Orochimaru did not, as in future memories, experience the deaths of Nawaki and Tsunade’s descent into darkness due to the sacrifice of her lover.
Given Orochimaru’s current relationship with Danzo, the possibility of future cooperation with Root and using Konoha ninjas for human experimentation was essentially severed.
Orochimaru could now be considered a loyal Konoha Jonin, with no blemishes on his record, except for the mud intentionally slung at him by Danzo.
Therefore, there was no immediate need to find a secret location to store the various experimental equipment for future research. Orochimaru found himself with ample free time. After obtaining two months of leave from Hiruzen Sarutobi, he returned to his residence by the Konoha River.
Unlike Tsunade, Orochimaru was not a gambler, nor did he spend his days frequenting hot springs and izakayas like Jiraiya. His nearly ten years as a ninja had allowed him to accumulate a considerable fortune.
His seemingly ordinary two-story house was situated in an advantageous location.
The house faced the clear Konoha River, with a wide, clean road and a riverside pavilion for residents’ relaxation at its entrance. A short distance to the left were the residences of two of Konoha’s most famous bloodline clans—the Uchiha and the Hyuga. Behind the house was a yokan shop called Kanuri-ya, which was Orochimaru’s favorite haunt.
Buying a house next to a sweet shop was also largely due to his fondness for sweets.
Further behind was Konoha’s secret department—the Konoha Cipher Division. Adjacent to the Cipher Division was a courtyard that Hashirama Senju had personally constructed after Konoha’s founding, using Wood Style. He had modeled it after the Uzumaki clan’s architectural style to alleviate Mito Uzumaki’s homesickness.
However, since the news of Uzushio Village’s destruction reached Konoha, Mito Uzumaki had never once visited this courtyard.
To the right of Orochimaru’s house was a ninja tool shop named Mantendo. While the young owner of this shop might not be well-known now, if one mentioned Tenten, that little girl who would later be blessed with unparalleled luck in all aspects except love, everyone would likely recognize the shop’s name.
After all, in the future, this shop would boast Six Paths ninja tools as its prized possessions!
Because of the adjacent ninja tool shop, during peacetime when Konoha’s higher-ups did not implement weapon purchase restrictions, ninjas would flock to buy ninja tools daily, creating a lively scene.
This was understandable, as Konoha’s largest bachelor apartment, also known as the Konoha Jonin Collective Apartments, was located not far from this shop.
Inside this house, situated in a prime location similar to the bustling commercial streets of the hot spring district, Orochimaru stood by the window on the second floor, gazing far to the north at the Hokage’s office building and the Hokage Rock, carved with three faces.
…
“Teacher!”
An excited shout pulled Orochimaru from his thoughts.
Looking down, Nawaki, holding Nonoyu’s hand, was waving vigorously at Orochimaru.
A smile played on Orochimaru’s lips. He vanished from the window in a flash and reappeared before the two children.
He reached out and ruffled Nawaki’s hair, eliciting a silly grin, then offered Nonoyu a gentle smile.
“You’re here?”
The two children nodded repeatedly. Nonoyu even let go of the hand Nawaki had been holding all the way and, blushing, bowed deeply to Orochimaru.
“Greetings, Lord Orochimaru!”
Orochimaru chuckled softly, put an arm around Nawaki’s shoulder, and squeezed him tightly.
“Come in and have a seat!”
“Teacher thought he wouldn’t get to see you before leaving Konoha!”
Without waiting for the surprised pair to react, Orochimaru released Nawaki, opened the gate, and walked into the courtyard.
Nawaki and Nonoyu exchanged glances and quickly followed Orochimaru.
“Teacher, are you leaving Konoha again?”
“Didn’t you just return from the Land of Earth front lines?”
Nawaki, rushing into the courtyard, ignored the issue of his graduation that year and any semblance of seniority. He blurted out his question directly. He knew that Teacher Orochimaru never cared about such minor details.
Moreover, given their relationship, the term “like a brother and father” could barely describe the bond between them.
Orochimaru did not immediately answer Nawaki’s question. He gestured for them to sit in the courtyard, then returned to his room. He emerged holding two scrolls and sat down before them.
“Nonoyu!”
“Yes, Lord Orochimaru!”
Hearing Orochimaru’s call, the young girl’s tensed body shot up, and she responded respectfully.
“Look at me!”
Orochimaru’s expression was serious.
The girl instinctively raised her head, meeting Orochimaru’s eyes, which held both sternness and gentleness.
“Do you know what it means for you to be here with Nawaki today?”
Facing Orochimaru’s question, Nonoyu, momentarily forgetting the apprehension that arose from meeting his gaze, quickly wracked her brain. Finally, under Orochimaru’s satisfied gaze, she tentatively nodded and asked,
“Yes!”
“Orochimaru… Teacher?”
Orochimaru’s stern expression melted away, and he nodded with satisfaction.
“Very good!”
“Teacher was right about you; you are indeed an intelligent child!”
“Sit down! From today onwards, you are my disciple, just like Nawaki!”
Nonoyu’s heart instantly bloomed with joy. The surge of happiness from within almost made her cry aloud.
