“Lord Orochimaru, welcome!”
Inside Ichiraku Ramen, Teuchi was busy preparing noodles when the curtain was pushed aside.
The moment he saw Orochimaru enter, his face immediately brightened.
Orochimaru was one of the village’s greatest heroes.
Few people in Konoha didn’t know his name.
However, before Teuchi could continue speaking, his eyes landed on the small blonde girl climbing onto a stool behind him.
The ramen chef blinked.
Then blinked again.
His expression became increasingly curious.
“Lord Orochimaru…”
He hesitated briefly.
“This child is…?”
Orochimaru glanced at him.
“She’s my disciple.”
That was all.
As usual, he offered no additional explanation.
Walking to his usual seat, he sat down and spoke calmly.
“Two large bowls of tonkotsu ramen.”
“Less spicy.”
Teuchi immediately nodded.
“Right away!”
However, the chef’s expression became increasingly relieved.
His smile widened noticeably.
“That’s wonderful, Lord Orochimaru!”
He laughed heartily while preparing the noodles.
“For a moment, I thought you’d secretly gotten married and had a daughter!”
“Seeing you take in a disciple is great too.”
Since the war had ended, many villagers had noticed Orochimaru becoming increasingly distant.
Many people worried about him.
Now, seeing him bringing a child out for a meal felt strangely reassuring.
Perhaps the war’s shadows were finally fading.
Meanwhile, Tanya’s eyelid twitched slightly.
Daughter?
She silently accepted the chopsticks Orochimaru handed her.
Then she decided to focus on something more important.
“Teacher.”
Orochimaru glanced at her.
“What is it?”
“I would like to enter the Ninja Academy early.”
Tanya paused briefly.
“And graduate as soon as possible.”
In her original wording, she had intended to say that attending the Academy would be a waste of time.
Fortunately, she stopped herself.
Most of the Academy curriculum covered material she had already mastered.
Basic chakra theory.
The Three Academy Techniques.
Foundational shinobi knowledge.
From her perspective, spending years there served little purpose.
Still, Orochimaru was now her teacher.
A certain degree of respect was necessary.
Orochimaru understood her meaning immediately.
“The Academy follows village regulations.”
His tone remained calm.
“Being my disciple doesn’t grant exceptions.”
Tanya remained silent.
Then Orochimaru added something she hadn’t expected.
“Even after enrollment, students are generally expected to remain for at least a year.”
His golden eyes rested on her.
“You’ll attend.”
The answer was final.
There was another reason behind his decision.
A child should have peers.
Even a genius.
Even an exceptional one.
Orochimaru thought back to his own childhood.
Jiraiya.
Tsunade.
The three of them had trained together under Hiruzen.
They argued constantly.
Competed constantly.
Caused endless trouble.
Yet those years remained among the happiest memories of his life.
Tanya’s talent was already extraordinary.
If she isolated herself completely, she would only become more detached from others.
The Academy would at least give her an opportunity to interact with children her own age.
“Understood, Teacher.”
Tanya nodded obediently.
Internally, however, she was already making plans.
Shadow Clones existed for a reason.
There was no rule stating the original body had to attend class.
A clone could easily handle school.
Meanwhile, she could focus on training.
The arrangement seemed perfectly reasonable.
At least to her.
Soon, Teuchi placed two steaming bowls before them.
The rich aroma instantly filled the shop.
Tanya lowered her gaze.
The broth was creamy and fragrant.
The noodles looked springy and perfectly cooked.
She picked up her chopsticks.
One bite.
Then another.
Her eyes widened slightly.
The taste exceeded her expectations.
The noodles were smooth.
The broth was rich without being overwhelming.
Without realizing it, Tanya began eating at military speed.
Years of wartime habits resurfaced.
Efficient.
Fast.
Practical.
Several minutes later—
Her bowl was completely empty.
Not a single noodle remained.
Even the broth was gone.
Teuchi stared.
Then stared some more.
The little girl looked as though she hadn’t eaten properly in days.
The sight made his heart ache.
“Lord Orochimaru.”
The chef finally spoke.
His expression became serious.
“No matter how busy you are, children still need regular meals.”
Teuchi pointed at Tanya’s empty bowl.
“Look how hungry she was.”
In his mind, the explanation was obvious.
Orochimaru must have been too occupied with village duties.
Orochimaru looked at the empty bowl.
Then at the tiny trace of broth remaining near Tanya’s mouth.
After several seconds, he nodded thoughtfully.
“…I see.”
The Sannin suddenly realized something.
He genuinely had no idea how to raise children.
Teaching?
Research?
Combat?
Those were simple.
Daily care was another matter entirely.
Perhaps he needed advice.
Someone experienced.
Someone who had raised a younger sibling.
A certain blonde woman immediately came to mind.
At that moment, Teuchi smiled toward Tanya.
“Would you like another bowl?”
