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Chapter Text

A dazzling, blue-violet flash of lightning, as if meant to pierce and tear apart the heavens and the earth, suddenly burst forth.

Not long after, "Boom, boom, boom—"

A continuous series of earth-shattering roars, accompanied by deafening thunder, instantly spread in all directions.

In less than the blink of an eye, the forest for hundreds of meters around had been reduced to ashes by this world-destroying ninjutsu, and the buildings that once stood there were shattered into a heap of ruined debris.

A strong smell of burning permeated the air—the scent of destruction.

"Crackle, crackle—"

Tiny electric currents continually and haphazardly moved across the ruins until they lost their energy and uncontrollably burrowed into the ground.

"Swish, swish, rattle, rattle—"

Countless pieces of shattered rock and mud dust mixed with an unceasing downpour of rain, accompanied by the immense sounds fading farther and farther away until they gradually disappeared.

Several wisps of pale-white smoke curled and snaked toward the sky.

In the center of the devastated area, only one young, handsome figure, dressed in a kimono patterned with a fan design, stood proudly upright.

"Hah... whew..."

The boy's uncontrollable, heavy gasping indicated that he was utterly exhausted.

Rain mixed with sweat dripped from his cheeks, which he didn't bother to wipe away.

Uchiha Sasuke stared through the continuous curtain of rain at the familiar, yet somehow alien, figure lying on the ground not far away.

The surroundings were completely silent, with only the gentle rain still "pat-pat-pat—" tapping against the ground.

The rain gradually stopped.

"Hoo... hoo... hoo..."

A series of gentle breezes blew, bringing the refreshing coolness of the just-cleared weather.

The thick, dense dark clouds, which seemed to have solidified into a tangible form, gradually dispersed.

After staring for a moment and seeing that the figure on the ground still hadn't moved, Sasuke let out a heavy sigh, "Hah—", as if expelling years of hatred and melancholy.

A long-lost feeling of relief and ease welled up in Sasuke's heart, though it was subtly entangled with a deep, sorrowful pain and grief.

The alluring, blood-red Three-Tomoe Sharingan in his eyes slowly faded, and he lowered the incessantly screeching blue-violet Chidori in his left hand.

"Thud—"

Sasuke, completely drained, slumped onto the slippery ground. His eyes, now vacant with both liberation and confusion, lost their focus, and he muttered to himself, "It's finally over!"

Suddenly!!!

"Is this... the image of my death... you wished to recreate?"

A familiar voice rang out.

Sasuke's body, which had been slumped on the ground, instantly tensed. His jet-black eyes, due to immense surprise and terror, condensed into two tiny black circles, and he suddenly looked toward the place where Uchiha Itachi had fallen.

Uchiha Itachi, who was lying on the ground, was covered in patchy scorch marks from the intense electrical current he had endured. His right hand was completely charred, a stark contrast to his pale left hand, making him look utterly wretched.

Yet, this very person, whom Sasuke believed to be dead for sure, staggered and stood up.

"Ugh, pfft—"

Itachi continuously coughed up dark-red blood, indicating his injuries were severe.

Sasuke cursed under his breath, "Damn it!"

The Three-Tomoe Cursed Seal on his shoulder activated again, immediately switching him to the Second Stage form with grayish skin, long hair, and two tengu wings sprouting from his back. His dried-up chakra was refined once more, and he stared vigilantly at Itachi's frail body.

"Hiss—"

An eerie, translucent dark-red flame, accompanied by a shocking, immovable aura, surged forth from Itachi's seemingly wind-blown body, quickly growing larger and stronger.

"Crack, crack, crack—"

Following a chilling sound of bone dislocation, a massive, half-body skeleton clearly emerged within the flames. It stood behind Itachi, along with the unsettling red blaze.

"Pfft—"

Itachi spat out another mouthful of blood, yet a look of relieved satisfaction hung on his lips. He spoke softly to Sasuke: "If I didn't have this, I really might have been killed.

You've truly become strong, Sasuke!

Now, let me show you my final trump card!

Susanoo!!!"

Sasuke could sense the powerful threat emanating from the flames and the astonishingly massive energy contained within the skeleton. His heart grew incredibly heavy.

Beams of dazzling sunlight, like sharp swords piercing the sky, broke through the thick curtain of dark clouds, illuminating the colossal skeleton.

The strange skeleton within the red flames suddenly began to transform.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle, clang—"

Thick, coarse sinews quickly surged out from the gaps between the joints, wrapping around the massive bones, giving rise to strong muscles and even a majestic, powerful suit of armor.

In just a few breaths, a colossal, mighty half-body warrior, holding a shield in its left hand, had appeared within the rolling red flames. A supreme, overwhelming pressure emanated from its body, forcing itself fiercely towards Sasuke.

Itachi, encased within the red flames, spoke coldly: "What's wrong? Chakra exhausted, left completely helpless?"

Inside the depths of Sasuke's body, Orochimaru felt an uncontrollable surge of excitement, and he slowly began to tempt Sasuke: "Lend it to you... my power!

I know you need it, don't you?

Sasuke, accept my power, kill the man in front of you, and take your revenge!

Come! As long as you accept my power, your wish..."

"Damn it—" Sasuke struggled against the erosion of Orochimaru's power.

However, how could Sasuke, who had exhausted his chakra, resist the mighty Orochimaru?

A powerful, chilling, snake-like surge of colossal energy erupted from the depths of Sasuke's body. Like a surging tide or a wildfire sweeping across the land, it became unstoppable.

"Aaaah—"

An intense, tearing pain radiated from Sasuke's Cursed Seal.

An eight-tailed, eight-headed white-scaled serpent drilled out of his body, stretching its enormous, hill-like frame in the air. "Hiss! Roar! Roar!—" It continuously roared and bellowed at Itachi, emitting a cold, eerie pressure that seemed to come from an ancient, primal era, confronting Itachi's Susanoo without yielding.

The two powerful pressures constantly collided and crushed one another in the air. The very atmosphere seemed to become thick and congealed.

Itachi, standing in the red flames, smiled wider, a look of understanding or perhaps the relief of a long-sought goal achieved.

Eight Branches Technique!

Hmph. You finally decided to come out, Orochimaru!!!

The eight-tailed, eight-headed white-scaled serpent aggressively bore down on Itachi, "Boom, boom, boom—" grinding up dust along its path.

Itachi gave a cold smile, staggered his feet, and moved to meet it.

The eight ghastly white serpent heads writhed and danced their massive bodies in the air, nearly obscuring the vast sky.

They opened their grotesque fangs and viciously lunged at Itachi from different directions, attempting to devour him.

A trail of dark-red blood hung on Itachi's lips, yet his eyes were perfectly clear as he surged the remaining chakra within his body.

The majestic warrior behind Itachi raised its thick right arm. The strong arm surprisingly had two hands on one arm. The lower hand held an ancient, rustic-looking gourd, while the upper hand was empty.

After the warrior raised its right hand, the large hand holding the gourd clenched.

"Whoosh—"

A golden light immediately surged from the mouth of the stopper and landed in the other hand, instantly transforming into a sword wreathed in roaring golden flames.

The golden longsword was raised high toward the sky and brandished in the air.

"Slash! Boom—"

One colossal white-scaled serpent head was instantly severed and smashed onto the nearby ruins.

"Hiss! Roar! Roar! Roar!—"

With one head cut off, the Eight-Headed Serpent grew more ferocious in its pain, its cries becoming sharper and more intense.

Three more serpent heads attacked.

"Slam—"

The warrior raised its left round shield, staunchly blocking the attack, while its right hand, without pausing, sliced down once more.

"Boom, boom, boom—"

Three more serpent heads were severed, and dark-red serpent blood flowed all over the ground.

The remaining serpent heads of the Eight-Headed Serpent suddenly lunged, coiling up and around the warrior's body, binding it tightly.

"Roar—"

The warrior in the red flames let out an inhuman roar of fury. The red flames surged, and the seemingly indestructible golden sharp sword cut upward, tracing a golden flash of light as boundless as the sky.

"Boom, boom, boom—"

Three more serpent heads fell to the ground.

With only one head remaining, the Eight-Headed Serpent retreated a few steps, showing submission. Seven horrifying stumps of severed necks on its ghastly white body continuously bled torrents of serpent blood, splattering onto the ruins. The air was filled with a pungent, nauseating smell of blood.

