Inside the box, several scrolls were neatly arranged.
They all appeared to be Wood Release techniques.
Hiruzen picked up one of the scrolls, turned back, and handed it to Tsunade. Then he glanced at Orochimaru with a thoughtful look.
"Orochimaru… you've really surprised us all. Is there anything you'd like as a reward from your teacher?"
"A reward?" Orochimaru paused thoughtfully. "There's nothing in particular that comes to mind."
Money, power, and women—these were common ambitions for most people.
Money? Orochimaru had plenty.
Power? He held no interest in the Hokage title, and even if he did, he doubted Hiruzen would willingly pass it on to him.
As for women… currently, Tsunade was the only one in his life, and for now, he had no intention of pursuing others.
What he truly sought was something unique to this world: deeper power, knowledge, and secrets.
The only thing he could consider valuable was access to the Scroll of Seals—but realistically, that was unlikely. After all, the Scroll of Seals was kept under strict protection and filled with dangerous, forbidden techniques.
Orochimaru was well aware that studying such forbidden arts was a serious offense in the village, one that could raise suspicion toward his true ambitions. He wasn't foolish enough to openly request the Scroll of Seals.
"I see. Well, if you ever think of something, let me know," Hiruzen replied, a little disappointed but still supportive.
With that, Orochimaru and Tsunade bid farewell to the Third Hokage and left the office.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they found Nawaki waiting there, eager as ever. Orochimaru couldn't help but smirk slightly at the sight.
He was now certain that he'd altered Nawaki's fate. Not only had the boy's strength been enhanced significantly, almost reaching Jonin level, but he had also managed to live to see his thirteenth birthday, a milestone he hadn't originally reached.
Orochimaru's assistance in awakening Tsunade's Wood Release remained a closely guarded secret. Aside from the four Konoha elders, himself, and Tsunade, no one else knew about it.
After parting ways with Tsunade for the time being, Orochimaru returned to his own home.
The house was empty and covered in a layer of dust. Given the demands of the war, he hadn't been back in a long time, and no one had been around to keep it clean.
After a quick glance around, he straightened up his bed and lay down.
War was exhausting, and even Orochimaru felt the strain. Though most battles were no real challenge for him, he never underestimated his opponents. He knew well that even the strongest shinobi could fall from a single careless mistake.
So, for the first time since returning, Orochimaru allowed himself a long, uninterrupted rest. No tension from the battlefield, no distractions from romantic entanglements with Tsunade—just a peaceful, refreshing sleep that carried him from the afternoon all the way through to dawn.
---
The next morning, Orochimaru lay in bed, pondering his future path before finally getting up. Reflecting on his own abilities, he identified a few gaps in his power.
Besides the pursuit of ocular abilities, he felt a distinct lack of knowledge about immortality.
Of course, during the chaos of war, there hadn't been much opportunity to focus on such goals. So, for the time being, any major advancements in his strength would have to wait.
Perhaps, he mused, he could focus on building up his resources and network instead?
Re-establishing his experimental base and creating a clone army were certainly possibilities worth exploring.
But… where to find people he could trust to manage such a facility?
The thought of staffing his base gave him a headache. With the war ongoing, capable allies were few and far between. Originally, he had considered recruiting Nono for assistance, but she had been sent on a secret mission some time ago and hadn't been back since.
"Forget it," he muttered to himself, getting out of bed. "Might as well enjoy the peace and quiet in Konoha while it lasts."
Surveying his dusty mansion, he decided he'd rather not handle the cleaning himself. Shadow clones could do the work, of course, but it was still essentially him doing the labor. After a moment's thought, he made a decision.
He posted a D-rank mission: house cleaning, with a reward of 10,000 ryo—the highest possible payment for a D-rank task. He was confident someone would take it quickly.
As expected, it wasn't long before a ninja arrived at his doorstep to accept the mission.
However, Orochimaru was mildly surprised when he saw who it was.
"Uchiha Mikoto?"
"Lord Orochimaru," Mikoto greeted him with a respectful bow, her voice slightly nervous. "Please allow me to assist you."
Mikoto was a classmate of Nawaki's. Since Orochimaru had managed to change Nawaki's fate, it meant Mikoto was now around thirteen as well.
Looking at the young kunoichi before him, with her dark hair and the faint traces of maturity just beginning to show, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly. "I didn't expect you to take on this mission."
"Um… I just happened to have some free time, so…" Mikoto replied, her voice hesitant and a bit flustered.
Although she was a Chunin now, Orochimaru's reputation as one of the legendary Sannin was intimidating. Standing before him, she couldn't quite keep her composure.
And, truthfully, she hadn't taken this mission entirely on her own initiative.
Orochimaru noticed her nervousness, which reminded him a bit of his encounter with Kushina some time ago.
"Are you… afraid of me?"
"No… no, I…" Mikoto stammered, visibly more anxious.
"Alright, come inside," Orochimaru interrupted calmly, gesturing for her to enter.
He didn't need to hear her explanation. Her awkward demeanor and hesitant tone told him everything he needed to know.
For a brief moment, Orochimaru wondered if there was something about his appearance that made others nervous. Was he not… approachable enough?
"Are you here alone?" he asked.
"Yes! Since there weren't any team assignments today, I decided to take on this task myself," Mikoto answered, her tone finally more steady.
Orochimaru nodded. Generally, ninjas took missions in teams, but D-rank tasks were often simple enough to be handled solo, so her explanation made sense.
Still, he was curious why Uchiha Mikoto, an Uchiha clan member, would take on such a mundane task. But he dismissed the thought after all, there was nothing of real importance in his house, and all his critical research materials were safely hidden.
After giving her a few instructions, he left the house, allowing Mikoto to start her work.
As she watched Orochimaru disappear into the village streets, Mikoto glanced around the dusty room and felt a touch of curiosity.
"Does Lord Orochimaru always live alone?" she wondered aloud.
***
Bonus Chapter.
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