“You’ll be living here from now on.”
Orochimaru pushed open the courtyard gate and stepped aside.
“I’ll personally explain the situation to the orphanage director.
You don’t need to worry about it.”
Tanya followed him inside.
The courtyard wasn’t large.
Several wooden walkways connected a handful of rooms.
A few potted plants sat quietly in the corners.
Everything was clean.
Organized.
And unexpectedly plain.
Before agreeing to become Orochimaru’s disciple, Tanya had subconsciously imagined the residence of one of Konoha’s strongest shinobi.
A private training ground.
Lavish furnishings.
Rare books.
Valuable collections.
Something fitting a man standing at the pinnacle of the ninja world.
Instead—
The residence was almost austere.
There were no expensive decorations.
No displays of wealth.
No unnecessary extravagance.
The entire place looked more like the home of a scholar than a legendary shinobi.
Tanya blinked.
A trace of surprise flashed through her eyes.
This is unexpectedly simple.
The house was arguably less impressive than some civilian homes she had seen in Konoha.
Her opinion of Orochimaru shifted slightly.
Apparently, this cheap teacher truly wasn’t interested in material comforts.
Of course, Tanya herself didn’t care much.
As long as she had access to training resources, a stable environment, and opportunities to grow stronger, everything else was secondary.
Orochimaru glanced toward the rooms lining the corridor.
“Choose whichever room you prefer.”
Then he added calmly,
“I’ll return tonight.”
“I’ll also take you out for dinner.”
As he spoke, he reached into his robes.
Five scrolls appeared in his hand.
Without ceremony, he handed them to Tanya.
“These contain basic elemental ninjutsu.”
“Fire Release.”
“Wind Release.”
“Lightning Release.”
“Earth Release.”
“Water Release.”
His golden eyes rested on her briefly.
“Read them.”
“Familiarize yourself with the hand seals and chakra circulation methods.”
Then he turned and left.
No explanations.
No lengthy instructions.
No guidance.
Just five valuable ninjutsu scrolls casually handed over like ordinary books.
The reasoning was simple.
Partly, Orochimaru wanted to see how quickly Tanya could learn without assistance.
The reports he had received were impressive.
What he had personally witnessed was even more impressive.
But he wanted proof.
He wanted to see the limits of her talent.
The second reason was even simpler.
He was busy.
Very busy.
Numerous experiments occupied his schedule.
Research into life.
Research into chakra.
Research into immortality.
Every minute mattered.
Teaching a disciple from the basics was not something he currently had time for.
At least not yet.
Tanya stared at the scrolls in her hands.
Then at Orochimaru’s departing figure.
A smile slowly appeared.
This feeling…
It was wonderful.
So this is what it feels like to have connections.
Five elemental scrolls.
Just like that.
No applications.
No waiting lists.
No bureaucratic procedures.
Compared to the Empire, this treatment was practically luxurious.
Her mood immediately improved.
Happily carrying the scrolls, Tanya walked deeper into the residence.
The room wasn’t large.
A bed.
A desk.
A bookshelf.
Nothing more.
Yet everything was spotless.
For Tanya, it was more than sufficient.
Time passed quickly.
Before she knew it, evening had arrived.
The sun dipped below the horizon.
Orange light illuminated the courtyard.
The gate opened quietly.
Orochimaru returned.
After finishing his day’s work, he had come directly home.
The moment he entered the courtyard, his gaze landed on a small figure sitting on the steps.
Tanya.
She sat cross-legged with a book resting on her lap.
Completely focused.
Completely immersed.
She hadn’t even noticed his arrival.
Orochimaru stopped walking.
A trace of satisfaction appeared in his eyes.
Diligent.
Focused.
Not distracted.
These qualities were rare.
Slowly approaching, he spoke.
“Have you learned the ninjutsu from the scrolls?”
The voice startled Tanya.
Almost instantly—
She stood up.
Her heels clicked together.
Her back straightened.
Her right hand rose sharply.
A textbook military salute.
“Reporting to Teacher!”
Her voice rang out crisply.
“I have successfully learned all five techniques!”
The movements were smooth.
Practiced.
Instinctive.