Itachi controlled the warrior in the red flames. It didn't pursue, merely watching coldly.

The remaining single serpent head opened its mouth toward the sky.

"Sliiiide, slash—"

A chilling sound of tearing muscles rang out. From inside the serpent head's pink mouth, a naked man emerged. With his inky black hair and mesmerizing golden snake eyes, it was Orochimaru.

"Hmph hmph, haha, haha—"

He licked his lips and laughed wildly. His long-cherished wish was finally about to be fulfilled. The body of the Uchiha clan was about to be his, and he would finally possess the Sharingan.

At this thought, an uncontrollable excitement surged through Orochimaru's heart.

The moss-green Kusanagi Sword extended from his mouth.

Orochimaru spoke deeply to Itachi: "Thanks to you!

Thanks to you for making Sasuke exhaust the chakra that was suppressing me! Hmph hmph!

In that case, I'll take his body now!

Haha..."

However, before he could finish his laugh, a sharp golden light had already pierced through his snake-like, ghastly white body.

The seemingly indestructible golden light effortlessly penetrated Orochimaru's body, bringing out a spray of dark-red blood and exiting through his back.

"Splat—"

Orochimaru spat out a mouthful of blood but didn't seem to care, saying arrogantly, "Itachi, do you think you can kill me with an attack like this?"

Uchiha Itachi showed a hint of a mocking smile.

Orochimaru's gaze suddenly froze. A powerful sense of intense danger abruptly arose within his body.

His abundant, powerful chakra, like a flood bursting through a gate, rapidly drained away, flowing out in an unrestrained torrent, madly pouring out of his body and into the golden longsword that had pierced him.

Orochimaru lowered his head and looked on in disbelief, muttering, "This, could this be... the Totsuka Blade?"

Itachi didn't reply, his smile only growing colder and more sardonic.

Orochimaru's mind was a mess. It had been a long time since things were out of his control like this. Damn it, is it going to end?

The suction from the Totsuka Blade grew stronger and stronger. Not only was his inner chakra, but even his body and consciousness were gradually being decomposed, stripped away, and sealed within this legendary sword.

Orochimaru knew the effect of this sword: everything it pierced would be sealed.

Terrifying, chilling, endless darkness gradually encroached upon Orochimaru's consciousness. A feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time surged into his heart. The uncrowned king of the darkness clearly recognized this feeling: fear, the fear of death.

The pursuit that consumed his entire life, the abandonment of what should have been abandoned, and the abandonment of all that shouldn't have been abandoned—all for what? Only for eternal, immortal life and power to stand above all others.

But now, all of it was about to return to dust. Orochimaru was terrified; he was afraid.

Feeling his body gradually twisting and dissolving, and unable to do anything or change anything, he roared up to the sky: "No..."

Immediately afterward, the endless darkness completely enveloped his consciousness.

No, I won't perish! My existence won't vanish!

There's still Kabuto, I still have an ultimate backup plan...

This was Orochimaru's final belief...

And the story begins here….

Chapter Text

Within the pitch-black sealed space of the Totsuka Blade.

Endless darkness, like thick, deep curtains, tightly enveloped Orochimaru's soul and thoughts. With his body sealed and even his five senses stripped away, he transitioned from initial rage to cold indifference, and finally into deep, pressing contemplation.

He knew he would be revived, not only through the series of backup plans he had left but also by his most capable and loyal subordinate—Kabuto Yakushi. The key was only a matter of time.

However, for Orochimaru, who had spent his life championing boundless power and eternal life, the current state—where he could no longer feel his former immense power, being reduced only to thought—was undoubtedly the greatest torment.

Unable to sense the passage of time, he did not know how long had passed.

After enduring the humiliation of being sealed by a younger successor, Orochimaru sank into profound reflection.

The decades of his life's experiences and memories replayed and flashed within his consciousness like a movie.

Once, twice... ten times, twenty times... even a hundred times...

The uncrowned king of the darkness couldn't help but ask himself a question: After sacrificing so much, giving up everything, was this path right or wrong???

In the continuous curtain of rain, he saw the beautiful figure weeping over a corpse, burying the feelings he had hidden for years deep within his soul!

Under the dark and gloomy night sky, he crossed swords with the dear friend he once laughed and joked with!

In the village of scattered leaves, he killed the elderly figure who had personally guided him onto the path of power!

...

Ancient memories continually touched the ice in his heart.

Orochimaru did not regret—or perhaps it's better to say he would not regret what had already happened—but faint sorrow, subtle emotion, and threads of regret uncontrollably lingered in the depths of his soul.

Left with only his thoughts, he couldn't help but mock himself: "Heh, how long has it been since I've had such a rich range of emotions? This place really will drive a person mad!

It's a pity I didn't have time to experiment with the technique that is even more powerful than immortality!

I was so curious about the power of that jutsu!"

As his thoughts intensely churned, invisible soul fluctuations gradually spread throughout the endless darkness.

Suddenly!

In the darkness of the Totsuka Blade sealing space, a soft white light abruptly flashed, like the first ray of dawn piercing the night. It was so completely out of place with the surrounding space, yet it offered boundless anticipation and hope.

In just a few moments, the speck of light expanded to the size of a person, taking the form of an oval, soft white halo, standing quietly before Orochimaru's soul.

Being a powerful force that once dominated an era, Orochimaru was not only deprived of his five senses, but his soul's perception ability had become stronger and more acute in this endless darkness. The sudden appearance and change of this light, like a visitor from outer space, naturally could not escape his notice.

However, before he could think further, an overwhelmingly powerful attractive force suddenly generated within the white halo.

Orochimaru's translucent, pale-blue soul body was irresistibly pulled into the halo.

Immediately afterward, the soft white halo instantaneously condensed to a single point, abruptly vanishing from the Totsuka Blade's sealed space as if it had never existed, leaving only the boundless darkness—silent, unchanging, and eternally present.

After entering the halo, his surroundings were a kaleidoscope of shifting light and shadow. After experiencing it for only a moment, Orochimaru felt his consciousness blur, and then he became completely senseless.

A somewhat harsh light appeared before his eyes, followed by a sensation of generalized, debilitating weakness. Orochimaru struggled to open his eyes, blinking a few times before he could clearly see the scene before him.

A snow-white ceiling, warm sunlight streaming in from the window on the left, and a faint smell of disinfectant wafted into his nasal cavity.

This is a hospital!

At this realization, Orochimaru frowned. Could this be the hospital in the Sound Village?

How could Kabuto manage this? To choose such a sensitive location for my revival!

...

A stream of chaotic thoughts swirled in his mind. Orochimaru struggled to turn his head and looked out the window through the wide-open, white curtains.

That single glance made his eyes widen in astonishment.

At the edge of his vision was the Hokage Rock, so familiar it couldn't be mistaken.

This is Konoha! How is that possible? What exactly is going on?

A chain of questions flooded Orochimaru's mind.

"Hoo—"

Taking a deep breath, Orochimaru quickly calmed down. Feeling his strength gradually return, he lifted his head, bracing himself to sit up from the hospital bed.

Suddenly, his gaze fell upon his own arms.

They were a pair of delicate, pale-white arms.

Stunned for a moment, Orochimaru's brows furrowed even tighter. He intensely disliked this feeling of things being out of his control. Damn it, why is this vessel so weak!

He picked up the half-full, steaming cup of water on the bedside table and took a shallow sip.

The moist liquid flowed into his mouth and body, and only then did Orochimaru feel much more comfortable.

The corner of his eye caught the mirror next to the cup, his pupils contracted slightly, and his body instantly turned to stone.

The person in the mirror had the face of a six or seven-year-old child, with a pale, sickly look on the small face. His demonic, dark-golden snake eyes were slightly narrowed due to intense surprise.

This was exactly what Orochimaru looked like when he was six or seven years old.

Snapping back to reality, Orochimaru's right hand slightly trembled as he picked up the mirror, holding it up to his face and examining it carefully.

Could it be... could it be that Kabuto didn't revive me, but rather... I was reborn?

As soon as this thought emerged, and comparing it with the Hokage Rock he had just seen, it became increasingly certain in Orochimaru's mind. A sudden, indescribable feeling welled up.

Now, if I get a second chance, should I still walk that path of alienating everyone?

Should I still give up everything?

