinary influence within Konoha.
In truth, Aoshi himself was usually quite low-key.
However, even he couldn't stop Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Hokage, from tirelessly promoting him at every opportunity.
"I can't believe this many people showed up," Rin said in amazement as she looked around, having secured a front-row seat in advance.
Shizune, seated beside her, nodded in agreement. "It seems everyone really admires Lord Aoshi."
"Of course," Kurenai replied matter-of-factly. "Brother Aoshi is extremely capable—and naturally popular."
Watching the reactions of the three girls, along with the excited expressions filling the classroom, Obito, seated on Rin's other side, felt an intense wave of envy.
When would he ever be this popular? With that thought in mind, he hastily declared to Rin, "I'll be popular like this someday too!"
"That would be wonderful, Obito," Rin replied gently, smiling as always. "I'll look forward to that day."
Her words immediately sent Obito's spirits soaring.
"Students, please quiet down." Even amid the packed classroom, Aoshi's calm voice carried clearly to every corner.
In an instant, the noisy chatter vanished, and the room fell completely silent.
Facing such a large audience, Aoshi showed no trace of nervousness. He stood at the podium with composure and began his lecture.
"First, I'd like to thank all of you for coming today."
"However, I must make one thing clear from the outset. The Special Medical Training Class was established to cultivate true Medical Ninjas."
"As I mentioned earlier, medical ninjutsu is far more difficult to master than standard ninjutsu. Not everyone here today will be able to continue until the end."
"I will be conducting assessments to filter out those who are unsuited for medical ninjutsu."
"Of course," he added with a faint smile, "I sincerely hope all of you can remain. That would mean each of you is exceptionally talented."
After his opening remarks, Aoshi swept his gaze across the room before continuing.
"Since this is a specially established course, the Special Medical Training Class will convene once a week, every Friday."
"We must not interfere with the Academy's regular curriculum, so this class will take place on the final day before the weekly break."
"If you have any questions, please write them down and ask them during our weekly session. I will personally teach all classes for this first group."
"Therefore, you may address me as Teacher Aoshi."
Seeing no objections from the students, Aoshi nodded slightly. "Now, let us begin the official lesson."
"Phase One: Foundational Theoretical Knowledge. This phase will last for three months, totaling twelve lessons."
While introducing medical ninjutsu training at the Ninja Academy greatly improved efficiency, it also presented a challenge.
The students before him were not yet full-fledged ninja, making it impossible to teach them using conventional medical ninja training methods.
To address this, Aoshi had meticulously designed a comprehensive curriculum divided into four distinct phases.
Only those who successfully passed one phase would be permitted to advance to the next.
As Aoshi formally launched the lesson, the majority of students listened with intense focus. However, it didn't take long for some to begin losing concentration.
They understood every individual word—but when combined, the concepts became incomprehensible.
There were quite a few students in this situation.
Obito Uchiha was one of them. He squirmed in his seat, unable to fully absorb Aoshi's lecture.
Yet when he glanced sideways and saw Rin listening attentively—and noticed that Kurenai and Shizune were also taking notes with serious expressions—
Obito forced himself to refocus. How could he give up on the very first lesson?
If he did, Rin would surely be disappointed… perhaps even look down on him. He absolutely, absolutely could not allow that to happen!
Of course, he was being far too dramatic.
As his close friend, Rin understood Obito's abilities perfectly and knew that medical ninjutsu simply wasn't suited to him.
Besides, she was fully engrossed in Aoshi's lecture and had no time to pay attention to Obito at all.
Aoshi observed the students' reactions and was not surprised in the least.
The study of theoretical knowledge was undeniably dry.
Even though he had done his best to explain the most fundamental concepts in the simplest and most accessible way possible, he could not change that basic reality.
This was precisely why he had designed the four phases of instruction in the first place.
If students were unable to absorb even the most basic theories during the first phase, then there was no chance they would be able to grasp the more advanced theoretical knowledge that followed.
Those who were unsuitable would inevitably be filtered out early on.
Before long, the content of the first lesson came to an end.
"If anyone has questions about what we covered today, you may ask them now."
