"Detected a key destiny node character: Orochimaru."
"Do you want to consume mental energy to simulate his various possible futures?"
"Yes," Hiruzen Sarutobi murmured in his heart. The night deepened.
Hiruzen Sarutobi walked alone on the streets of Konoha.
He didn't bring any guards, his figure blending into the night.
The air was cool, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees.
He finally stopped in front of an ordinary two-story house.
This was Orochimaru's home.
The entire street was dark, with only this one house, its second-floor window emitting a faint candlelight.
The area around the house was very quiet; not a sound could be heard.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood for a moment, then raised his hand and gently knocked on the door.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
There was no response from inside the door.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi could clearly sense a faint Chakra reaction inside the house.
The child was awake.
He didn't knock again, just stood quietly at the door, waiting.
After a long while, a faint sound of footsteps came from inside the door.
The door was pulled open a crack.
A pale, small hand gripped the edge of the door.
Through the crack, a pair of golden eyes warily watched the visitor outside the door.
In those eyes, there was no childish innocence, only an age-inappropriate wariness and emptiness.
When he clearly saw that the visitor was the new Third Hokage, a hint of surprise flashed in those eyes, which was then covered by indifference.
"Hokage-sama."
The voice was very soft, very flat, without any discernible emotion.
"May I come in and sit for a while?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was gentle.
The boy didn't answer, but simply pulled the door open wider, stepping aside to clear the way.
Hiruzen Sarutobi walked in.
A dusty, slightly musty smell wafted over him.
No candles were lit inside the house; only moonlight streamed in through the window, outlining the messy furniture.
A thin layer of dust covered the floor, and half-eaten, cold rice balls lay on the table.
This didn't look like a home; it looked more like an abandoned warehouse.
The boy silently closed the door, with no intention of lighting candles, and remained silent.
He just stood in the shadows, like a small statue, blending into the surrounding darkness.
He felt that the Hokage's arrival was a hypocritical show.
To demonstrate the new Hokage's benevolence, he had specially come to console a war orphan.
He saw through it all and was tired of it.
However, Hiruzen Sarutobi's next actions left him somewhat perplexed.
Konoha's supreme ruler said not a single word of comfort or encouragement.
He took off his hokage god robe, folded it neatly, and placed it aside.
Then, he rolled up his sleeves, picked up the broom in the corner, and began to silently clean the room.
The broom scraped across the floor, making a rustling sound.
In the silent night, the sound was exceptionally clear.
Orochimaru stood there, watching the Hokage's actions.
The Hokage swept the trash on the floor into the bin.
He wiped the dust from the table with a rag.
He saw him organize the scattered scrolls and books, one by one, stacking them on the bookshelf.
His movements were not fast, but very deliberate.
As if he wasn't the Hokage, but just an ordinary neighbor who came to help clean.
The wariness in Orochimaru's eyes did not diminish, but a hint of confusion was added.
He couldn't understand it.
Hiruzen Sarutobi ignored his gaze, simply focusing on the task at hand.
His mind, however, had already sunk into the simulator in his head.
"Do you want to ignore Orochimaru?"
"Initiating future simulation…"
A blood-red scene unfolded in his mind.
"Scene One: Due to your busy schedule, you only sent condolences and did not pay much attention to Orochimaru. He grew up alone in loneliness and fear of death. His parents' deaths were a wound in his heart that would never heal."
"Scene Two: Several years later, you took him as your disciple. During a mission, Tsunade's younger brother, Senju Nawaki, stepped on an explosive tag and was blown to pieces. Orochimaru only recovered a section of Nawaki's intestines. The fragility of life deeply stimulated him once again."
"Scene Three: He began to madly obsess over immortality, dedicating all his talent to forbidden Jutsu research. He started experimenting on living people, searching for the true meaning of life, his hands stained with blood."
"Scene Four: You discovered his secret laboratory. After a painful choice, you decided to let him leave. You watched his retreating figure, your heart aching, but you couldn't bring yourself to strike."
"Scene Five: Decades later, the Konoha Crush Plan was launched. He returned, summoning the First and Second Hokage with Edo Tensei. Within the barrier, he used the sword named Kusanagi to pierce your chest."
