Orochimaru's Interest

"...are such fragile things."

Walking down the street, watching the villagers bustling to and fro beneath the twinkling stars, Orochimaru unconsciously whispered these words.

Tsunade's departure had only deepened this sentiment.

Born into a chaotic era and raised amidst war, he should have been indifferent to the fading of human life, yet he was not.

Tsunade's departure made him feel it all the more keenly; whether it was Nawaki or Dan, they were people he had known quite well—especially Nawaki, whom he had watched die in an explosion with his own eyes.

He reflected, suddenly realizing that the familiar faces around him were becoming fewer and fewer. Aside from the Third Hokage, who grew older by the day, and Jiraiya, who was always chattering away but never failed to keep him from feeling annoyed, there were almost no old acquaintances left, especially now that Tsunade had gone.

Even Sakumo was dead, leaving behind only a son. That son was a genius, too, but what did that matter? Who knew when he might die as well...

It was truly unsettling. Might he, too, suddenly perish one day? No matter how powerful a person was, once they were dead, what meaning did their past glory hold? Even those stone carvings of the Hokage on the cliffside were things that could be easily destroyed by a single ninjutsu.

The aura around Orochimaru suddenly turned much colder, and a flash of yearning crossed his eyes.

"What's wrong, Orochimaru?"

A hand slapped onto Orochimaru's shoulder, and a boisterous voice rang out beside his ear, loud enough to be considered "deafening."

There was no need to think; the only idiot in all of Konoha who dared to pat his shoulder was Jiraiya. The Third Hokage wouldn't pat his shoulder—he would pat his head, though thankfully, he didn't do that anymore...

"Jiraiya..."

His amber, serpentine pupils darted to the side. Because of these eerie eyes, most enemies would feel their hearts skip a beat before a fight even began.

It was not some ocular jutsu, but a natural peculiarity of his birth. Combined with his raspy voice, it added a sense of mystery—or perhaps, a sense of intimidation.

However, such things were completely useless against the guy beside him, whose nerves were thick enough to be used as a cudgel.

"You are as noisy as ever..."

Even so, he actually enjoyed it; after all, he was human, and he, too, needed someone to care.

"Don't be like that!"

Jiraiya stretched out an arm, hooking it around Orochimaru's neck without the slightest bit of courtesy. As an aside, his other hand was clutching a large skewer of squid...

The two were currently walking through the commercial district. Compared to the daytime, the night market had a unique charm. Even in times of war, the villagers of Konoha kept their businesses running, which served as a sort of buffer against the tense atmosphere.

"Seeing you so deep in thought, could it be... you like Tsunade? Are you reluctant to see her go? Wahahaha..."

"That joke isn't funny at all. If Tsunade were here, you'd probably be getting beaten up right about now..."

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, his lips curling into a faint smile.

From childhood to adulthood, he had always worn a smile that carried a heavy sense of disdain. This was the reason ordinary people never dared to approach him; such an aura was equivalent to having "Do Not Disturb" written across his face, and his gloomy presence was enough to scare every child in Konoha to tears.

However, when he was with Jiraiya, Tsunade, and the others, he was clearly different—at the very least, there was a touch more warmth than usual.

"Let's change the subject..."

Jiraiya looked left and right with an awkward expression, then his eyes lit up.

"Oh! The sake at that shop is excellent! Come on, come on, my treat today!"

With that, Jiraiya darted off in a flash.

Orochimaru curled his lips slightly. He didn't dampen Jiraiya's spirits and began walking toward the shop as well.

"Lord Orochimaru!"

Just then, a Konoha ninja appeared at the end of the street and ran toward the two of them.

"No way... another mission? I haven't even had a few days of rest..."

Seeing the ninja running toward them, Jiraiya immediately wore a bitter expression, casting a regretful glance at the hostesses inside the shop.

"Didn't you hear? He's here for me; you can continue."

Orochimaru replied indifferently.

"Looking for you is the same as looking for me! We're comrades, after all!"

Jiraiya replied shamelessly.

"Your business is Lord Jiraiya's business!"

"You are you, and I am I. That is something that will never change."

Having said this with a double meaning, Orochimaru walked up to meet the ninja. By this time, he had already returned to his usual demeanor.

"What is it?"

"Lord Hokage asked me to inform you that he is waiting for you in his office."

Looking at Orochimaru's icy face, the Konoha ninja couldn't help but swallow hard.

"Understood. I'll go at once."

Orochimaru nodded and looked back at Jiraiya.

