Chapter 226
After Tsunade's explanation, Orochimaru quickly understood her reasoning.
It was entirely intentional on Tsunade's part to have Mikoto come over regularly.
Her purpose was simple, she wanted to inject some fun into their otherwise monotonous lives.
The current ninja world lacked entertainment. There were no theaters, no games, no proper distractions. As a married couple without children, Orochimaru and Tsunade found themselves with plenty of free time. At their level of strength, there was no need to train endlessly, and for someone as energetic as Tsunade, idle time quickly became boredom.
Initially, she would gamble occasionally, but after Orochimaru called her out on it a couple of times, she eventually stopped.
From then on, she started looking for new ways to amuse herself.
Uchiha Mikoto, it seemed, had become one of her many outlets for entertainment.
Tsunade had noticed something curious, Mikoto seemed to harbor a subtle interest in Orochimaru. She hadn't acted on it, of course, but as one of the legendary Sannin, Tsunade easily picked up on the fleeting looks and subconscious expressions Mikoto occasionally displayed.
Orochimaru, with his sharper instincts, had naturally noticed it as well.
Orochimaru sighed, his suspicions confirmed. Tsunade's unrestrained attitude was undoubtedly a result of her carefree, albeit mischievous nature, heightened by their peaceful life together.
"Mikoto, can you make us a pot of tea?" Tsunade suddenly called out.
"Of course, Tsunade-sama. Please wait a moment," came Mikoto's soft and gentle reply from the kitchen.
Watching the scene unfold, Orochimaru stood up, shaking his head helplessly.
"You're so boring," he muttered.
"Oh, husband, don't leave now," Tsunade teased, her tone lighthearted.
"I don't have time for your games," Orochimaru said, waving her off as he began walking toward the backyard. "I need to focus on improving my Flying Thunder God technique."
Tsunade didn't stop him. As Orochimaru left, she chuckled to herself, clearly entertained.
In truth, Orochimaru had agreed to marry Tsunade for a rather personal reason he had wanted to experience a sense of spiritual fulfillment, a "home" that he had never had before. In her presence, he found something akin to that feeling.
But as for Konoha itself? He didn't hate the village, but he couldn't bring himself to truly love it either.
---
In the backyard, Orochimaru focused on his training.
The space shimmered faintly as several Flying Thunder God kunai flew into the air, hovering briefly before spreading out in different directions.
Orochimaru's current focus wasn't the Flying Thunder God technique itself but the intervals between each teleportation.
In his memory, Minato's mastery of the technique was seamless. His movements in battle teleporting forward, backward, and side-to-side were executed without the slightest pause.
By contrast, the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, had a slight delay between each teleportation. Though it was only a second or two, even such a minuscule pause could prove fatal in battle.
Orochimaru was determined to close that gap.
---
Inside the house, Tsunade glanced toward the backyard, where Orochimaru was engrossed in his training. She suddenly felt a little bored.
Her gaze shifted toward the kitchen, where Mikoto was diligently preparing tea. An idea formed in Tsunade's mind.
She stood up and walked over to the younger woman.
"Mikoto," she began, her tone casual, "why don't you teach me how to make tea?"
"Huh? Tsunade-sama, you want to learn this?" Mikoto asked, surprised.
"Why not? I'm just sitting around anyway."
And so, in the kitchen of Orochimaru's mansion, two women one from the Uchiha clan and the other from the Senju clan stood together, discussing the art of tea-making.
The sight was unusual, almost surreal. If anyone else had witnessed it, it would have surely become the talk of Konoha.
---
The premature end of the Second Ninja War had given the major nations a rare opportunity to rest and rebuild.
Konoha used the time to grow rapidly, and the other great nations weren't idle either. Each was focused on development, diplomacy, and strategic preparation.
To the north of the Land of Fire lay the Land of Frost, a small, unremarkable country often overlooked.
Its lack of notable features meant it rarely crossed anyone's mind. However, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, it would become a prominent battlefield.
At present, the Land of Frost bordered the Land of Waterfall to the west and faced the open sea to the north.
A massive ship sailed across these northern waters, its deck occupied by a group of dark-skinned ninjas wearing the forehead protectors of the Hidden Cloud Village.
At the helm of the ship stood an old man with dark skin, long light-yellow hair, and a thick beard. His muscular frame radiated power, and the tattoo of the kanji for "Thunder" was emblazoned on his right shoulder.
He was the Third Raikage, renowned as both the "strongest spear" and the "strongest shield."
With his arms folded, the Third Raikage gazed silently westward over the calm sea, lost in thought. Seagulls occasionally flew past, their cries breaking the quiet.
"Raikage-sama, everything is ready," a Cloud ninja carrying a sword reported respectfully.
The Third Raikage gave a slight nod. "Let everyone rest for now."
"Yes, sir!"
Standing behind him was a younger man who bore a striking resemblance to him, sharing at least 70% of his features. This was none other than his son, the future Fourth Raikage.
A frowned slightly, his voice tinged with confusion. "Father, why are we meeting them at sea? If there's a conflict, this terrain puts us at a disadvantage."
Despite his brash nature, the young man possessed the keen eye of a future Kage. It was obvious that water-based combat would weaken the Hidden Cloud forces. With most of their chakra attuned to lightning, fighting on the sea would handicap them just as much as forcing a water-style master to fight in the desert.
The Third Raikage's deep voice rumbled in response. "This location is close enough to our land for a safe retreat. If things go wrong, they won't be able to stop us."
He paused, his gaze unwavering. "Besides, the fact that they agreed to meet us here after traveling such a distance shows their sincerity."
A nodded, reluctantly accepting his father's reasoning. "That makes sense… wait, look! They're here!"
***
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