章 25: Team Orochimaru Assemble

Orochimaru, the team's sensei, had introduced himself to the team. Satoru, who was well aware of Orochimaru's uncertain future, could feel the tense atmosphere in the room. The silence was finally broken by Orochimaru, who asked for introductions.

"Now then, let's get to know each other."

Anko stood up with a determined expression, her respect for Orochimaru is evident in her voice.

Anko: "I am Anko, Orochimaru-sama," she said, bowing slightly. "My dream is to become a legendary kunoichi. I want to be the very best like no one ever was!"

Satoru watched as Anko spoke with unwavering determination. Her admiration for Orochimaru was clear, and Satoru couldn't help but be impressed by her ambition.

Orochimaru nodded, a small smile gracing his lips.

"I see," he said, his tone approving. "That's a worthy goal, Anko. I look forward to helping you achieve it."

With Anko's introduction, the tension in the room eased, and the team began to feel more at ease with each other. But, Satoru couldn't shake off a niggling feeling that something was amiss. He felt like Anko and Orochimaru are already familiar with each other.

Bob, who had an easy-going personality, stepped forward to introduce himself after Anko. With a confident smile, he stated, "I'm Hideki Uchiha. My dream is to become an influential figure in the Uchiha clan that can enhance the reputation of my clan."

Orochimaru, with a curious glint in his eyes, looked intently at Bob after hearing the name "Uchiha."

Satoru knew that Orochimaru was known for his relentless pursuit of knowledge, and his fascination with kekkei genkai was well-known. However, Satoru was not worried about Bob, at least for now. Orochimaru's interests seemed scattered among various kekkei genkai, and he hadn't yet fixated on any particular one.

He knew that Orochimaru's obsession with the Sharingan had only developed after his encounter with Itachi. It was then that Orochimaru realized the immense potential of the Sharingan and became fixated on obtaining it.

"Hehehe…. That's good."

Orochimaru agreed with Bob, and his sharp gaze turned towards Satoru. Satoru knew it was his turn to introduce himself, so he stood up and began, "I am Satoru Gojo. My dream is---". He paused for a moment, scratching his head with a confused expression.

Satoru tried to figure out his dream.

He pondered about becoming the Hokage, but the complexities of politics, the involvement of Konoha elders, and the shadowy figure of Danzo made him hesitant. He couldn't fully commit to the idea of being the leader of the village.

As he continued to reflect, Satoru realized that his past life's desires were quite different. He remembered wanting to start his own family and live a simple, peaceful life before passing away. He chuckled inwardly, realizing that his dream then seemed far from the ambitious aspirations of becoming the Hokage.

Satoru could not come to any decisive answer so he speaks what he was thinking," My dream is to live a simple life, nothing too extravagant or remarkable. I want to have a peaceful family someday, spend my days leisurely looking at clouds, and eventually die an unremarkable death."

Bob and Anko exchanged puzzled glances as Satoru revealed his dream of living a simple life and eventually dying an unremarkable death. Anko couldn't help but blurt out, "Seriously? That's it? No grand ambitions, just clouds, and a peaceful family?" She raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.

Bob chimed in, unable to contain his laughter, "Wow, Satoru, talk about aiming for the stars! Your dream is so mundane, it's almost impressive!" He slapped his knee, chuckling uncontrollably.

Satoru blinked at their reactions, feeling a bit self-conscious. "Well, yeah," he scratched his head sheepishly. "I just want a simple life, you know? No drama, no power struggles, just a calm life."

Anko continued to chuckle, exchanging teasing glances. "Sure thing, Mr. Cloud Watcher."

Orochimaru's smile faded as he heard Satoru's simple dream of a peaceful family. His expression turned somber, and his eyes seemed distant, lost in memories.

Orochimaru's mind raced with memories of his own past, of losing his parents at a young age and becoming an orphan. The pain of their deaths fueled his relentless pursuit of eternal life, which in turn led him to discover various kekkei genkai and acquire immense knowledge. His whole life, ambitions, and the path he had chosen flashed before his eyes as he listened to Satoru's innocent dream.

For a moment, Orochimaru was lost in his thoughts, his usual composure shattered by the memories that resurfaced. He realized that Satoru's dream of a peaceful family was something he had lost long ago, and had struck a chord deep within him.

Orochimaru spoke in a distant voice, his gaze far away as he addressed Satoru's simple dream. "Remember, life and death are intertwined," he said, his voice tinged with a hint of melancholy. "And sometimes, the unremarkable can become remarkable."

Anko and Bob exchanged puzzled glances, still unable to make sense of Orochimaru's reaction to Satoru's simple dream.

Orochimaru, noticing the confusion on his students' faces, regained his composure and shifted the topic. "Well, Hokage-sama has already told me about you guys," he said, a hint of mischief in his voice. "He seems to have high expectations from you all."