All the events of his previous life and the questions of his current life surged into Orochimaru's heart.

There was bitterness, pain, helplessness, and regret...

Leaning against the bed, holding the mirror in both hands, Orochimaru was like a gambler who had lost all his savings, only to have his stake returned to him in an instant, giving him a chance to start over. For a moment, he was overwhelmed with mixed emotions: Was it joy, sorrow, or despondency?

He didn't know!

Intense emotions, as if a volcano had suddenly erupted, surged in his long-dormant heart. He tilted his head back and let out a childish, hoarse roar: "Ah—"

Tears, clear and glistening, unconsciously rolled down his pale cheeks and into his lips—they tasted very, very bitter.

"Ah, woo-woo, ah—"

What flowed were not just tears, but the bitterness and sorrow of decades of misunderstanding and alienation in his previous life, and the deep-seated solitude and world-weariness in the depths of his heart that he couldn't dissolve.

The weeping gradually subsided!

The confusion in his eyes was washed away by the tears. He licked his lips, leaving only a hint of an arrogant, superior smile at the corner of his mouth—a smile at how right and wrong, success and failure turn to naught, and a smile at the chance to start over!

With a young body and a mature soul, an unprecedented determination radiated from Orochimaru's eyes.

I have drunk the sorrow and world-weariness, mixed with tears!

I shall be reborn from the endless darkness, rising like a phoenix from the ashes!

As the tears flowed, his state of mind gradually became calm and open. With clear and determined eyes, Orochimaru quickly began to make plans.

First, he needed to figure out exactly what period this is!

Just then, "Knock, knock, knock—" A hurried knocking sound came from the door.

Orochimaru looked toward the entrance, and a familiar, yet somehow unfamiliar, figure walked in.

Chapter Text

The person who entered was roughly in his early twenties, the peak age for a ninja, and wore a crisp, clean, forest-green flak jacket.

A slightly worn but still clearly visible Konoha (Leaf Village) forehead protector was tied securely to his forehead with a dark blue ribbon. This, combined with his resolute face, neat short hair, and a wisp of beard on his chin, gave him a reliable and capable aura. The intermittent warmth in his eyes, however, maintained an approachable friendliness. The two traits together naturally gave rise to a subtle air of leadership.

This was none other than Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Orochimaru stared blankly at this familiar, yet strange, figure, somewhat stunned.

He still remembered the smile of relief and final fulfillment on the face of his deeply gracious Sensei (teacher) in his previous life, after sealing his arms with his own life—perhaps hoping that in losing his hands and all his jutsu, he might finally repent.

At this thought, a hint of guilt arose in Orochimaru's heart.

After entering, Hiruzen saw the tear stains still on Orochimaru's face and sighed inwardly. He slowly walked to the bedside, bent down, and wiped the tears from his face. His dry, warm hand patted the young boy's frail shoulder, and he said gently, "Go on and cry. You'll feel much better once you let it out. You're still a child; don't bottle everything up."

Feeling this long-absent comfort and care, a natural, deep sense of affection and emotion was added to the look in Orochimaru's eyes as he watched Hiruzen.

Hiruzen, of course, couldn't know about Orochimaru's bizarre transmigration. Seeing the extremely deep attachment in Orochimaru's eyes upon meeting him for the first time, his heart was touched.

Did he faint from crying over the news of his parents' death?

Alas, this is a child of true deep feeling. Recalling the dying request of Orochimaru's parents, a deeper thought subtly formed in his mind.

A flash of sorrow crossed Hiruzen's eyes as he remembered the scene of Orochimaru's parents dying in battle.

He took out a scroll, about the length of an adult's palm and two fingers wide, from the pocket of his flak jacket. He placed it in Orochimaru's palm and sighed, offering comfort, "If I remember correctly, your name is Orochimaru, right? This is a message your parents left for you. Orochimaru, you are a ninja now, so you must be strong, alright?"

With that, Hiruzen gently touched Orochimaru's head.

Upon hearing Hiruzen's words, Orochimaru immediately deduced that this was the final year before his graduation from the Ninja Academy, right after the end of a major war, a war in which both his parents and the Second Hokage had lost their lives.

This was the very turning point of his life in the previous world!

It was precisely from this moment that Orochimaru began to deeply feel the fragility and brevity of life, leading him onto the path of pursuing ultimate power and eternal life—a path that would alienate him from everyone he knew.

Taking the last will of his parents from Hiruzen's hand, Orochimaru was filled with confusion and surprise.

In his previous life, after his parents died, he grieved for a long time but never went to the hospital, so he naturally never encountered Hiruzen, and the so-called last will was nonexistent.

It seems my rebirth has already begun to change history!

Thoughts swirled in Orochimaru's mind, but he didn't show any trace of impropriety on his face. He held the last will delicately in both hands and nodded firmly toward Hiruzen.

Hiruzen added, "If you have any difficulties in the future, just come find your Uncle. Your Uncle will help you!"

"Thank you, Uncle Hiruzen!" To leave a good impression, Orochimaru replied politely and humbly.

Hiruzen nodded, smiled with satisfaction, and turned to leave.

After Hiruzen departed, Orochimaru slowly opened the scroll. The familiar handwriting within made his heart feel heavy.

His father, using firm, resolute strokes, penned his final words to his son. Though brief, the words were carefully chosen. Beneath the serious tone was a strong reluctance and deep affection.

His mother's handwriting was delicate and elegant. Seeing her light-hearted words despite facing death, the teasing between the lines didn't make Orochimaru happy; instead, it tasted exceptionally bitter.

Their voices and smiles became clearer and clearer in his mind. Even after two lifetimes spanning decades, the memory hadn't faded. Instead, it had settled deep in his heart over time, now surging forth with greater intensity and indelible clarity.

In his previous life, after Orochimaru perfected the Immortality Technique, he immediately used the Impure World Reincarnation (Edo Tensei) to resurrect his parents. Alone his entire life, misunderstood and companionless, he was like a child who had found a treasure, eager to share it with his parents. But what he received in return were their heartbroken and disappointed eyes. That look was like a sharp knife, plunging deep into Orochimaru's heart.

At the time, he didn't understand. Now, he did.

In fact, the Immortality Technique was not without cost. The more frequently he used it, the more Orochimaru later realized that his soul was becoming weaker and even fractured, which in turn affected his emotions and actions.

His parents, who had been summoned back from the afterlife, must have recognized the consequences of that jutsu.

Slowly closing the scroll, Orochimaru walked to the window and stared intently at the enormous, prominent Hokage Rock in the center of the village. His clenched palms showed the turmoil within his heart.

The warm, gentle sunlight shone on his pale skin, seeming to reflect golden rays.

His body slowly relaxed, and he spread open his palm.

His dark-golden snake eyes were filled with determination, glittering mesmerizingly like two precious gems.

In this life, I absolutely cannot repeat the same mistakes. With the power of a perfect soul merged from two lives and the experience and lessons of decades from his past life, I will certainly erase all regrets, and also...

Orochimaru licked his lips. A flash of excitement—deeply concealed—flickered in his demonic snake eyes.

Where his gaze fell, the busts of the First and Second Hokage on the giant Hokage Rock overlooked all of Konoha!

To the ninjas of all nations, I, Orochimaru, who has been reborn from the endless darkness and risen like a phoenix from the ashes, have "returned"!

Chapter Text

Early morning, on the twenty-ninth of April, Konoha Year 16.

The sky was overcast, and a light rain was falling, cultivating an atmosphere of solemn tragedy and oppression throughout the entire Konoha Village. Today was the funeral of the Second Hokage.

Orochimaru was sitting on his hospital bed, eyes closed, sensing and refining the chakra within his body. Neatly folded clothes lay beside him; today was the day he was scheduled for discharge.

His eyes slowly opened. A faint blue flash passed within his dark-golden snake pupils. Orochimaru smiled. Although he was currently very weak, the increased spiritual energy (or mental fortitude) from the fusion of his two souls would not only greatly enhance his immunity to genjutsu but also grant him several times the potential he had in his previous life!

Orochimaru appeared quite excited. He licked his lips, his eyes full of a fervent desire for even greater power!

"Tap, tap, tap—" The crisp sound of high heels approached.

At the door of the ward, a beautiful young nurse in a pure black mourning dress walked in smiling. She handed a file folder she was holding to Orochimaru: "Here you are, I've taken care of everything, Orochimaru! Hehe, hurry! The Hokage-sama's funeral is about to begin!"

