Hoshimi Ren, watched by Orochimaru, felt completely uneasy, like he was being stared at by a venomous snake.
He forced himself to calm down and looked up, meeting those snake-like eyes.
"Hello, Lord Orochimaru, allow me to introduce myself. I am Hoshimi Ren, a third-year student at the Ninja School. I enjoy biological experiments. I dislike impulsive people and insects. My dream is to become the Hokage."
Ren said his introduction with an excited expression.
That's right, Ren had set himself up as a passionate young man who loved science, inherited the fire will, and aimed to become the Hokage.
Orochimaru was a treasure trove; his Ninjutsu reserves were no less than his teacher, "Professor of Ninjutsu" Hiruzen Sarutobi.
As a Ninja with Fire, Lightning, Earth, Wind, Water, Yin, and Yang attributes, although his greatest achievement was immortality, his strength could not be underestimated.
He was a true Kage-level expert, far stronger than a watered-down Fourth Kazekage.
"Oh? A young man who loves biological science? Let me introduce myself, I am Orochimaru, Ren-kun. You don't have to be so polite. I also love science, and we might have common topics to discuss."
Orochimaru's face first showed a hint of surprise, then instantly turned into a slight smile, followed by his self-introduction.
"Eh? Lord Orochimaru also likes science? Then do you know if there's anything else besides silicon that's between an insulator and a conductor? I haven't learned about this in textbooks, but I think there must be."
Ren looked at Orochimaru with hopeful eyes, waiting for his answer.
"Hmm... I remember there's also Germanium. Qianyu-kun, do you also know about insulators?"
Orochimaru was momentarily stunned, only remembering the answer after a while.
However, he had researched this topic for half a month before, but later put it aside, thinking it had no prospects.
He never expected to hear such semi-profound knowledge from a young boy.
Interesting...
Orochimaru stuck out his tongue and licked the corner of his mouth.
Chakra exceeding that of a typical Chunin, weight on his limbs, and a physique far superior to his peers—this child truly interested him more and more.
"As expected of Lord Orochimaru! So knowledgeable! Then, what is Lord Orochimaru's dream?"
Ren looked at Orochimaru with an expression of adoration, then threw out a heavy question, just waiting for him to take the bait.
Orochimaru was indeed attracted by the question.
"Heh heh, my dream, you ask? That's a very good question."
Orochimaru's smile paused, then he turned his head to look at Konoha below, recalling the white snake skin he found in front of his parents' memorial stone when he was a child.
From that moment, Orochimaru, who began to ponder the meaning of life, vaguely found his life's goal.
Even now, Orochimaru had already begun to act, with various scientific experiments, allowing him to successfully walk further and further down the path of immortality.
The current him had not yet reached the state of being free from desires after achieving immortality in the future; the current him was a Konoha Ninja who loved science but was still confused about the future and life.
"Heh heh, my dream should be to successfully understand the meaning of life. A person's life is too fragile; in the blink of an eye, a person's life comes to an end.
Tangible things will eventually be destroyed, only intangible things will be eternal. Perhaps, what I pursue should be... immortality!"
As he spoke, Orochimaru spread his hands, his gaze shifting from confusion to fanaticism.
Looking at Konoha Village before him, he seemed to have found what he had been searching for all these years.
"Huh?" Ren's eyes widened in shock. What was going on? Orochimaru had comprehended the truth of immortality so early? This wasn't what he had expected.
"Immortality? Can anyone truly achieve such a thing?"
Ren looked at Orochimaru's back, unconsciously muttering to himself.
Upon hearing him, Orochimaru turned around, his snake-like gaze falling on Ren again.
"Thank you for your inspiration today, Ren-kun.
As compensation, if you have any questions about your future training or scientific research, you can come and ask me."
Orochimaru nodded in acknowledgement.
The idea of coming out for some fresh air today was truly excellent; he had unintentionally found the true meaning of life.
"Not at all, Lord Orochimaru, you're too kind. Then I'll be bothering you a lot in the future."
Ren rubbed his nose, looking at him with a slight embarrassment and smilingly replied.
"Heh heh heh, well, I'll be going now. I still have some matters to attend to, so I won't disturb you. Goodbye, ren-kun."
Orochimaru, having clarified his life's goal, was eager to conduct scientific experiments.
After a brief greeting, he walked towards the forest.
As he walked, he flicked his sleeve, leaving a white snake for Ren.
"Hoshimi Ren, huh? An interesting young man."
"Whew..."
Ren, letting out a long breath, leaned on his knees.
As expected of a seasoned Kage-level expert, even the slightest aura he unintentionally released was something a so-called Special Jonin like himself couldn't contend with.
If they were to truly fight, his strength would be suppressed by at least thirty per cent!
However...
A smile appeared on Ren's lips. At least Orochimaru was taken care of.
He was a top science student in his previous life, and just casually bringing up quantum information would be enough for him to research.
In exchange, Orochimaru had a lot of Ninjutsu, and his own Ninjutsu reserves were insufficient, so it was a good opportunity to replenish them.
"Hmm?" At this moment, Ren felt a cold sensation at his feet and looked down.
The small white snake was rubbing against his ankle.
Ren carefully reached out and placed it in his hand, and it obediently coiled into a circle, looking at Ren and flicking its tongue.
"You're quite cute, little fellow. From now on, I'll call you slinky."
Slinky didn't object upon hearing this.
After glancing at Ren twice, it coiled around Ren's wrist, looking just like a bracelet; if one didn't look closely, it was impossible to tell.
"Hmm, this is good. It looks nice and is convenient."
Ren stood up, took one last look at the Hokage Rock below, and slowly walked along the mountain path nearby.
There was no need to rush down the mountain; enjoying the scenery along the way was also quite pleasant.
Konoha Village was different from the other major Ninja villages.
Hidden Mist Village, located in the Land of Water, was an island nation surrounded by sea on all four sides.
The country's regions were primarily mountains and scattered small islands.
The country was dotted with lakes, and the climate was cool and foggy.
Winters were snowy and very cold.
Hidden Sand Village, located in the Land of Wind, was the largest country in the Naruto world.
The country was a desert, dry with little rain, and its people lived in special buildings made of sand.
Iwagakure, located in the Land of Earth, was mostly barren rock walls, which hindered the Land of Earth's transportation and affected its foreign relations.
Additionally, winds from the north would cross the high mountains, blowing fine rocks within the country to other nations, a natural phenomenon known as "Rock Rain" that was very famous.
Kumogakure, located in the Land of Lightning, had towering mountains that reached into the clouds, where deafening thunder echoed, hence its name.
Rivers from the central mountain range created a winding coastline at their estuaries.
The Land of Fire was located in a hilly area with a mild climate and abundant sunshine.
The country had ample arable land, a developed economy, and a large population.
Due to its central location on the continent, it was a crucial transportation hub for communication between various countries.
At the same time, the Land of Fire possessed the strongest Ninja village, Konoha Village, making it the most influential great power on the continent, the true leader of the Ninja World.
Therefore, Ren sometimes couldn't help but marvel at how Konoha was truly blessed with such an excellent geographical location.