The result of years of military discipline deeply engraved into her soul.
Even after reincarnation, some habits refused to disappear.
Orochimaru stared silently.
For several seconds.
Then—
“…No need to be that formal.”
The answer came somewhat awkwardly.
He genuinely wasn’t sure how to react.
As for Tanya learning all five techniques?
That part didn’t surprise him at all.
After everything he had seen today, such a result felt completely normal.
In fact, if she hadn’t mastered them, he would have been concerned.
“Yes, Teacher.”
Tanya lowered her hand.
Although she relaxed slightly, she knew eliminating such habits would take time.
Orochimaru nodded.
Then turned toward the gate again.
“Come.”
“I’ll take you to dinner.”
After taking several steps, he suddenly stopped.
Something occurred to him.
Turning around, he looked at Tanya.
“You didn’t eat lunch.”
A brief pause followed.
“Is there anything you’d like to eat?”
Silence.
Tanya froze.
A problem immediately surfaced.
She had no idea.
During her brief period outside the orphanage, she had never explored much of Konoha.
She barely knew the surrounding streets.
As for restaurants?
Completely unfamiliar.
The master and disciple stared at one another.
An awkward silence settled over the courtyard.
Only now did Orochimaru realize the obvious.
This child had only recently left the orphanage.
She knew almost nothing about the village.
As her teacher…
He had completely forgotten.
The Sannin coughed lightly.
Breaking the silence, he made the decision himself.
“You skipped lunch.”
“Something too heavy isn’t ideal.”
After a brief pause, he continued.
“We’ll go to Ichiraku Ramen.”
The decision was made.
Simple.
Efficient.
Much like Orochimaru himself.
In truth, he had very little experience with children.
His parents had died when he was young.
Nobody had raised him carefully.
Nobody had taught him how to care for others.
The few times he had tried to protect someone…
The outcome had rarely been pleasant.
“Understood, Teacher.”
Tanya nodded.
Although she wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about ramen, refusing her teacher’s invitation after becoming his disciple would be inappropriate.
The two left together.
The streets of Konoha glowed beneath the setting sun.
Long shadows stretched across the road.
The village was lively.
Merchants called out to customers.
Families returned home.
Children played in the streets.
Yet the atmosphere subtly changed whenever Orochimaru appeared.
People moved aside.
Conversations lowered.
Eyes followed him cautiously.
There was respect.
But there was also fear.
Tanya noticed immediately.
The expressions felt familiar.
She had seen similar looks before.
In another world.
On another battlefield.
When she had marched at the head of Imperial forces into enemy territory, civilians had looked at her with the same mixture of awe and fear.
The difference was obvious.
She understood why people feared her.
Her hands had been stained with countless lives.
But Orochimaru?
He was a war hero.
One of Konoha’s Legendary Sannin.
A man celebrated for his contributions during the war.
Why were the villagers reacting like this?
Surely it couldn’t be because he looked cold.
That explanation was ridiculous.
As she pondered the matter, Orochimaru suddenly spoke.
“Don’t concern yourself with their opinions.”
His voice remained calm.
He didn’t even glance at the surrounding civilians.
Clearly, he had long grown accustomed to such reactions.
After the war.
After Nawaki’s death.
After Dan’s death.
After Tsunade’s departure.
He had gradually become more distant.
More detached.
The villagers had noticed.
Fear had naturally followed.
Orochimaru never bothered explaining himself.
He simply didn’t care.
To him, public opinion held little value.
Research mattered.
Knowledge mattered.
Ninjutsu mattered.
Everything else was secondary.
Tanya nodded.
She chose not to ask further questions.
If her teacher didn’t wish to discuss the matter, pressing him would accomplish nothing.
Soon, the two arrived before a small ramen shop.
Tanya stared at it.
Then stared a little longer.
The simple storefront.
The modest decorations.
The narrow counter.
Everything about it reminded her of a roadside stall.
And in Tanya’s professional opinion—
Roadside stalls generally produced unhealthy food.
Her lips twitched slightly.
A strange thought surfaced.
Shouldn’t elite ninja receive better treatment?
Even genin seemed capable of eating meat regularly.
So why was her teacher dining here?