Despite the short period of time, under Orochimaru's close supervision, Kano, Kushina, and Haru experienced a significant increase in their abilities. Each of them mastered several practical techniques. This rapid progress was due not only to their solid foundation, but also to Orochimaru's skill as a mentor. This is the value of a sensei: to help Academy graduates reach their potential as quickly as possible.
Of course, we must not forget about natural abilities.
Haru, despite his reserved nature, trained no less than Kushina during the week. But his progress was significantly slower, not to mention Kano, whose training was the most intense.
The world is unfair. Most people's fate is predetermined from birth. Stories about how hard work can overcome talent are just empty words. Some people are just lucky enough to be born gifted, and all you can do is envy them, knowing that you will never reach their level.
Seeing Kano and Kushina leave him behind left Haru feeling very downhearted. The difference in their abilities had been obvious even in the Academy, but under Orochimaru's leadership it had become even more obvious, to the point that it left him feeling bitter. So why, despite all his efforts, were his results so different from Kano and Kushina's?
Tormented by this question, Haru felt a strong frustration, but fortunately, he did not abandon his training and still completed all the tasks given by Orochimaru. Otherwise, his sensei could have expelled him from the team before the first task.
Kushina, being a kunoichi, had talent that was on par with male ninja. She combined a woman's meticulousness and excellent chakra control with a man's stamina and strength. She was undoubtedly a genius, and if all went well, she could very well reach the level of the Sannin in the future. And in that week, Orochimaru had clearly seen her potential.
However… While Kushina's achievements surprised Orochimaru, Kano's achievements amazed him.
Once Kano demonstrated stable chakra control, Orochimaru decided to begin teaching him ninjutsu. And beforehand, he tested the nature of Kano's chakra, which turned out to be threefold: lightning, wind, and fire.
But that wasn't what amazed him. Kano, having seen sensei perform seals just once, was able to perform the technique on his own. Even though the first application was clumsy and weak, the fact that he was able to do it the first time already spoke volumes. All that was left was to consolidate the skill, which wasn't particularly difficult.
Having discovered Kano's abilities, Orochimaru, while maintaining an outward calm, was once again convinced of the correctness of his decision. On that rainy day, having seen only a fraction of the boy's potential, he realized that he would grow into a mighty tree.
On the last night of the tenth day, before his first mission, Kano continued his intense training. Due to the peculiarities of his body, he performed a daily amount of work that Kushina and Haru could hardly even imagine.
The night was deep. In the yard, next to an old tree, a boy, like a robot, was lifting and lowering a heavy stone barbell, monotonously repeating the same movement. And in the moonlight, apart from the hanging silence, only his heavy breathing could be heard.
"Tomorrow is your first assignment. You better save your strength and be in shape," a cold and hoarse voice suddenly rang out from the corridor connecting the house with the garden.
Kano stopped the barbell abruptly at the top, took a deep breath in and out, squeezing all the air out of his lungs, and slowly lowered the heavy weight. He turned his head toward the corridor where a tall, slender man stood.
"I know the state of my body very well," he replied. After which he lowered the barbell, not because he listened to Orochimaru's advice, but out of respect for his sensei.
Orochimaru looked at him, remembering the features of his body, and a light flashed in his eyes, coldly saying, "All the better."
With these words he turned and headed to his room. After seeing him off with his eyes, Kano resumed his monotonous exercises.
Having learned that eating food quickly relieves fatigue, he trained like crazy, not afraid of harming his body with excessive loads.
In Konoha, the number of people who knew about his physique did not exceed ten people. Among them were no representatives of the Akimichi clan. And although the energy Kano received from food was not converted into chakra, it allowed him to quickly restore his physical condition. This fact could give rise to many ideas for the Akimichi clan, both good and bad, so the Third Hokage preferred to keep it a secret.
Was Kano's unique body feature limited to rapid recovery through food consumption?
No.
Kano himself did not think so. As time went on, he felt more and more control over his body's coordination. Moreover, he vaguely suspected something else. Although he could not get a direct answer, he had a premonition that the body he had acquired in this world had exceptional advantages.
Having finished his grueling workout, he washed himself, ate a substantial amount of food, and obediently went to bed.
Waking up early in the morning, he nimbly jumped out of bed, stretched his limbs and cracked his neck with satisfaction. Daily intensive training did not harm him. Every morning he woke up not only cheerful, but also full of energy.
"I wonder what the first task will be?" he thought.
Having prepared himself, Kano did not wait for Orochimaru. Even before the appointed time, he left the house and headed to the meeting place.
When he reached the place, the morning fog had not yet cleared. Ignoring the dew that covered the wooden pole, Kano leaned against it and dozed off while waiting for the others.
"Good morning, Kano," a familiar voice rang out. The first to join in was Haru, who, upon seeing Kano, automatically greeted him.
"Good," Kano replied, opening his eyes slightly and nodding in greeting.
After taking a look around and making sure that neither Orochimaru nor Kushina were there yet, Haru sat down next to Kano. After which, Kushina soon appeared, followed by Orochimaru.
True to his style, Orochimaru, seeing that everyone was assembled, announced without further ado, "This time, we have received a C-rank mission. The objective is to destroy a bandit gang. I will tell you the details on the way. Follow me."
Having said this, he, without waiting for a reaction, turned around and headed towards the exit of the village.
To destroy a gang of robbers… That meant they would have to kill.
With these thoughts in mind, Kano followed Orochimaru. Under the gaze of the shinobi guarding the gate, they left Konoha.
In over three years of living in Konoha, this was the first time Kano had left the village. It might be hard to imagine how a person could stay away from the village for so long, but it was normal. It wasn't safe outside of the village, and Kano had known that from the start. So, leaving Konoha didn't exactly fill him with excitement. Instead, he continued to listen intently as Orochimaru explained the details of the mission.
The goal is to destroy a gang of robbers who terrorized a small village located on the banks of a river.
Over two hundred miles from Konoha, on the banks of a river, there was a village inhabited by ordinary people. Since the territory of the Land of Fire was not a battlefield, ninja from enemy countries would not waste time attacking peaceful settlements. However, recently a small group of bandits appeared, settling in the mountains nearby. They periodically raided the village, robbing and killing the inhabitants, treating them like cattle. The bandits did not destroy the village immediately, but the inhabitants, unable to withstand the constant terror, sent their man to Konoha with a request for help.
This was the mission Orochimaru accepted. The reason was simple: for ninja, killing is a common thing, and sooner or later you have to start. For Kano, Kushina, and Haru, this mission was to be the first step in their shinobi careers, as well as the first bloodshed.