‘No, I mustn’t cry!’
‘Teacher Orochimaru and Nawaki-kun are watching me. I am a sensible child. I must show them my best side!’
‘Nonoyu, you can do it!’
After a fierce internal struggle, Nonoyu finally managed to suppress the tears of emotion welling up in her eyes. She bowed deeply to Orochimaru and sat down, her lips pressed tightly together.
Orochimaru sensed her inner emotions gradually calming down and nodded slowly.
He gently placed the scrolls on the table. Looking at Nonoyu, who appeared somewhat reserved, he picked up one of the scrolls and spoke softly,
“Inside here are some cultivation insights for low-level ninjutsu. I have marked the points that require special attention.”
He put down the scroll in his hand and picked up another one with a calm expression, saying again,
“This one contains medical ninjutsu that I obtained from Tsunade. It has been personally categorized and organized by Tsunade herself, ranging from the most basic healing techniques to advanced applications of medical ninjutsu!”
“Which one do you choose?”
Nonoyu was dazed by this sudden, immense surprise and could hardly believe her eyes.
Nawaki, on the other hand, pouted with a hint of disappointment.
“Hmph!”
“So it’s just some unwanted stuff! Making such a fuss, I thought Teacher was going to reveal some incredible secret technique!”
Orochimaru was not angered by Nawaki’s dismissive remarks. He simply chuckled and said,
“There are indeed incredible secret techniques, but it is not yet time to impart them to you.”
“Once Teacher confirms that the secret technique will not cause any hidden dangers, I will consider whether to teach it to you!”
Nonoyu, unlike Nawaki, had not enjoyed the tutelage of various powerful figures since childhood, with an abundance of ninjutsu to choose from. Given her background, if she hadn’t met Orochimaru, the choices of ninjutsu and knowledge available to her after graduation would have been meager, unless she was recruited into Root by Danzo.
Taking a deep breath, Nonoyu’s small chest rose and fell. She finally set her gaze upon the scroll containing the medical ninjutsu.
Judging from her not-so-broad knowledge, Teacher Orochimaru valued her innate talent for mastering basic medical ninjutsu.
Therefore…
“Tea… Teacher, I choose medical ninjutsu!”
“May I?”
Orochimaru’s eyes twinkled with amusement. He placed both hands on the scrolls and said gently,
“Are you sure?”
“Even if you only excel at basic medical ninjutsu now, it does not mean you lack the talent to be a combat ninja.”
“Although this scroll only contains basic ninjutsu, you need not worry about the advanced techniques you will use in the future.”
“The five elemental ninjutsu of the ninja world, and even secret techniques. As long as you find them useful in the future, Teacher will do his utmost to retrieve them for you!”
Orochimaru’s grand declaration earned him the adoring gazes of his two disciples. Nonoyu looked on with longing for a moment, then finally nodded resolutely.
“Teacher, I only want the medical ninjutsu!”
“For combat, there’s Nawaki-kun!”
“My goal is to become a powerful medical ninja like Lord Tsunade!”
The smile on the young girl’s face momentarily blinded Nawaki. He only remembered nodding, but he had no recollection of what Nonoyu said to Teacher Orochimaru afterward.
Orochimaru nodded approvingly and pushed the scroll containing medical ninjutsu towards her.
“Excellent, it is yours now!”
Nonoyu joyfully accepted it, clutching the scroll, which was as long as her arm, tightly to her chest.
“Thank you, Teacher!”
Orochimaru nodded slightly. He glanced at the silly child beside him, still lost in his own world, and sighed softly.
“Nonoyu!”
“Yes, Teacher!”
“Teacher will be going on a trip soon and will likely be gone for about two months.”
“So, I have something to ask of you!”
Nonoyu stood up, her slender back straightened, and with a sense of mission, she said,
“Please instruct me, Teacher!”
Orochimaru stepped forward and gently stroked the young girl’s hair, a smile on his lips.
“No need to be so nervous!”
“Although Nawaki is a bit older than you, his disposition is too simple. His mind is not as agile as yours.”
Seeing a hint of worry in the young girl’s eyes, Orochimaru shook his head with a smile.
“This is a compliment. Teacher likes intelligent children.”
Nonoyu finally breathed a sigh of relief, looked up at Orochimaru with gratitude, her eyes full of affection.
“Nawaki’s talent is outstanding. As long as he doesn’t meet an untimely end, he is destined for great things in the future.”
“He is currently like a calf learning to walk. His overly privileged upbringing prevents him from seeing the hidden dangers lurking around him.”
“Therefore, I need a rope to guide this calf and lead him down the right path!”
“Can you do it?”
Upon hearing this, Nonoyu did not feel saddened by Orochimaru’s tone, which seemed to suggest he merely needed a tool. She simply nodded resolutely.
“If Teacher needs it, I will become that rope!”
“In the future, I can even become a dense net, blocking all dangers from the outside!”
Her childish voice spoke words that were firm and resounding.
Orochimaru had no doubt about Nonoyu’s kind nature and gently patted her on the back.
“Yes, Teacher never doubts his judgment!”
“Nonoyu, I entrust Nawaki to you!”