Naruto: The Scourge

Eagerly, Ye Zi rushed to Orochimaru's room as soon as he returned to the residence. A few seconds later, after enduring a cold, ice-like glare from Orochimaru, he was unceremoniously thrown out of the room.

Ye Zi, thrown out, obediently returned to his own room. The snake-like, icy gaze made him shiver; it felt as though if he angered Orochimaru further, even death was possible. This close-to-true assumption became one of the rules Ye Zi needed to remember — never act rashly.

That evening, it was time for dinner again. The meal was the same ordinary fare as always, and silence prevailed.

Orochimaru ate with an indifferent expression, as if the incident with Ye Zi earlier had never happened, even though he had been like a snake about to pounce on its prey.

Ye Zi did not dare to so much as glance cautiously at Orochimaru. He focused solely on eating. The first meal he shared with Orochimaru at lunchtime had been consumed with restraint, but now, having resolved to strengthen his body, he ate heartily.

Orochimaru noticed this but paid it no mind. After consuming a sufficient amount, he got up and walked toward the courtyard, leaving behind a cold remark.

"Clean up after eating."

Ye Zi paused, startled, and looked toward the door, but Orochimaru was already gone.

"Alright."

Muttering to the air, Ye Zi cleaned the plate and chopsticks after finishing the meal.

After tidying up, which only took about ten minutes, Ye Zi suddenly felt the fatigue in his body gradually fade.

"Hm?"

He raised his arm, puzzled, and clenched his fist with some force. It seemed he could exert some strength now, and he no longer felt as weak and feeble as before. No wonder he hadn't felt much effort while washing the dishes earlier.

Sure enough... to recover quickly, he needed to eat more.

What Ye Zi didn't realize was that his body possessed an excellent energy-absorption property — every grain of rice, every drop of water could supply his body with energy. However, this didn't mean he could absorb all that he ate; it depended on how efficiently his body could take in energy. Similarly, the amount of chakra a person could hold was limited, though it could be increased through training, it would still be constrained by the body's capacity.

Just one meal had improved his physical state a bit, and Ye Zi's mood immediately brightened. Thinking about the decision he made today, he mustered his courage and headed toward the courtyard.

Walking along the wooden corridor to the courtyard, he saw Orochimaru sitting quietly with his feet on an oval stone used as a step.

Ye Zi stood still for a moment, hesitating, then gathered his courage and sat down beside Orochimaru. Orochimaru did not react to Ye Zi's actions.

Ye Zi sat in silence, thinking of how to start a conversation. The last rays of twilight bathed them in a yellowish glow.

"In a while, I'll send you to the ninja school."

As Ye Zi was still considering how to speak, Orochimaru suddenly spoke, his slightly hoarse voice as cold as ever.

"The ninja school?" Ye Zi was taken aback.

Orochimaru gazed at the old tree in the courtyard, eyes deep and calm. "Three years — that is how long it will take for you to graduate from the ninja school."

Although Ye Zi did not know what the ninja school was, he was not foolish. He could guess with a little thought that it was a place where one could learn strange abilities.

"If I go to the ninja school, will I be able to learn the same kind of power as you?" Ye Zi asked eagerly, his eyes bright.

Orochimaru tilted his head slightly and sized up Ye Zi, nodding just a bit before saying coldly, "That place is only for building a foundation. If you want true power, you will have to rely on yourself."

"I understand."

Ye Zi nodded firmly, clenching his small hand into a fist. The ninja school was the first step, but the time seemed too long.

"A year, no, six months to build a foundation."

Ye Zi thought silently, unaware that the war had just ended and Konoha Village did not need to hasten new recruits. To reduce the casualty rate among new recruits, everyone had to study diligently for three years to graduate from the ninja school.

In the days that followed, Ye Zi's appetite grew, while Orochimaru would either come and go at odd hours or disappear for days.

