After carefully examining Amano Ren's body, Tsunade silently walked over to Orochimaru, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion—and a hint of surprise.
Ren only caught a fragment of what she said: something about cellular activity. But his mind wasn't on the words. His eyes stared blankly as he remained absorbed in the scenes he had just witnessed—Tsunade's glowing green palm, and the man who could summon snakes from his sleeves. All of it shook him to his core. He had reason to believe these were only glimpses of the greater secrets this world held. Beyond this, surely stranger and more unbelievable things awaited.
It was becoming clear… he had arrived in a world unlike anything he knew.
"Orochimaru, come with me," Tsunade said in a low voice as she passed him.
The corners of Orochimaru's mouth curled almost imperceptibly. It seemed that child really was special. He glanced at Ren, still in a daze, and then followed Tsunade into the darkness.
When Ren snapped back to awareness, he only caught the backs of the two as they disappeared into the shadows. He didn't think much of it and pressed his forehead with his hand, trying to process everything.
The first priority: understand this world.Second: gain the strength necessary to survive.Third: find a way to return home.
After witnessing Tsunade and Orochimaru's supernatural powers, Ren felt more hopeful that returning to Earth might actually be possible. The thought filled him with renewed energy. His expression began to show excitement.
He had to go back.
Just thinking of Ye Rui—alone, dying in a hospital bed—made Ren wish he could leap across dimensions and return that very moment.
He clenched his fists tightly, forcing himself to stay composed. He didn't want to reveal too much in front of those two monsters. For now, his only option was to earn their trust, learn about this world, and eventually master the abilities he had seen.
Ren stared at the campfire, slowly loosening his fists. Tsunade and Orochimaru being away should have been the perfect chance to escape. If he hadn't just set those goals for himself, he might have taken off without a second thought.
"Tsunade… Orochimaru…" he murmured, lips barely moving as his gaze grew distant.
Crack.
A sudden snap in the darkness—like a dry branch breaking underfoot.
Ren's attention snapped into focus. He tilted his head slightly and casually glanced toward the noise, keeping his expression blank.
Tsunade and Orochimaru emerged from the shadows. Their expressions were different—Orochimaru appeared calm but with a glint of excitement in his eyes, while Tsunade's face was carefully composed, tinged with heaviness.
Ren had no idea what they had discussed, and wisely didn't ask.
That night passed in silence.
One week later—Konohagakure Village, Hokage's Office
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat behind his modest desk, deep in thought. Before him stood Tsunade and Orochimaru. As for Amano Ren, after returning to the village, he had been placed in a temporary shelter. Whether he would be allowed to stay was still undecided.
After a long pause, Hiruzen finally looked at his proud student and said in a deep voice, "Even though this war has come to a temporary halt, we can't afford to accept outsiders so easily. Another conflict could break out at any moment."
As he finished, Hiruzen frowned in frustration.
Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Tsunade…
The three had performed brilliantly during the war. Especially now, in this chaotic recovery phase, Jiraiya had stayed behind to care for war orphans. Yet Orochimaru had brought one such orphan into the village—and Tsunade, instead of objecting, had silently approved.
Hiruzen hadn't seen the child yet, but regardless of whether the boy possessed special bloodlines or powers, the situation made it difficult to approve his stay. With unrest still bubbling, even a seemingly harmless child could be an enemy spy.
"He must stay," Orochimaru said, his tone uncharacteristically firm.
That, more than anything, puzzled Hiruzen. Could the boy really be that exceptional?
Tsunade remained silent, just as she had been since entering the office.
"You understand the risks," Hiruzen said, raising an eyebrow and tapping his finger lightly on the desk. His voice was calm. "We must eliminate every possible variable."
Even if Hiruzen approved the boy's residency, the shadowy ANBU Root Division would never allow it—unless…
But Orochimaru remained unfazed by the Hokage's resistance. "Surely the ANBU aren't so incompetent that a boy with no chakra could become a threat?"
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed slightly. "Then tell me—what is it about this child that makes you so determined to keep him?"
Orochimaru replied plainly, "Because one day, he will grow into a towering tree."
Hiruzen stared silently at him. If that were true, would this tree shelter the village—or simply consume its resources?
Such long-term questions barely crossed his mind. He didn't believe it would come to that.
"Fine," he said at last. "He may stay—but the Interrogation Unit must search his memories."
Orochimaru paused, briefly surprised. Then he nodded without hesitation.
Given Ren's age and lack of chakra, there were two likely outcomes to such a brutal procedure. One: he would be reduced to a vegetable. Two: he would lose all his memories. Of the two, becoming mentally broken was more likely.
If that happened, there was no point in keeping him. But if he merely lost his memories, that might actually be the best outcome—it would give Ren a chance to start fresh in Konoha.
Either way, Orochimaru found both options acceptable.
It was the third possibility—the one he feared—that truly unsettled him.
Tsunade flinched slightly upon hearing the decision, but said nothing.
Orochimaru… you…
Hiruzen gave his student a long, searching look. Then, with quiet finality, the decision was made.
At that exact moment, Amano Ren was utterly unaware of what was happening—busy devouring a meal as if his life depended on it.