Ultimate Approval (Please Follow)

"As long as you perform well and can learn it, your teacher naturally won't be stingy with ninjutsu."

"Let's find a place to rest and chat."

With that, Orochimaru turned and walked toward a shady spot untouched by the battle, where the sun was completely blocked out.

It was worth noting that no matter how much commotion was made on the training grounds, no ninja would come interfere, so long as it did not spread outside.

The training grounds were meant for ninja to train and spar, and both training and sparring were rather private matters.

Uchiha Gen nodded and followed Orochimaru over, finding a patch of grass beneath a tree some distance away from him and sitting down.

"Gen, do you have a dream?"

Orochimaru leaned casually against the trunk, one leg crossed over the other and his hands behind his head, his golden pupils gazing up at the sky.

Why did everyone in this world like asking about other people's dreams?

Couldn't they ask about something else?

Or was Orochimaru testing whether his way of thinking aligned with his own?

Uchiha Gen grumbled inwardly, but his face remained impassive. "Of course I do. Everyone has dreams, don't they? Otherwise, what's the difference between them and salted fish?"

"That's quite an interesting way of putting it."

"Then what is your dream?"

Orochimaru lowered his head to look at Uchiha Gen. His pale face carried a faintly amused smile that looked somewhat eerie.

"I have two dreams. Perhaps I'll have even more in the future."

"You're quite greedy. Tell me."

"My first dream is to live freely."

Orochimaru's brows drew together slightly. This disciple seemed to have a rebellious streak.

But... it did not matter. As long as he remained stronger, that rebellious streak could only lie dormant.

A crow could not see its own blackness. Orochimaru himself had a rebellious streak too—and a large one, at that.

"That dream of yours is difficult."

"Everyone in this world is bound: by their clans, by ninja rules, by worldly conventions, by their villages, by the ninja world, by their lifespans..."

"To live freely and do whatever one pleases—even I cannot achieve that."

Uchiha Gen shook his head. "Teacher Orochimaru, living freely does not mean doing whatever one pleases. I merely want the right to say no when faced with things I do not wish to do."

"I see. Then the difficulty drops considerably."

"With your teacher's strength and status, there is basically no one who can force me to do something I do not wish to do."

"Not even my teacher."

Uchiha Gen agreed with Orochimaru's words.

Take the various human experiments. If Orochimaru truly did not wish to conduct research, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other Konoha higher-ups could not force him.

The same was true of how Jiraiya and Tsunade could roam freely outside the village. It was utterly impossible for ordinary ninja to be as free and unrestrained as they were.

"What is your second dream?"

At those words, a trace of shyness appeared on Uchiha Gen's face, and he remained silent for a long while.

Orochimaru grew even more interested at the sight and urged him on. "Speak. Why are you acting so coy?"

Seeing this, Uchiha Gen gritted his teeth and said, "I want to pursue the pinnacle of power, wield the authority I want, enjoy the girls I want, see the scenery I want to see, eat the food I want to eat..."

"If there must be a time limit after I achieve them, I hope that limit is forever!"

Forever?

Orochimaru's eyes lit up. Wasn't forever the same as immortality?

He sought to master every ninjutsu and uncover every truth in the world. Compared to his dream, his disciple's ambitions were undoubtedly much more vulgar.

The pinnacle of power was a lofty pursuit, and authority was not bad either—it could mobilize all kinds of manpower and resources to advance research. But what were women, scenery, and food supposed to be?

No matter how beautiful scenery was, it was merely a pile of lifeless objects; if not for reproduction, women were utterly meaningless; food merely provided energy for activity, so whether it tasted good or bad did not matter at all.

Still, vulgar as it was, his disciple's ambition for immortality, just like his own, was worthy of praise.

They were the same kind of person!

Everyone regarded immortality as impossible. They were all frogs at the bottom of a well. He insisted on researching this forbidden field and becoming the first immortal in all of history!

At that thought, Orochimaru could not help growing excited. The gaze he turned on Uchiha Gen was more fervent than ever.

That fervor made goosebumps rise all over Uchiha Gen's body, but he still forced himself to remain calm.

He knew Orochimaru did not have any strange ideas about him. He was simply excited to have found someone like-minded.

Given Orochimaru's obsessive fixation on immortality, as long as someone revealed an ambition for eternal life, even if they were utterly powerless, he would most likely not harm them. Instead, he would vigorously nurture and protect them.

Orochimaru, pursuing immortality alone, was deeply lonely because no one understood him—not even his closest teacher and companions.

Orochimaru needed understanding, needed support, needed companions who could walk forward with him.

Even without companions, Orochimaru would continue onward without wavering. But given a choice, who would enjoy loneliness?

Even for a transmigrator like him, with a cheat and bloodline, Orochimaru's usefulness remained immense.

He was not deceiving Orochimaru. He truly wanted immortality!

No desire in this world surpassed immortality. Immortality was the ultimate form of desire, the ultimate collection of all desires!

Forget immortality—even the chance to live a little longer drove people mad with pursuit. Between life and death lay great terror.

Of course, there was no shortage of people who had accepted life and death, but they were ultimately a minority. Most people still feared death.

Immortality was possible in this world, so why would he not pursue it?

"Cough, cough. My second dream may be too unrealistic."

"Teacher Orochimaru, what is your dream?"

"To become Hokage?"

Hearing this, Orochimaru gradually calmed down. At least his gaze was no longer so fervent. The corner of his lips curled up, and his low, hoarse voice rang out.

"Your teacher is also a very greedy person."

"Becoming Hokage is merely my first dream. Compared with my second dream, it is not that important."

"Your second dream is?" Uchiha Gen promptly played along.

"I want to master every ninjutsu in the world and uncover every truth in the world!"

"To accomplish all that is impossible within a mortal lifespan, so I will pursue immortality!"

Before his like-minded disciple, Orochimaru did not conceal anything. For the first time, he voiced the deepest ambition buried in his heart.

Uchiha Gen was dumbfounded. Only after a long while did he say, "Teacher, your dream is far greater than mine."

Orochimaru smiled in satisfaction. "Do not be discouraged. Although your dream is somewhat vulgar, our ambition to pursue immortality is the same."

"By comparison, it is only a little lower than my pursuit, and it is far loftier than the honor pursued by most of your Uchiha Clan..."

Uchiha Gen said solemnly, "Thank you for your guidance, Teacher Orochimaru. I am willing to follow behind you and contribute my share to the path of immortality!"

"Ha ha ha..."

Orochimaru rose to his feet and threw back his head in hearty laughter, his voice brimming with joy and exhilaration.

This was perhaps the happiest day since he had come into this world. Even when he had been alone and helpless and taken on a teacher, he had not been this happy.

"I wouldn't agree even if you wanted to slack off."

"That's enough for today. Go to my residence at two tomorrow afternoon."

"You know where it is, right?"

"I asked Anko."

"Good."

With that, Orochimaru's body swiftly sank into the earth...

Once Orochimaru had vanished, Uchiha Gen also left with a broad smile.