Xu Ming left, unaware that Orochimaru had already begun forming his own conclusions about him.
After leaving the hospital, Xu Ming headed to the back mountain. There, he found the old white ape and infused it with a shot of Yang Release. He then instructed the ape that someone would soon ask for its help and to cooperate when the time came.
The old white ape, who revered Xu Ming like a deity and had already benefited from Yang Release, naturally did not resist.
Having taken care of this, Xu Ming returned home.
A Week Later
Xu Ming visited the hospital daily to check on Orochimaru and observe his plans for domesticating a group of creatures. Throughout the entire process, he remained silent.
Orochimaru, in turn, treated him as if he were invisible, fully engrossed in his own research.
The moment his plan was complete, Orochimaru wasted no time leaving the hospital. Packing only a few days' worth of rations, he ventured into the back mountain, following the old white ape in search of a suitable group.
"This won't do..."
"Too weak, no significant energy enrichment..."
"Maybe I should focus on insects since they reproduce faster? That might make domestication easier."
Upon his return, Orochimaru was still lost in thought, evaluating the best approach to domestication. His appearance was disheveled, and he looked like a wanderer who had spent days in the wilderness. These three days were only a preliminary investigation; the real domestication process would require much more time and validation.
Though Orochimaru returned to rest, the old white ape continued its work in the mountains, directing a large number of monkeys to search for creatures that met Orochimaru's requirements.
Xu Ming, however, did not accompany them, as this phase was merely about data collection. He only checked in on Orochimaru when he left and returned.
The Third Hokage's Interference
The Third Hokage, however, was not pleased.
Despite his busy schedule, he personally visited Xu Ming's house on the night of Orochimaru's return, eager to reprimand them both.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The Third Hokage sat in the living room, knocking the table with his fingers in frustration.
"Orochimaru, what were you thinking? The doctors said you needed a month of treatment, yet you discharged yourself after just a week?"
"And as soon as you got out, you ran straight into the mountains. Do you even care about your own well-being?"
Orochimaru remained silent, head lowered.
"And you, Xu Ming! Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on him? Is this what you call looking after him?"
Xu Ming sighed, raising his hands in surrender.
Neither of them spoke, allowing the Third Hokage to vent his frustration. They understood that his anger stemmed from genuine concern. From any elder's perspective, seeing a young student discharge themselves early from the hospital and head straight into the wilderness—filled with wild beasts and poisonous insects—was reckless and alarming.
So, they simply accepted the scolding without resistance.
After half an hour of reprimanding, the Third Hokage finally took a sip of tea, calming down.
He glanced at the two silent boys in front of him and saw through their act. Though they appeared obedient, their stubbornness was evident—they had no intention of changing their ways.
"I'm not against your research," he said, his tone now calmer. "But aren't you being too impatient? Even if you can sense natural energy, mastering it takes years. And that's with the guidance of the Three Great Holy Lands.
"Without their help, the two of you will have to explore everything from scratch. Every step will require trial and error.
"You're only ten years old. You have plenty of time. There's no need to rush."
His words were sincere, but they didn't affect Xu Ming or Orochimaru at all.
After all, if they had the option to sprint instead of walk, why wouldn't they?
Seeing their unwavering resolve, the Third Hokage sighed in resignation. "Fine. It's clear you won't listen." He stood up, preparing to leave. "Just don't get yourselves hurt."
From his perspective, their excitement was natural. Seeing progress so early on had fueled their eagerness. But natural energy was no ordinary force—it was dangerous, difficult, and largely unexplored.
He was certain that soon enough, frustration from repeated failures would wear them down.
"Children are always impatient," he muttered as he walked away.
"Even the First Hokage took years to master Sage Mode. Can these two truly endure such slow progress for years?"
He highly doubted it.
For now, he decided to let them be. Once failure set in, he would step in to console them.
Half a Year Later
Time passed in the blink of an eye.
Xu Ming and Orochimaru both celebrated their birthdays, officially turning eleven.
To the Third Hokage's astonishment, the failure he had anticipated never came. In six months, he had never once needed to offer the words of encouragement he had prepared.
"No way… Did they actually succeed?" The disbelief on his face was unmistakable.
In the Forest
With the old white ape's help, Orochimaru had successfully located three suitable groups:
A pack of gray wolves.
A colony of hawks.
A migrating herd of wild horses.
Roar!
At that moment, the leaders of the three groups stood facing each other, their hostility palpable. Their growls and cries filled the air, each asserting dominance.
Nearby, Xu Ming and Orochimaru concealed their presence, observing from the shadows.
Excitement flickered in their eyes.
Over the past six months, they had carefully monitored and cultivated these groups. Their method was simple yet effective: they began by selectively enriching the lowest tiers of the food chain. Starting from their food sources, they gradually nurtured stronger and healthier prey, which, in turn, strengthened the predators who fed on them.
Additionally, Xu Ming had used Yang Release to transplant a variety of strong, energy-rich plants, considering them a secondary approach to absorbing natural energy.
However, the results on the animal side had outpaced their expectations.
"Plants lack intelligence and are naturally suited to absorbing natural energy," Orochimaru whispered to Xu Ming. "But because they grow slowly and live long lives, their bodies are too stable."
"On the other hand, animals gain strength quickly through consumption."
"And after just one season of selecting and refining their food sources, we're already seeing significant changes."
Xu Ming smirked, watching the intense confrontation between the animals.
Their experiment was finally bearing fruit.