Naruto: Tenseigan Eye

Here's the revised version with clarified details and smoother transitions:

Nawaki and Jiraiya shared some similarities, but the differences between them were far greater.

After pondering for a moment, Minato Namikaze asked curiously, "Teacher, are you worried that Nawaki will end up like Jiraiya—the dead-last?"

"Isn't he already the dead-last?" Shinki replied with a teasing smile.

Minato looked confused. The title of dead-last for Nawaki was clearly a joke.

With Nawaki's talent, he couldn't truly be considered the dead-last. Back in the academy, Nawaki had been a standout, even among his peers. It was just that his genius hadn't been as dazzling or as recognized.

Ironically, after leaving the academy to train under Shinki, Nawaki had unofficially earned the title of dead-last.

"In truth, if we're talking about rankings over time, Jiraiya isn't the dead-last. That title belongs to Orochimaru—or maybe even Tsunade," Shinki said.

"Huh?" Minato was stunned. "Orochimaru is the dead-last?"

The notion seemed absurd. Orochimaru had always been regarded as a prodigy, a genius from childhood. Even now, Orochimaru was arguably the strongest of the three.

Tsunade had always been considered the middle ground—not as strong as Orochimaru, but far from weak. As a child, she wasn't as strong as Orochimaru, and after Jiraiya started to rise, she fell behind him. However, her unique secret techniques had eventually allowed her to surpass Orochimaru in certain areas.

Among the three, Orochimaru had reached his peak relatively early and had made little progress since. Meanwhile, both Tsunade and Jiraiya had continued to grow stronger. Tsunade relied on her secret techniques, while Jiraiya gained strength through experience and careful preparation.

"Oh, Shinki, are you suggesting Jiraiya is stronger than me?" Orochimaru's amused voice suddenly interrupted. Minato flinched, looking like a child caught gossiping.

Shinki glanced at Orochimaru, who emerged from the woods in an elaborate, noble outfit. His lips twitched in disapproval. "Go change. That outfit is hideous."

"Hideous?" Orochimaru raised a hand and twirled lightly. With his long hair, pale skin, narrow face, and earrings, he could pass as a beauty from afar.

Up close, however… well, admiration was best kept at a distance.

Shinki couldn't help but criticize the extravagant clothing styles some ninjas embraced. While they worked for women, on men—especially on Orochimaru—they looked bizarre. Yet, Orochimaru seemed to revel in his unique style.

Though Orochimaru wasn't officially a noble, elite Jonin from the five great ninja villages were entitled to wear such attire. Most ninjas wouldn't parade around in noble clothing, but Orochimaru, of course, did as he pleased.

As he approached Shinki and Minato, Orochimaru retrieved a scroll, pulled out several bottles of juice, and tossed one each to them.

"Thank you for the juice, Orochimaru," Minato said politely, bowing slightly.

Shinki, on the other hand, skipped the formalities and immediately unscrewed the cap, taking a long drink.

As Shinki drained most of the juice, Orochimaru smirked and asked, "Shinki, do you truly believe Jiraiya is better than me?"

"It depends on the situation," Shinki replied with deliberate vagueness.

Minato perked up, intrigued, while Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed. "What situation?"

"If it's an impromptu fight with no preparation, you're better than him," Shinki explained. "But if Jiraiya has time to prepare, you'd have no choice but to retreat."

"Because of Sage Mode?" Orochimaru asked knowingly.

Jiraiya had learned Sage Mode from Mount Myoboku's toads. Orochimaru, on the other hand, had declined to learn Ryuchi Cave's Sage Mode due to its inherent risks.

"Yes," Shinki confirmed, tossing the half-empty bottle to Minato. "Even a half-baked Sage Mode significantly boosts Jiraiya's strength."

Orochimaru nodded thoughtfully before asking, "And what about Tsunade?"

Shinki chuckled, a sly grin spreading across his face. "I'll tell you this—don't mess with Tsunade. Her methods may look simple, but if she fights recklessly, you could try to kill her a dozen times and still fail. She'll just keep getting up."

"…"

Most ninjas, as assassins, relied on overwhelming offense but were fragile in defense. Tsunade, however, flipped that concept on its head. Once she released her Yin Seal, she became nearly unkillable. Even critical injuries—like a slit throat, pierced organs, or even a pierced heart—couldn't stop her. She would simply regenerate and continue fighting.

This was the terrifying power of the Yin Seal. The longer it had been charged, the longer Tsunade could endure. Even being cut in half wouldn't stop her.

Orochimaru's golden pupils gleamed with fascination. If only I could study that technique…

But Shinki quickly shut down that idea. "Don't even think about it. The Yin Seal is only suitable for women. If it worked for men, don't you think Tsunade would've taught it to Nawaki by now?"

If men could master the Yin Seal, Tsunade would have already passed it down to Nawaki or others in Konoha.

So far, Tsunade was the only one in Konoha who had fully mastered the technique. Kushina had begun training under Tsunade but had to pause due to her missions and Tsunade's busy schedule.

The thought of Kushina one day combining the Yin Seal with her monstrous strength and the Nine Tails' chakra was daunting. When fully developed, she would be nothing short of a nightmare.

"By the way," Shinki said, changing the subject, "what made you leave your lab today?"

For someone like Orochimaru, leaving his lab without progress was rare. Usually, only significant events could pull him away. Yet nothing noteworthy had occurred in the village recently.

And then there was his outfit—a fashion choice that could make even seasoned warriors cringe.

Shinki's gaze sharpened as he studied Orochimaru closely, his steps halting mid-stride.

Orochimaru paused, puzzled by Shinki's scrutiny.

Minato, balancing the juice bottles, looked between his teacher and Orochimaru, thoroughly confused. What's so strange about his outfit?