Entering the Academy

The moment Ye Zi returned to the residence, he hurried straight to Orochimaru's room. A few seconds later, after enduring one of Orochimaru's ice-cold glares, he was unceremoniously thrown out of the room.

After being thrown out, Ye Zi obediently returned to his own room. That snake-like, icy gaze had chilled him to the bone. If he provoked Orochimaru any further, he might actually be killed. Based on this near-certain guess, he made sure to remember one rule from then on: never act rashly.

That evening, it was time for dinner again. The dishes were as plain and orderly as ever, and no one spoke while eating.

Orochimaru ate with an indifferent expression, as though the incident of Ye Zi disturbing his rest had never happened. Yet at the time, he had looked just like a snake about to pounce on its prey.

Ye Zi did not even dare sneak a glance at Orochimaru. He kept his head down and ate. At noon, during his first meal at the same table as Orochimaru, he had not eaten much because he had been afraid of overstepping his bounds. But now that he had resolved to restore his health, he let himself go and ate ravenously.

Orochimaru noticed this but did not pay it much attention. After silently eating his fill, he rose and walked toward the courtyard, tossing out a cool remark before he left.

"Clean up after you finish eating."

Ye Zi, who was still eating, froze. He raised his head toward the doorway, but Orochimaru was already gone.

"Oh."

After answering the air, Ye Zi swept all the food from the table clean, then washed every bowl and pair of chopsticks.

It took little more than ten minutes to finish cleaning up, yet Ye Zi suddenly felt the weakness in his body slowly fading.

"Hm?"

He raised his arm in confusion and clenched his fist tightly. It seemed he could already exert a little strength, and he was no longer as feeble as before. No wonder he had not felt particularly tired while washing the dishes.

As expected... if I want to restore my health quickly, I just need to eat more.

Ye Zi did not know that his body possessed an excellent ability to absorb energy. Every grain of rice and every drop of water could provide energy for his body, but the amount absorbed did not depend simply on how much he ate. It depended on the efficiency with which his body absorbed energy. Likewise, the amount of Chakra a person could absorb and contain was limited. Although it could be increased through later training, there would ultimately still be a limit imposed by the body.

One meal had already restored some of his physical condition, and Ye Zi's mood immediately improved. Thinking of the decision he had made that day, he mustered his courage and headed toward the courtyard.

When he reached the wooden corridor leading to the courtyard, he saw Orochimaru sitting quietly on it, his feet resting on the oval stones serving as steps.

Ye Zi stood there hesitantly for a moment before gathering his courage and sitting down beside Orochimaru. Orochimaru showed no reaction to his action.

Ye Zi remained silent at first, pondering how to begin. The last rays of dusk shone over the two of them, casting everything in a hazy golden light.

"After some time, I'll send you to the Ninja Academy."

Just as he was still thinking about what to say, Orochimaru suddenly spoke. His slightly hoarse voice was as indifferent as ever.

"The Ninja Academy?" Ye Zi froze.

Orochimaru looked at the old tree in the courtyard. His gaze was deep as he said calmly, "Three years. That's how long you'll need to graduate from the Ninja Academy."

Although Ye Zi did not know what the Ninja Academy was, he was not stupid. With a little thought, he could guess that it was a place where he could learn strange abilities.

"If I enter the Ninja Academy, can I learn power like yours?" Ye Zi asked, his eyes shining.

Orochimaru turned his head slightly and studied Ye Zi for a moment before giving a faint nod. He said indifferently, "That place is only for laying a foundation. If you want to truly gain power, you'll ultimately have to rely on yourself."

"I understand."

Ye Zi nodded heavily, his small hand clenching into a fist. The Ninja Academy was the first step, but three years was far too long.

One year... no, half a year to build a solid foundation.

Ye Zi thought silently, unaware that the great war had only just ended. Konoha Village did not currently need hastily raised new forces. To reduce the death rate among new recruits, everyone had to honestly study for three years before graduating from the Ninja Academy.

In the days that followed, Ye Zi's appetite grew every day, while Orochimaru either left early and returned late or disappeared for several days at a time.

