Perhaps it was because Orochimaru was, at his core, a scientist, that Tatsumi didn't sense the kind of cold, serpentine aura one might expect.
Instead, Tatsumi perceived in Orochimaru a kind of melancholic, intellectual temperament.
It seems the Third Hokage's three students all had the potential to write books.
Jiraiya could specialize in writing erotic novels, Orochimaru could write a scientific treatise on inventions, and Tsunade could write a book on how to become a fat sheep.
However, despite Orochimaru's current gentleness, human nature is, in reality, the most complex thing.
With enough experience, even the purest person will inevitably change.
The most typical example is Nawaki. He used to be such a good kid. So innocent and lovable, and you could always trick him out of his meager allowance.
But now, after hearing Tatsumi call Orochimaru 'Snake Uncle,' he's been calling him 'Big Brother Orochimaru' non-stop.
What's with all this sudden familiarity!
Tatsumi shot Nawaki a glare, then ignored him.
The current Orochimaru is definitely still a model young man, wholeheartedly devoted to the Leaf Village.
What kind of despair did he have to experience to transform from a Leaf Village hero of the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars, one of the legendary Sannin, into the person he was in the original story?
In the original story, Orochimaru became a cold and cruel person, obsessed with pursuing immortality, even changing his gender in the process.
He even orchestrated the Konoha Crush, killing his own teacher, the Third Hokage.
Perhaps patricide is a tradition in the Naruto world.
"Tatsumi, what are you thinking about?" Orochimaru's raspy voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
Tatsumi's focused contemplation had piqued his interest.
"It's nothing," Tatsumi shook his head. "I was just wondering what kind of dreams you have, Snake Uncle... I mean, Teacher."
"Me..." Orochimaru's golden pupils narrowed, and then he closed his eyes for a moment, a complex expression crossing his face. Finally, he spoke in a slow, hoarse voice, tinged with bitterness.
"To master all the techniques in this world. That is my only desire."
"Hmm, a very interesting dream," Tatsumi nodded, unsurprised.
"What is it? Don't you think it's an unrealistic delusion?"
"If it's you, you might actually be able to realize such a dream," Tatsumi said with certainty.
"Hahaha, you are a truly interesting child," Orochimaru laughed.
Tatsumi poked at the roasted pig over the fire with a wooden stick, then tore off a large piece.
Suddenly, Tatsumi's giant white snake emerged from his pant leg.
"Hiding a snake in your crotch? Tatsumi, that's quite a creative trick," Nawaki chuckled.
Tatsumi responded with a mischievous grin.
The giant white snake flicked its tongue and glanced at Nawaki.
"Tatsumi, is this the high-quality man you were going to introduce me to?" The giant white snake's eyes showed disdain, as if Nawaki were just a misplaced piece of clothing.
"That's right, he's handsome, isn't he?"
"Say hello to Nawaki, this is the girlfriend I'm introducing to you. Haven't you always said you wanted a girlfriend?"
"Are you kidding me!" Nawaki shrunk back, closer to Orochimaru.
"Didn't you say you wanted both an interesting soul and a beautiful appearance? Look at the giant white snake's figure, a perfect hourglass shape. And its soul completely meets your requirements."
Nawaki quickly waved his hands in refusal.
"What do you think, giant white snake?" Tatsumi asked his summoned creature.
"Don't be ridiculous! Look at how foolish he looks. He wouldn't even qualify as my fifth backup boyfriend," the giant white snake immediately rejected Tatsumi's suggestion.
It seems Nawaki's first matchmaking attempt has failed.
The giant white snake curiously approached the roasted pig in Tatsumi's hand and sniffed it, then looked up at him.
Indicating that she wanted to eat too.
Tatsumi quickly handed her the roasted meat, and she immediately began to eat.
"You only signed the summoning contract yesterday, and your relationship is already this good," Orochimaru watched the scene before him and smiled slightly.
"Not to brag, but while I might not be great at other things, when it comes to likability, no one in the entire school can compare to me."
Tatsumi once again poked the giant white snake's head with his finger, which this time annoyed the giant white snake, who flicked her tongue at him in protest, but ultimately touched Tatsumi's finger with her tongue.
"By the way, Orochimaru-sensei, what is our mission this time?" Mikoto, who had been quietly eating next to Tatsumi, suddenly asked.
"There is a band of bandits in the east of the Land of Fire. Our mission is to eliminate them," Orochimaru said calmly.
"Is it okay for us to delay like this?" Nawaki asked, puzzled.
"It doesn't matter. As long as we kill them in the end, we will receive our reward," Orochimaru said coolly.
"You must understand that the real purpose of this mission is not just a few bandits. It is to train your survival skills, so you have a better chance of staying alive in the war," Orochimaru continued.
"So, are the other teams' missions similar?" Tatsumi asked.
"That's right."
"After this mission, the bandits and robbers within the Land of Fire will be almost completely wiped out. Regardless of whether those people are real bandits, or spies sent by other villages. This is to have a stable home front during the war," Orochimaru explained.
However, there was one thing he didn't say. Every Jonin leading a team had received an order, which was to use scrolls to bring all the bandits' property and food back to the Leaf Village.
These ninjas rob merchants every year, so you can imagine how wealthy they are.
So, the real purpose of letting some bandits run rampant is for this moment? This is truly a three-bird-one-stone strategy. The village is indeed full of schemes.
Orochimaru had seen too much of this kind of darkness within the village, so he wasn't surprised.
Then he stood up. "Alright, that's all for today."
"The task of keeping watch tonight will be entrusted to the three of you. As for how to divide the watch time, you can decide among yourselves."
"Well then. I'm going to sleep, good night."
After Orochimaru finished speaking, he went straight to his tent without hesitation.
"...."
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