At this stage of his career, Orochimaru rarely accepted disciples.
Ordinary talent simply wasn’t enough to earn his attention.
Most students who trained under him did so because of politics.
They were the children of influential clans, loyal supporters, or important allies whose requests couldn’t be easily refused.
Very few were chosen because Orochimaru genuinely wanted to teach them.
After all, he wasn’t merely an elite jonin.
He was Orochimaru.
A legendary war hero.
A commander who had led troops through multiple conflicts, crushed enemy forces on the battlefield, and returned as one of Konoha’s most celebrated shinobi.
In the eyes of many, the question wasn’t whether he would become the Fourth Hokage.
It was when.
His competition was almost nonexistent.
Danzo Shimura had Root and a handful of supporters.
Beyond that?
Very little.
As for Minato Namikaze, he was certainly talented—exceptionally so—but this was before the Third Shinobi World War.
The Yellow Flash had not yet become a legend.
His reputation couldn’t compare to Orochimaru’s current standing.
Under those circumstances, even something as simple as accepting a disciple carried political weight.
Yet Orochimaru had accepted three.
And two of them had spent their graduation exam waving pom-poms.
The true reason sat calmly across from him.
“I wasn’t exaggerating.”
Ren smiled.
“My kekkei genkai really exists.”
He tapped his chest.
“Eating Release.”
Orochimaru’s golden eyes narrowed slightly.
“Go on.”
Ren nodded.
“Any living creature I consume permanently strengthens my body.”
“The stronger the creature, the greater the improvement.”
“After consumption, I need time to digest the gains.”
“And for some reason, combat seems to accelerate the process.”
Naturally, he left out the most important detail.
Eating Release didn’t exist.
Not really.
The source of his growth was Feast, a Mythic-ranked ability granted by the system.
But trying to explain a mysterious system would create far more problems than answers.
A bloodline limit, on the other hand?
People understood those.
And surprisingly, Ren wasn’t particularly worried about revealing this much.
At least not to Orochimaru.
The Sannin listened without interrupting.
Consume living creatures.
Gain permanent physical enhancement.
Stronger prey yielded greater rewards.
Digestion required time.
Combat accelerated absorption.
Each new detail made the light in Orochimaru’s eyes grow brighter.
This was the reason he had personally taken Ren as a disciple.
The graduation exam had left a deep impression on him.
The sheer physical power Ren displayed was abnormal.
At first, Orochimaru assumed the boy had simply been born gifted.
It happened.
The Third Raikage could wrestle tailed beasts.
Compared to monsters like that, an unusually strong child wasn’t impossible.
But if Ren’s strength wasn’t innate…
If it could continue growing…
Then everything changed.
After the exam, Orochimaru had conducted his own investigation.
Ren Akihara.
Orphan.
No notable clan.
Average Academy performance for most of his childhood.
No signs of overwhelming talent.
No hidden inheritance.
Nothing that explained his current strength.
The more Orochimaru investigated, the more believable Ren’s explanation became.
Even so, Orochimaru trusted evidence above all else.
Reports could be wrong.
People could lie.
Experiments did not.
“Wait here.”
Without another word, he vanished.
Ren leaned back comfortably.
Everything was proceeding exactly as planned.
Among all the teachers available in Konoha, Orochimaru ranked near the top.
Knowledge.
Resources.
Combat experience.
Forbidden techniques.
Research facilities.
Political influence.
The man possessed almost everything a shinobi could want.
Of course, there was one issue.
A rather significant issue.
Future Orochimaru.
Specifically, the version obsessed with immortality and stealing other people’s bodies.
Fortunately, that problem remained years away.
The Third Shinobi World War hadn’t even started yet.
And by the time Orochimaru eventually developed Living Corpse Reincarnation…
Ren doubted possession would remain a realistic option.
At his current growth rate, a single punch might solve that problem permanently.
As for exposing part of his secret?
The trade was worth it.
Feast was powerful.
Ridiculously powerful.
But it was still only one reward among countless possibilities hidden within the system.
Exchanging a carefully controlled portion of information for Orochimaru’s full support was an excellent bargain.
Moments later, the Sannin returned.
Something writhed in his hand.
A snake.
Nearly a meter long.
Its body was thick with muscle, and its golden eyes carried an unsettling intelligence.
The moment Ren saw it, he sensed something unusual.
Natural energy.
Faint.
But unmistakable.
The creature’s body contained traces of it.
Orochimaru noticed his reaction.
A smile slowly spread across his face.
“Interesting.”
“Come with me.”
The two entered a testing room.
Orochimaru placed the snake inside a reinforced container before turning toward Ren.
“We’ll record your current physical condition first.”
His eyes flicked toward the snake.
“Then you’ll eat it.”
Ren grinned.
There it was.
The first major benefit of having Orochimaru as a teacher.
Premium food.
Delivered directly to him.
Thirty minutes later, the room fell silent.
Orochimaru stared at two sets of data.
Then looked at Ren.
Then back at the data.
For perhaps the first time that day, even he struggled to maintain his composure.
“Nearly ten percent…”
His voice was barely above a whisper.
The numbers were undeniable.
Strength.
Speed.
Endurance.
Durability.
Every measurable category had increased dramatically.
Nearly ten percent.
From a single meal.
And not just any meal.
A creature infused with traces of natural energy.
The result was absurd.
Ren was already far stronger than any Academy graduate had any right to be.
Now he had become even stronger.
Orochimaru reread the report.
Then reread it again.
And again.
By the sixth reading, even Ren began feeling awkward.
“So…”
He tilted his head.
“What happens next?”
Orochimaru finally snapped out of his thoughts.
His eyes lit up.
“Research.”
“Lots of research.”
Ren immediately felt a slight sense of concern.
The expression on Orochimaru’s face looked less like a teacher and more like a scientist who had just discovered a new continent.
“First, a complete physical examination.”
His voice quickened.
“I need blood samples.”
“Several blood samples.”
“We’ll conduct cellular analysis.”
“Repeatedly.”
He began pacing.
“You mentioned combat accelerates digestion.”
“Then we’ll arrange stronger opponents.”
A pause.
“No.”
Another pause.
“That’s inefficient.”
He resumed pacing even faster.
“I’ll teach you the Summoning Jutsu immediately.”
“We’ll visit Ryuchi Cave.”
“There are countless suitable test subjects there.”
His eyes gleamed.
“And combat can’t be the only factor.”
“There must be additional variables.”
“Environmental stimuli.”
“Chakra circulation.”
“Cellular adaptation.”
“Natural energy exposure.”
“If we isolate each variable individually, we can optimize the entire process.”
His excitement continued building.
“We might be able to accelerate your growth dramatically.”
For a moment, Orochimaru barely resembled the calm and calculating shinobi feared throughout the world.
He looked like a researcher standing before the greatest discovery of his life.
Completely captivated.
Completely distracted.
Completely obsessed.
Ren watched him with a faint smile.
Perfect.
The more interested Orochimaru became…
The more benefits Ren would receive.