Chapter 368: Ideas for a New Department
"Haha, never mind. Instead of wasting effort on that, I'd rather enjoy the long-awaited life in Konoha," Orochimaru laughed.
Tobitake Tonbo looked at him with disdain. "I'd say you've changed too fast... I mean, your personality."
This old fellow Orochimaru had become much more active since his resurrection. That sinister, eerie aura was gone. Looking at him now, Tonbo felt like he was seeing a glimpse of Minato Namikaze. Truly. It was just that their hobbies were different.
"Hmph, I just want to see what kind of wind Sasuke can stir up. But more importantly, my goal has been completely achieved," Orochimaru smiled triumphantly. "This body is entirely made of Hashirama's cells. Combined with my Living Corpse Reincarnation, I can achieve true immortality. I have endless time to research the infinite ninjutsu of this world."
He finally had the time to explore the ultimate truths of ninjutsu.
"But what about you? With your abilities, why are you thinking about retirement? Did Sarutobi-sensei's Will of Fire fail to reach you?" Orochimaru was genuinely curious. It was unbelievable to him that Tonbo, at only 31 years old, was already looking to retire.
"I'm leaving it to the next generation. Besides, I have several kids to raise," Tonbo said, full of smiles. "And that 'retirement' is just stepping down from the front lines; it's not like I'm ignoring everything."
"Being a parent, eh? I don't think I've ever tried that," Orochimaru mused for a moment, looking quite interested. "My disciple has a daughter now too... perhaps I could try being a parent, to experience the feeling of a life growing in my hands."
"...Hey, don't go using the villagers for experiments again, or you'll make things very difficult for us," Tonbo warned.
"That method is far too outdated. I have new ideas, heh. Now tell me, why did you come looking for me? I don't believe you're so bored that you'd seek me out just for fishing and small talk." Orochimaru turned his gaze toward Tonbo.
Tonbo became very serious. "Cough, of course there's a reason—a very important matter."
"Oh? What could possibly be important right now?" Orochimaru felt he was being very strange. He had always thought Tonbo was full of mysteries, and that feeling hadn't changed. He wanted to know what the man was up to; it was a time of peace, so there shouldn't be anything critical. Moreover, this didn't seem like a mission from the Konoha higher-ups.
"The thing is... I have a son... he needs a good teacher. I want him to study under you for a while," Tonbo said, looking slightly embarrassed.
Lately, he had been busy reading Kaguya's bodily data in her Dimension, so he was quite occupied. He thought about letting Orochimaru look after the boy for a bit. He had considered bringing Orochimaru into his research, but since Kaguya was sealed, only Tonbo—who had set up contingencies beforehand—could make contact with her. Bringing Orochimaru along would be useless.
Pause!
"..." Orochimaru was completely stunned. "Babysitting?"
Really... if he remembered correctly, Tonbo's two older children were already Chunin. That meant only the youngest son needed care, and he was only about three years old.
"Yep. He's very smart. When he grows up, he can even be your assistant, just like Kabuto," Tonbo added.
Orochimaru's teaching ability was beyond doubt. Specifically, Keigo Tobitake's talent was indeed well-suited for learning from Orochimaru.
"At the same time, I will apply to the village to create a special department. I'll get the village to provide funding for your research."
"...That is a very tempting proposal. I accept." As soon as Orochimaru heard about village funding, his resistance to babysitting instantly vanished. It wasn't like he hadn't raised children before; he was a renowned educator. Countless outstanding children had emerged from his hands.
Rustle!
Inside the bushes, Yamato's ears twitched. Tonbo-senpai is too bold! He actually dares to let Orochimaru raise his own child?
He was internally shocked. Orochimaru was currently under Konoha's constant surveillance. He was a former rogue ninja and the pioneer of experimenting on his own comrades. With all those buffs stacked together, Yamato couldn't fathom why Tonbo would do such a thing. Keigo was only three; if Orochimaru used him for research, it would be over.
He wanted to jump out and talk him out of it, but thinking of Orochimaru's terror and Tonbo-senpai's strength, he stayed put. However, he prepared to notify Kakashi to keep a close eye on the situation.
"Keigo, Daddy has some things to do lately and might not have much time to teach you. I've found you a great teacher. Excited?" Tonbo said with a grin as he returned home.
Keigo Tobitake was still tinkering with a newly bought machine. "I can learn on my own without you teaching me. Why do I need a teacher?"
Clang, clang!
Lately, his dad's books had been selling like hotcakes, making a lot of money. He could buy plenty of resources that they used to save on, and he was having a blast. He wasn't against having a teacher, but he didn't have high hopes either. In the whole village, his dad was the strongest—who else could possibly teach him? Even a "normal" teacher would just teach the simple stuff from the Ninja Academy.
"One of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru, will be your teacher. Surprised? He is the person with the deepest understanding of Chakra research in the entire Shinobi world. He'll definitely help you progress quickly. Try to drain all his knowledge," Tonbo laughed.
He had to admit, Orochimaru knew a massive amount of things and researched them deeply.
"The person with the deepest research? Dad, didn't you say that was you?" Keigo asked.
Tonbo replied, "Haha, we each have our strengths, each have our strengths. Alright, that's it for today. Keep studying; I'm going to check if there are any issues with the lab equipment."
Poof! He then vanished on the spot.
"What exactly is Dad doing? Didn't he say he was retiring? Why is he still so busy?" Keigo was very smart, but even he couldn't figure it out.
"What? Tonbo wants Orochimaru to look after his kid?"
Kakashi felt like something was wrong with his ears. Who was Orochimaru? He was a terrorist!
Yamato: "That's right. He also said he'd apply to start a new department and build a lab for Orochimaru, with funding provided by the village."
"It feels like a trade. Does he have another new idea? Building a department for Orochimaru... such trust is suspicious," Kakashi pondered.
His suspicion was justified. The establishment of the World Ninja Association had shown him that Tonbo's thinking was extraordinarily sharp. Since then, the atmosphere of the entire Shinobi world had changed, showing a burst of vitality. He guessed Tonbo might have another similar idea.
"I just don't understand. Tonbo-senpai has already handed over his work to Ino. What is he so busy with that he doesn't even have time for his kids?" Yamato also found it strange.
Actually, these were just the normal deductions ninjas made based on intelligence.
"Well, since he trusts Orochimaru, let's go along with his idea. However, Orochimaru still can't be fully trusted. Tonbo will have to work in that new department too; he can watch Orochimaru from nearby," Kakashi decided.
Kakashi also found it odd to build a department for Orochimaru, but the work had to be done. Besides, it was a good way to give Tonbo something to do, so he wouldn't have so much free time to tease Kakashi about being a bachelor.
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