Handling

After carefully examining Ye Zi's body, Tsunade walked toward Orochimaru without saying a word. Her beautiful eyes were filled with confusion... and astonishment.

Ye Zi only heard Tsunade mention the vitality of his cells. After that, his eyes went blank as he immersed himself in what he had witnessed earlier—the palm emitting a green glow, and the man who could send snakes shooting out from his sleeves. Everything had dealt him an enormous shock. He had reason to believe... that these might only be fragments of what this world had revealed. Beyond them, there might be things even harder to believe and comprehend.

It seemed... he had come to an extraordinary world.

"Orochimaru, come with me for a moment." Tsunade lowered her voice as she passed him.

The corner of Orochimaru's mouth lifted imperceptibly. It seemed that child truly was unusual. He glanced at the dazed Ye Zi, then followed Tsunade some distance away.

When Ye Zi came back to himself, all he saw were Tsunade and Orochimaru's backs vanishing into the darkness. He paid it no mind, propped his forehead on his hand, and began considering what to do next.

The first thing was to understand this world. The second was to gain the strength needed to ensure his survival. The third was to find a way back.

After witnessing Tsunade and Orochimaru's inhuman abilities, Ye Zi instead felt that there might truly be a way to return to Earth. The thought filled him with motivation, and excitement inevitably surfaced on his face.

He had to go back...

Whenever he thought of Ye Rui lying alone in the hospital, waiting to die, Ye Zi wished he could ascend to the heavens in a single step and return to Earth.

Clenching his fists tightly, Ye Zi suppressed the turmoil in his heart and tried to calm himself. He had no desire to reveal anything suspicious in front of those two monsters. For now, all he could do was gain more of their trust, gradually learn about this world, and then master those unknown abilities.

Ye Zi stared fixedly into the campfire before slowly unclenching his fists. Tsunade and Orochimaru's departure had originally been an excellent opportunity to escape. If he had not established his goal, perhaps he would have turned and run right then.

"Tsunade... Orochimaru..."

His gaze slightly unfocused, Ye Zi's lips moved slowly.

Crack.

A sharp sound suddenly came from the darkness, seemingly the sound of a dry branch snapping beneath someone's foot.

Ye Zi's gaze immediately sharpened. He tilted his head slightly and looked expressionlessly toward a patch of darkness, pretending to be doing nothing.

Tsunade and Orochimaru emerged from the darkness, their expressions different. Orochimaru's coldness carried a hint of excitement, while Tsunade's blank expression held a trace of gravity.

Ye Zi had no idea what the two had gone off to do, and wisely chose not to ask.

That night passed in silence...

One week later, Konoha, the Hokage's office.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen, still in his prime, wore a thoughtful expression. Before his simple desk stood Tsunade and Orochimaru. As for Ye Zi, after returning to Konoha, he had been temporarily settled somewhere. Whether he would be allowed to remain was still uncertain.

After a long while, Hiruzen looked at his students, who showed no sign of backing down, and said gravely, "Although this war has temporarily subsided, we cannot casually take in outsiders from other villages. War may break out again at any time."

After speaking, Hiruzen frowned in frustration...

Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Tsunade...

These three students had truly performed excellently, especially in this war, where they had shone brilliantly. Yet the war had only just paused. During this period of reconstruction, Jiraiya had stayed outside to care for war orphans. Then his most prized student, Orochimaru, had brought a war orphan back to the village. Not only had Tsunade not tried to stop him, she had tacitly accepted Orochimaru's decision.

Hiruzen had yet to meet that child. Yet regardless of whether the child possessed a special bloodline limit or some special power, it was difficult for him to decide to let him stay. With conflicts constantly arising, even a small child could potentially be an enemy spy.

"He must stay." Orochimaru rarely maintained such a firm stance, and that was precisely what Hiruzen found difficult to understand. Could the child they had brought back truly be that special?

Tsunade stood silently to the side. Since entering the office, she had remained silent, and she intended to continue doing so.

"You should understand the risks involved." Hiruzen raised his brow slightly and tapped the desk with his index finger. "At present, we must eliminate every possible variable."

In truth, even if Hiruzen agreed to let the child stay, Root, lurking in the darkness, would not allow it unless...

Orochimaru showed no emotional reaction to Hiruzen's firm refusal. He said calmly, "The Anbu are not so incompetent that even a child without Chakra could become a variable, are they?"

Hiruzen's expression shifted slightly. "Then what exactly about this child is worth your insistence on keeping him?"

Orochimaru said, "One day, he can grow into a towering tree!"

Hearing this, Hiruzen silently studied Orochimaru. If he truly grew into a great tree, would he provide shelter for Konoha, or merely absorb Konoha's nourishment?

Hiruzen only gave such a distant question a passing thought rather than dwelling on it, because he believed such a thing was impossible.

And so...

"He may stay, but the Interrogation Squad must search his memories."

Orochimaru was slightly startled, then agreed to the condition without hesitation. Given Ye Zi's young age and lack of Chakra, allowing the Interrogation Squad to freely search his memories would lead to two possible outcomes.

One was that Ye Zi would become an idiot. The other was that Ye Zi would lose all his memories. Given Ye Zi's condition, the chance of him becoming an idiot was greater.

If he became an idiot so easily, then there would be no need to keep him. If he lost all his memories, that would also be a good thing. It would allow Ye Zi to make a fresh start in Konoha. Perhaps that would be the best outcome. Either result was acceptable to Orochimaru. In fact, if there were a third outcome... that was what Orochimaru did not wish to see.

At this, Tsunade's body trembled slightly, but she said nothing.

Orochimaru, you...

Hiruzen gave Orochimaru a deep look and finalized the matter.

At that very moment, Ye Zi, who was busy attacking his meal, knew nothing about it.