Orochimaru gave the beautiful nurse a faint smile, took the discharge papers, quickly signed his name, picked up his small bag, bowed to the nurse, and left the hospital.

Along the way, medical ninjas and nurses greeted Orochimaru, and he, with an earnest smile, bowed and returned each greeting.

Over the few days he was there, this handsome, polite child had earned their unanimous approval and admiration. Of course, this was partly the result of Orochimaru's deliberate actions. He understood that a reputation for being an upstanding citizen would greatly boost his future plans!

When I possess immense power and extremely high public support, let's see who can stand in my way!

Thinking this, Orochimaru's steps became lighter and quicker.

As soon as he stepped out the hospital gate, a chill abruptly struck him. He saw streets filled with ninjas in pure black mourning attire, converging into streams of people, all rushing toward the same direction—the Hokage Platform.

Orochimaru quickly pulled his clothes tighter and hurried home!

By the time Orochimaru changed into his mourning clothes and arrived at the Hokage Platform, a significant number of Konoha ninjas had already gathered. Their eyes were filled with deep sorrow and lamentation. They had spontaneously formed a square formation, waiting for the funeral to begin.

Orochimaru quietly made his way to the back of the team designated for the Ninja Academy and stood still.

"Hey, Orochimaru!" A suppressed voice called out.

Orochimaru looked toward the source of the sound. A white-haired boy was quietly waving at him from not far away.

Seeing this youthful version of Jiraiya, Orochimaru smiled knowingly, secretly teasing: Jiraiya is still the same, huh!

After acknowledging Jiraiya, Orochimaru turned his attention to the front of the crowd.

At the front of the ninja formation, a long, rectangular table draped in white cloth was set up. The image of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, with his gently smiling face, was prominently placed on the table.

Standing beside the table were the Second Hokage's disciple, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and an Elder of the village who was presiding over the funeral.

"Pitter-patter, splash, splash—" The rain grew heavier, as if the heavens themselves were weeping for the passing of the Second Hokage, this powerhouse of the ninja world.

The atmosphere among the crowd became increasingly heavy with sorrow.

They knew clearly that in the final moments of the First Great Ninja War, without the Second Hokage sacrificing himself to hold back the Kinkaku Force, the Cloud Village's strongest fighting unit, the elites of Konoha like Hiruzen and Danzō would not have survived, and the war would not have ended so quickly. It could be said that the Second Hokage protected the ninjas of the village and the interests of the entire Land of Fire with his own life!

"Ahem—" The Elder coughed, signaling that the funeral was about to commence!

Hiruzen stepped back and stood beside a server holding large bunches of white chrysanthemums.

Ninja after ninja stood solemnly straight, all looking towards the Second Hokage's portrait.

The rain continued to fall. Several large loudspeakers amplified the Elder's hoarse voice, filled with sorrow and remembrance, spreading it far and wide: "The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, who made immense contributions and sacrificed himself for the village during this First Great Ninja War—is a great man who is worthy of being remembered by all of Konoha and the people of the Land of Fire! We must remember his presence, respect his spirit, carry out his will, and help Konoha and the Land of Fire move toward strength and prosperity! The funeral now begins!"

At this moment, the people of the village stopped their work, walked out of their homes, and collectively looked toward the Hokage Rock, sending their deepest respects and blessings.

Sorrowful funeral music echoed throughout Konoha, mixed with the low sobs of the people.

Ninja after ninja lined up, walked past the server, took a white chrysanthemum, and solemnly placed it before the Second Hokage's portrait.

Orochimaru laid down his white chrysanthemum and bowed to the portrait. This was a great man!

Seeing Orochimaru, a peculiar light flashed in Hiruzen's eyes. He turned and beckoned to Mikawa, the current teacher of the Ninja Academy where Orochimaru was enrolled.

Mikawa respectfully walked over. He dared not be casual when facing Hiruzen Sarutobi, the candidate with the highest public support to become the Third Hokage.

Hiruzen looked at Orochimaru and asked Mikawa, "Mikawa, how is that child?"

Mikawa followed Hiruzen's gaze and replied with a hint of admiration in his voice: "Hiruzen-sama, Orochimaru is absolutely a genius rarely seen in decades. He maintained an A-rank in all three years of the Academy, and his chakra level has long reached the level of a Chūnin. If the Academy's scoring maximum wasn't A-rank, some of his subjects would have even reached S-rank!"

Hearing Mikawa's reply, a satisfied smile touched Hiruzen's lips. His gaze toward Orochimaru became even softer and more appreciative!

After the funeral ended, Orochimaru did not linger and walked straight home.

"Orochimaru, Orochimaru!" A boyish shout came from behind.

Orochimaru turned to see the white-haired child running towards him and couldn't help but smile.

Jiraiya ran up to Orochimaru, panting, and blocked his path, his face full of dejection: "Orochimaru, why are you walking so fast? I chased you for a long time just to catch up. Ugh, I'm exhausted!"

"Heh heh, is something wrong?" Orochimaru didn't mind and asked with a smile.

"Uh, heh heh!" Jiraiya gave an awkward laugh. Being an airhead, he rarely did things like this. He scratched his head sheepishly and said with a look of concern, "Um, I heard about your parents. Don't be sad. Let's play together at school tomorrow!"

After speaking, he looked anxiously at Orochimaru's reaction.

Orochimaru felt a flicker of sadness and gratitude at Jiraiya's clumsy attempt at comfort, then gave a faint smile. It was difficult for the typically competitive and airheaded Jiraiya to say something like that.

"Mm, sure!" Orochimaru readily agreed.

Hearing Orochimaru's words, Jiraiya jumped with joy and waved, saying, "Then I'll head off now!"

Jiraiya quickly leaped several times, lightly landing on the roof of a second-story building nearby. His cheerful voice drifted from a distance: "Be sure to come early tomorrow!"

After Jiraiya had gone far, Orochimaru turned around, gathered chakra to his feet with a thought, and sped home with a few powerful leaps.

Remembering the item his parents mentioned leaving for him in their last will, Orochimaru slightly licked his lips, a look of interest crossing his face.

Chapter Text

Orochimaru's home was a large estate covering several acres. His family had lived there for generations, and with several generations of ninjas in their lineage, they held a respectable position within the village.

He stepped onto the porch, crossed the front yard and the main hall, and walked directly toward the ancestral shrine in the backyard.

With a soft "creak—," the dilapidated wooden door of ancient history was pushed open. On the wall directly facing the entrance hung a scroll painting of a solemn, majestic-looking samurai. Orochimaru's father had told him this was the founder of the "Great Serpent Clan".

Below the portrait was a row of ancestral tablets. On either side, running vertically, were two wooden racks holding iron candlesticks. Whenever there was a sacrifice, his mother would tend to them, lighting the candles to illuminate the entire shrine.

Then, the family of three would kneel on three earth-yellow prayer cushions before the table and begin the ceremony.

Now, with things changed and no one tending to it for some time, the ancestral tablets were even covered with a thin layer of dust.

Orochimaru slowly walked to the leftmost prayer cushion. Looking at it, and recalling the veiled clues in his father's final words, he muttered to himself: "The cushion belonging to Father in the shrine, is it? What could be inside?"

He gathered chakra into his hands, grabbed the earth-yellow cushion, and forcefully shook it with both arms. With a "tear—," the yellow cloth covering the cushion was ripped open by a powerful force.

Orochimaru immediately reached inside and began to search.

"Hmm?" After only a moment, an ordinary black scroll appeared in his hand.

Orochimaru opened it. As his eyes skimmed the first few lines, his hand trembled, his pupils contracted slightly, and his heart was profoundly shaken. He immediately understood his father's actions.

It turned out this scroll recorded the family's greatest secret!

The family's true name was not the Great Serpent Clan, but the ancient Eight-Headed Serpent Clan (Yamata no Orochi Clan). They had changed their name and surname to the Great Serpent Clan and hid themselves in Konoha Village to avoid being hunted down by numerous enemies, eventually settling there.

Orochimaru had vaguely suspected this in his previous life. Later, after gaining some influence, he had investigated for a long time, but the information he obtained was limited. Now, the scroll left by his father finally confirmed it.

