Tobirama wants to meet me? Orochimaru's heart skipped a beat. It seemed that his exceptional performance had earned him Tobirama's favor and interest.
It was incredibly rare for a Genin to have the courage to face a powerful Jonin without collapsing, but what was even more unbelievable was that Orochimaru had emerged victorious.
Kakashi had been hailed as a genius since he was ten years old, but in reality, he was merely a weak Jonin. He couldn't match the experience and abilities required. However, after obtaining the Sharingan, he managed to shake off the stigma of being "inferior" and rose in strength.
During the war, everyone needed a hero to look up to, a symbol of genius. Kakashi, being the son of Konoha's White Fang and Minato's student, benefited from the reputation of his father and sensei. This naturally propelled him forward.
However, true genius like Itachi only reached the level of fighting a Jonin when he was twelve years old. Orochimaru, at the age of seven and a half, possessed astonishing talent.
Of course, Orochimaru was more concerned about the specific advantages. As a Hokage, Tobirama was essentially a lord, and his household must be filled with abundant resources. Orochimaru began sharpening his metaphorical knife, preparing to strike the proverbial local tyrant.
Tobirama must be trying to win Orochimaru over, to tie him to the Senju clan's station and secure the status and interests of the Senju family.
Orochimaru sneered inwardly, thinking, "Unfortunately, you don't know that you may not live for more than three years. The Land of Thunder will be your final resting place."
"Orochimaru, may I inquire if you possess particularly strong mental power?" an observant Anbu asked. They were still wearing masks, following the established rule. Tsunade had attempted to tear them off, but it had been a futile endeavor.
"Yes, my lord, I am naturally endowed with immense mental power," Orochimaru humbly replied. Even if you were aware, you couldn't comprehend it in your current state. My mental power exceeds yours by tenfold. Although I cannot yet utilize its full potential, you are akin to a bird. You know that light travels at a great speed, but can you truly grasp just how fast it is?
"Then how did you ultimately defeat Kaguya Hiro?" another Anbu inquired. "Given your attack power and Kaguya clan's bloodline defense, it seems unlikely that you could have defeated him at that time."
The Anbu's words were somewhat impolite, but Orochimaru chose not to show any dissatisfaction. "At that moment, he was already exhausted, and his chakra consumption couldn't keep up, so I struck him down," Orochimaru responded, withholding his own trump cards.
"I see," the face beneath the Anbu mask remained expressionless. The wound inflicted had been slender and deep. It had undoubtedly been caused by a sharp weapon or an unknown ninjutsu. Even in death, Kaguya ninja's body was as hard as iron, requiring a great deal of effort to dispose of.
It seemed that this child harbored his own secrets, but it wasn't a matter of great concern. Observing Orochimaru's empty sleeve, the Anbu's eyes reverted to indifference.
Following that, the Anbu asked a few random questions before Orochimaru decided to get out of bed on his own.
"Is there anything to eat? I'm starving!" Orochimaru's stomach loudly protested. The violent transformation resulting from absorbing the new power had consumed a significant amount of energy. Every cell in Orochimaru's body seemed to be clamoring for sustenance.
"I'm absolutely famished. If I don't eat soon, my stomach will wither away!" Orochimaru looked expectantly at Mucheng.
"Alright, alright, coming right up, boss!" Mucheng complied. Orochimaru stared at Mucheng and suddenly felt a twinge of anxiety. Alas, he hadn't expected all the team's so-called juniors to be older and in positions of authority. Knowing Tsunade's true identity had left him feeling both exhilarated and cautious, as he had almost made a hasty escape. However, severe punishment would follow if he were to be discovered. And that Orochimaru, he was hardly human.
Sighing, Mucheng wondered how he had become the lowest-ranked member of the team. Mucheng silently shed tears of resentment deep in his heart...
"Ah, ah..." Orochimaru voraciously devoured the food, while those around him silently set their chopsticks down.
Orochimaru was truly famished; he felt like he could eat an entire pig! And in reality, he probably could.
Although Orochimaru had only one hand, he couldn't eat as quickly as the rotund members of the Akimichi clan. Orochimaru's mouth extended nearly to his ears, and he ingested the vegetables directly without bothering to chew!
"Is this even human?" Jiraiya remarked, observing that inhuman mouth. He felt that the composed and collected Orochimaru he knew had vanished, and the mountainous piles of plates on the table left him speechless.
"You're eating too much! You rascal, leave some for the rest of us!" Tsunade exclaimed furiously. She couldn't eat a single thing, and her image of Orochimaru engaging in one-on-one combat with Jonin had crumbled completely.
However, considering Orochimaru's missing arm, Tsunade couldn't help but sympathize. "Orochimaru, whatever you eat, it's from me!"
"Phew~" A collective sigh of relief filled the room.
"Captain, that kid's chakra is increasing... No, it's more like recovering, and at an incredible speed," the two Anbu calmly observed. They had witnessed the most formidable sights.
"Young brother, stop eating! The cook has fainted!" the boss rushed over, but he, too, was exhausted and collapsed on the floor.
"Huh, I'm full," Orochimaru's enlarged mouth returned to normal, and as he patted his belly, its shape remained unchanged. All the food had been converted into energy.
I feel fantastic now, and my strength has fully returned! Orochimaru's eyes regained their sharpness, as he disregarded others' reactions completely. When you see the image of me regurgitating myself, you might lose the courage to dine with me!
Orochimaru removed the bandage from his severed arm, revealing a smooth wound that appeared to have healed in a matter of hours.
Feeling perfectly fine, Orochimaru surveyed his surroundings. "Everyone here, the next moment will be witness to a miracle!" Orochimaru grinned wickedly, his face flushing red as he let out a roar.
"Pfft!" Orochimaru's wound split open, and a viscous white fluid gushed out. In the eyes of everyone present, half of Orochimaru's shoulder, which had been missing, plumped up and became whole in an instant. A white and flawless arm emerged, seeming to inflate like a balloon, extending from his sleeve!
"Ah! It's a monster!" Jiraiya panicked and dropped his chopsticks, while Tsunade spat out the rice in her mouth, completely abandoning her princess-like composure. Mucheng remained in a daze, his eyes vacant. The boss lying on the floor frothed at the mouth, having fainted in bliss.
Clutching his newly regenerated arm, which differed only slightly in color, Orochimaru appeared unaltered aside from that. Thanks to devouring Kaguya clan's power, this arm was even stronger!
"Why are you all so surprised? I told you it would grow back," Orochimaru murmured, glancing at the two Anbu who had already risen to their feet. He couldn't help but mutter. He sat back down, treating it as a routine procedure.
"We've underestimated you," the composed Anbu's expression turned serious. Previously, they had underestimated Orochimaru, considering him a forsaken genius whose potential was limited due to severe injuries. However, the circumstances had completely changed. Orochimaru, possessing such miraculous abilities, was fearless in the face of injury. The possibility of his growth had become highly promising. In the future, he would likely ascend to the level of a formidable kage-level powerhouse.
These were two entirely different concepts. It seemed that reporting to Hokage-sama about this had been premature!
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