Chapter 188

"Ah… no, nothing!" Kushina stammered, glancing nervously at Orochimaru before turning back to Nawaki. "Hey, Nawaki, Orochimaru is your sister's boyfriend, right?"

"Yeah, why?" Nawaki asked, puzzled.

"Um… don't you find it strange learning ninjutsu from him?" Kushina questioned hesitantly.

"Strange? Not at all!" Nawaki replied, genuinely curious. "Sensei is incredibly powerful. There are tons of people who wish they could be his student. I'm thrilled I get to learn from him. Why would that be strange?"

"Isn't he strict with you?" Kushina pressed.

"Of course he is. It's natural for him to be strict. The battlefield is unforgiving. If he wasn't tough, there'd be no guarantee I'd come back alive," Nawaki said earnestly.

"Is that so…" Kushina fell silent, lost in thought as she resumed eating her barbecue.

To Kushina the Sannin were legendary figures, with Orochimaru standing out as particularly extraordinary. She had heard that much of the credit for defeating Hanzo of the Salamander belonged to him. Leading a team of newly enlisted chunin and saving the entire Iwa Ninja defense line seemed almost like a miracle.

Add to that the recent introduction of the scientific ninja tools, and it solidified his reputation.

He was truly a living legend and the idol of many Konoha shinobi. It was only natural for people to be curious about him, and Kushina was no exception. She wondered what it would be like to train under him, or even more intriguingly, what it was like for Tsunade to be in a relationship with such a figure.

But curiosity aside, Kushina wasn't bold enough to ask those questions outright, especially when she barely knew them. Meanwhile, Nawaki, seeing her fall into a thoughtful silence, simply shrugged and focused on enjoying his meal.

At the other end of the table, Hiruko, who hadn't seen Orochimaru and Tsunade for a long time, was congratulating them on their relationship. They responded politely, but the conversation felt somewhat superficial. The years had created a distance between them, and they struggled to find common ground.

Hiruko noticed this but didn't let it bother him. He was used to feeling a step behind them. Despite being their age, they were renowned as the Sannin, while he was still a chunin. The gap between them was undeniable. But that didn't matter for today—it was just a friendly reunion, not a competition.

After exchanging stories and sharing memories, the gathering wrapped up, and everyone began to head their separate ways. As Orochimaru watched Hiruko leave, he couldn't help but smirk.

He recalled thinking about turning Hiruko into an assistant or an experimental subject. But with the progress he'd made in his own research, it didn't seem necessary.

"Big sis, Sensei, I'm heading to the training ground to practice some ninjutsu!" Nawaki said, seizing the opportunity to slip away. He was growing up and developing his own path, so he didn't feel the need to linger with his sister and brother-in-law.

"Alright, go for it!" Tsunade said, smiling warmly as she watched her brother's confidence grow. She waved him off affectionately.

"See you later!" Nawaki called out as he dashed away.

"Um… I should go too. Thank you both for today!" Kushina said, bowing slightly.

"No need to be so formal," Tsunade replied with a grin. "By the way, Kushina, your graduation exam is coming up soon, isn't it?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama!" Kushina answered, nodding.

"Make sure you give it your best shot!" Tsunade encouraged.

"I will!" Kushina promised, her eyes sparkling with determination.

After the two younger shinobi had gone, Tsunade turned to say something to Orochimaru, only to find him lost in thought.

"Hey, what's on your mind?" Tsunade asked, nudging him.

"Nothing," Orochimaru said, snapping out of it. "Let's go home." Without waiting for a reply, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and started walking.

Tsunade looked at him, slightly puzzled, but didn't dwell on it. She quickly caught up and linked her arm through his.

Orochimaru cast a quick glance in the direction Kushina had gone, his mind whirring with thoughts.

Uzumaki Kushina the current Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Tsunade probably didn't know, but Hiruzen and certain members of the ANBU surely did. If one wanted to grasp true power, the tailed beasts couldn't be ignored.

But how could one acquire a tailed beast? It was a significant challenge. The ANBU monitored the Jinchuriki constantly, and even if he could get close, there was still the matter of breaking the seal.

Without breaking the seal, extracting the tailed beast was impossible. Killing the host was also out of the question; doing so would only make the beast disappear temporarily. Though the tailed beasts would eventually reform, their reappearance would be unpredictable.

Killing Kushina wouldn't solve anything; it would only create more complications. But how else could he access the Nine-Tails?

Orochimaru's brow furrowed as his mind searched for solutions. The Gedo Statue's Demonic Statue of the Outer Path could extract tailed beasts, but that required the Rinnegan, which he didn't possess. It wasn't an option.

Waiting for the seal to weaken? That was possible. When a Jinchuriki gave birth, the seal would temporarily weaken, Obito had taken advantage of this once. But Kushina was only ten years old. Waiting until she had children? That could be decades away.

And even then, she'd still be under Konoha's protection.

Frustration set in as Orochimaru weighed his options. Would he need to resort to his old tactics and lure her out of the village?

Kushina was an outsider, a girl from another village, and her fiery, stubborn nature didn't win her many friends in Konoha. Tsunade was just a mentor, and while she knew Nawaki, their interactions were minimal.

Kushina was lonely.

Orochimaru reasoned that if he approached her carefully, planting seeds of doubt and intrigue, it might be possible to manipulate her. But doing so under the watchful eyes of the ANBU would be risky. Too much attention and he'd not only fail to obtain the Nine-Tails but would also end up in serious trouble.

"Forget it. For now, surveillance will have to do until the right opportunity presents itself," Orochimaru muttered to himself.

"System, redeem some covert surveillance equipment."

"[Yes, host!]" the system replied.