Furthermore, the scroll included instructions on how to enter the family secret chamber, and within that chamber, there was a Summoning Scroll belonging to the Eight-Headed Serpent Clan.

The Eight-Headed Serpent Clan was one of the strongest families of Summoning Animals. The Eight-Headed Serpent itself possessed power strong enough to surpass some weaker Tailed Beasts. The Great Serpent Clan Summoning Scroll Orochimaru possessed in his past life was vastly inferior to this one. Yet, even the Great Serpent Clan's scroll was something Hiruzen had gone to great lengths to acquire for Orochimaru.

It was easy to imagine the turmoil this kind of treasure would cause if it were known.

No wonder his father had set up these safeguards, only hinting at it in his last will. Even if others saw the will, they would merely think it was some jutsu scrolls and money left by a father to his son—a normal occurrence for a ninja family—and would never connect it to such a hugely important and precious artifact.

Orochimaru carefully tucked the black scroll into his clothes. He licked his lips, looking unusually excited. No one understood the power of the true Eight-Headed Serpent better than Orochimaru, the man who created the Eight Branches Technique (Hachishū no Jutsu) himself. He had tirelessly sought this power in his past life but couldn't find it. Now, this treasure was right before his eyes.

The thought of acquiring this power soon made Orochimaru's excitement difficult to suppress.

He stood up and meticulously examined the ancestral tablets on the altar.

Orochimaru first bowed apologetically to the ancestral tablets. Then, following the instructions on the scroll, he gently picked up the fifth tablet from the left of the first row. A barely noticeable circular indentation appeared before him.

Orochimaru's heart stirred. Knowing this must be the mechanism, he didn't hesitate and pressed his finger onto the indentation.

"Click, click, click, clank—" A sound of internal mechanisms echoed.

The wall on the left side of the shrine opened, revealing a secret chamber large enough for a person to enter. As the chamber opened, a flash of light illuminated the area. Candles on the walls of the inner corridor instantly lit up, revealing a set of steps leading down and inward. The yellowish, flickering light of the candles made the passage resemble the wide-open mouth of a mysterious beast.

Orochimaru placed the ancestral tablet back, took a long stride into the secret chamber, and as soon as he entered, with another "Click, click, click, clank—," the secret chamber sealed itself shut again. All that remained were the softly swaying candlelight and the echoing footsteps throughout the corridor.

After walking for about a hundred meters, an ancient bas-relief carved with an Eight-Headed, Eight-Tailed Serpent appeared before Orochimaru.

The serpent on the relief was indeed the Yamata no Orochi!

The ferocious Eight-Headed Serpent, every head, every scale mark, and texture was clearly visible, so lifelike it seemed real.

Standing before the relief, Orochimaru felt a powerful aura of fierce, barbaric, malignant, and domineering power, originating from ancient times, washing over him.

Facing this fierce aura, Orochimaru's dark-golden snake eyes narrowed sharply. His powerful soul energy surged out, forcefully dispersing the aura in a dominant fashion.

A wicked, interested smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. He was even more excited about the Eight-Headed Serpent Summoning Scroll behind this relief door.

Orochimaru bit his finger until it bled and pressed it one by one onto each of the eight snake heads.

When the last snake head was also marked with Orochimaru's blood, a blinding, deep blue chakra light spread over the entire Eight-Headed Serpent.

Orochimaru watched quietly. The scroll stated that this door could only be opened with the blood of a descendant of the Eight-Headed Serpent Clan. If someone tried to open it violently, they would be struck by the soul of an Eight-Headed Serpent sealed within the relief, a consequence even a Kage-level ninja couldn't survive.

"Rumble—" A long-sealed aura emanated from behind the relief door. After the flash of blue light, the door split in the middle, opening inwards.

Orochimaru looked inside. There was only one object behind the door: on a half-human-height altar, fully illuminated by candlelight, lay an ancient scroll about the length of an adult's arm and the width of two hands.

Licking his lips, Orochimaru slowly unrolled the scroll. A line of ancient ninja-world script entered his vision. For Orochimaru, who had dabbled in various fields in his past life, these characters, which would be esoteric to others, were not difficult to decipher.

The opening passage, spanning thousands of characters, detailed the history of the Eight-Headed Serpent Clan signing a summoning contract with the ancient Eight-Headed Serpent entity. Suddenly, the second to last sentence caught Orochimaru's attention.

The Eight-Headed Serpent Clan rules all snakes of the ninja world. All serpent-type summoning animals can be controlled and summoned.

This sentence was like a giant stone, instantly stirring up ripples of excitement in the depths of Orochimaru's heart.

In other words, by signing this Eight-Headed Serpent Clan Summoning Scroll, he would later be able to sign the scrolls of all serpent-type summoning animals, summoning and controlling them.

Next, the very last sentence of the opening passage startled Orochimaru again.

Descendants of the clan, remember that the Eight-Headed Serpent Summoning Technique requires enormous expenditure. No member of our clan shall sign this until they become a Jōnin; otherwise, they will certainly be drained of all life force and perish due to insufficient chakra for the summoning. Remember this! Remember this!

The single "Remember" and the double "Remember this!" made Orochimaru's heart clench. What a technique! It's a treasure, indeed. I never expected the signing condition alone to be so stringent!

It seemed the domineering, fierce aura on the relief door was also a mechanism set up to test the strength of the clan's descendants.

Orochimaru gave a wry smile. If not for his bizarre rebirth experience, he might have been blocked outside the relief door by that spiritual energy, even if he knew about the secret chamber.

This power and treasure that he could only see but not obtain left Orochimaru feeling an unbearable, anxious itch, like a cat scratching at his heart.

Of course, Orochimaru's anticipation for the true power of this summoning technique grew even stronger!

Flipping further, lines of names of the clan's former heroes appeared after the opening text, numbering in the dozens. Orochimaru inwardly gasped and sighed. Although he didn't hold Jōnin in the highest regard, he had to admit that they didn't grow on trees. Even his father had only reached the level of a Tokubetsu Jōnin (Special Jōnin). To become a Jōnin required effort and talent in equal measure.

Every Jōnin was a core strength of a nation. Dozens of Jōnin were enough to destroy a small country!

After contemplating for a moment, Orochimaru placed the Eight-Headed Serpent Summoning Scroll back on the altar. This secret chamber was hidden and secure—far better than carrying the scroll on his person.

Chapter Text

Leaving the secret chamber, Orochimaru cleaned the slightly dusty ancestral tablets and then scanned the area repeatedly to ensure the chamber's location wouldn't be easily discovered before finally closing the wooden door of the shrine.

The sky had cleared by now. Although the ground was still a bit damp, it was a good day for training.

He went to his bedroom, changed into a short training outfit, tied his kunai pouch to his right leg, and quickly grabbed some money from the drawer mentioned in his mother's last will. Then, Orochimaru left the house.

Walking down the street, Orochimaru began to contemplate his next plan.

Before his rebirth, his inner chakra was already at the Genin (Low Ninja) level. Now, after his rebirth and the fusion with the powerful soul that had lived for decades in his previous life, his spiritual energy (or mental fortitude) had skyrocketed. His chakra naturally increased significantly; though it hadn't reached the Chūnin (Middle Ninja) level, it wasn't far off.

Moreover, with decades of combat experience and countless forbidden and secret jutsu, Orochimaru was confident that he could easily deal with a Chūnin now.

Currently, the only thing restricting his true strength was the quantity of his chakra.

Regarding this theoretical knowledge, Orochimaru was arguably a professor-level figure in the ninja world. He knew exactly what was needed for chakra growth: with his massive spiritual energy, as long as his physical strength increased, his chakra quantity would naturally also increase significantly.

With this thought, Orochimaru quickened his steps toward the clothing store to purchase 22 lbs weighted training vest.

The owner of the clothing store, having settled in Konoha for years, was prepared for all sorts of odd requests from ninjas. Weighted clothing and accessories were, of course, essential training tools.

A server first used a soft tape measure to size Orochimaru's body, then took down a finished product, trimmed it a few times with a cutting knife, and filled the pockets in various parts of the weighted vest with iron blocks totaling 22 lbs.

Orochimaru took the 22 lbs weighted vest and put it on over his inner clothes.

The fitted white weighted vest was very convenient to put on and take off using several clasps. It not only allowed him to train his strength anytime and anywhere, but the iron blocks in the vest could also provide some defense against attacks, making it highly practical.

