A New Snake In The Shinobi World

The dim candlelight flickered across Orochimaru's pale face, casting sharp shadows that gave him an otherworldly appearance.

Sitting at the small table, he picked up the cup of water in front of him and took a slow sip, his mind occupied with his next steps.

The clone army provided him with sufficient manpower, but it would take time before they could rival the military power of the Five Great Nations.

However, a complete ninja village wasn't built solely on an army.

Granted, his clones were products of advanced technology, which meant they didn't require the infrastructure of a typical village—no need for schools or hospitals.

But beyond the numbers, what he lacked most was a proper information network.

This realization made Orochimaru nod thoughtfully to himself. A plan began to form in his mind.

---

"What are you thinking about Lord Orochimaru?"

A soft voice interrupted his musings, followed by the gentle pressure of hands on his shoulders. The touch was natural and soothing, kneading away the tension in his muscles.

"Nothing much," Orochimaru replied with a faint smile. "I was just wondering if I should upgrade the equipment in your orphanage."

"Upgrade the equipment?" Nono asked curiously. "What kind of equipment are you thinking of replacing?"

"For starters, those candles," Orochimaru replied. "It's time to install proper lighting."

"Electricity? This place is so remote, where would we even get electricity from?"

"Well, I have a lab nearby, don't I?" Orochimaru responded.

"It's too far away," Nono countered quickly. "If you try to connect wires from the lab to here, it could expose the lab's location."

"True." Orochimaru nodded, already reconsidering. "Then I'll give you a new battery system instead."

Orochimaru had plenty of advanced equipment at his disposal, including large batteries and silent generators.

For this purpose, he decided on a compact battery setup. By connecting the battery to a transformer and converter, it could be charged with chakra, specifically Lightning Release chakra.

For someone like Nono, who had worked in his lab before, using this kind of technology was second nature.

When Orochimaru handed her the battery, Nono's eyes lit up briefly before her expression grew thoughtful.

"By the way, Lord Orochimaru," she asked hesitantly, "how long do you plan to stay this time?"

"That depends on the situation. Is there an issue?" he replied.

"It's nothing too important. While I was experimenting with the Magnet Release you gave me, I developed a new technique." Nono said

"I thought it might be useful to you, but considering your current strength… I wasn't sure if I should bring it up."

"A new technique?" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. "What kind of technique?"

"It's hard to explain in words," Nono replied. "Why don't I show you instead?"

---

The night was quiet, and the stars sparkled faintly overhead.

Although Orochimaru didn't expect much from her demonstration, he still followed her outside the orphanage.

At first, he didn't understand why Nono insisted on going so far from the orphanage.

Then, she showed him.

Nono pulled out a small coin from her pocket and tossed it into the air.

As the coin spun, her body began to crackle with electricity, arcs of lightning dancing across her frame.

Zap!

A sudden burst of light shot from her hand, slicing through the air.

The streak of energy moved faster than the eye could follow, slamming into a large boulder thirty meters away.

Boom!

The rock shattered into fragments, the sound of the explosion echoing through the night.

Pieces of debris flew in all directions, and even as the dust settled, residual lightning crackled faintly along Nono's arm.

It was clear why she hadn't performed this near the orphanage. The noise alone would've woken every child.

---

"This is…" Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed as he analyzed the technique. "Magnetic propulsion using electricity? An electromagnetic railgun?"

For once, Orochimaru found himself truly surprised.

Nono had developed a railgun all on her own.

The principle of a railgun, as Orochimaru understood it, relied on electromagnetic force to propel a projectile at incredible speeds.

It was a highly scientific technique, and while Orochimaru had dabbled in similar concepts, his research had always leaned toward manipulating gravitational fields or pure magnetic forces.

He had never prioritized the combination of electricity and magnetism in this way, partly because he didn't have the time.

And yet, here was Nono, standing before him, having created it by herself.

---

"Electromagnetic railgun?" Nono tilted her head slightly, testing the name. "That does sound fitting. I hadn't come up with a name for it yet, but leave it to you to think of something so apt right away."

"You… how did you even come up with this idea?" Orochimaru asked, his voice carrying a rare note of curiosity.

His gaze rested on her, intrigued.

To think that Nono—quiet, composed, and unassuming might have a talent for innovation.

"Didn't you tell me yourself?" Nono replied with a small smile. "You said that electricity and magnetism influence each other. I just played around with the concept when I had some free time.

"However…" She paused, her tone growing thoughtful. "Since I'm trained in medical ninjutsu, my chakra isn't particularly suited to Lightning Release. That makes it difficult for me to use this technique consistently. It's not perfected yet."

Nono's voice trailed off as she explained the technique's development process, and Orochimaru listened intently.

---

"Impressive," Orochimaru said after a moment, his tone sincere. "To think you could create such a technique on your own… I must admit, I'm impressed."

Even though Orochimaru had mastered many powerful techniques, he couldn't deny the utility of what she had developed.

Sometimes, having a versatile repertoire of jutsu was more important than relying on raw strength alone.

"You're too kind, my lord," Nono said, a soft smile gracing her lips. "This kind of technique is nothing compared to what you're capable of."

Her expression was gentle and warm, like a calm breeze.

"Tell me," Orochimaru said suddenly, his voice quieter but no less sharp, "do you regret following me?"

Nono froze for a moment, taken aback by the unexpected question.

Her expression softened as she met his gaze.

"…At least for now," she said with a faint smile, "I have no regrets."

***

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