Orochimaru

As soon as the chakra threads loosened, Jiraiya hit the ground with a thud. Ignoring the pain, he scrambled to his feet and tried to make a run for it.

"Hold it," Nangō Kumoi called after him again, then added under the little guy's terrified gaze,

"Starting tomorrow, your physical training and shuriken practice will temporarily double. I'll have your teacher keep an eye on you. If I catch you neglecting your proper duties again..." He deliberately dragged out the last word.

"I promise there won't be a next time! I'll focus on training, absolutely!"

Jiraiya stood at attention and shouted, then bolted off like a startled rabbit, vanishing in a flash and leaving only dust swirling through the alley.

Nangō Kumoi brushed off dust that was not actually on him. Watching the little guy disappear, he could not help but laugh and curse.

"That little pervert... Fine, looks like Konoha's 'youth mental and physical health guidance' needs to be put on the agenda too."

He shook his head and continued walking back, though his mood had inexplicably lightened considerably.

Managing a village truly involved more than paperwork and meetings. It also meant catching future great writers by the ear in time and dragging them back from the path of "crime."

After resolving the educational issue of the "future great writer," Nangō Kumoi returned to his residence after night had fully fallen.

The residence was not luxurious, but it was spacious and quiet enough. It had been allocated during the Second Hokage's era to core disciples, and now it naturally belonged to the newly appointed Hokage.

He had just lit the study lamp and was preparing to sort through the finer details of the industrial plan when he heard a familiar knock.

"Kumoi, it's me, Hiruzen."

"Come in, Senior Brother."

Hiruzen Sarutobi pushed open the door, carrying a thick dossier. His face held the exhaustion of a day's work, but his gaze remained steady.

"You're not resting yet? Good. The preliminary list of families requiring priority compensation and resettlement has been compiled, along with notes on their specific circumstances. I thought you might want to look it over, especially several special cases."

"Thank you for your hard work, Senior Brother Hiruzen. Have a seat." Nangō Kumoi took the dossier and unfolded it beneath the lamp.

The list was long. Behind every name was a shattered family, and the sight weighed heavily on his heart.

He carefully read through the notes, focusing on families that had completely lost their breadwinners and were left only with the elderly, weak, women, and children. He planned to personally visit several of the most destitute households the next day.

Hiruzen Sarutobi handed over the compensation list, and Nangō Kumoi examined it carefully. When he saw the name "Orochimaru" and the note behind it, his fingers suddenly froze, and his pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

This was not one of the future Sannin—the pale, cold-blooded man obsessed with forbidden techniques and immortality. According to this dossier, he was merely a seven-year-old orphan who had just lost both parents in the same battle, with exceptional chakra talent.

Fragments of chaotic memories struck him. In the original story... right, Orochimaru's parents really did seem to have died during the First Shinobi World War.

And the true turning point that sent that intelligent, sensitive boy sliding toward the abyss came years later, when Nawaki Senju, the disciple he regarded as his own son—or at least had poured sincere master-disciple affection into—died tragically in an Explosive Tag trap.

It was that meaningless destruction of a young life that completely ignited Orochimaru's fear and doubts over life's fragility, driving him to madly pursue the nature of life and the art of immortality until he ultimately went to extremes.

Right now, he was not Cold-blooded Orochimaru. He was only a gifted child who had lost everything to war and stood alone amid the ruins of the world.

Hiruzen Sarutobi keenly noticed Kumoi's momentary stillness, and his gaze fell upon that line as well.

"Orochimaru... I have some impression of this child too. During testing, the chakra control he displayed was so refined it hardly seemed possible for a child, and his mind was extraordinarily sharp. What a pity that he suffered such a disaster.

"Kumoi, you seem... particularly concerned about this child?" He was somewhat puzzled, because Orochimaru was not the only child on the list in such circumstances.

Nangō Kumoi recovered from his brief distraction and let out a soft breath, pointing at the note.

"I just think... it's especially regrettable. Senior Brother Hiruzen, look. With talent this outstanding, his mind must have matured early.

"A child like this suddenly loses his closest family, then is placed in an unfamiliar and chaotic environment—a temporary shelter—with no one to guide him with care.

"Where will his intelligence and sensitivity lead him? Will he become a pillar supporting the village, or..."

He did not continue, but Hiruzen Sarutobi already understood his concern. Talent was a double-edged sword, especially when it lacked proper guidance and emotional support.

"I understand what you mean."

Hiruzen nodded solemnly.

"A seedling like this cannot simply be treated as an ordinary orphan. His heart and future require more careful protection and planning."

"Yes." Nangō Kumoi affirmed, his thoughts becoming clearer.

"First, material security must be prioritized and sufficient, so he does not need to worry about survival.

"Second, we need to arrange for reliable, patient, and reasonably educated people to visit him regularly and offer the care of elders, rather than merely administrative attention.

"Most importantly, there is his education and psychological guidance."

He looked at Hiruzen, his expression serious.

"Please make sure to instruct the Ninja Academy teachers to pay close attention to his condition.

"His intelligence needs challenges, and he can be given somewhat deeper academic guidance, but even more importantly, we must foster his emotional bonds with his companions and the village.

"Perhaps... under supervision, he could be allowed access to some basic books on natural science, biology, history, or philosophy?

"Guide his excessive thirst for knowledge and any confusion about life that loneliness may breed toward broad and healthy exploration of knowledge, rather than letting him obsess over a dead end."

He emphasized, "He must feel that his intelligence is valued, that his future is closely tied to Konoha, and that he is not alone.

"What we must do is provide him, as much as possible, with a stable, loving environment full of opportunities for exploration, in the hope that he will use his talent for creation rather than... destructive pursuit."

Hiruzen Sarutobi carefully noted down all of Nangō Kumoi's instructions regarding Orochimaru and said seriously,

"I understand. I will pay special attention to this child.

"If his talent is guided properly, he will surely become a pillar of the village. If left to drift, it is indeed worrying.

"I will seek suitable candidates to care for him regularly, and I will give him appropriate academic challenges and guidance, doing my best to let him feel the village's warmth and expectations."

Nangō Kumoi nodded, sighing inwardly. Nawaki's death... that was a crucial point in the future.

If possible, I absolutely cannot let that meaningless tragedy happen again.

And Orochimaru... in this life, before pain and obsession consumed you, I hoped I could lay out a different path for you.

Konoha needed scientists and explorers, but it did not need mad geniuses willing to use any means to achieve their goals.

Books, care, proper guidance, and even the concept of a "home" worth protecting... he hoped it could change the course of that lonely star.