Orochimaru paid the money with satisfaction. Without delay, he activated the Ninja Walk (a technique to concentrate chakra in the feet for running/leaping) and headed toward the dense forest outside the village.

The sound of "whoosh, whoosh—" rushed past his ears. A stream of scenery was left behind him. After putting on the weighted vest, the chakra consumption for using the Ninja Walk increased considerably.

By the time he reached the Konoha forest about 3 miles away, Orochimaru was slightly out of breath!

He had calculated the weight of the vest precisely: 22 lbs, the limit for his six-year-old body, which also wouldn't hinder his development.

Orochimaru stopped in a secluded, relatively remote clearing in the woods.

He sat cross-legged on the ground to rest for a while, taking the opportunity to recall some of the jutsu and battle techniques from his past life that he could use now.

Five minutes later, Orochimaru stood up. Thin, sharp beams of light flashed within his dark-golden snake eyes, as if they contained razor-sharp blades.

Faint chakra fluctuations emanated from his small body, along with a terrifying, surprisingly strong killing intent.

"Chirp, chirp, chatter, flap, flap—"

The terrifying killing intent frightened away flocks of birds in the forest.

Orochimaru ignored everything else. He calmed his mind and focused his energy. His pale, slender hands crossed in front of his chest, instantly changing hand signs like a butterfly flitting through flowers.

Thumbs pointing up, left hand higher, straight and overlapping—unformed seal!

Thumbs overlapping, left thumb on top—the Snake (Mi) seal was formed!

Both thumbs straight—the Tiger (Yin) seal was formed!

Orochimaru formed these three basic jutsu seals in just over a second.

With a sound of "poof—," a cloud of smoke surged next to Orochimaru. As the smoke cleared, an identical clone stood quietly. Except for its slightly vacant eyes, every other part was exactly the same.

Orochimaru glanced at the clone, his expression unchanged, and continued to form seals in his hands.

"Poof—" With another puff of smoke, a capable, robust young man who subtly emanated a faint aura of leadership emerged where Orochimaru's main body stood—it was Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Orochimaru changed the hand signs again, and the "Hiruzen Sarutobi" instantly transformed into a log (Body Replacement Technique).

The sound of "poof, poof, poof—" from the jutsu explosions was continuous. The basic Three-Jutsu (Substitution, Transformation, Clone) were effortlessly executed in Orochimaru's hands. During this rapid, continuous sealing process, Orochimaru's seal-forming speed and chakra control technique rapidly improved, as if on a rocket.

The dark-golden snake eyes shone brighter and brighter. When he sensed that three seals per second was likely his current limit, the basic seals for the Three-Jutsu suddenly changed dramatically.

Snake (Mi) - Ram (Hitsuji) - Monkey (Saru) - Boar (I) - Horse (Uma) - Tiger (Tora)

Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!

Six complex seals were formed in the span of a breath. He placed his right hand cup-shaped over his mouth.

A wave of intense, blazing flame shot out of Orochimaru's mouth. Three meters in front of him, it abruptly expanded into a high-temperature fireball the size of a millstone.

"Boom—"

The scorching fireball burned a charred, one-meter-diameter crater into the grass in front of him. Faint smells of scorch gradually dissipated into the air.

"Swoosh—"

From the adjacent forest, an extremely faint sound of air being cut could be heard, and a black shadow darted past within it.

Suddenly, the black shadow detected the chakra fluctuation from this side and stopped. With a "swoosh—," its figure flickered, and when it reappeared, it was standing on the branch of a towering tree, looking down at Orochimaru in the forest clearing.

Orochimaru, in his short training outfit, gave a faint side-glance at the destructive power of the Great Fireball Technique. He frowned slightly, his eyes sharpened, and the seals in his pale hands changed again, forming an even more complex sequence than before.

Faint blue chakra ripples permeated Orochimaru's body. He took a deep breath, aimed at his cup-shaped right hand, and exhaled all the air in his chest in one forceful blow.

Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!

"Whoosh, BOOM—"

Rolling heat waves warped the air. The scorching stream of flame shot out five meters, expanding into a gigantic fireball the size of a passenger hydrogen balloon. The entire forest clearing was lit up in fiery red. The intense heat was noticeable even to the black shadow watching nearby, whose eyes showed a look of profound disbelief.

"Whew, whew—"

Slightly breathless, Orochimaru looked at the crater, which had been deepened several times over, and smiled with satisfaction.

Suddenly, a strong feeling of alarm arose in Orochimaru's heart. Under the perception of his spiritual energy, he detected an abnormal, turbulent aura in the nearby forest, which flashed and then disappeared.

"Who is there???"

Orochimaru roared.

Chapter Text

"Who is there???"

Orochimaru roared. His colossal killing intent, like water bursting from an open floodgate, was no longer restrained and surged madly from his disproportionately small body.

The chilling, icy killing intent, which regarded all life as insignificant, rushed like a torrential flood toward the direction he sensed.

Simultaneously, Orochimaru's pale hands instantly changed through several jutsu seals.

Forbidden Technique: Shadow Clone Jutsu!

A solid clone immediately appeared by Orochimaru's side. The two ran at high speed, forming a pincer-like position for an enveloping attack.

Faintly, Orochimaru spotted a black shadow in the tree. Without hesitation, he and the Shadow Clone simultaneously drew sharp shuriken from the weapon pouch on their right legs and shouted: "Get out here!"

"Swoosh, swoosh—" Using all their strength, they flung the shuriken toward the black shadow.

The black shadow was momentarily stunned by Orochimaru's astonishing, wave-like killing intent. It only reacted when Orochimaru used the Shadow Clone Jutsu and fired the two shuriken.

Damn it!

The black shadow cursed under its breath, shocked again by the Shadow Clone Jutsu.

Its extensive combat experience ensured its hand movements were swift. It quickly crouched low, performing a flawless evasive maneuver that looked straight out of a textbook.

Orochimaru licked his lips, smiling menacingly. The black shadow's reaction was entirely within his expectations. At this moment, the sinister, dominating aura of his past life was fully displayed, the battle entirely under his control. He was like a savage, giant python spotting its desired prey.

Immediately after throwing the shuriken, Orochimaru rapidly began to form seals, and the jutsu seals of his main body and Shadow Clone were completely different.

Ox (Ushi) - Dog (Inu) - Dragon (Tatsu) - Rat (Ne) - Dog (Inu) - Boar (I) - Snake (Mi) - Tiger (Tora)

Orochimaru gave an icy smile. His jutsu was complete. His sharp eyes were like swords and knives as he drank in a low voice: "Die!"

Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!

The two sharp shuriken began to hum with a continuous, soft resonance. The magical jutsu power caused the two shuriken to rapidly transform and multiply in the air: one became two, two became four, four became eight...

In the blink of an eye, dozens of dark, sharp shuriken covered the black shadow like a net closing in.

The black shadow saw this and was about to leap away to dodge the direct brunt of the shuriken storm when it suddenly sensed a feeling of imminent danger.

A burst of intense heat abruptly struck from above. In a panic, it looked up. A high-temperature fireball the size of a millstone was rapidly dominating its vision.

"Boom! Thud, thud, thud—"

A perfect pincer attack! The Great Fireball Jutsu exploded in a thick cloud of smoke. The tree branch, as thick as a grown man's leg, was instantly shattered and fell to the ground. A stream of shuriken passed through the smoke, embedding themselves several centimeters deep into the thick tree trunk behind.

Orochimaru listened intently, but did not hear the sound of a sharp object piercing flesh. He frowned slightly. He dodged it? He has some skill, it seems!

Sure enough, when the smoke cleared, all that remained was a Substitution Log.

In such an extremely dire situation, the black shadow was still able to execute the Substitution Jutsu seal just as it was evading. This spoke volumes about its rich combat experience and superb sealing speed!

Realizing this, Orochimaru decided to stop holding back his power.

His pale hands began moving like invisible piano keys being played in the air, dancing along with the Shadow Clone, which had used the Great Fireball Jutsu and landed on a branch not far away. The trap he had prepared beforehand was now activated!

In the reflection of the sunlight, one could clearly see transparent steel wires as thin as hair. One end was tied to the fingers of Orochimaru and his clone, and the other end was connected to the numerous shuriken he had fired.

As Orochimaru's fingers flickered, the transparent steel wires, like a massive, invisible yet deadly spider web, quickly stretched out in the air.

