The pale robed boy stared down at the plaque, not moving, not saying a thing. The gentle spring breeze blew across the plain, ruffling the grass, and his long, slightly feminine hair. His parents had been killed by a venomous snake while traveling through a forest. He was bitten too, but by some inexplicable quirk of fate or biology, he was spared, and had exhibited no apparent side effect.

A young man stood a little behind the boy. His hair looked windblown, and he had a thick goatee growing on his chin. He had found the boy along a road, weak, disoriented and without any memory of who he was. Sarutobi-san found his parents' remains nearby. He brought the boy back to Konohagakure, and gave him the name "Orochimaru", in commemoration of his surviving the lethal snake bite.

Presently the newly-named Orochimaru spotted something near the edge of the plaque. Crouching down, he saw a white snake slithering away. It left behind a shell that resembled itself. Hesitantly, he reached out to gently pick up the delicate skin. "What's this thing?" he asked Sarutobi.

Sarutobi's eyebrows cocked up. "Ooh! That's a white snake's molted skin!"

"I've never seen one before."

The older man chuckled. "Me neither. They're extremely rare, hard to find."

Orochimaru was curious now. "How come it's white?"

Sarutobi thought for a while, and then shrugged. "I don't actually know…… no one really thought to find out…… but for years, they've been considered a symbol of good fortune, and rebirth."

Orochimaru seemed transfixed by the molted skin, caressing it lightly with his finger. "Good fortune…… and rebirth…"

"The fact that you found it by your parents' grave must be a sign," Sarutobi said, half-intending to console the boy. "Perhaps they've been reborn in new bodies, so that someday, when you've grown up, they can see you again."

There was a slight pause. "When's that going to be?"

Sarutobi chuckled again. "I'm afraid I don't know that either." Only you can know that.

But it seemed that Orochimaru had hardly heard him. He was lost in thought, still staring at the talisman in his cupped hands. Slowly, a little smile crept up his pallid face.


"I decline!" the blonde-haired girl huffed, turning her head away.

"But, Tsunade-hime……" the boy lapsed into silence. "Hmph……flat-chested hag……" he muttered under his breath.

The kunoichi's temple twitched visibly. "Excuse me?" her eyes fixed on her teammate, cracking her knuckles menacingly. The boy, losing his patience, yelled out, "YOU FLAT-CHESTED HAG!" sticking out his tongue for good measure, which earned him a solid punch on the head.

"Tsunade, Jiraiya," their sensei called out from behind, "stop it, both of you." The boy called Jiraiya started whining. "But Sarutobi-sensei, she started it…" He was interrupted by Tsunade, "Shut up, dead last!"

Sarutobi sighed. How troublesome. As the pair continued their bickering, Sarutobi let his attention wander back to the other member of the three-man team. Orochimaru walked on his own, in silence, a few feet away. In the few months since he found him, the pale boy had shown tremendous progress. Originally, Sarutobi had planned for him to be graduate two years later, but he showed astonishing growth, from knowing no ninja arts at all a few months ago, to a level on par with most Academy graduates. What took a normal student three years, it took Orochimaru three months. Not even I finished the course so fast. Sarutobi himself had been a prodigy, completing the Academy courses in ten months.

Even so, Sarutobi did not expect Orochimaru to hold up so well during the bell test. In fact, he surpassed the other two in terms of performance, even come close to getting the bell from him on his own. Who knows what might be achieved in a few years' time……

"I wouldn't go out with you for all the ramen in the world!" Tsunade exclaimed. Pointing to Orochimaru, she further emphasized the point. "I-I would rather go with Orochimaru!"

Jiraiya's face fell. "Whaaat? With him? What so good about him?" Jiraiya said, sending glares of jealousy towards the indifferent boy.

Tsunade stole a glance towards the lone figure of Orochimaru. Actually, he's not bad-looking either…… She shook herself. Nah. Imposssible.


A/N: This is the prologue to a multichapter fanfic about the Legendary Sannin. I would appreciate comments on how to improve the story, and such. Constructive criticism is most welcome. As some of you may have noticed, the first portion is directly adapted from pages 15-16 of Chapter 344. Hope that's not breaking the rules or anything.