Chapter 28: Tsunade and Orochimaru

Chapter 28: Tsunade and Orochimaru

Time had passed for too long.

Some less significant details had long been forgotten by Hagoromo Gengetsu

For example, he knew that the Fifth Hokage of Konoha was Tsunade and that Jiraiya would be bringing Naruto Uzumaki to find her.

But he wasn't clear about the exact time, location, or how long the search would take.

After all, the original story only touched upon it briefly.

In reality, a single scene could span many days.

The name "Tanzaku Town" was somewhat familiar to Hagoromo Gengetsu, but he didn't remember much about it.

After the loan sharks assured him repeatedly that their VIP client, the legendary "Big Fat Sheep," was definitely in Tanzaku Town, Hagoromo Gengetsu nodded, confirmed the location, and left.

The loan sharks, relieved, were about to relax.

Suddenly, a massive fire erupted inside the building.

"No!"

The flames consumed everything.

Panicked gamblers fled the scene, and Hagoromo Gengetsu, emerging from the burning casino, glanced back at the thick smoke billowing from the place.

Silencing a few loan sharks to ensure no information leaked was a routine matter for him.

After all, these guys were hardly good people.

Not every gambler had the high medical skills of Tsunade or the formidable strength to escape debt collectors and protect themselves.

Most gamblers were left drained and destitute by these loan sharks.

Eliminating these scum and confiscating their ill-gotten gains seemed perfectly reasonable to Hagoromo Gengetsu.

Even though the undead body didn't need food or drink and couldn't enjoy the taste of fine food and wine, he still had to plan for the future.

Money was something he would need eventually, especially given his current situation as a loner.

"Then, let's head to Tanzaku Town."

After asking a few passersby and confirming the location, Hagoromo Gengetsu donned a black cloak and quickly set off.

---

"Seven! Seven! Seven! Tsunade-sama, we've hit the jackpot!!!"

In Tanzaku Town, amidst the clinking sounds of coins from the slot machines, Shizune's excited shouts filled the air.

"Again?"

Unlike Shizune's joy, Tsunade frowned.

She knew what this meant.

A similar incident happened when the Third Hokage died.

At that time, she had chosen to ignore it and continued with her life.

She thought things had calmed down.

Unexpectedly, new troubles had arisen.

With a bad mood, Tsunade stood up.

"Shizune, let's go!"

"Ah? Are we leaving now? Tsunade-sama, we still owe 50 million yen."

Shizune, reluctant to leave, wanted to take advantage of the hot streak to win a bit more.

But seeing her master leave without looking back, she quickly gathered the winnings and followed.

However, their movement was not as swift as another's.

Boom!

A historic castle wall in Tanzaku Town crumbled.

Tsunade and Shizune, who were walking through, turned to look.

Amidst the thick smoke and dust, a giant snake had slammed into the castle wall, its cold, indifferent eyes fixed on them.

Tsunade stopped, her bright brown eyes ignoring the giant snake and focusing instead on the two figures atop its head, one of whom was a man she was particularly familiar with.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The two figures on the giant snake moved instantly, landing in the alleyway and facing Tsunade and Shizune.

In the tense atmosphere, Shizune and her companion, Tonton, instinctively prepared for battle.

Kabuto, noticing Shizune's actions, raised his glasses and prepared himself for potential combat.

At this moment, Orochimaru, who was at his weakest, had to be cautious.

Only Tsunade and Orochimaru, the two main figures, remained silent for a while, just staring at each other.

Finally, Tsunade spoke with a blank expression:

"Long time no see, Orochimaru."

Orochimaru smiled. "I've finally found you, Tsunade."

Tsunade snorted. "Why are you looking for me now? Don't tell me you want to reminisce? Or perhaps you want me to help you die?"

Orochimaru shook his head. "Actually, I have a favor to ask of you."

Tsunade, observing Orochimaru closely, remarked:

"Rapid heartbeat, flushed face, high fever, constant fatigue, and those hands…"

As a medical expert, Tsunade quickly identified Orochimaru's condition.

"You must have noticed." Orochimaru glanced at his bandaged arms and stated, "I need you to treat my arms."

Tsunade crossed her arms and rejected without hesitation. "Find someone else. I don't treat people anymore."

After developing hemophobia, Tsunade had not personally treated anyone for a long time; Shizune had taken over most of the medical duties.

Let alone treating someone like Orochimaru.

Though Tsunade had distanced herself from Konoha, it didn't mean she had no feelings for the village.

Hearing this, Kabuto intervened, addressing Tsunade, "That's not an option. You know how severe these injuries are. No one can heal Orochimaru's hands except you, the legendary Tsunade of the Three Ninjas."

Tsunade eyed Kabuto and suddenly asked, "Orochimaru, those hands aren't just injured, are they? They have a special cursed seal aura. What exactly did you do?"

"Nothing much." Orochimaru calmly recounted, "These injuries were sustained when I killed the Third Hokage."

Instantly!

Shizune's expression shifted.

Tsunade's brows furrowed, her fists clenched. "You bastard! How dare you…"

Before she could finish, Orochimaru's derisive laugh interrupted her.

"There's no need for such a grim expression."

Orochimaru appeared indifferent.

"Everything physical eventually dies. People are no different."

"You should know that well, Tsunade. After all, your two dearest people died in your arms, and you were powerless to stop it."

"I must say, that way of dying was truly tragic!"

Whoosh!

Insulting Tsunade's wounds, Orochimaru triggered Shizune's immediate attack.

Kabuto stepped forward to intervene.

The two clashed briefly before Tsunade called a halt.

Unexpectedly, instead of raging, she smiled and said:

"Orochimaru, you've always been such an annoying person."

Upon hearing this, Orochimaru tensed, his expression turning wary.

Understanding Tsunade's personality, he sensed something was wrong.

Indeed.

One moment Tsunade was smiling, saying, "You should know my personality well enough, so stop messing with me."

The next moment, she erupted.

Boom!

With a punch that shattered the thick wall, Tsunade looked up, her face cold and filled with murderous intent, and declared:

"Watch out, or I might just kill you right now, Orochimaru!"