Half a month later, Ye Zi's skinny, bony body gradually filled out, and his loose clothes had become snug.

That day, Orochimaru suddenly said, "Get ready. I'm taking you to register at the Ninja Academy today."

Though Ye Zi was surprised, he had already been mentally prepared. After changing into a set of clothes for going out, he followed Orochimaru toward the Ninja Academy.

At the end of June in Year 29 of Konoha, the Ninja Academy welcomed a new batch of students. The Fourth Hokage, who would later become renowned throughout the world, entered the Ninja Academy on this very day. Aside from Minato Namikaze, there were no particularly outstanding ninja among his classmates. But now, there was also Ye Zi...

On the road to the Ninja Academy, many ninja could be seen leading their children in the same direction.

Ye Zi kept up with Orochimaru's slightly brisk pace. Every ninja they passed cast Orochimaru a reverent look. Once Orochimaru moved ahead of them, Ye Zi could always hear the ninja behind them looking at Orochimaru's back and quietly instructing their children, "You must work hard and become an excellent ninja like Lord Orochimaru in the future."

Aside from the ninja who knew to educate their children at the right moment, quite a few people also stole glances at Ye Zi before whispering among themselves.

"That child is the one Lord Orochimaru brought back from outside."

"I heard he's a child with exceptional talent."

"And he's being raised by Orochimaru. It's easy to imagine that he'll achieve great things in the future."

"Hey, even if his talent isn't that good, Orochimaru's guidance will surely make him strong. If only my child could have Orochimaru as his team leader after graduation."

The journey from the residence to the Ninja Academy was quite long. As they walked, Ye Zi finally realized that the man ahead of him seemed to be an extraordinary figure. At the very least, Orochimaru was the center of every conversation.

Listening to the people's murmurs and seeing the undisguised reverence in their eyes, Ye Zi finally turned his gaze toward Orochimaru's back. He did not inexplicably decide that he wanted to become as great as this man in the future. What he thought at that moment was how he could obtain power from him.

After arriving at the Ninja Academy, perhaps because of Orochimaru's status, the staff member who received them was not only enthusiastic but frighteningly efficient. Ye Zi was soon registered and officially became a child newly enrolled in Konoha Village's Ninja Academy.

Once everything that needed to be handled had been taken care of, Orochimaru glanced at Ye Zi. He did not even offer the expected words of advice, merely tossing out one sentence before leaving.

"I'm leaving."

Already accustomed to Orochimaru, Ye Zi simply nodded. He watched Orochimaru's figure disappear from sight before following the Chunin responsible for reception toward the classroom.

If not for Orochimaru's status, the Chunin would never have taken the initiative to escort Ye Zi to the classroom.

Along the way, the Chunin secretly studied Ye Zi. He felt that Ye Zi was very different from the other children his age. The biggest difference was that Ye Zi was far too calm; he lacked the excitement a child should have had.

"This is the place."

Stopping in front of a door, the Chunin pointed at the classroom and smiled.

"Thank you."

Ye Zi thanked him, pulled open the classroom door, and walked inside.

There were already quite a few people in the classroom. When they saw the door open, the noisy chatter instantly stopped, and everyone turned their eyes toward Ye Zi, who had just entered.

Everyone's gaze lingered for only a few seconds before moving away as they returned to their own business. Only one person continued looking at him.

When Minato Namikaze saw Ye Zi, his eyes lit up slightly. When he saw Ye Zi looking his way, he rose with a gentle smile and waved.

The child sitting beside Minato looked at him in surprise, wondering if Minato knew this unfamiliar newcomer.

Before entering the Ninja Academy, these children of the same age had either known one another or at least seen one another many times. Ye Zi alone had appeared out of nowhere. Before this, none of the children in the classroom had ever seen him.

Ye Zi stood at the doorway and silently looked at Minato. With golden hair and sapphire-like eyes, Minato was one of the few people who had interacted with him before. Ye Zi wondered whether he should go over to Minato.

Minato seemed to notice Ye Zi's hesitation. A trace of helplessness flashed through his eyes, as though he could already see himself being ignored by Ye Zi for the second time.