"So…let me put that to the test. Hehehe" he further added with a creepy smile.

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In Hokage's office,

Inside his private chamber, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage of Konohagakure, sat in his chair, peering into the crystal ball that rested on his desk. He had been keeping a watchful eye on Orochimaru and his team as they conversed in the classroom.

"A team of geniuses led by another genius." he thought while looking at the grades of the three students on his desk. Hiruzen took pride in his ability to identify and bring together such a promising team.

Inside the crystal ball, he could see Orochimaru, his favorite student among the legendary Sannin. Hiruzen had always seen great potential in Orochimaru, and he had considered him the best candidate for the position of Hokage in the future.

As he watched Orochimaru through the crystal ball, Hiruzen couldn't help but feel a mixture of pride and concern. He remembered the one time Orochimaru had failed in his responsibilities as a leader was during the Second Shinobi War, when Nawaki, Tsunade's younger brother, had died under his guidance. It had been a painful lesson for Orochimaru.

But now, with the Second Shinobi War over, Hiruzen had carefully selected Orochimaru to lead a team of genin. He believed that Orochimaru's genius and knowledge would be invaluable in developing the next generation of shinobi for Konohagakure. He recalled how he had put together a team of geniuses to make things easier for Orochimaru. He wanted to provide him with an opportunity to showcase his skills as a leader and to have that accomplishment on his resume.

With a solemn nod, Hiruzen reaffirmed his faith in Orochimaru and his decision to assign him the task of leading a team of genin. He was confident that Orochimaru would make the most of this opportunity and continue to grow as a shinobi and a leader.

As the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was intently spying on Orochimaru and his team through his crystal ball, he heard the gate of his office creaking open. Panicking, he quickly put the crystal ball in the drawer and slammed it shut, nearly trapping his fingers in the process, and then turned to look out of the window with exaggerated interest.

"Hmm, yes, the village looks... um, very village-y today," Hiruzen muttered to himself, trying to appear nonchalant.

He scratched his head, feigning deep contemplation as he squinted at the rooftops and trees, hoping to give the impression that he was intently observing something important.

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, trying to maintain his composure while beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He couldn't help but feel a bit guilty for being caught in the act of spying, even though it was on his own student.

Just then, his eldest son Asura Sarutobi entered the office, looking surprised to see his father standing by the window with such intensity.

"Old man, what are you doing?" Asura asked, raising an eyebrow.

Hiruzen tried to play it cool, pretending to be lost in thought as he pointed vaguely outside. "Oh, you know, just... observing the village! Very important Hokage business!"

Asura said with a proud grin on his face. "Old man, I just became a jonin! I want a high-ranked mission, like an A-rank. There's nothing interesting on the mission board," he exclaimed.

Hiruzen scratched his chin thoughtfully, trying to come up with a solution. After a moment, he reached for a letter on his desk and handed it to Asura. "Here you go. This is an important mission that requires your skills as a Jonin. Deliver this letter to the daimyo of the Land of Silence."

Asura looked at the letter with a puzzled expression. "Delivering a letter? Is that really an A-rank mission?" he asked.

Hiruzen chuckled. "Well, not exactly, but it's still an important task. Consider it a stepping stone for getting more challenging missions ahead."

Asura nodded reluctantly and took the letter, but as he left the room, he couldn't shake off the feeling that he had been fooled by his old man again. He knew delivering a letter wasn't exactly an A-rank mission, but he decided to complete it anyway, determined to prove himself and earn more challenging missions in the future.

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Orochimaru stood in the middle of the open ground, surrounded by his team of genin, including Bob and Anko. Satoru, the injured member of the team, was sitting on the side, unable to participate in the training.

"Alright, this location is good," Orochimaru said, eyeing the area with a smirk. "We shall begin our training here." He then turned to Bob and Anko. "You two will be working together. Your goal is to somehow manage to hit me in the face. Everything is allowed. "

Orochimaru's smirk widened as he further added, "If you succeed, I will personally recommend you to the Hokage for the rank of Chunin... Hehehe." His tone was filled with amusement, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

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I have seen the results of the poll last chapter, it is almost 50-50 poll but the majority are still in favor of having romance. So, there will be romance however Anko won't be the romantic lead. The romance part will happen later in the series during the mid-Naruto timeline or the beginning of the Shippuden timeline.

Right now, we have three teams based on the response,

Team Rin

Team Konan

Team OC

In a few chapters I will begin a major story arc for the series, for that I want you guys to know some of the basic negative characteristics of MC:

First, he is a coward. He won't fight a battle he could not win. He doesn't want to die early.

Second, he is a socially awkward introvert cause he spent most of his previous life living alone without any friends. But he can talk casually to a person he knows or has been friends with.

I want to write a fanfic where the MC not only becomes strong power-wise but he also grows personality-wise too.