A New Snake In The Shinobi World

Orochimaru smiled faintly at Nono's words but didn't reply.

The fact that Nono had managed to develop an electromagnetic railgun was surprising, but upon reflection, it wasn't entirely unreasonable.

Medical ninjutsu required practitioners to have precise control over their chakra, a level of finesse far beyond that of most ordinary ninjas.

Nono's talent in medical ninjutsu wasn't just decent, it was second only to Tsunade herself. After all, without such skill, she could never have raised someone as brilliant as Kabuto as her student.

Add to that her time working with Orochimaru's advanced equipment, combined with her mastery of five chakra attributes and Magnet Release, and her accomplishment seemed logical.

However, as she mentioned, there was a key limitation: Lightning Release chakra was too aggressive for someone like her, who specialized in delicate medical techniques. That made using a technique like the electromagnetic gun particularly challenging.

Even so, after creating it, her first thought had been to offer it to Orochimaru.

---

Reflecting on all of this, Orochimaru found himself lost in thought.

But when he thought about what would've happened to her otherwise, how she would've been sent on dangerous missions as a spy, only to lose Danzo's trust and be killed by Konoha itself, he quickly brushed aside the thought.

No, it wasn't cruelty that had brought her here. If anything, he had saved her from a worse fate.

Reassured, Orochimaru nodded to himself and set the matter aside.

---

The next morning, Orochimaru busied himself with the orphanage children, helping to install electric lights.

As he worked, a small figure with white hair and glasses caught his attention.

It was the first time he'd seen this particular child since he spent most of his days either in his laboratory or dealing with Nono.

"Who's that child?" Orochimaru asked curiously.

"Him?" Nono glanced over. "That's Kabuto. I found him two years ago and brought him here."

"Two years ago?" Orochimaru frowned slightly.

Has it already been two years?

When Orochimaru first started building his plans, Kabuto wouldn't have been born for another two decades. But looking at the boy now, he appeared to be four or five years old.

Time had moved faster than he'd realized.

---

"What's wrong? Is something the matter?" Nono asked, noticing his reaction.

"Nothing," Orochimaru replied casually, his gaze still lingering on Kabuto. "He seems like a clever child. He could grow into a remarkable ninja."

"Ninja?" Nono's tone became hesitant. "But I don't want the children to…"

"I know you don't want them trained as ninjas," Orochimaru interrupted firmly. "But teach them everything. That includes Kabuto."

---

Yakushi Kabuto, in the original timeline, had been shaped into an extraordinary spy by Danzo, following the same training Nono had received.

But Orochimaru couldn't rely on Konoha's system now. Things were different.

With no established training infrastructure in his budding Sound Village, it was up to him to find his own way.

That meant ensuring the orphanage children, especially Kabuto, were prepared for any eventuality.

Nono hesitated before finally nodding.

"Alright, I'll do as you say." She turned and called out, "Kabuto, come here!"

---

"Kabuto, the director's calling you!"

A child with a runny nose tugged at Kabuto's sleeve, pulling him out of his focus.

"Huh?" Kabuto blinked, quickly putting down the wires he'd been working on. He trotted over to Nono, his movements precise despite his young age.

"Director," he greeted, bowing respectfully.

"Kabuto, this is Lord Orochimaru. I've told you about him before," Nono said warmly, crouching down to ruffle the boy's hair.

Kabuto adjusted his glasses before bowing again. "Lord Orochimaru."

"What a polite child." Orochimaru's lips curled into an approving smile.

Looking at Kabuto now, Orochimaru felt a sense of irony.

In another timeline, this boy would become a major antagonist, his intelligence and cunning shaping the future of the ninja world.

But here, he was just a child—a blank slate.

Orochimaru didn't know if nurturing Kabuto now would yield the same results as before. But to be safe, he would ensure the boy received proper training.

---

As time passed, the war in the ninja world grew increasingly chaotic.

By mid-45th year of the Konoha calendar, five months into Orochimaru's stay at the orphanage, Sunagakure finally entered the fray.

The Land of Wind's Ninja targeted Konoha directly.

Without Orochimaru's technological weapons, Konoha had lost one of its most significant advantages, making Sand Ninja puppeteers far more effective on the battlefield.

Coupled with Konoha's fertile lands and lingering animosity from the Second Great Ninja War, Sunagakure had every reason to launch their attack.

---

This escalation left Konoha fighting a war on two fronts, against both Sunagakure and Kumogakure.

Without Orochimaru, Konoha was like a powerful warrior fighting with one arm tied behind their back.

But even in this precarious situation, Konoha wasn't entirely helpless.

Hatake Sakumo, for reasons unknown, had avoided his canonical suicide and continued to dominate the battlefield with unmatched strength.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and the rising star Minato had also joined the war effort, helping to hold the line.

Despite being outnumbered, Konoha managed to endure.

---

The military base for Konoha's battle against the Sand Ninja was set up near the border of the Land of Rivers, just 20 miles from Nono's orphanage.

From the top of a nearby mountain, Orochimaru, dressed in a black cloak, watched the movement of Konoha forces below.

Ninja teams moved swiftly at the foot of the mountain, their movements precise and disciplined.

"Even with strength," Orochimaru muttered to himself, "intelligence is still key…"

Though he was a reincarnator and had a general understanding of the war's progression, Orochimaru realized he lacked specific details about the current state of the conflict.

Perhaps it was time to establish an intelligence network of his own.

---

Suddenly, a familiar figure caught his eye among the Konoha ninja teams below.

Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed as he focused on the young man.

That boy…n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

His curiosity piqued, he leaped down the mountain in a blur, landing silently behind the Konoha squad.

"Who goes there?"

"Identify yourself!"

The Konoha ninjas reacted instantly, drawing their kunai and bracing themselves for a fight.

Two of them stepped forward, ready to strike, but their leader raised a hand to stop them.

"State your business," the leader demanded, his tone firm. "If you're a ninja, you should know better than to block our path."

A low chuckle escaped Orochimaru's lips. "Oh? Nawaki… Have you grown so confident in my absence?"

The young man's eyes widened in disbelief.

"B-Brother-in-law?" Nawaki stammered.

***

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