The two young children looked at each other for a long time.
The girl's crying gradually subsided. Suddenly, her two big eyes curved into two beautiful crescents. "Giggle, giggle—" She smiled foolishly at Orochimaru.
Looking at the girl's pure and flawless smile, Orochimaru was stunned. As if infected, a faint, rare, warm smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. Orochimaru bent down and asked gently, "What is your name?"
Seeing Orochimaru bend down, the girl's eyes instinctively flashed with a trace of fear and apprehension toward strangers. However, upon seeing the warm smile at the corner of Orochimaru's mouth, her courage grew. Hesitantly, she quietly replied, "B-Big Brother, my, my name is Maji!"
"Hmm?" Orochimaru frowned slightly upon hearing the girl's name, but didn't dwell on it. He asked again, "Maji, why were you crying?" Upon hearing Orochimaru's words, the cute little girl's grievances instantly resurfaced. Her watery eyes welled up with glistening pearls again, and she said tearfully in a childish voice, "I, I wanted, wanted some porridge, woo-ah, but, but those big brothers, big brothers wouldn't let me have any, woo-woo-woo-ah!"
Watching the pitiful Maji start crying again, a rare tenderness surfaced in Orochimaru's heart. He held out his right hand and asked softly, "Maji, do you want to come with me? From now on, Big Brother will buy you porridge every day, and make sure you eat until you are full!"
Hearing Orochimaru's words, Maji stopped crying in surprise and looked up at him. Orochimaru's pair of dark-golden snake eyes met the girl's innocent gaze again, the snake eyes holding a rare softness. The girl was stunned, her pure eyes—still lingering with a small grievance—scrutinized Orochimaru for a long time. Finally, she slowly placed her dirty, tender little hand in Orochimaru's palm. A warmer smile broke out on Orochimaru's lips. He gently pulled the little girl up from the ground.
Suddenly! "Hmph, where did this little beggar come from!" A voice, youthful but mixed with a low tone, came from the side. Hearing the ill-intentioned snort, Maji immediately hid behind Orochimaru like a startled bunny, stumbling. She pulled Orochimaru with one hand and tightly gripped the corner of his clothing with the other, trembling incessantly.
Orochimaru's warm little hand firmly held Maji, hoping to give her some sense of security. Then he looked coldly toward the source of the voice. A half-grown boy, about eleven or twelve, much stronger than both Orochimaru and Maji, still had white porridge residue around his mouth. He was looking at Orochimaru aggressively, followed by several other boys of the same age, all wearing rough cloth clothes. They appeared to be the 'kid king' among the orphans. Orochimaru, seeing the boys' appearance and connecting it to Maji's reaction, instantly understood. He sized them up with cold, indifferent eyes.
The half-grown boy, fixed by Orochimaru's dark-golden snake eyes, felt an inexplicable weakness in his heart, but he forced himself to stand firm and challenge, "You little beggar, what do you think you're doing?" The killing intent, which had been restrained inside his body, burst out like a mountain flood. Orochimaru roared at the boy and his group, "Get out!"
The aggressive boy, hit by the killing intent accumulated by Orochimaru from mountains of corpses in his previous life, immediately felt as if he had stepped into a frozen wasteland. His face went pale, and his whole body turned icy cold. His trembling eyes suddenly noticed Orochimaru's tattered clothes. In an instant, his heart seemed to register a great insult. His face flushed red, and he shouted in a false show of bravery, "You little beggar, stop acting tough! Why don't you kill me, if you dare!"
Slight anger flickered in Orochimaru's heart. The mountain-flood-like killing intent intensified like a vast ocean tide, overwhelmingly surging toward the half-grown boy. He roared sharply again, "I told you to GET OUT!!!" In the aggressive boy's eyes, the ragged Orochimaru seemed to transform into a ferocious beast ready to devour him. Terrified, he instantly collapsed onto the ground. The group of followers behind him fared even worse; a few even lost control of their bladder, and a nasty, foul odor began to fill the air.
Just then, a kind and benevolent voice emerged from the charity food distribution shop: "Children, what's wrong?" Orochimaru's heart stiffened. The ocean-like killing intent instantly vanished and was fully contained, not leaking a single trace. The source of this voice was not simple; the voice itself contained a comforting quality that brought peace to the listener. It seems I've encountered an enlightened monk!
An old monk, dressed in a plain white robe and with kind eyes, walked out. He looked at the situation on both sides. His gaze lingered imperceptibly on Orochimaru for a moment. He smiled faintly, bowed with clasped hands toward Orochimaru, and slowly said, "Young Benefactor, may I ask, what is the matter? Why are you teasing these children?" This old monk saw that I'm a ninja!
Orochimaru felt the thought in his heart, and answered respectfully, "Master, my parents passed away in the war! This little sister, I see she's pitiful, and I wish to adopt her and treat her as my sister." Saying this, Orochimaru slightly stepped aside, revealing Maji behind him. Orochimaru's words were masterfully chosen. First, he revealed his own background to gain the old monk's sympathy, and then stated his purpose.
"Oh?" Sure enough, upon hearing this, the old monk's tone became softer. He had heard rumors about the aggressive boys' actions, and his heart was full of pity for the little girl named Maji. Every night, he would secretly tuck a white steamed bun into the sleeping girl's hand. The old monk saw Maji tightly gripping Orochimaru's hand and clothes, understanding the girl's choice. He sighed faintly: "Alas, very well. Maji is a poor child. Young Benefactor, the path of a ninja is dangerous. You must protect Maji well!"
A look of joy flashed across Orochimaru's face. He bowed and said, "I understand, Master. I will protect Maji well! We shall take our leave now!" Orochimaru could sense that the old monk was not simple. Since he had achieved this happy result, he did not linger and immediately said goodbye. Orochimaru held Maji's soft little hand and said with a smile, "Maji, let's go home!"
The little girl smiled and nodded. Suddenly, a look of pain crossed her face, and she cried out "Ouch—," losing control of her body and falling to the ground. Orochimaru knelt down with a hint of concern to look. He saw that the girl's slender right ankle was bruised blue and purple and was slightly swollen. It seems she twisted it when she was frightened earlier! His heart eased slightly. Orochimaru smiled and gently stroked the girl's bird's nest-like little head. Ignoring the girl's wronged eyes, he turned his back and squatted down, looking over his shoulder: "Come on up. Big Brother will carry you home!"
Maji's watery eyes turned into two adorable crescents again. With a touch of shyness, she climbed onto Orochimaru's small, fragile back. Seeing this scene, the old monk's eyes softened and spoke: "Wait a moment, Young Benefactor!"
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