Snake Aunt

Chapter 38: Snake Aunt [Seeking Recommendation Tickets]

Boom—

In an instant, Toneri felt his head explode, and his vision went black.

He had tried Shadow Clones last night, but because he had entered the sealed space, he didn't feel much. He only felt a new memory added to his mind, and it wasn't abrupt at all.

But this time, releasing five Shadow Clones at once made Toneri, who was experiencing such a magnitude of impact for the first time, find it difficult to accept.

In fact, Toneri had been a bit overconfident. If he had released the Shadow Clones one by one, he might not have suffered this level of mental shock.

He knelt by the river, hands propped on the ground, his face pale, and he gasped for air.

It was only because he had prior experience with memory shock that an ordinary person would have already collapsed on the ground, twitching and foaming at the mouth.

After a long time, his vision slowly returned.

A lot of knowledge learned in the Ninja Academy suddenly flooded his mind, along with the fatigue in his body. It wasn't just the fatigue from Taijutsu training, but also the feeling of muscle memory from practicing throwing ninja tools and Hand Seal exercises.

Shadow Clones, as Toneri understood, did indeed accelerate his learning speed. It was just that five Shadow Clones were currently his limit.

"Hoo—Next time, I should release them one by one. Otherwise, a few more times like this would be… too stimulating.

Also, if Kushina wants to skip class again next time, she should come by herself and not take up a Shadow Clone's spot..."

Toneri staggered to his feet, rubbing his head and pressing on his temples.

"Oh? It seems Toneri-kun understands the mechanism of Shadow Clones quite well. I didn't expect the Ninjutsu researched by the Second Hokage to be so suitable for you Jinchuriki, with your immense Chakra and powerful bodies..."

Abruptly, a soft, or rather, effeminate voice sounded in Toneri's ear.

Toneri froze in place. He was absolutely certain that after Minato and Kushina left, he was the only one in the small grove.

There were Anbu Ninja monitoring the surroundings, so no one could have approached him silently.

But as this voice sounded, Toneri could feel that the source of the voice was right behind him, and the flow of breath as the person spoke was as if it were right by his ear.

A figure appeared behind him.

A pale face, long dark hair, wearing Konoha's standard green ninja vest, golden eyes, purple eyeshadow, and a very long tongue licking his lips.

He looked like a poisonous snake that had spotted its prey.

Toneri slowly turned his head. For some reason, he felt goosebumps all over his body.

Just hearing the voice sent a shiver down his spine.

Finally, with a sense of trepidation, Toneri saw the man standing behind him.

That man!

He had already become famous throughout the Shinobi World, enjoying immense popularity in Konoha, and was among the top three candidates for the next Hokage. He was also the man who single-handedly supported the entire technological advancement of the Ninja World.

He was affectionately called Lord Orochimaru, and in Toneri's previous life, people affectionately called him Snake Aunt. He could be considered one of the most successful survivors in the Naruto world, managing to last until the very end.

Furthermore, he was the only S-rank Rogue Ninja who, through his own efforts, was able to return to a ninja village.

He was Toneri's role model, the person he wanted to learn from.

Yet, this was precisely the man Toneri least wanted to encounter in all of Konoha.

Even Hiruzen Sarutobi, the current strongest person in Konoha, or the cunning and treacherous Shimura Danzō, who was dark from head to toe, Toneri wasn't too worried about encountering them. But this man standing behind him was the one he least wanted to meet.

You never knew when you'd end up on his operating table, or when you'd be dissected.

Of course, he wasn't that extreme yet, but it was certain that at this point in time, his thoughts were already beginning to deviate from the norm.

The slender tongue licked his lips again, and the pupils in his yellow eyes, like a snake's, looked at Toneri with growing interest.

"It seems Toneri-kun knows me. Why are you so afraid of me?" Orochimaru tilted his head, his eyes filled with increasing curiosity.

Toneri's fear was well-hidden, but Orochimaru's keen senses had already picked it up.

At this moment, Toneri truly wished he could die.

He would rather not know so much about Orochimaru; perhaps then he wouldn't be so terrified when facing him.

His stiff facial muscles twitched, and he forcibly suppressed the complex emotions within him, forcing a smile that was uglier than a cry. "S-Snake Aunt... Pah, Lord Orochimaru."

He almost called him the wrong name. Thankfully, he stopped himself in time, or he probably would have been fed to snakes tomorrow.

Upon hearing this, a smile appeared on Orochimaru's face. "Hmm? It seems just as the old man said, he's a very clever little fellow. A Two-Tails Jinchuriki?"

Toneri was on the verge of tears.

He finally understood where the problem lay.

No wonder Hiruzen Sarutobi was so nonchalant about letting him stay with the Nara Clan, move freely around Konoha, and even attend the Ninja Academy. He wasn't worried about Toneri doing anything detrimental to Konoha or losing control.

So, he had been waiting all along.

Waiting for the great Orochimaru to return, so that Toneri would have someone to "watch over" him.

He just didn't understand why it had to be Orochimaru. Wasn't Tsunade a better choice?

Did Hiruzen Sarutobi not know that on rainy days, milk and cats go better together?

What the hell are cats and snakes now?

A zoo?

He complained wildly in his heart, but didn't dare show any expression on his face.

On the surface, I was calm, but in my heart, I was throwing punches. This perfectly describes Toneri's current state of mind.

"Lord Orochimaru, what do you need me for?"

Toneri suppressed the fear in his heart and asked the only question that could change the current situation.

Orochimaru looked at Toneri, who was gradually calming down, and licked his lips again.

As everyone knows, when Orochimaru licks his lips, it means he's interested.

"Nothing much, the old man just insisted I take a disciple." Orochimaru lightly fiddled with his hair with his excessively pale hand and casually stated the purpose of his visit.

Toneri: "..."

Actually, although the current Orochimaru was meticulous and cruel in his methods, he was far from the extent that Toneri remembered him to be in the future.

He was still a Konoha Ninja who respected his teacher, was willing to protect his companions, Konoha, and his disciples.

It was just that in the recently concluded Second Shinobi World War, Orochimaru's disciple, his friend Tsunade's younger brother, Nawaki, had died on the battlefield, giving him a clearer understanding of the fragility of human life.

Therefore, no matter how unwilling he was to take a disciple, he was still unwilling to disobey Hiruzen Sarutobi's orders.

The current Orochimaru was a strong contender for the position of Fourth Hokage. The only one who could compete with him was Konoha White Fang, Hatake Sakumo, who had gained fame in the Second Shinobi World War.

If he were to become Orochimaru's disciple, the implications would be far from simple.

This was almost like being directly pulled onto the Hokage faction's chariot!

At the same time, Toneri also understood one thing: establishing a relationship, whether as brothers, spouses, or master and disciple, between a Hokage successor and a Jinchūriki served the same purpose.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was paving the way for Orochimaru!

"Wow, your hair/clothes today... look really good!"

"Alright, everyone who sees this sentence will be taken by me! You all belong to me now!"

"After all, we're all readers, we have a connection, and I've even complimented you and flirted with you. If I don't take you in, wouldn't that be unfair to you? Am I going to poison people? Otherwise, the poison will be a bit too much."

"This logic... tsk, no problem! I, Jin Mu, am truly a benevolent person!"