Jiraiya chattered incessantly the entire way, and had no intention of stopping even upon reaching the hospital.
It wasn't until he saw the young, beautiful girls in neat uniforms that the previously energetic Jiraiya suddenly feigned weakness.
"Ouch..."
"It hurts so much!"
The exaggerated cries of pain drew the attention of many hospital staff. Upon seeing this regular visitor, the busy medical personnel immediately averted their gazes with disdain and busied themselves with other tasks.
Jiraiya clicked his tongue, looking dejected.
"I fought and bled for Konoha out there, and yet upon my return, I don't even have a doctor willing to treat my injuries!"
"Sigh!"
"The world is indeed going downhill, and people's hearts have grown cold!"
Orochimaru felt a pang of toothache and impatiently threw him onto a bench in the waiting area.
"When you say things like that, can you at least shift your gaze away from other people's sensitive areas?"
"And please, wipe the drool from the corner of your mouth."
"It's about to drip down..."
Jiraiya felt no embarrassment whatsoever. He chuckled, winked at Orochimaru, and was about to enlighten him on his newly developed insights into admiring women when he heard a clear, gentle female voice speak beside him.
"Esteemed ninja, are you feeling unwell?"
"I'm an intern here. May I examine you first?"
"Although my medical ninjutsu is still quite poor, I will do my best to heal you!"
Jiraiya turned his head and saw a cute little girl wearing round-rimmed glasses looking at him with earnestness.
Glancing at the girl's unremarkable chest, a flicker of disdain crossed Jiraiya's eyes.
"Tsk!"
"Just like Tsunade!"
"Are there no attractive women who know medical ninjutsu?"
Orochimaru knew exactly what Jiraiya was up to without even thinking and couldn't be bothered with the man whose mind was full of unhealthy thoughts.
Looking at the girl in front of him, who appeared to have not yet graduated from the Ninja Academy but claimed to have mastered medical ninjutsu, a glint appeared in Orochimaru's eyes.
"Don't mind him. His head's been bashed around a bit!"
"Just find him a bed and let him rest for a while."
The little girl looked up at Orochimaru with confusion, then at Jiraiya, who indeed looked foolish. She said hesitantly,
"Is... is that so?"
Seeing Orochimaru nod, the little girl looked at Jiraiya with sympathy and gently comforted him.
"Sir, please don't be sad."
"As long as Lady Tsunade returns, she will surely be able to heal you!"
Suddenly being treated like a fool by a young girl, Jiraiya lost his playful mood and hung his head dejectedly.
"What's your name?"
Orochimaru suddenly asked, seemingly casually, as he watched the gentle girl continuously comforting Jiraiya.
The little girl was startled and quickly performed a junior's bow to Orochimaru, respectfully replying,
"Sir, my name is Yakushi Nonō!"
A peculiar curve appeared on Orochimaru's lips, and he nodded lightly.
"Nonō..."
"Yes, sir!"
"The Ninja Academy shouldn't be on break yet. Why are you here?"
Nonō hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to answer.
"I am Orochimaru!"
Orochimaru saw her hesitation and immediately thought highly of this child who would become a walking shrine maiden in the future.
Her presence here at such a young age was clearly a result of deliberate arrangement.
It was already remarkable talent to maintain the basic information security expected of a ninja even within Konoha Hospital.
Upon hearing Orochimaru's identity, a spark lit up in Nonō's eyes. She tilted her small face up and looked at Orochimaru with joy.
"So it's Lord Orochimaru!"
"I've been taken care of by the kind aunts and uncles at the hospital since I was little, and I often come here to help."
"Earlier, the Third Hokage and a group of ninjas returned from abroad, and the hospital took in many wounded."
"The ninjas who know medical ninjutsu were a bit overwhelmed, so they called me from school."
Nonō quickly added at the end.
"I got permission from my teacher!"
It was clear that the little girl wanted to make a good impression on Orochimaru.
Orochimaru chuckled and nodded.
"I see!"
"So, what medical ninjutsu do you know?"
Nonō's small face turned slightly red, and she lowered her head, fiddling with her fingers, and mumbled,
"I... I only know the most basic healing jutsu!"
"But I will work hard!"
Seeing the girl's eagerness to prove herself, Orochimaru reached out and placed his hand on her head.
Nonō was startled. Before she could recover from the gentle gesture from the high-ranking Jonin, Orochimaru's husky yet warm voice sounded again.
"Mm!"
"Keep up the good work!"
"You have good talent, and I'm very optimistic about you!"
"If you ever need anything in the future, you can find me!"
The little girl looked up in disbelief, dared to reach up and grasp the large hand on her head, her excited face flushed.
"Lord Orochimaru, is that really okay?"
Orochimaru let her hold his hand and nodded with a smile.
"You probably know Nawaki and Uzumaki Kushina, right?"
"If you want to find me, have them take you."
Nonō nodded excitedly, her gaze towards Orochimaru full of admiration.
This was Lord Orochimaru, the disciple of the Third Hokage, known as the "Cold Blade"!
Who would have thought he would smile so gently?
Since her parents passed away, this was the first time a ninja had smiled at her so gently, praised her talent, and even expressed a desire to mentor her!
How happy she was!
Jiraiya watched blankly as the little girl, easily swayed by Orochimaru's few words, lost her way. He felt a surge of reverence for Orochimaru.
"This guy..."
"Orochimaru, I truly underestimated you!"
"I didn't expect you to be even more talented than Jiraiya in coaxing girls!"
...
After entrusting Jiraiya to Nonō, Orochimaru strolled towards the Hokage's office.
He didn't encounter anyone particularly familiar along the way, so Orochimaru gave up his idea of observing further and directly used the Body Flicker Technique. With a few leaps, he arrived near the Hokage's office.
The ninjas guarding the entrance to the Hokage's office naturally recognized Orochimaru's identity. Without further questioning, they stepped aside, allowing him through the door and inviting him in.
Orochimaru gave a slight nod to the somewhat familiar ninja and went directly to Hiruzen Sarutobi's office, pushing the door open and entering.
"Teacher Hiruzen!"