Firm Belief

Orochimaru's other scheduled student was Tsunade's younger brother, Nawaki.

"Don't worry, even though Orochimaru seems a bit cold, he's actually very enthusiastic."

"Moreover, he's a true genius, and his research into ninjutsu is unique. Becoming his student, you might find common ground."

Homura carefully watched Satoru's expression soften and let out a sigh of relief:

"Don't be angry... With Dad personally keeping an eye on things, Orochimaru won't do anything out of line to you."

"Heh heh... Old man has no idea how dangerous Orochimaru is."

Satoru grumbled inwardly. The guy looked harmless now, but once he started to go dark, it would be deadly.

Besides, wouldn't the first turning point for his darkness be the great war not long from now?!

Everything was planned perfectly. Nawaki was three years ahead of him, so they weren't supposed to be classmates, nor was he supposed to meet Orochimaru at all??!

The problem still stemmed from Tsunade.

That petty-minded... woman!

And to think he'd introduced such an excellent disciple to her.

Wait, wouldn't the originally well-behaved and cute Nono be taught to be like Tsunade by her!

Just like Sakura...

After taking the last bite, Satoru put down his chopsticks and rubbed his forehead hard, sighing:

"Alright, I'll reluctantly accept this explanation... but what about the subsequent practical combat exercises and exams?"

Satoru tidied up his bowls and chopsticks, then looked up at his father:

"No matter how much of a genius Orochimaru is, he's still just a Jonin. Can he just assign students like this?"

"Don't the other Jonin have any objections? And I heard the Hyuga brothers, Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuga, are also in this graduating class. Does Orochimaru not even look favorably upon the two Hyuga geniuses?"

"Orochimaru, as one of the most famous commoner geniuses in the village, it's not that he looks down on the Hyuga brothers, it's just..."

Shaking his head helplessly, Homura gave a wry smile:

"The two Hyuga brothers who just graduated are not ordinary Hyuga members."

"The elder brother, Hyuga Hiashi, is the legitimate heir of the Hyuga Main Family, meaning he's the future head of the Hyuga clan, the future patriarch of the entire Hyuga lineage."

"Even the younger brother, Hizashi Hyuga, is the future head of the Hyuga Branch Family. For a top-tier clan like the Hyuga, it's they who look down on Orochimaru, a commoner, even if he is a genius."

"You don't need to know what the Main Family and Branch Family are, it's all family drama.

In short, although these two brothers have just graduated, in terms of status alone, they are no lower than Orochimaru."

"..."

Satoru twitched his lips and said lazily:

"So, it's only families like ours that don't have this kind of drama, right..."

"...You scoundrel! Small family? The Hyuga family can't even produce a stronger individual than your father right now!"

Homura exclaimed angrily. What's wrong with being a small family? As a high-ranking advisor of Konoha, even the head of the Hyuga family had to be cautious and respectful in front of him!

In the end, ninjas still had to rely on strength to speak!

"And not only Orochimaru, but Tsunade and Jiraiya, who are equally famous, also have special missions."

Homura pushed his glasses up and patiently explained to his son:

"Tsunade, as a medical ninja, will be responsible for preparing medical support matters, while Jiraiya will be responsible for intelligence gathering and reconnaissance. Therefore, neither of them will be responsible for leading students this year."

"However, Tsunade already has a disciple. The child you introduced to her, Nono, is excellent."

Speaking of which, Homura stared at Satoru with a meaningful gaze for a few seconds, causing Satoru to wrinkle his face and grin.

"Mhm, excellent girls are always rare."

As if hinting at something, Homura then realized he might be worrying too early and could only clear his throat and continue seriously:

"So, this year, Orochimaru will be the only one among the three to lead students, but being his student is not that easy."

"Orochimaru is responsible for cultivating an elite squad. His diverse ninjutsu will make his disciples the most well-rounded elites."

"Therefore, as his disciple, you don't need to undergo practical combat exercises anymore. Based on Tsunade's description, not only Orochimaru but also Lord Third Hokage has acknowledged your performance in today's combat test!"

Homura became slightly smug: "Of course, neither I nor Kotetsu expected you to achieve this level!"

Then his expression turned serious again:

"Moreover, I see Danzō is already showing interest... so I decisively agreed, and Lord Third Hokage agreed, so Danzō didn't say anything further."

Homura snorted coldly:

"Just as I expected, even my son, Danzō wants to do something!"

"Danzō... So Mr. Blame-King also had an influence on this matter."

Satoru couldn't help but think of Nawaki. This passionate young man would undoubtedly become Orochimaru's disciple, and thus his senior disciple...

So, is it that Orochimaru isn't good at teaching disciples yet, or is Nawaki just too stupid, not elite enough...

"And is Mr. Pot King also a factor? He should be busy with other things right now..."

After thinking silently for a moment, Satoru's eyes flickered:

"Hmph, no matter what, if he's got his eye on me, it's like guarding against a thief for a thousand days. I need to make some preparations in advance."

"This time, it's for myself!"

"Since things are settled, complaining to the heavens and blaming others is useless. Dealing with the current Orochimaru, being careful and cautious should be enough."

"Then tomorrow, I'll have to 'thank' my teacher 'properly'..."

The next day, after telling Choza, Shikaku, and Inoichi, who had complex expressions on their faces, that he would be studying under Orochimaru early, Satoru encouraged the three of them and then walked towards the designated classroom.

Choza and the other two watched Satoru's departing back, exchanged glances, and nodded firmly.

"Satoru has already surpassed us by a lot. To be personally taken in as a disciple by the genius Jonin, Lord Orochimaru, if we can't even stand out in the practical combat exercises, it'll be a huge joke!"

Choza patted his belly, full of spirit, and said.

Inoichi confidently added, "We all have our clan's secret techniques, and if the three of us cooperate and form the Ino-Shika-Cho formation, I wouldn't say we'll sweep the field, but standing out is a sure thing!"

"Heh... I dare say Satoru isn't in a good mood."

Shikaku pulled his two companions closer and whispered:

"Knowing his personality, he definitely wouldn't have sought out Orochimaru willingly. There must be something going on!"

"He even told me before that he didn't want to see Orochimaru. I guess Lady Tsunade made a move!"

Choza revealed a look of understanding:

"That's right, Satoru is very low-key, but he's a true genius, he can't hide it!"

"And we have to catch up to his pace—Dad told me that being friends with a genius puts a lot of pressure on you!"

"Exactly!"

Shikaku and Inoichi nodded, their resolve only strengthening.