Orochimaru was not yet ten years old.
Granted, in the world of shinobi, even two- or three-year-olds were nothing like ordinary children.
Still, Tobirama Senju specifically choosing Orochimaru as his disciple at this age had set plenty of imaginations running wild.
But amid the fast-paced work and life of Konoha Shinobi Village, everyone soon forgot about it.
Orochimaru was only a child. Even if he were to become someone illustrious, surely that would take another ten years, or even longer?
It was a bright, breezy winter morning.
Orochimaru stood at his front door, saying goodbye to his parents. Still so young, he felt uneasy about the fate awaiting him.
The man he was to call his teacher was Tobirama Senju, the Third Hokage whom his parents revered.
At their first meeting, Tobirama Senju had told Orochimaru expressionlessly that they would now be master and disciple, and that Orochimaru would have only one day each month to return home and reunite with his parents.
As a young child, Orochimaru had no say in the matter. He could only accept the adults' arrangements.
Tobirama Senju reached out and rested his hand on Orochimaru's small, slender shoulder.
Orochimaru felt his parents, who had been smiling and bidding him farewell right before his eyes, suddenly disappear.
In their place came a gust of windblown snow and a clear morning sky lit by the sun.
The strange scene sent Orochimaru's heart racing.
Orochimaru slowly stopped looking up at the adult beside him and turned his gaze toward the road ahead.
Looking down, he saw a road leading into a dark, untamed forest, with towering trees on either side.
"Orochimaru, this is where you will train from now on. Do not tell anyone what you see or hear here, including your parents."
Tobirama Senju's low voice