Chapter 5: Strategic Planning

"The system is the key to the rise of most reincarnators!"

Orochimaru, now as reincarnator, understood this deeply. He knew that if he wanted to make full use of his second chance at life, the system would be his most vital asset. Therefore, it was absolutely necessary to study and experiment with its capabilities as soon as possible.

Discreetly, he reached under his desk, and with a simple flick of his wrist, six tiny mechanical flies appeared in his palm. They were no bigger than ordinary houseflies, but their true power lay in their design. Each was a piece of advanced technology granted by the system.

With his teacher distracted, Orochimaru put on the matching contact lenses he had received in his starter package. "Activate stealth mode," he commanded silently in his mind.

The moment the thought passed, the six flies began to vanish from his sight, becoming completely invisible. Orochimaru could still feel their tiny, metallic bodies in his hand, but visually, they had disappeared.

"Just as I thought," Orochimaru whispered to himself, a sly grin forming. "This is real high-tech. True invisibility, far better than the Invisibility Jutsu that ninjas rely on."

He gave a mental order, and the six invisible flies silently took flight, exiting the classroom one by one. Immediately, six different visual perspectives appeared on Orochimaru's retinas, transmitted directly through the contact lenses.

This sensation... Orochimaru thought, marveling at the clarity and smoothness of the images in his mind. It reminded him of the Rinnegan's shared vision technique. In the original Naruto series, Pain had used this ability to control his Six Paths of Pain six reanimated bodies, each implanted with Rinnegan, all sharing the same field of vision. It made them nearly impossible to hit, as they could react to attacks from any direction with perfect coordination.

And now, Orochimaru was replicating that same effect except, instead of corpses reanimated by a dojutsu, he was using six invisible mechanical flies. This kind of shared vision could be incredibly useful for reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, or even dodging attacks in battle.

Feeling a growing sense of excitement at the potential of the system, Orochimaru's interest in technology skyrocketed. Even in a world that relied on chakra, this level of advanced technology had undeniable advantages. The six flies were likely on par, if not superior, to the bug detection abilities of the Aburame clan. More impressively, their surveillance capabilities weren't dependent on chakra, meaning they could go unnoticed by even the most skilled sensor-type ninjas.

As the flies ventured further from the classroom, covering a wide range of directions, Orochimaru's vision expanded, offering him multiple viewpoints of Konoha Village at once. He saw the teaching buildings of the Ninja Academy, residential houses, the hospital, the Intelligence Department, the Armed Forces Department, and even the Hokage Building.

On the bustling streets, he noticed various members of prominent clans: Uchiha, Hyuga, Nara, and others. None of them seemed to notice the tiny, invisible scouts floating above them, capturing every detail.

Amazing... Orochimaru thought, his golden eyes narrowing in satisfaction. The most remarkable feature of these flies was that they were powered by a black-tech battery that absorbed ambient light. They didn't require chakra to function, which meant they could evade any chakra-based detection methods. No one in Konoha, not even the most powerful sensor ninja, would be able to detect them.

However, there was one small drawback. Controlling six different visual feeds simultaneously was mentally taxing. It was difficult to focus on all the different perspectives at once, especially while maintaining the subtlety needed to avoid suspicion from his classmates or teachers.

Still, Orochimaru mused, the potential here is undeniable. If used wisely, this technology could make me far more dangerous than anyone realizes.

He understood that, like any form of scientific research, developing advanced technology required substantial resources. In the original timeline, Orochimaru had been one of the legendary Sannin and a personal disciple of the Third Hokage. He had access to significant funding, equipment, and even the backing of Danzo and his secretive Root organization.

But right now? Orochimaru was just a six-year-old child. He had no powerful allies, no significant income, and aside from the starter equipment provided by the system, he was practically broke. Scientific research required more than just knowledge and skill it needed money. Even simple items like beakers, test tubes, alcohol lamps, and other basic lab tools would be costly.

It's going to be a long road... Orochimaru sighed inwardly. He had the system's tools and the knowledge, but building up his research capabilities from scratch was going to take time. Still, time was something he had in abundance. He was patient. After all, power couldn't be achieved overnight.

---

Time passed, and soon enough, school was over for the day.

Orochimaru silently retrieved his scout flies, commanding them to return to his system inventory. Ignoring the chatter of his classmates, he left the Academy and made his way back to his residence.

His home was located in a relatively remote part of the village. It was a large house, much bigger than Naruto's humble apartment in the original series, but its size didn't reflect wealth. It had a somber atmosphere, and Orochimaru could feel the weight of the emptiness left behind by his parents' deaths. They had been powerful shinobi, but now they were gone, and he was left to fend for himself.

After rummaging through various drawers and cabinets, Orochimaru managed to scrape together a mere 5,000 ryō.

This is pitiful... he thought, shaking his head. "And after the graduation exam in a week, I won't even be receiving the village's subsidy anymore. Five thousand ryō can't accomplish anything! I need to make money first."

He paused. No before that.

"I should use the Basic Gene Enhancement Serum I got from the starter package first!"

With a thought, he accessed his system's inventory, summoning a glass vial that resembled a small test tube. Inside the vial was a light green liquid, faintly glowing in the dim light of his room.

This is real... Orochimaru thought, staring at the vial. Everything from the system, including the equipment and tools, was stored in the system's peculiar inventory known as the system warehouse. It was unique in that it could only store non-living objects, unlike the space-time abilities of Uchiha Obito, who could store living creatures in his personal dimension. However, it was far more convenient than the space scrolls most ninjas used to carry supplies.

He held the vial for a moment, feeling the cool glass in his hand. This serum will strengthen my body... increase my chakra reserves...

It was the perfect first step. Orochimaru was young and had time on his side, but the faster he could increase his power, the more secure his future would be.

Without further hesitation, he uncorked the vial and downed the liquid in one gulp.