"Jiraiya, do as you please. I'm leaving."

With that, he strode away, ignoring the shouting behind him.

However, Jiraiya clearly had no intention of doing as he pleased. He had intended to take Orochimaru out to clear his head today, and since Orochimaru was gone, there was no point in wandering around alone. Therefore, he completely ignored Orochimaru's rejection, followed him anyway, and trailed him all the way to the Third Hokage's office...

"Jiraiya, why have you come as well?"

The Third Hokage looked at Jiraiya, who was swaying unsteadily and looking like a complete mess, with some surprise.

"I didn't summon you..."

"I just came to take a look."

Jiraiya chuckled foolishly.

"Forget it... Orochimaru, among everyone, you have the fewest disciples. That doesn't seem quite right."

"Do you need to blame me?"

Orochimaru gave a sinister smile.

"Wanting power while also wanting an easy path—where is there such a simple thing in this world?"

He was referring to those clan heirs. As one of the Sannin, many clans hoped their children could study under them, but those born into prominent families were often a bit too "delicate," and none of the Sannin were particularly gentle when it came to training apprentices.

Jiraiya was slightly better, but those assigned to Tsunade would all be crying for their parents within a single day. As for Orochimaru, he was naturally intimidating, and in the end, very few could endure his methods.

Currently, Jiraiya's disciple, Minato, had already become a top-tier expert of Konoha's new generation. Setting aside the fact that Tsunade didn't have a single disciple, even Orochimaru only had Anko, and she was still just a little girl.

In terms of being a master, Jiraiya could be considered to have rarely beaten Orochimaru for once.

"You didn't have good intentions when you assigned those people to me, did you?"

After laughing, Orochimaru dropped this remark, which made the Third Hokage cough incessantly.

"Cough, cough... Let's not discuss that. However, take a look at this person..."

Konoha's efficiency was truly impressive; in such a short time, the Third Hokage already had a preliminary profile of Kagetsu Qi in his hands.

"Kagetsu Qi?"

Orochimaru took the file and read the name aloud.

Even without the Third saying it, he knew why he had been summoned. Was he planning to have him act as this child's teacher? However, among the influential clans in Konoha, there didn't seem to be a surname like Kagetsu.

He continued reading...

"Kekkei Genkai user? An outsider currently under review!?"

He raised his voice slightly at the last sentence, which clearly displayed his astonishment.

Konoha's vetting process was extremely strict, let alone finding a teacher for someone whose review hadn't even passed yet. Wasn't this preferential treatment a bit excessive?

Furthermore, the teacher being sought was one of the Sannin! A large number of Konoha clans wanted to plant their descendants under the Sannin or experts like the Yellow Flash as disciples, but how many had succeeded?

The Sannin's standards for selecting disciples were terrifyingly high. Even Jiraiya, who had taken in the most, had never accepted any clan descendants. The reason was simple: he didn't think much of them!

Clan influence could not affect experts at the level of the Sannin...

"Sarutobi-sensei, I think you owe me an explanation."

Orochimaru quickly calmed down. Why was he worrying about this? Since the Third had called him here, he clearly intended to explain. Otherwise, as in the past, wouldn't it have been enough to just shove the person at him and wait for them to get lost on their own?

"You all understand what kind of thing Wood Release is, don't you?"

The Third nodded. There were no outsiders here, so he spoke plainly.

"Old man, you don't mean to say that this brat can use Wood Release, do you?"

Jiraiya leaned in, straining to peer at the file in Orochimaru's hand. Eventually, Orochimaru couldn't stand it anymore and simply shoved the file into his hands.

Jiraiya was happy to oblige; after accepting it without ceremony, he waved it around incessantly.

"That is a technique unique to the First Hokage. Even if someone could use it, it should be Tsunade or her relatives."

"I never said he could use Wood Release."

The Third looked at Jiraiya with the gaze one might reserve for an idiot.

This foolish disciple, why is he so dense? And stop interrupting me, you old man!

"The power of Wood Release stood at the pinnacle during that era of countless strong men; you know this..."

"Because it could even capture Tailed Beasts..."

Orochimaru interjected.

"Though the Uchiha were involved in that as well."

"That's about right... In any case, ever since the First passed away, this type of release has vanished. However, various countries and clans have not given up on developing similar fusion releases. The Yuki clan is the most successful one."

"Yuki?"

Whether it was Jiraiya or Orochimaru, they were unfamiliar with this name.

To repeat the old saying, the time since the Yuki clan rose to prominence was too short—too short to even make a name for themselves in the ninja world...