Orochimaru lowered his eyelids, carefully sensing the vibrations on the wires!

Suddenly, one section of the wire subtly vibrated.

His eyes lit up, and an icy smile appeared on his lips once more. Heh heh, I found you!

Orochimaru's ten fingers fluttered wildly like butterflies, constantly interweaving and crossing.

The massive web of transparent steel wires, like the silk net in the hands of the most agile spider, wrapped itself around the reappearing black shadow, carrying with it the chill of death.

"Snap! Tear, tear, tear—"

The black shadow, wearing a dark black trench coat and a tanuki mask, was tightly bound in the air by the steel wires, like a massive zongzi (rice dumpling).

Hmm? An Anbu member!

Orochimaru paused internally, but his actions were merciless!

His ten fingers, still tied to the steel wires, quickly formed a sequence of jutsu seals.

Snake (Mi) - Dragon (Tatsu) - Rabbit (U) - Tiger (Tora)

Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!

Chakra surged into his mouth. A torrent of raging flame, like a flying fire dragon, spewed fiercely from Orochimaru's mouth. Following the steel wires, it rapidly spread toward the black shadow.

As if the wires were trails of oil, the flame "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—" wildly extended into a giant web of fire in the air.

Looking at the surging, scorching torrent of flame, the black shadow's eyes, however, were as serene and cold as a still lake.

A right hand, as pale and delicate as a woman's, extended from beneath the dark Anbu trench coat. His movements were too fast to discern, but several flashes of stunning blue-violet blade light zipped around the black shadow. The steel wires binding his body instantly shattered.

Seeing that striking blade light, a strong alarm blared in Orochimaru's heart, and his pupils contracted slightly.

A whisper of wind brushed past his ears, and a few leaves fluttered down!

Shunshin no Jutsu! (Body Flicker Technique!)

This jutsu name suddenly crowded into Orochimaru's mind in that instant.

By the time he realized it, there was a person and a blade behind him.

The short sword, radiating icy coldness, rested steadily against his neck. The sharp edge made the skin on his neck involuntarily rise in goosebumps!

The short sword in the black shadow's hand was as steady as a rock, yet as fatally ruthless as the Grim Reaper's scythe. A profound chill erupted in Orochimaru's heart. What an astonishing swordsmanship!

Orochimaru forcibly suppressed the coldness in his heart. Sensing that the Anbu's movements didn't seem to indicate any malicious intent toward him, he subconsciously asked: "Who are you? Why were you spying on me?"

The white tanuki mask slowly moved close to Orochimaru's ear. An icy voice containing a hint of killing intent echoed in Orochimaru's ear: "Little one, sharp senses, and intense killing intent. Heh heh, quite interesting."

Another whisper of wind passed. The short sword on his neck instantly vanished. Orochimaru immediately turned his head to look in the direction the black shadow had left. All he saw was an afterimage that flickered a few times before disappearing into the distance.

Standing rooted to the spot, a faint anger surged in Orochimaru's eyes. Disregard, naked disregard!

Throughout the entire battle, Orochimaru had used every technique he knew, yet this powerful Anbu ninja had only used a Substitution Jutsu and a short sword.

Although Orochimaru knew that this person was likely a powerful Jōnin-level ninja and that he was only six years old—even with rich combat experience, the gap between their realms of strength was still too vast—a sense of humiliation still rose uncontrollably in his heart!

The pride he had felt since his rebirth, stemming from having decades more experience than others, was completely shattered by this Anbu's strike. In its place was an intense hunger for power and inexhaustible motivation!

A powerful, ferocious beast is just a tender, weak cub before it grows up!

Orochimaru profoundly believed this to be true.

Chapter Text

After watching the black shadow disappear, Orochimaru's heart was filled with complex emotions.

Having nearly used up all his chakra in the recent fight, he didn't dismiss his Shadow Clone. Instead, he used pure Taijutsu (Hand-to-Hand Combat) to spar with it.

A cold, god-like, ruthless look flashed in his dark-golden snake eyes. Orochimaru leaped up. His rapidly moving figure was like a giant python quickly gliding through the woods, winding through the trees in curved, strange, snake-like patterns, successfully dodging the shuriken the clone fired with a series of "thud, thud, thud—."

He stomped violently on a nearby tree trunk, and while doing so, drew a sharp kunai from the ninja tool pouch on his right leg.

Orochimaru shot out like an arrow from a bow, charging toward the Shadow Clone.

The Shadow Clone, having replicated Orochimaru's personality, was naturally not afraid of battle and also brandished a kunai, closing in.

"Cling, cling, cling—"

Orochimaru and his clone seemed to turn into two black blurs, constantly engaging and separating in the air, in an intensely fierce exchange.

"Cling, hiss, hiss—"

After another fierce collision, Orochimaru noticed a strange sound. He couldn't help but glance at the kunai in his hand. The originally sharp and pointed kunai now looked like a piece of scrap metal, covered in terrible friction marks and dents.

"Huff, puff—"

Orochimaru's eyes were locked on the Shadow Clone across from him, maintaining his vigilance. The clone shared the same combat experience and skill as the main body; in essence, this was a battle against himself.

However, ordinary ninjas, even if they learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu, didn't dare to use it casually, let alone for training. After all, the massive amount of information flooding back from the clone upon its dismissal was enough to overwhelm anyone with insufficient willpower and spiritual energy, potentially rendering them catatonic.

For Orochimaru, the strength and capability of his soul were undoubtedly one of his most powerful assets.

A sharp gleam flashed in his dark-golden snake eyes. In the next instant, Orochimaru charged forward at high speed.

"Swoosh—"

The Shadow Clone threw the equally damaged kunai in its hand.

Orochimaru's powerful soul perception clearly registered the kunai's attack angle and trajectory in his mind. He slightly tilted his head, easily dodging it, and unceremoniously hurled his own kunai out.

"Swoosh—"

The high-speed flying kunai transformed into a dark, dangerous black streak in the air.

The Shadow Clone leaped aside to evade. Orochimaru smiled coldly, seized the initiative, pushed off the ground with his foot, and rushed in.

As Orochimaru sprinted to within an arm's length of the Shadow Clone, he slammed his right foot to a stop and stepped forward with his left.

In the rapid transition from motion to stillness, a strong surge of force was generated. Orochimaru used a special technique to transmit this force, starting from his foot, up to his waist, and then transferring it to his right fist.

Immediately afterward, his young yet firm right fist shot out like a cannonball, wrapped in a strong gust of wind, aimed directly at the Shadow Clone's face!

The agile Shadow Clone was momentarily shocked. In an emergency, it quickly crossed its arms to defend its face.

A slight, successful smirk touched Orochimaru's lips. His right fist, which was moving with the force of thunder, instantly changed its trajectory. The tip of his right elbow abruptly shot out from the side, striking the Shadow Clone's left cheek.

The powerful blow, like a bolt of lightning, hit with a "poof—," causing the Shadow Clone to burst into a cloud of smoke.

"Huff, puff, huff, puff—"

Orochimaru slumped onto the ground, breathing heavily. His dark-golden snake eyes were filled with chilling indifference and determination. He was harsh to others, but even harsher to himself!

He immediately sat up cross-legged and began to refine chakra.

Once he had enough chakra to perform the Shadow Clone Jutsu again, Orochimaru began his second battle of hand-to-hand combat against himself.

...

In this strenuous training, which nearly squeezed the very limit of his being, Orochimaru's strength rapidly improved.

The sun began to set. An entire day had passed in the blink of an eye.

In the dim glow of the setting sun, Orochimaru lay exhausted on the ground, "huffing and puffing," breathing greedily. His physical exertion had reached its absolute limit.

His entire body was agonizingly sore and weak.

His training shorts were dirty and torn, like a beggar's clothes. Through the shredded fabric, faint bluish-green and deep-purple bruises were visible.

Orochimaru looked back at the sun, which was about to disappear below the horizon. He managed to stand up, activated the Ninja Walk, and hurried toward the village.

He stepped into a noodle shop. Ignoring the owner's surprised look, he quickly finished his dinner.

After dinner, night had fallen.

Orochimaru walked quietly on the road home. A fresh night breeze, carrying a slight coolness, blew past, easing some of his physical fatigue.

"Ah, woo-woo-woo—"

Suddenly, a weak girl's crying sound came from the side of the road.

