Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

Jiraiya, with his unwashed travel dust, looked helpless. As soon as he returned to Konoha Village, he was summoned by his mentor and was immediately assigned to lead a team of recently graduated ninjas. After firmly refusing, he was left speechless by the response.

Having stayed outside the village for the past three years to take care of Nagato and the others, Jiraiya found that this was a period when the village was in urgent need of manpower. Despite his reluctance, he had no choice but to accept the task. Compared to being a team leader, he would have preferred to take on more missions.

If Jiraiya was coerced, Orochimaru was volunteering. Hearing from the mentor that Orochimaru would also lead a team, Jiraiya was shocked and even wondered if Tsunade was also leading a team.

Fortunately, the answer was no. However, Hiruzen's next statement left Jiraiya quite speechless.

Originally, Tsunade was supposed to lead a team as well, but since her role in training medical ninjas was more crucial, she was not assigned as a team leader.

The original plan was…

Orochimaru would lead Ye Zi's team. He would lead Minato's team. Tsunade would lead Kushina's team.

These three students were all exceptionally talented, and Kushina was the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails.

"How could Orochimaru agree to this?"

Jiraiya scratched his head, walking toward the ninja school. He couldn't imagine that cold-hearted guy agreeing to such a task.

As he passed by a tavern, he immediately smelled the aroma of alcohol wafting out, stirring his thirst.

Noticing the early time of day, Jiraiya smiled and said, "Since there's still plenty of time, I might as well have a few drinks first."

...…

Inside the classroom, only six students remained: Minato's and Ye Zi's teams. The other students had already been taken away by the arriving jōnin.

Minato's teammates were a boy and a girl. The boy had a round face with a dark complexion, thick features, and small eyes, while the girl had delicate features and very expressive eyes, looking like a gentle person.

The three members of Minato's team all had relatively quiet personalities and were not upset by the delay of their team leader.

Ye Zi knew a few days ago that Orochimaru would be the one in charge of his team. After spending three years with him, he was familiar with Orochimaru's ways. He understood that Orochimaru's tardiness had a reason behind it, and even if Orochimaru arrived in the evening, it wouldn't bother him. As for Kitasei Yoru, who was rather introverted, he wouldn't get angry or dare to show displeasure.

In contrast, Kushina was different. She first showed impatience and complained several times.

Yoru showed a weak smile from the side, while he stared blankly out the window at the playground.

Bang.

After waiting for a long time, the door suddenly opened.

A pale and handsome man walked in.

As soon as Orochimaru entered the classroom, he spotted Ye Zi's team in the corner and walked straight to their location.

"D-Demon Lord Orochimaru!" Yoru's eyes widened in shock. He did not expect his team leader to be one of the Legendary Three, and his emotions seemed to be a mix of fear and excitement.

"Follow me."

After briefly assessing Kushina and Yoru, Orochimaru coldly uttered this command and turned to leave.

Kushina, who had been somewhat displeased earlier, forgot all her irritation upon seeing Orochimaru.

Having a team leader who was one of the Hokage's students was a rare opportunity, and waiting, no matter how long, was worth it.

Kushina and Yoru excitedly followed Orochimaru, while Ye Zi, already knowing that Orochimaru was the team leader, remained indifferent.

Seeing Ye Zi's team follow Orochimaru to the classroom door, Minato's teammates looked on with envy.

Bang!

Just as Orochimaru reached the door, it was forcefully pulled open with a loud noise.

Along with the door opening, a faint scent of alcohol drifted in, causing Orochimaru to frown slightly. When he saw who it was, a hint of helplessness and coldness crossed his eyes.

"Jiraiya." His somewhat hoarse voice carried a tone of indifference, as if he was not surprised by Jiraiya's appearance. In fact, Orochimaru hadn't known Jiraiya had returned today or that he would be leading a team of graduates.

"Oh? Orochimaru." Seeing Orochimaru, Jiraiya was momentarily surprised but quickly smiled and said, "What a coincidence." His gaze then shifted to the three students behind Orochimaru. When he saw Ye Zi's indifferent expression, he stared at him for a while, slightly dazed.

This kid is quite like Orochimaru.

Pulling his gaze away from Ye Zi, Jiraiya curiously asked, "Why did you agree to this?"

Orochimaru understood what Jiraiya was asking and coldly replied, "I don't need to answer you."

With that, Orochimaru stepped out, and Jiraiya instinctively moved aside to let him pass, with the three students following closely behind.

Jiraiya stood in the corridor, stroking his chin and watching Orochimaru's back, deep in thought.

"Um… Are you Jiraiya-sama?" A crisp, timid voice suddenly interrupted Jiraiya's thoughts.

Looking towards the voice, he saw a shy girl.

"Yes." Jiraiya nodded, not making a fuss about his title. These days, he was far from the flirtatious person he would become later.

Upon hearing Jiraiya's answer, the three students showed expressions of joy.

They had envied Ye Zi's team for having Orochimaru as their leader, but now they were thrilled to have Jiraiya as theirs.

Minato looked at Jiraiya with admiration in his eyes.

Noticing Minato's gaze, Jiraiya pretended not to see, but he was thinking about what the mentor had said before he arrived.

Namely, Minato Namikaze… a rare genius and also his future student.

He knew well that the mentor wanted him to train Minato to be Konoha's pillar, to become a figure similar to himself.

So what about Orochimaru…

Was he the child with a cold demeanor and a temperament similar to Orochimaru's own youth?

With these questions in mind, Jiraiya began the routine assessment with Minato and the others.

At the same time, Orochimaru took Ye Zi's team to a training ground in Konoha.

"Do a brief self-introduction: name, hobbies, and future dreams." Orochimaru looked at the three children in front of him. Originally, he only needed to know their names, but since he was a bit interested in Ye Zi's future aspirations, he decided to keep this tradition.

Ye Zi, what is it that you truly desire…