The next day, Orochimaru woke up early in the morning.
He had spent the previous night pondering his future until a massive explosion in his thoughts caused him to drift off into a hazy sleep, yet he felt no drowsiness this morning—he had simply slept quite a bit over the past two days. Checking the energy stored within his body, he found it had barely depleted, which finally allowed Orochimaru to breathe a sigh of relief.
Consuming three Explosive Tags a day was not something he could sustain year-round, and he figured the demand would only grow larger in the future.
After washing up, Orochimaru headed out for his morning run.
This was a habit he had formed in his past life; even though his body had changed, his soul remained the same. "This is a great opportunity to further familiarize myself with this body and get used to the surge in physical strength I experienced just yesterday."
With that thought, Orochimaru jogged toward the outskirts of Konoha Village, planning to run a few laps around the perimeter while seeing for himself what the village—previously known to him only through anime and memories—was actually like.
He trotted along, taking in the unique wooden architectural style of this world. It reminded him somewhat of the Forbidden City from his past life's memories, though the craftsmanship fell a bit short. If a fire ever broke out in these houses, people would certainly have their hands full; a single blaze could wipe out an entire block!
Yet, upon recalling that the ninjas of this world could casually unleash Water Release techniques at the drop of a hat, Orochimaru felt reassured. Konoha's ninjas could venture out to kill enemies in battle, while pulling double-duty at home catching cats, hunting mice, and moonlighting as firefighters.
Orochimaru possessed a certain understanding of this ninja-based national system, both in his past life and the present. Regardless of whether the major ninja villages were merely tiny plots of land, they were the primary institutions specifically responsible for training ninjas. In his past life, they would be special forces training bases, while the successive Kage of the village served as the heads of those special forces. Figures like the Sannin and White Fang were the apex legends among special forces—every last one of them having earned their reputation through hard-fought victories and genuine achievements.
These thoughts flashed through Orochimaru's mind as the surrounding buildings swept past his eyes. At some point, perhaps due to the jolting motion, the little white snake poked its head out from behind his hair and looked ahead.
"Hm? Shiro, are you hungry? I'll take you to forage for food."
Shiro was the name Orochimaru had given it, and the little creature seemed to love the moniker, flicking its tongue against his cheek from time to time.
By now, Orochimaru had reached the outer edge of Konoha Village. He placed Shiro down in the grass by the roadside, intending to come back and pick it up later. Since it was early in the morning and no villagers were around, there was no risk of anyone getting hurt.
Passing by the cemetery on the edge of Konoha, he glanced over to see it still draped in a heavy, lifeless silence; the funeral procession probably wouldn't start so early, usually taking place around eight o'clock.
With that, Orochimaru ran seven or eight laps around Konoha Village before coming to a stop.
The current circumference of Konoha Village was only about five or six kilometers, encompassing at most an area half the size of the Forbidden City. After all, with a war breaking out every decade or so, and all the able-bodied men being dragged off to fight, where would all the population come from?
"Whew... Looks like this body's strength still isn't enough. Just over thirty kilometers and I'm already starting to pant."
Compared to a normal human in his past life, his physical fitness was already superhuman—setting world records and shattering them effortlessly would be a breeze, but in this world, it simply wasn't enough to boast about. Taijutsu and sheer physical stamina were Orochimaru's shortcomings; compared to his Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, they lagged considerably behind, with his ability scores in the *Book of Warriors* registering a mere 7.
Just as Orochimaru's body began to feel fatigued, the energy stored within his cells replenished him in the nick of time, instantly bringing him back to full health as if nothing had happened at all. If he went out and told people he had run dozens of kilometers in a short span of time without even breaking a sweat, nobody would believe him.
"A rather decent ability. This stored energy is truly wonderful stuff; not only did it replenish my previous exhaustion, but I can also feel my body is stronger than before."
This was no illusion. Such a sensation could only mean that his cells were capable of holding a slightly greater volume of energy, and cellular vitality had increased as well.
"It seems I'll need to devote more time to training in the future, and strive to become an iron-willed powerhouse as soon as possible!"
With this thought, Orochimaru's mood improved. Calling out to Shiro, he headed straight toward the cemetery.
Pedestrians on the road were now becoming more frequent. It was currently the spring season—the misty drizzle of the plum rain season—and a fine drizzle began to fall before long.
"Another rainy day. What a thoroughly unpleasant weather."
Having been drenched in a heavy downpour just two days prior, Tsunade weeping bitterly in the rainy night was a scene still fresh in his mind. Such a dreary atmosphere was truly vexing.
Arriving deep within the cemetery, he found a good number of ninja already gathered in one spot, presumably to attend Kato Dan's funeral.
A quick sweep of his gaze revealed quite a few familiar faces from his memories. As an elite Jounin of Konoha, Kato Dan was kind-natured and had made many friends. Coupled with the fact that he had sacrificed his life to protect the village and was Tsunade's lover, all the major clans showed him the utmost respect.
Many people had brought their younger generations along. Orochimaru spotted Uchiha Fugaku, Hyuga Hizashi, Aburame Shibi, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, and others who would either grow up to become clan heads or renowned ninjas in the future. At present, they were all merely in their teens—some barely past ten—each following obediently behind their elders.
These youngsters also noticed Orochimaru strolling slowly through the rain. Those who recognized him nodded politely, while even those who had never met him had heard at least a little of the Sannin's renown. As for the juniors they brought along, they whispered among themselves in inquiry, and upon learning that he was Orochimaru of the Sannin—currently riding a wave of immense popularity—their eyes filled with awe and yearning. After all, being mere adolescents, they all harbored dreams of achieving overnight fame.
Without paying any mind to the gazes of others, Orochimaru walked straight to the front of the crowd.
Kato Dan's relatives had evidently arrived. A woman was holding a baby girl just a few months old, who was crying noisily, seemingly weeping for the loss of her kin. The little girl must have been Shizune, born late last year, and Kato Dan's niece to boot.
Walking slowly up to them, Orochimaru looked at Tsunade, who was already crying tears of sorrow, and not knowing how to offer comfort, he simply stood there in silence.
Having lost her younger brother not long ago, she had now lost her lover as well. For anyone, such a massive blow was impossible to accept; no matter how eloquent words of comfort might sound, they remained pale and feeble.
Before long, the crowd parted once more as a middle-aged man in his forties approached and slowly removed his conical straw hat. It was none other than the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. A Hokage attending a funeral was the ultimate sign of respect for a ninja who had sacrificed their life for the village.
"Dust to dust, earth to earth, the soul returns to the Pure Land. Where the leaves dance, the fire burns on!"
Following a series of eulogies, the crowd observed a moment of silence.
This was Orochimaru's first time attending such an event since arriving in this world. Although he had not inherited the original Orochimaru's emotions and shared no deep bond of friendship with Kato Dan, as one of the Sannin, Orochimaru naturally had to stand on Tsunade's side, and the proper courtesies had to be observed to the letter.