Graduation

"Heh heh heh... No need to hide it..."

Orochimaru noticed Feng Ye lower his head, seemingly trying to conceal the fluctuations in his emotions. He let out a somewhat hoarse laugh and said, "Whether it was your performance in the Chunin Exams or the restraint you have shown all along, they are both ambitions you cannot hide. I was certain of it the moment I first saw you. I simply did not know what your ambition was."

"So, can you tell me what it is that you want?"

Hearing Orochimaru's words, Feng Ye appeared somewhat flustered, but he was perfectly calm inside. He knew very well that Orochimaru was different from Danzo. His desire for control was nowhere near as strong as Danzo's, and he would not mind his disciples or subordinates having ambition.

In fact.

In Orochimaru's eyes, ambition was also an admirable quality. It meant greater conviction and made one more worthy of cultivation.

Feng Ye's body swayed faintly. After hesitating for several seconds, he took a deep breath, raised his head, and looked at Orochimaru with light gleaming in his eyes. "...What I want is strength."

It was impossible to completely hide himself before Orochimaru, so Feng Ye had considered many times how to deal with this situation. The answer was not to conceal his ambition.

Different people required different approaches. In the past, Feng Ye had even considered many ways to respond to the worst-case scenario—being caught in Danzo's scheme and forced to join Root.

"I think my father died because he was weak. If he had been strong enough, there would have been no need to abandon a mission in order to save his comrades. He could have done both!"

Feng Ye raised his voice slightly, clenching his fists as if he could barely restrain his surging emotions.

It was not entirely an act.

That truly was what he thought in his heart. Not a single word was a lie, and no one could possibly spot any flaw.

It was simply that his goal was not merely to surpass Konoha's White Fang, but to reach the pinnacle of the Shinobi World and stand above the Six Paths!

"I see."

Orochimaru looked at Feng Ye, a smile appearing on his face.

Feng Ye took a breath, as though he had recovered from his brief loss of control, then looked at Orochimaru with a slightly uneasy expression.

"Your way of thinking is not wrong."

Orochimaru interrupted Feng Ye. His snake-like eyes fixed on Feng Ye as he revealed a smile that seemed capable of seeing through and bewitching the human heart. "With sufficient strength, you can indeed do anything and handle anything. No one would consider such ambition wrong."

"Though you are still weak now, as long as you follow behind me and continue moving forward, you will grow stronger and stronger. You will inherit the name of White Fang, and surpass it."

Showing a touched expression at a time like this would naturally have been best, but it would also have made it easy to expose a flaw. After all, he had already used the tactic of revealing his true thoughts to deceive Orochimaru. If everything he had done came to nothing here, the trouble would be immense.

So Feng Ye instead showed a confident expression and took a deep breath.

"Teacher Orochimaru..."

"Mhm hm hm, you are outstanding, and you are confident. I also believe you can surpass your father."

Orochimaru showed a faint smile somewhat at odds with his image, one that seemed almost a little sunny. "Now, go continue your training. If you have any questions, you may come find me again."

"Yes."

Feng Ye answered respectfully and turned to leave.

After leaving Orochimaru's research base, Feng Ye maintained a calm expression, but inwardly, he let out a long sigh of relief.

By deliberately exposing himself before Orochimaru and revealing his ambition for strength, he would most likely be safe for the time being. Dangerous topics like this probably would not come up again in the near future.

As for the long term...

There was no need to think about it.

The Shinobi World War would begin soon. Once the war began, everything would revolve around it, and during that war that would last for years, he would continuously increase his strength.

As long as he became strong enough to surpass Orochimaru, or even the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, he would be able to calmly handle any situation.

"My next goal is Kage-level!"

Feng Ye's gaze flickered as he murmured inwardly.

Time flew by.

Another two months passed.

The Ninja Academy finally welcomed the graduation and class assignments for this group of students. Everyone, including Obito Uchiha and Might Guy, passed the graduation exam.

At Feng Ye's home, Kurenai Yuhi was staring in shock at the silver-haired youth seated on the sofa.

"One of the Three Sannin, Lord Orochimaru, actually took you as his disciple, Feng Ye?!"

She had not seen Feng Ye's name on the Ninja Academy's graduation class assignment list. Startled, she had come to ask him about it, only to learn that Feng Ye had become Orochimaru's disciple.

"Yeah."

"Teacher Orochimaru does not seem to be planning to lead a three-man team."

Feng Ye nodded with a smile. He knew what Kurenai Yuhi was thinking. It was simply that after becoming Orochimaru's disciple, he would no longer be able to end up in the same class as her.

In truth, Feng Ye was also somewhat regretful about this. In his original plans, he would have graduated normally, been assigned to a team normally, and become a perfectly ordinary Konoha genin.

Then he would happily and leisurely carry out genin missions, while taking the chance to develop his relationship with the girl in his three-man team and properly experience the vitality and beauty of that age.

Yet unexpected events had come one after another.

Now, even the possibility of being assigned to a three-man team had vanished.

After the shock faded, Kurenai Yuhi said somewhat dejectedly, "Then there is no way for me to be on the same team as you, Feng Ye..."

If it had been any other situation, she might have been able to ask her father to change the assignments. But since it involved Orochimaru, there was no way anything could be altered.

"Shizune was also taken in as Lady Tsunade's disciple alone."

Rin Nohara, standing nearby, spoke up.

Feng Ye said leisurely, "Counting it like that, Lord Jiraiya is the only one who has not taken a disciple."

Rin Nohara gave a cute smile. "Although Lord Jiraiya has not taken a disciple, his only disciple has taken disciples. Your younger brother Kakashi is one of them."

"Jonin Minato?"

Feng Ye smiled faintly. "Let me guess... One of the other two is you, and the last one is Obito Uchiha."

Rin Nohara looked at Feng Ye in surprise. "Feng Ye, did you look at this year's class assignment list?"

"No."

Feng Ye shook his head. "Kakashi told me."

"I do not remember telling you."

Kakashi, who had appeared in the living room at some point, muttered this. Then he sighed and said, "Why did it have to turn out like this? One dead last, one troublesome girl... This team feels like it will be even more troublesome than before."

"..."

Rin showed a somewhat awkward smile at Kakashi's merciless jab.

Hearing Kakashi's remark that was destined to leave him single for life, Feng Ye curled his lips, looked at Rin, and pointed his thumb sideways at Kakashi. "You heard him, Rin. He thinks you are troublesome, so do not use Medical Ninjutsu on him in the future. Let him bandage himself."

"..."

Hearing Feng Ye's words, Kakashi could not help rolling his eyes.

Rin could not help laughing. Looking at Kakashi, she said, "I will work hard to learn Medical Ninjutsu. I will not hold the team back."