Orochimaru's steps faltered. This soft, young voice was like a sweet, clear spring instantly flowing into the lake of his heart. He instinctively turned his head to look.

It was by the door of a charity food distribution shop. Konoha Village was one of the most affluent places on the entire ninja continent. Many people displaced by local wars liked to migrate to Konoha, which consequently led to a large population of wanderers and orphans.

This distribution shop was one such place, opened by the monks of the Fire Temple to dispense porridge and food to the displaced orphans.

Using the light spilling from the shop door, Orochimaru's gaze settled on a little girl, dressed in a grey-black cloth, sitting on the ground, quietly sobbing.

The girl looked about five or six years old. Her black, shoulder-length hair was messy, like a bird's nest.

Her grey-black cloth clothing was tattered and covered in dust and mud. It was also ill-fitting, being about a hand-span too short for her body. The cold air from the Land of Earth (Iwa no Kuni), mixed with the chilly night wind, made the little girl tremble.

But at the moment, the girl didn't notice the cold. She seemed to be suffering immense distress. Large tears, like strings of broken, glistening pearls, continuously fell. Her two dirty little hands pitifully wiped at them, but she couldn't stop, instantly evoking sympathy in anyone who saw her.

Orochimaru watched quietly for a moment. Then, thinking of the dark, lonely mansion waiting for him at home, his heart softened, and he walked toward the little girl.

A shadow fell over her. Sensing a stranger approaching, the little girl stopped crying, gave a sob, and her pair of black, watery eyes stared directly and curiously at Orochimaru, who was also dressed in ragged clothes.

The dark-golden snake eyes and the black, watery eyes met in a strange intersection the moment the little girl looked up.

The two children, both in ragged clothes, stared at each other blankly.

Chapter Text

The two young children looked at each other for a long time.

The girl's crying gradually subsided. Suddenly, her two big eyes curved into two beautiful crescents. "Giggle, giggle—" She smiled foolishly at Orochimaru.

Looking at the girl's pure and flawless smile, Orochimaru was stunned. As if infected, a faint, rare, warm smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. Orochimaru bent down and asked gently, "What is your name?"

Seeing Orochimaru bend down, the girl's eyes instinctively flashed with a trace of fear and apprehension toward strangers. However, upon seeing the warm smile at the corner of Orochimaru's mouth, her courage grew. Hesitantly, she quietly replied, "B-Big Brother, my, my name is Maji!"

"Hmm?" Orochimaru frowned slightly upon hearing the girl's name, but didn't dwell on it. He asked again, "Maji, why were you crying?" Upon hearing Orochimaru's words, the cute little girl's grievances instantly resurfaced. Her watery eyes welled up with glistening pearls again, and she said tearfully in a childish voice, "I, I wanted, wanted some porridge, woo-ah, but, but those big brothers, big brothers wouldn't let me have any, woo-woo-woo-ah!"

Watching the pitiful Maji start crying again, a rare tenderness surfaced in Orochimaru's heart. He held out his right hand and asked softly, "Maji, do you want to come with me? From now on, Big Brother will buy you porridge every day, and make sure you eat until you are full!"

Hearing Orochimaru's words, Maji stopped crying in surprise and looked up at him. Orochimaru's pair of dark-golden snake eyes met the girl's innocent gaze again, the snake eyes holding a rare softness. The girl was stunned, her pure eyes—still lingering with a small grievance—scrutinized Orochimaru for a long time. Finally, she slowly placed her dirty, tender little hand in Orochimaru's palm. A warmer smile broke out on Orochimaru's lips. He gently pulled the little girl up from the ground.

Suddenly! "Hmph, where did this little beggar come from!" A voice, youthful but mixed with a low tone, came from the side. Hearing the ill-intentioned snort, Maji immediately hid behind Orochimaru like a startled bunny, stumbling. She pulled Orochimaru with one hand and tightly gripped the corner of his clothing with the other, trembling incessantly.

Orochimaru's warm little hand firmly held Maji, hoping to give her some sense of security. Then he looked coldly toward the source of the voice. A half-grown boy, about eleven or twelve, much stronger than both Orochimaru and Maji, still had white porridge residue around his mouth. He was looking at Orochimaru aggressively, followed by several other boys of the same age, all wearing rough cloth clothes. They appeared to be the 'kid king' among the orphans. Orochimaru, seeing the boys' appearance and connecting it to Maji's reaction, instantly understood. He sized them up with cold, indifferent eyes.

The half-grown boy, fixed by Orochimaru's dark-golden snake eyes, felt an inexplicable weakness in his heart, but he forced himself to stand firm and challenge, "You little beggar, what do you think you're doing?" The killing intent, which had been restrained inside his body, burst out like a mountain flood. Orochimaru roared at the boy and his group, "Get out!"

The aggressive boy, hit by the killing intent accumulated by Orochimaru from mountains of corpses in his previous life, immediately felt as if he had stepped into a frozen wasteland. His face went pale, and his whole body turned icy cold. His trembling eyes suddenly noticed Orochimaru's tattered clothes. In an instant, his heart seemed to register a great insult. His face flushed red, and he shouted in a false show of bravery, "You little beggar, stop acting tough! Why don't you kill me, if you dare!"

Slight anger flickered in Orochimaru's heart. The mountain-flood-like killing intent intensified like a vast ocean tide, overwhelmingly surging toward the half-grown boy. He roared sharply again, "I told you to GET OUT!!!" In the aggressive boy's eyes, the ragged Orochimaru seemed to transform into a ferocious beast ready to devour him. Terrified, he instantly collapsed onto the ground. The group of followers behind him fared even worse; a few even lost control of their bladder, and a nasty, foul odor began to fill the air.

Just then, a kind and benevolent voice emerged from the charity food distribution shop: "Children, what's wrong?" Orochimaru's heart stiffened. The ocean-like killing intent instantly vanished and was fully contained, not leaking a single trace. The source of this voice was not simple; the voice itself contained a comforting quality that brought peace to the listener. It seems I've encountered an enlightened monk!

An old monk, dressed in a plain white robe and with kind eyes, walked out. He looked at the situation on both sides. His gaze lingered imperceptibly on Orochimaru for a moment. He smiled faintly, bowed with clasped hands toward Orochimaru, and slowly said, "Young Benefactor, may I ask, what is the matter? Why are you teasing these children?" This old monk saw that I'm a ninja!

Orochimaru felt the thought in his heart, and answered respectfully, "Master, my parents passed away in the war! This little sister, I see she's pitiful, and I wish to adopt her and treat her as my sister." Saying this, Orochimaru slightly stepped aside, revealing Maji behind him. Orochimaru's words were masterfully chosen. First, he revealed his own background to gain the old monk's sympathy, and then stated his purpose.

"Oh?" Sure enough, upon hearing this, the old monk's tone became softer. He had heard rumors about the aggressive boys' actions, and his heart was full of pity for the little girl named Maji. Every night, he would secretly tuck a white steamed bun into the sleeping girl's hand. The old monk saw Maji tightly gripping Orochimaru's hand and clothes, understanding the girl's choice. He sighed faintly: "Alas, very well. Maji is a poor child. Young Benefactor, the path of a ninja is dangerous. You must protect Maji well!"

A look of joy flashed across Orochimaru's face. He bowed and said, "I understand, Master. I will protect Maji well! We shall take our leave now!" Orochimaru could sense that the old monk was not simple. Since he had achieved this happy result, he did not linger and immediately said goodbye. Orochimaru held Maji's soft little hand and said with a smile, "Maji, let's go home!"

The little girl smiled and nodded. Suddenly, a look of pain crossed her face, and she cried out "Ouch—," losing control of her body and falling to the ground. Orochimaru knelt down with a hint of concern to look. He saw that the girl's slender right ankle was bruised blue and purple and was slightly swollen. It seems she twisted it when she was frightened earlier! His heart eased slightly. Orochimaru smiled and gently stroked the girl's bird's nest-like little head. Ignoring the girl's wronged eyes, he turned his back and squatted down, looking over his shoulder: "Come on up. Big Brother will carry you home!"

Maji's watery eyes turned into two adorable crescents again. With a touch of shyness, she climbed onto Orochimaru's small, fragile back. Seeing this scene, the old monk's eyes softened and spoke: "Wait a moment, Young Benefactor!"