The moment Aoshi finished speaking, Rin and Shizune were the first to raise their hands.
"One at a time. Let's start with this student," Aoshi said, giving Rin a gentle smile.
That simple smile caused Rin's cheeks to flush slightly.
Teacher Aoshi really was charming. In truth, she wasn't the only one thinking that—both Shizune and Kurenai, seated beside her, felt the same way.
"Rin, what is your question?" Aoshi asked.
Snapping back to her senses when she heard her name, Rin quickly voiced her question. "My question is about…"
After Aoshi patiently answered Rin Nohara's question, it was Shizune's turn.
Once Shizune's doubts were addressed, Aoshi asked the class again if anyone else had questions.
Only when the room fell completely silent did the day's lesson officially come to an end.
After Aoshi left the classroom, the students began filing out one after another.
Obito, however, immediately hurried over to Rin with a pleading expression. "Rin, please—please help me. There were so many parts I didn't understand."
He had been far too embarrassed to ask questions in front of so many people earlier.
Seeing how distressed he looked, Rin gently advised him, "Obito, you really don't have to learn medical ninjutsu just because I am."
But Obito clearly had no intention of giving up so easily. Faced with his persistence, Rin could only sigh inwardly and agree to help him.
"That's great, Rin! You really are the best!" Obito exclaimed, his face lighting up instantly.
Kurenai and Shizune couldn't help but shake their heads when they saw the scene.
---
Soon enough, another week passed.
It was time for the Special Medical Training Class once again.
However, compared to the previous week, attendance was noticeably lower this time.
The classroom, which had once been so crowded that students were forced to stand, now had many empty seats.
Clearly, a large number of students had voluntarily withdrawn after experiencing the difficulty of the first lesson.
Aoshi was not surprised by this outcome. What genuinely surprised him, however, was the fact that Obito Uchiha was still present.
What the heck? Was this kid actually serious about switching paths and learning medical ninjutsu?
It wasn't that Aoshi held any prejudice against him. After all, the monstrous deeds from the original story belonged to Obito's future self—not the kind-hearted boy sitting here now.
The real issue was that Obito was genuinely unsuited for medical ninjutsu.
Glancing at Rin seated beside him, Aoshi couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
Infatuated ones are truly incredible.
Not bothering to dwell on it further, Aoshi began the class. Just like before, he lectured first, then opened the floor for questions.
Before long, the class period came to an end once again. As expected, Obito immediately went to Rin Nohara for help after class.
"Obito, you clearly find this difficult. Why do you insist on attending every lecture?" Kurenai finally asked, unable to hold back any longer.
"That's right," Shizune echoed. "You should be focusing on Fire Style jutsu and Genjutsu instead."
What if I don't come to class with Rin, and some other boy tries to bother her? Of course, Obito would never say something like that out loud.
So he stubbornly replied, "I'm a genius of the Uchiha clan! Learning medical ninjutsu on the side is nothing for me!"
"Once I master it, you can all come to me for treatment if you get injured!"
A genius of the Uchiha clan? You're clearly dead last.
Kurenai curled her lip, showing absolutely no mercy. "Pass. I'd still choose Brother Aoshi to treat me."
Those words made Obito's face flush bright red. Fortunately, Rin stepped in just in time to save him.
"It's fine," she said gently. "It's actually good that Obito is eager to learn. Helping him also gives me a chance to review the material."
Obito was deeply moved. Rin truly was special!
Since Rin had spoken, Kurenai and Shizune didn't press the issue any further.
Another week passed in the blink of an eye.
This time, even fewer students showed up for class. Still, the familiar group of four—Rin, Obito, Kurenai, and Shizune—remained.
Fourth week… Fifth week… Twelfth week…
Soon, the three months allocated for Phase One came to an end.
"Alright, I'll need to keep you here a bit longer today," Aoshi announced after concluding the final lesson. "We're going to conduct a test. Only those who pass will be allowed to proceed to the next phase of instruction."
As he spoke, Aoshi immediately began handing out the test papers.
"The exam duration is one hour," he added calmly. "Please manage your time wisely."