Crying... That was the sound that reached the ears of the Sannin, prompting them to look around in search of its source. Suddenly, Orochimaru managed to identify where it was coming from. Moving closer to the edge of the path, he stepped into the forest, followed by his two teammates. The deeper they ventured into the woods, the louder the cries became. Upon reaching a rocky clearing, they were confronted with an unsettling scene; it could even be described as eerie. In the center of the clearing, surrounded by five corpses, lay a baby. Beneath the child were traces that could only be remnants of a fuinjutsu technique or some kind of ritual.
"What the hell happened here?" Jiraiya asked.
"It seems like some sort of ritual attempt, and if I'm not mistaken, these people were from the Kaguya clan," Tsunade replied, her expression serious as she surveyed the bodies.
"But what were they trying to accomplish?" Jiraiya added, bewildered.
"I… can't say for sure, Hime," Orochimaru admitted, keeping his gaze fixed on the baby. "But if they involved a child, it had to be something cruel."
While his companions debated the bizarre situation, Orochimaru approached the infant, who stopped crying as soon as he drew near. Although Orochimaru wasn't a sensor, over time his senses had sharpened, and through experience, he could perceive chakra from those nearby. What he felt now astonished him: the baby's chakra was strikingly strong—too strong for an infant. Even newborns from the clans of Konoha didn't possess such chakra levels; with the exception of the Uzumaki clan, whose chakra was legendary. This baby, while not reaching the monstrous levels of the Uzumaki, was dangerously close.
Determined to investigate further, Orochimaru picked up the child, who began to cry again, prompting his companions to react.
"Hey, idiot, what did you do to him?" Jiraiya exclaimed, worried.
"Yeah, Orochi-chan, what did you do to the kid?" Tsunade added, furrowing her brow.
"I told you not to call me that, you perverted toad," Orochimaru retorted, irritated. "I didn't do anything. He seems… injured. He has several wounds, as if he had been subjected to great pressure and then released. It looks like he even cut his lip."
"Mmm… hand him over, I'll examine him. But clean up the blood first," Tsunade instructed.
"Are you still on that hemophobia nonsense?" Orochimaru teased as he wiped the blood from the child's lip before passing him to Tsunade.
As she examined him, Tsunade frowned upon seeing the extent of the baby's injuries.
"It looks like he was compressed from all sides and then let go. It's a miracle he didn't die. I can heal most of his injuries, but he'll need specialized treatment due to his age. We need to take him back to the village."
Without further discussion, Tsunade healed what she could of the baby and then they continued on their way to the village. Unbeknownst to them, Orochimaru had left a clone behind to gather samples of flesh and blood from the corpses surrounding the child.
KONOHA
Tsunade took the baby directly to the hospital, while the other two went to the Hokage's office to report on the mission.
"Are you telling me you found a baby in the depths of a forest, surrounded by bodies and what were clearly the remnants of some ritual, and your first thought was to bring him to the village?" the Hokage asked incredulously.
"Don't worry, sensei. We examined the kid, and besides his strong chakra, there were no other traces. I suspect the ritual went wrong, leaving him injured, but I don't think it'll be a problem," Jiraiya replied confidently.
"Mmm… well, that's fine, but who will take care of him? We can't just neglect the child. We don't know what the ritual's intentions were or if it had any other effects on him. We can't put him in an orphanage; he needs to be monitored. Since you brought him in, you two will be responsible for him."
"Ha! What are you talking about, sensei? I don't have time for that; I can't neglect my network of spies," Jiraiya protested.
"You're right, but both Orochimaru and Tsunade are staying in the village. So, from now on, until I say otherwise, you will be in charge of the child's care and supervision. Report any strange occurrences to me immediately."
"Ugh, what a hassle. Why don't we just get rid of him if you're so worried he might be a threat? Sensei, you know better than anyone that I don't have the time or inclination to babysit some random kid."
"Your words are not only cruel, Orochimaru, but also completely out of line. I'm not asking you; it's an order from your Hokage. If you didn't want responsibility, you shouldn't have brought the child into the village. Once you crossed the threshold, he became the village's responsibility, and by extension, mine—and mostly yours."
Orochimaru couldn't argue with that, but it didn't make him feel any better. On the contrary, he felt impotent and immensely frustrated, knowing this would waste time he could have spent on his experiments.
SOME TIME LATER – KONOHAGAKURE HOSPITAL
In a hospital room, the three legendary Sannin gathered around a crib where the baby they had inadvertently rescued lay.
"So, what do you think we should name him?" Jiraiya asked, grinning.
"What are you talking about?" Tsunade replied, puzzled.
"Obviously, the kid needs a name. Are you just going to keep calling him 'the kid'?"
"Why are you acting like this isn't also your responsibility?" she shot back.
"Because it isn't. I didn't pick him up or bring him here; that was all you two. Besides, the sensei said I could leave to attend to my network of spies and my very important research. You, on the other hand, have nothing urgent to do, so this responsibility falls to you."
"Say one more word and I'll send you flying, you perverted fool," Tsunade threatened.
"Tch, as much as I hate to admit it, he's right. We need to give him a name; it's weird to keep calling him 'the kid.' Tsunade, you pick one."
"What? Why me?"
"Because you're the one with the idea."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Fine, I'll do it. How about we name him Jiraiya Jr.?"
"Has all that perversion fried your brain? And weren't you supposed to not get involved? If you want to take on that burden, go ahead…"
"What? No, I was joking, Hime! In fact, I think I'm needed somewhere else. See you later!"
"Tch, that perverted idiot."
"Is he really going to be named Jiraiya Jr.?" Orochimaru asked, exasperated.
"What? Of course not! Just give him a name."
"What kind?"
"I don't know. How about 'Kuro' since he has black hair?"
"He's not a cat, Tsunade."
"Mmm… what if we name him 'Danwaki'?" she suggested, a sad expression crossing her face.
"Your traumas don't have to become his."
"Ash, all I see you doing is criticizing. Why don't you just name him if you're so good at it?"
Orochimaru looked intently at the baby, and suddenly a name came to mind.
"Let's call him Toji. His past is intriguing, and he has strong chakra; I think it suits him well."
"Mmph, whatever. I'm leaving. Now that he's fine, you take care of him and feed him."
"And where do you think you're going?"
"To drink. I don't have time to watch a baby cry, eat, and sleep. That's your job."
Orochimaru frowned but didn't argue further. He glanced back at the baby and felt nothing but distaste and bitterness. This child was the cause of his wasted time. Reluctantly, he picked up the infant and headed to his home.