“I can have it ready in no time.”
Tanya shook her head politely.
“No, thank you.”
“It was delicious.”
She placed the chopsticks down carefully.
“But I still have physical training tonight.”
“If I order another bowl and fail to finish it, that would waste food.”
The answer immediately earned Teuchi’s approval.
Such a sensible child.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru reached for his wallet.
Before he could pay—
Teuchi firmly pushed his hand away.
“Absolutely not.”
Orochimaru blinked.
Teuchi crossed his arms.
“This is the first meal you’ve shared with your disciple.”
“And you chose my ramen shop.”
The chef grinned proudly.
“These two bowls are on me.”
For Teuchi, this was an honor.
There was no way he would accept payment.
After a brief pause, Orochimaru nodded.
He wasn’t someone who argued over such matters.
“Thank you.”
The two then left the shop.
Outside, dusk had fully settled over Konoha.
Street lanterns gradually lit up.
Orochimaru looked down at Tanya.
“Return home first.”
His tone was calm.
“I have something to take care of.”
“Don’t wait for me tonight.”
Tanya’s eyes brightened slightly.
“Yes, Teacher.”
A teacher who provided resources.
A teacher who gave freedom.
A teacher who rarely interfered.
From Tanya’s perspective, this was nearly perfect.
After watching her leave, Orochimaru turned in another direction.
Toward one of Konoha’s izakaya.
There was only one person he could think of for advice.
Tsunade.
Inside the izakaya, the lighting was dim.
Several empty sake bottles sat scattered across a table.
Tsunade occupied the corner alone.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed.
Her movements slower than usual.
She was clearly drunk.
Since Nawaki’s death.
Since Dan’s death.
Alcohol had become one of her few methods of escaping painful memories.
Hearing footsteps approach, she lazily lifted her head.
Then she saw who had arrived.
“Orochimaru?”
A crooked smile appeared.
“Look who finally decided to visit.”
She lifted her cup.
“What is it?”
Orochimaru sat across from her.
Ignoring the alcohol entirely, he asked a single question.
“How did you take care of Nawaki when he was young?”
The effect was immediate.
The smile vanished.
The drunken haze disappeared from Tsunade’s eyes.
Her expression turned cold.
Very cold.
BANG!
Her hand slammed onto the table.
Several bottles rattled violently.
Nawaki.
That name remained her deepest wound.
The atmosphere instantly became dangerous.
After several tense seconds, Tsunade slowly exhaled.
She knew Orochimaru.
She knew he still suffered from those losses as well.
Had anyone else asked such a question, they would have already gone through the wall.
Seeing her reaction, Orochimaru immediately clarified.
“I recently accepted a disciple.”
The tension gradually eased.
Tsunade blinked.
Then rolled her eyes.
“That’s it?”
The hostility disappeared.
“I thought something serious had happened.”
She took another sip of sake.
Then leaned back in her chair.
“You’re raising a kid now.”
The image seemed amusing to her.
A faint smile appeared.
“That’s unexpected.”
After a moment, her expression softened.
“Nawaki was always attached to me when he was little.”
A nostalgic look appeared in her eyes.
“I cooked for him.”
“Took care of him.”
“Made sure he stayed out of trouble.”
The smile lingered.
Though tears slowly began gathering in the corners of her eyes.
“He always told me my cooking was the best.”
For a brief moment, she laughed.
Then the laughter faded.
“It’s a shame he’ll never say that again.”
Orochimaru remained silent.
Listening.
Just listening.
After a while, Tsunade wiped her eyes.
Then her expression became serious.
“Orochimaru.”
Her voice was firm.
“If you’ve accepted a disciple…”
“Protect her.”
The air became heavy.
“Don’t let her end up like Nawaki.”
The pain in her voice was unmistakable.
She didn’t want to lose another precious person.
Not again.
Not ever again.
Orochimaru met her gaze.
Then nodded.
“I understand.”
The answer was simple.
Yet completely sincere.
Tsunade seemed satisfied.
She relaxed slightly.
Then took another drink.
“Good.”
A moment later, curiosity surfaced.
“What’s the kid’s name?”
“How old?”
“Bring her here next time.”
“I want to meet her.”
“Tanya.”
Orochimaru answered calmly.
“Very young.”
“Extremely talented.”
“Far calmer than Nawaki ever was.”
“Tanya…”
Tsunade repeated the name thoughtfully.
Then nodded.
“Sounds like a good kid.”
A smile appeared.
This time warmer than before.
“Bring her next time.”
“I’ll cook something for her.”
“I guarantee she’ll like it.”
Orochimaru said nothing.
Only nodded.
The conversation continued.
Tsunade occasionally spoke about Nawaki.
Sometimes about Dan.
Sometimes about the past.
Orochimaru listened quietly.
Offering a reply now and then.
For the first time in a long while, neither of them felt completely alone.