Fortunately, the Third did not live up to his title of "Professor"; he finally knew a thing or two.

"The difference between fusion release and composite release lies in the fact that the former often possesses special abilities. As far as we know, the Ice Release of the Yuki clan is the most powerful fusion release besides Wood Release."

"So that's how it is... A fusion release like Wood Release—this is truly interesting!"

Orochimaru licked his lips; this was a sign of his excitement.

However, that was also the direct reason why many people feared him; he already had a deathly pale face, paired with a pair of snake-like pupils, and he would constantly flick his tongue—the visual impact was simply too much...

Or rather, it was too terrifying; he wouldn't even need makeup to star in a horror movie...

"When do you plan to let me take over?"

Although he was looking forward to it, Orochimaru still asked, as he was well aware of Konoha's procedures.

"I have already designated the vetting process as a priority, but there shouldn't be any issues. The Yuki clan has already been wiped out by the Land of Water's Daimyo, and the Kaguya Clan is being monitored by Mist Ninja; they will follow in the Yuki clan's footsteps sooner or later."

Seeing that Orochimaru did not object, the Third Hokage felt relieved.

"However, the vetting process is far too long. It would be more convenient if you took him under your wing for a while first."

"Heh heh..."

With a chuckle, Orochimaru naturally understood what that "convenient" implied.

"In that case, I'll go take a look at that child first. There's someone named Ogata, right? To have actually survived against Sakumo... quite impressive..."

After saying this, Orochimaru had no desire to wait any longer. Driven by a strong interest in Ice Release and Ogata, he vanished from the room instantly...

"Hey, hey, what about me..."

Jiraiya looked at the spot where Orochimaru had disappeared with dissatisfaction.

How could he do this... Could it be that that brat Orochimaru didn't realize how bored he was right now?

"If you are feeling idle, I don't mind arranging some missions for you."

The Third Hokage looked at Jiraiya, the words "ill intentions" practically written all over his face.

"Old man, then I'll be going now, no worries..."

With a dry laugh, Jiraiya quickly scurried away. Of course, he was going to find Orochimaru; with his skills, unless Orochimaru was intentionally avoiding him, he would be able to track him down soon enough.

"What an unfilial disciple, he doesn't even know how to share the burden for an old man like me..."

Watching Jiraiya "flee in panic," the Third Hokage rubbed his temples with a headache.

"Always lazy and slack, and he even likes to peep... honestly, this idiot, who exactly did he learn that from..."

Muttering complaints, he sighed and took a puff of his pipe, then refocused his energy on the other documents on his desk.

Who told him to be the Hokage, after all...

However, compared to the Third Hokage, Kagetsu Qi was undoubtedly much more relaxed at this moment, for he was so comfortable that he had become bored.

Konoha was indeed very polite to them; not only did they arrange rooms for them in the residential area, but they also kept their dwellings very close to each other—a treatment that should have only been granted after the vetting process was cleared.

The only restriction was that they were temporarily forbidden from leaving their respective rooms or wandering about...

"So bored..."

Lying on the roof, Qi had counted stars until his eyes were going blurry.

He hadn't left the building, he was just on the roof; besides, the rules they set for him weren't a three-dimensional boundary, but a flat one.

"What should I do... right, I can't do anything at all right now..."

Thinking of the smiles on the faces of the Konoha people when they set the rules for him, Qi felt a headache. He really couldn't do anything but wait for news; he wasn't even allowed to go out to buy food, as someone would bring it to him.

As for the consequences of breaking the rules, there was only one: being sent to the Interrogation Department to have tea with those interrogators who wished everyone were a criminal...

Thus, his only entertainment was watching the starry sky. Fortunately, this place wasn't like Earth with such severe pollution; the view of the stars here was incredibly clear.

He didn't know how much time had passed, and just as Qi was about to fall asleep, a hoarse voice, accompanied by a light chuckle, reached his ears from all directions...

"You are Kagetsu Qi? To not stay in your room but run up to the roof instead, it seems you aren't exactly an obedient person... That's good, only then can you be my disciple!"

A man appeared abruptly beside Qi, as ghostly as a phantom...

"Who is it?"

Qi was startled; this person had arrived too strangely, without even a hint of warning!

He took one look at the other party and froze...

With a cold sneer, long black hair flowing in the wind, a deathly pale complexion, eerie snake-like pupils, and wearing a white kimono with countless magatama-shaped patterns embroidered on the wide collar and cuffs...

This person... could it be Orochimaru!?