Shinobi Rebirth: The Serpent Savant

Ashleaf, Year 16!Ember Country, Ashleaf Village, Shinobi Institute! "Hey, Orochimaru! Get up here and fight me already!!" Inside the clamorous classroom, a white-haired boy in a beige kimono edged in red stood on a desk and barked at the black-haired boy opposite him, whose long hair fell straight down as he sat there in complete calm. His skin carried a faint yellow tint, and red lines circled his eyes. His irritation was obvious he looked ready to start fighting that instant. For all that blazing temper, the black-haired boy Orochimaru gave him nothing. He cast one brief look at the scene before sinking back into his thoughts as though the challenge did not exist. Once he realized he was being brushed aside, Bram, the white-haired boy, shouted even louder, "Damn it, Orochimaru! You really think you're above me?!" The other students nearby began whispering among themselves and laughing. "Oh, they're really going at it again?" "Haha, Bram seriously never gets it!" "Seriously? He keeps challenging Orochimaru, loses every time, and still comes back. That's just sad!" "Yeah, I bet Orochimaru won't even bother today!" "Why even bother? He can't beat Orochimaru!" All that classroom chatter only made Bram more irritated. Heat rushed into his face from embarrassment, but Orochimaru stayed entirely unmoved, shut away inside his own head. So... I've been reincarnated? And on top of that, I've landed in the Naruto world as a child version of Orochimaru? The thought slammed into him again, even harder than before. And the brat yelling at him? That was Bram, his future comrade, one of the legendary Tri-Sages, the Bog Sage? Dear god... Orochimaru understood perfectly how absurd the situation was. In his old life, he had burned through more reincarnation stories than he could count and never believed one would happen to him. But it had. He had walked straight into the kind of trope he used to read about. Is this actually real? Orochimaru let out a bitter laugh, yet after a short while he forced himself to accept it. Hadn't he imagined reincarnating again and again in his last life, anyway? Since it had truly happened, coming to terms with it proved easier than he would have guessed. This world was full of death and danger, but the chance to begin again, to live a second life in a place this powerful, still felt like hidden good fortune. After steadying himself, he raised his head slightly and said, "You are formidable, Lord Bram. Why would I ever look down on you?" "Y-You!" Bram stammered, plainly caught off guard by that reply. At only six years old, he couldn't grasp that Orochimaru had no interest at all in fighting. Orochimaru's thoughts were fixed on something far more important. Bram's challenge was nothing but a pointless interruption. In truth, Orochimaru or rather, the soul that had become Orochimaru had arrived in this world only two hours earlier. During that brief time, his mind had been in turmoil as he tried to understand what had happened. He had only just sorted through Orochimaru's memories and fully grasped the weight of his new situation. I really am Orochimaru... In the original Naruto story, Orochimaru had been praised as a genius by the Third Flame Regent, a talent that might appear only once in decades. But seated in this classroom now, Orochimaru understood the truth of his position. In this place, strength leaned heavily on clan and bloodline. But the me right now... I have neither. Orochimaru possessed no legendary Sage Body from the Fenn Clan and no overwhelming Sharingan from the Nightglass. His parents had died only months earlier, leaving him with almost nothing except the small reputation he was beginning to build. Without the forbidden techniques I would develop later, the original Orochimaru would have gone nowhere. Against the true top-tier shinobi, I would have been much weaker. His thoughts drifted toward the clashes waiting for him with the Nightglass brothers first Kade, then Riven. He had tried to seize Kade's Sharingan, only for Kade to stop him cold with a single glance. Later, Riven would deal with him easily, and in the end Orochimaru would be sealed by Kade's Totsuka Blade. What a miserable fate. To make things worse, Orochimaru was only six years old right now. He had neither the knowledge nor the power to change anything important yet. Even if I possess Orochimaru's genius, what could that possibly mean at this age? I was far too weak at the moment. Looking at Bram's heated face, Orochimaru felt no urge whatsoever to answer him. That detached attitude slowly smothered Bram's will to fight. "Tch, you're always doing this," Bram muttered, disappointment written all over his face. "You're impossible. Ugh, whatever! This is lame." With a huff, he jumped down from Orochimaru's desk and headed back to his own seat. Once he dropped into the chair, he threw his feet onto the desk and tried to look as unconcerned as he could. Orochimaru paid him no attention at all. At that instant, a voice rang through his mind: [Ding! Welcome to the Genesis Lab System!] Orochimaru's eyes went wide. Drawing in a breath, he asked inwardly, "Did you just say... system? What kind of system?" [The Genesis Lab System, host!] came the cheerful reply. Genesis Lab System?! Orochimaru went still. A system. For any reincarnator, that was the best gift imaginable. He had read enough webnovels to understand exactly what that meant. Having a system was basically the same as getting a cheat code for life. It could make you stronger faster, and maybe even sharper, than everyone else. With something like that, a person could climb all the way to the summit of power. And now Orochimaru had a system of his own. The thought by itself was enough to make any reincarnator ecstatic. Really, could you call yourself a proper reincarnator if no system stood behind you?