Chapter 1: A New Beginning

Konoha, Year 16!

Land of Fire, Konoha Village, Ninja Academy!

"Hey, Orochimaru! I challenge you, come on, fight me!!"

In the noisy classroom, a white-haired boy dressed in a beige kimono with red trim stood on top of a desk, shouting at the black-haired boy with long, straight hair who was sitting calmly in front of him. The white-haired boy's skin had a slightly yellow hue, and his face was marked with red lines around his eyes. His frustration was palpable he looked ready to duel right then and there.

Despite the boy's fiery outburst, the black-haired boy Orochimaru paid him no mind. He glanced briefly at the scene and then returned to his thoughts, ignoring the challenge entirely.

Seeing that he was being ignored, Jiraiya, the white-haired boy, shouted even louder, "Damn it, Orochimaru! Are you looking down on me?!"

Around them, other students began to murmur and laugh.

"Oh, are they gonna fight again?"

"Haha, Jiraiya never learns!"

"Right? He always gets beaten but still keeps challenging Orochimaru. It's kinda sad!"

"Yeah, Orochimaru's not gonna bother this time, I bet!"

"Why does he even try? He's no match for Orochimaru!"

The chatter from the classroom only served to irritate Jiraiya further. His face flushed with embarrassment, but Orochimaru remained unmoved, lost in his own world.

I've... reincarnated? And not only that, but I've ended up in the world of Naruto as the young Orochimaru?

The realization hit him once again, harder than before. And the kid shouting at him? That's Jiraiya my future comrade, one of the legendary Sannin, and the Toad Sage?

Oh my god...

The absurdity of the situation wasn't lost on Orochimaru. He had read countless reincarnation stories, never thinking that it could happen to him. But now it had. He had become part of the very trope he once read about.

Is this real? Orochimaru chuckled bitterly, but after a few moments, he accepted the situation. After all, hadn't he fantasized about reincarnating countless times in his previous life? Now that it had actually happened, it was easier to come to terms with than he expected. The world he found himself in was one of death and danger, but the opportunity to start fresh, to live a new life in such a powerful world, was still a blessing in disguise.

As he calmed himself down, he slowly raised his head and said, "You are mighty, Lord Jiraiya. How could I ever look down on you?"

"You…!" Jiraiya faltered, not expecting this response. He was only six years old and had no idea that Orochimaru wasn't even interested in a fight. Orochimaru's mind was focused on something far more important. Jiraiya's challenge was an unnecessary distraction.

In reality, Orochimaru or rather, the soul of the person who had become Orochimaru had only arrived in this world two hours ago. Within that short period, his mind had been overwhelmed with thoughts, trying to process what had happened. He had just finished sifting through Orochimaru's memories and had fully grasped the gravity of his new situation.

I really am Orochimaru...

In the original Naruto series, Orochimaru had been hailed as a genius by the Third Hokage, someone whose talent appeared only once in decades. But now, as he sat in this classroom, Orochimaru knew the truth of his situation.

In this world, strength is tied to one's family and bloodline. But the current me... I don't have either. Orochimaru didn't have the legendary Sage Body of the Senju Clan or the powerful Sharingan of the Uchiha. His parents had died just a few months ago, leaving him with little besides the name he was slowly making for himself.

If it weren't for the forbidden techniques I later developed, the original Orochimaru would have amounted to nothing. I would have been far weaker than the top-tier shinobi. Orochimaru's thoughts drifted to his eventual confrontations with the Uchiha brothers first Itachi, then Sasuke. He had tried to take Itachi's Sharingan, but Itachi had stopped him cold with just a glance. Later, Sasuke had easily bested him, and in the end, Orochimaru had been sealed away by Itachi's Totsuka Blade.

A truly tragic fate.

And to make matters worse, Orochimaru was currently only six years old. He had neither the vast knowledge nor the power to influence anything significant yet. Even if I possess Orochimaru's genius, what does that amount to at this age? I'm too weak right now.

Looking at Jiraiya's fiery expression, Orochimaru didn't even feel the urge to engage him. His disinterested attitude slowly doused Jiraiya's fighting spirit.

"Tch, you're always like this," Jiraiya muttered, clearly disappointed. "You're so annoying. Ugh, forget it! This is boring."

With that, he hopped off Orochimaru's desk, making his way back to his seat. As he settled into his chair, he kicked his feet up onto his desk, trying to look as carefree as possible.

Orochimaru ignored him completely.

That's when a voice suddenly echoed in his mind: [Ding! Welcome to the Mad Scientist System!]

Orochimaru's eyes widened. He took a deep breath and asked inwardly, "Did you just say... system? What system?"

[The Mad Scientist System, host!] the voice replied cheerfully.

Mad Scientist System?!Orochimaru was stunned.

A system. The ultimate gift for any reincarnator. He had read enough webnovels to know what this meant. Getting a system was essentially a cheat code for life. It could help you grow stronger, faster, and smarter than anyone else. With a system, one could soar to the heights of power!

And now, Orochimaru had his own system. The thought alone was enough to make any reincarnator rejoice. After all, how could you even call yourself a proper reincarnator without a system to back you up?

But then, something didn't sit right.

Mad Scientist System?! Orochimaru was at a loss for words. Science?

In all the stories he'd read, systems usually came with incredible perks invincibility, limitless power, techniques that could wipe out armies with a single blow, or even unparalleled wealth. Yet here he was, given a system that emphasized... science?

"Other people get systems that let them punch with 99999 damage or unlock godlike powers instantly," Orochimaru grumbled internally. "But I get a Mad Scientist System? Do you expect me to rely on science in the world of Naruto?!" [Ignorant MC (¬‿¬) ]

Naruto was a world of chakra, ninjutsu, and bloodlines! Science? How was that supposed to help him? It seemed impossible, laughable even.