Chapter 24

Orochimaru's sharp words hit Jiraiya hard, but Jiraiya was notoriously thick-skinned. He wasn't going to let Orochimaru's comments knock him down so easily.

"How do you know it's impossible if you don't try? I believe that if I persist, I'll be able to win her over one day!" Jiraiya said, his voice filled with stubborn optimism. Then, he quickly changed the subject. "So, are we going to fight or not?"

Orochimaru didn't hesitate for even a second. "Not interested."

His refusal was blunt and definitive. Orochimaru had more important things to do he had no time to waste on Jiraiya's silly challenges. His days were filled with experiments and advancing his knowledge, not indulging Jiraiya's fantasies.

Jiraiya looked deflated. He had trained for days, hoping to test out his new techniques, but here was Orochimaru, shutting him down with zero interest. It felt like throwing a punch into cotton no resistance, no impact. Just utterly frustrating.

"You..."

Just as Jiraiya was about to argue further, something caught his eye. His gaze wandered toward Orochimaru's open door, and his expression quickly changed to one of curiosity.

"Hey, Orochimaru... what's going on in your house?"

Jiraiya's attention was completely diverted now. He noticed the various glass jars, test tubes, and other experimental equipment scattered around the room.

"Whoa... what are all these? Seriously, what are you doing in here?"

This wasn't the first time Jiraiya had been to Orochimaru's house, but he'd never really been inside before, nor had he seen what Orochimaru was up to. Usually, Orochimaru kept the door shut tight and ensured no one could peek in. But this time, perhaps by accident, or maybe just because Orochimaru was no longer trying to hide it, the door was open, revealing what looked like a laboratory inside.

Though all the advanced scientific equipment provided by the system was neatly stored away, the standard Konoha-grade tools and supplies were enough to leave Jiraiya stunned. Bottles filled with strange liquids, jars containing mysterious specimens, and piles of books were neatly arranged around the room.

Jiraiya's jaw dropped. At only eight years old, the sight of so much scientific equipment was dazzling.

"These... are all yours?"

"Of course," Orochimaru answered flatly.

"What the heck are you doing with all this stuff?" Jiraiya asked, still in shock.

"Improving my strength," Orochimaru responded matter-of-factly.

"Improving your strength?" Jiraiya blinked, then let out a laugh. "What kind of nonsense is that? Everyone knows the way to get stronger is by training every day, not playing with bottles and jars. What could this possibly do?"

Orochimaru gave him a withering look. "With your intelligence, I wouldn't be able to explain it."

"Orochimaru! Jiraiya! What are you huh? What's this?"

At that moment, Tsunade suddenly appeared, dropping down from the roof and walking straight through the open door. She looked around the room, her eyes widening with surprise.

She had seen many things in her young life, but this? This was unexpected. Tsunade hadn't known that Orochimaru was conducting research. She looked at the various bottles and jars, her curiosity piqued. Her eyes then drifted to a pile of genetics books sitting on the nearby table.

Without thinking, Tsunade grabbed one of the books, flipping through a few pages. "This is amazing. You actually understand all this?"

"I didn't understand it at first," Orochimaru replied calmly, "but now I do."

When he had first started his research, Orochimaru had indeed been confused by much of the scientific jargon. It had taken him half a year just to develop his first batch of primary gene enhancement fluid. Now, after two years of intense study and practice, he could make multiple batches in just a few days.

"Wait... you started studying this stuff a long time ago?" Tsunade quickly grasped onto what Orochimaru had just said.

"Hmm," Orochimaru nodded slightly.

With two years of rigorous training under his belt, Orochimaru's strength had grown significantly. He no longer felt the need to hide his activities from Tsunade or Jiraiya. Besides, Konoha already had medics and scientists researching similar fields, so his work didn't seem too outlandish. What set Orochimaru apart, though, was the fact that his research, guided by the system, was far more advanced than anything Konoha's researchers could dream of.

Tsunade was stunned. A memory came rushing back two and a half years ago, shortly after they had graduated from the academy, Orochimaru had borrowed some money from her. At the time, she hadn't thought much of it since Orochimaru had repaid her so quickly.

Now, though, she realized he had probably used that money to fund these experiments.

"Oh my God... this is incredible. You were only six years old back then, and you were already researching all of this?"

Tsunade's mind raced, trying to process how a child one of her peers, no less could have been doing such advanced research at such a young age. She couldn't help but wonder: Was this because Orochimaru had lost his parents? Was his obsession with science a way of coping with that loss?

Tsunade's empathy kicked in, and she immediately began to rationalize Orochimaru's actions.

"As expected of you, Orochimaru. You're incredible!" she said with genuine admiration in her voice.

But Jiraiya, having heard enough, couldn't hold back his skepticism any longer. "What's so great about it? We're ninjas! Our strength comes from training and fighting, not from messing around with weird experiments like this!"

Jiraiya had conveniently forgotten that, just moments ago, he had been praising Orochimaru's skills. But now, seeing Tsunade admire Orochimaru's research stung him in some strange way, even if he couldn't quite understand why.

Tsunade immediately shot back, "Even if you don't understand it, that doesn't make it any less impressive. Besides, anything is better than what you do, idiot!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm an idiot. But no matter how dumb I am, I'm still better than you, you flat-chested"

Before Jiraiya could finish, Tsunade's temper flared. "What did you just say?! Jiraiya, you're dead!"

"I'm dead? Ha! Come and catch me first!" Jiraiya laughed, backing away with a smug grin.

"Enough," Orochimaru interjected sharply, his voice cold. "Don't cause trouble in here."

Tsunade and Jiraiya froze in their tracks. Even at eight years old, Orochimaru had an aura that commanded attention and respect. His tone was enough to stop their bickering, at least for now.

Jiraiya smirked, "See? Orochimaru said not to cause any trouble. So stop picking fights with me, Tsunade!"

Tsunade, still seething, looked ready to throw another punch, but she held back, glancing at Orochimaru instead. Orochimaru, sensing the tension, decided to change the subject.

"Tsunade," Orochimaru said, "I have to go see Hiruzen sensei. Want to come with me?"

"Of course," she replied quickly, seizing the opportunity to leave.

The trio set off toward the Hokage's office. When they arrived at the Hokage building, Hiruzen greeted them almost immediately. He had a serious expression on his face.

"You came at just the right time," Hiruzen said. "Based on your good performance in the village, I've decided that it's time for you to be deployed to the frontlines. You'll get some real-world experience on the battlefield."

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Go back and prepare yourselves. We'll be leaving in an hour," Hiruzen added, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Hearing this, Orochimaru knew immediately that his plans would have to be postponed.

The battlefield awaited.