"Ending: You died at the hands of your most beloved disciple, and Konoha suffered a heavy blow. Orochimaru's path also completely plunged into an abyss of no return."
The simulation ended.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand, holding the rag, paused in mid-air for a moment.
A chilling coldness rose from the bottom of his heart.
"Damn it…"
He cursed inwardly.
No.
He absolutely couldn't let him go down the old path!
This child was not an inherently evil demon.
He was merely a genius who had witnessed too much death in his early childhood, yet had no one to guide him.
His tragedy stemmed from a sense of powerlessness against the passing of life, from a fear of death.
Prevention is better than suppression.
What he needed to do was not to stop him from thinking, but to give him a correct path to follow.
Hiruzen Sarutobi put down the rag, and after tidying up the room, walked in front of the boy.
He didn't stand over him, but instead squatted down, looking at the boy at eye level.
"I read the casualty report of your parents."
His voice was very soft, yet very clear.
Orochimaru's body stiffened imperceptibly.
"They were great heroes," Hiruzen Sarutobi continued.
"But the passing of life should not only leave emptiness; it should inspire our passion to protect life."
He took a scroll from his embrace and placed it on the table.
On the scroll was a sealing Jutsu personally left by the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju.
This was not a letter of condolence, nor was it money.
Orochimaru's gaze was drawn to the scroll.
Hiruzen Sarutobi reached out and gently unrolled the scroll.
As the scroll unfurled, it revealed dense manuscripts, intricate diagrams of the human meridian system, and illustrations of Chakra flow.
A faint scent of ink wafted out.
"This is Nidaime(2nd)-sama's initial theoretical manuscript on Medical Ninjutsu," Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice carried a guiding power.
"You are exceptionally gifted; instead of dwelling on death, why not explore the mysteries of life?"
"Go to the Ninja Academy library and read all the books about medicine and cell activity."
"Then, come find me."
Orochimaru's breathing paused for a moment.
The mysteries of life.
These five words, like a bolt of lightning, cut through all the fog and gloom in his heart.
All this time, he had been afraid of death, rejecting death.
But he had never thought that he could understand life itself from another direction.
For the first time, a glimmer of light appeared in his empty golden eyes.
It was an instinctive craving for knowledge, for the unknown.
Hiruzen Sarutobi saw the change in his expression and knew he had made the right gamble.
He said nothing more, and from his embrace, he took out a small amulet threaded with a red string.
The amulet was very old, its edges heavily worn.
"This is a memento from your parents; I had the Anbu find it," Hiruzen Sarutobi said.
"Carry it with you; their will shall be with you."
Hiruzen Sarutobi gently placed the amulet in Orochimaru's palm.
A cold sensation came from the amulet, yet it seemed to carry a warm current that instantly spread throughout his body.
Orochimaru lowered his head, looking at the amulet in his palm.
He clutched it tightly.
His thin shoulders trembled slightly.
After a long while, he looked up and bowed his head to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
This was his first active reaction tonight. Hiruzen Sarutobi left the house.
He didn't look back, but he could feel that gaze following him until he disappeared around the street corner.
Not long after he left.
From the long-silent house, a small figure rushed out, running desperately towards the Konoha library.
In the night, his steps grew faster and faster.
Inside the Hokage's Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat back in his chair, looking at the moonlight outside the window, his heart at peace.
In his mind, the simulator's voice rang out again.
"Detected a deviation in a key character's destiny trajectory…"
"Probability of 'Konoha Crush Plan' reduced by 10%."
"Mission Rating: Perfect."
"Distributing reward…"
"Congratulations, Host, you have obtained Chakra Precise Control (Master Level)."
A mysterious sensation surged through his entire body.
Hiruzen Sarutobi could clearly feel that his control over every trace of Chakra within him had risen to a whole new level.
If it was a manual transmission before, now it had directly upgraded to a top-tier automatic.
Releasing the same Ninjutsu would consume less, yet its power would be stronger.
A smile appeared on his face.
"Although I don't know if I can completely change it, at least I can give him a path forward."
His gaze once again fell upon the list of orphans, his finger sliding over it, finally stopping on another familiar name.
"Next…"
"Jiraiya."
"You perverted idiot, where are you messing around now?"
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