Half a month later, Ye Zi's emaciated body gradually filled out, and his loose clothes now fit snugly.

One day, Orochimaru suddenly said, "Get ready. Today, I'm taking you to report to the ninja school."

Ye Zi was surprised, but he was mentally prepared. He changed into his outdoor clothes and followed Orochimaru toward the ninja school.

In late June of the 29th year of Konoha, the ninja school welcomed new recruits. It was on this day that the future legendary Fourth Hokage entered the school. Apart from Minato Namikaze, there were no outstanding ninjas in the same batch, but now, there was Ye Zi…

On the way to the ninja school, Ye Zi saw many ninjas leading their children in the same direction.

Ye Zi kept pace with Orochimaru's slightly faster steps. All the ninjas they passed cast admiring glances at Orochimaru. When Orochimaru walked ahead, Ye Zi could hear some of the ninjas, watching Orochimaru's back, quietly instructing their children, "You must work hard and become an outstanding ninja like Lord Orochimaru."

Besides those who taught their children at the right moment, many also cast secret glances at Ye Zi and began to whisper.

"That child is the one Lord Orochimaru brought back from outside."

"I heard he's exceptionally talented."

"And he's being raised by Orochimaru himself. It's certain that his future achievements won't be low."

"Hey, even if he's not talented, he'll definitely become strong under Orochimaru's guidance. If only my child could have Orochimaru as their teacher after graduation."

The road from the residence to the ninja school was long. Along the way, Ye Zi realized that the man in front of him seemed to be a very impressive figure. At least, the center of all the discussions was Orochimaru.

Ye Zi listened to their quiet conversations and looked at their unabashed admiration. Finally, he turned his gaze to Orochimaru's back, and an unbidden thought arose in his heart: how he wished to become as great as this person in the future. But at that moment, what he truly thought was how to obtain power from this man.

Upon arriving at the ninja school, perhaps because of Orochimaru's status, the reception was not only warm but also astonishingly efficient. Ye Zi was quickly registered and officially became a new student of Konoha's ninja school.

Once all the necessary formalities were completed, Orochimaru glanced at Ye Zi, said nothing about any warnings, and simply left with a parting statement.

"I'm leaving."

Ye Zi, already accustomed to Orochimaru's behavior, just nodded and watched as Orochimaru disappeared from view. He then followed the middle-ranked ninja responsible for the reception toward the classroom.

Without Orochimaru's status, the middle-ranked ninja would not have taken Ye Zi to the classroom on his own.

On the way, the middle-ranked ninja glanced at Ye Zi, thinking Ye Zi was quite different from the other children of his age. The biggest difference was that Ye Zi was too calm, lacking the excitement typical of children.

"This is the one."

Stopping in front of a door, the middle-ranked ninja pointed to the classroom door and smiled.

"Thank you."

Ye Zi said his thanks and opened the door to enter the classroom.

The classroom already had quite a few students. When the door opened, the noisy chatter instantly stopped, and all eyes turned to look at Ye Zi.

Everyone's gaze stayed only for a moment before moving away, going back to their own activities, except for one pair of eyes that did not move.

Minato Namikaze's eyes lit up slightly when he saw Ye Zi. When Ye Zi's gaze turned to him, Minato's face broke into a warm smile, and he stood up and waved.

The child sitting next to Minato was surprised and looked at him, wondering if Minato knew this unfamiliar boy.

Before entering the ninja school, these peers, even if they weren't familiar, had seen each other many times. Ye Zi, on the other hand, appeared suddenly. Before this, none of the children in the classroom had seen Ye Zi.

Ye Zi stood at the door, silently watching Minato. With his golden hair and sapphire-like eyes, Minato was one of the few people Ye Zi had interacted with. Ye Zi was considering whether to go over to Minato's side.

Minato seemed to sense Ye Zi's hesitation. A trace of helplessness flashed in his eyes, as if he already knew that Ye Zi would ignore him for the second time.

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