Cap 127: Explosion!

Orochimaru was analyzing the situation as quickly as possible in order to find a solution to the problem at hand.

Shizune was out of the fight and Jiraiya had gone to check on her condition, he too would probably get out of the fight to ensure the safety of the girl, that left Kurama Uzumaki who was fresh as new, and Tsunade who, because of the fury she felt, showed no signs of fatigue despite having used quite a lot of her chakra thanks to her erratic emotions.

"I see you are in serious trouble," Kurama said sarcastically as he watched the Renegade Sannin coldly.

"Indeed... although it is not as if I cannot find a solution," replied Orochimaru calmly as he watched his subordinates who were still alive. Kimimaro and Menma were exhausted, especially his subordinate from the Kaguya clan who was breathing heavily from using so much power. He knew that Kimimaro was on his last thanks to a terminal illness from overusing his Kekkei Genkai and in the process creating a massive lack of calcium - "I guess I'll have to use plan B... a plan that will make an old colleague of mine proud... Dan... do it..."

"A-As you command... Orochimaru-sama..." - said Dan in a distorted voice as he let out a lunatic laugh - "T-Tsunade-chan... Tsunade-chan... Kukuku... Tsunade-chan..."

Tsunade-chan's fury exploded again as she ran against Orochimaru with all her might - "I'm going to kill you!"

"Kimimaro... fight with everything you've got... this will be your last mission..." - said Orochimaru with a big smile on his face as he watched Tsunade get closer and closer - "Menma-kun..."

"Hai..." - nodded the blond boy as he approached Orochimaru and helped him make hand seals, only to explode into a smokescreen.

"Kage Bunshin... you're a smart guy, Menma-kun... Kukuku~" - Orochimaru's laughter couldn't be more lunatic as he saw that his subordinate had escaped after completing his mission - "I have to admit that you're a genius at this..."

"I see that losing has driven you crazy, Orochimaru" - said Tsunade coldly as he appeared in front of the Sannin - "You don't know how I will enjoy destroying you slowly and painfully..."

"I'm sorry I can't give you that satisfaction, Tsunade" - smiled the Renegade Sannin as he felt the woman squeeze his neck fiercely - "K-K-Kimaro... use that... when Dan..."

"Ok" - Kimimaro nodded without waiting for his Master to finish his order. He just had to know that he had to make his most devastating attack when that Dan guy made his attack.

"Are you so sure you can escape my wrath?" - Tsunade asked coolly as she squeezed her ex-partner's neck even harder.

"Ku...Ku..ku... yes..." - Orochimaru said mockingly - "I'm absolutely sure that... I can escape..."

"Keep repeating it, maybe it will come true" - said Tsunade as her chakra increased again - "Now tell me how you want me to start... By destroying your useless hands perhaps?"

"Kukuku~ Jajajajajaaja!" - Orochimaru's laughter could not be contained when he heard this threat - "Oh, Tsunade... I'd like to see your expression when..."

But before he could say anything else, he felt his head explode.

Tsunade couldn't contain herself any longer, so with a firm and quick blow, she hit Orochimaru's face with all her might - "Happy journey to hell, you bastard..."

But to her surprise, Orochimaru's body turned to blood and spilled on the ground - "Huh?"

"A Blood Clone?" - Kurama asked in surprise, but his expression changed when he felt Dan approach quickly.

"Together! We will be together again, Tsunade-chan!" - shouted Dan as he let out a lunatic laugh - "We'll be together at last!"

"That's enough!" - exclaimed Tsunade in fury. She could no longer see her beloved Dan in that state, so she ran to him now that Orochimaru was gone so she could end his suffering once and for all.

"Look out, Tsunade-san!" - exclaimed Kurama as he appeared behind her and hugged her from the waist, only to put up a barrier around her.

"What are you doing?!" - exclaimed Tsunade in surprise, only to see Dan's body begin to glow - "NO!"

*Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!*

Explosion after explosion echoed through the place as Dan laughed madly, after all, he felt no pain at all at not being alive - "Together!"

His silhouette slowly began to fade with each explosion, to the point that after a few seconds, there was nothing left of him.

". . ." - Tsunade couldn't believe what had happened, so she looked at Kurama.

"It appears that his skin had been covered with explosive seals..." - Kurama murmured seriously but his expression changed again when he felt the earth shaking beneath him. With a quick movement, he carried Tsunade like a princess and jumped high, only to see a large amount of huge, thick bones appear from the ground.

"Sawarabi no Mai (Dance of the Fern)..." - Kimimaro muttered as he fell to the ground in total exhaustion. He could feel what little vitality he had left fading away quickly - "I-I guess... that's how I'll die... I'm sorry, Guren... Yuukimaru... at least I managed to fulfill the mission Orochimaru-sama gave me."

"I am sorry to tell you that your sacrifice was in vain," said Kurama.

Kimimaro slowly moved his gaze in the direction where he heard the redhead's voice, only to notice that he was on the tip of one of the bones with Tsunade in his arms - ". . ."

"Such loyalty to the wrong owner... " - said Kurama with pity.

Kimimaro only smiled when he heard this because he sincerely did not find his words wrong.

The bones quickly began to shrink to the point that after a few seconds, there were none left. Kimimaro did this because he did not want to waste his remaining chakra by seeing that his technique had been useless.

"Tell me Kimimaro... What would you do if there was a way to save yourself? Would you take it or would you rather die?" - Kurama asked calmly. He was impressed by the young man's loyalty to Orochimaru because having someone like him under his command would make things much easier.

". . ." - Kimimaro was silent as he looked at his opponent with neutrality. He never thought he'd hear anything like this coming from the redhead.

"Don't look at me like that, I'm just impressed by the way you are," answered Kurama calmly. " Now answer my question"

"I-I... would take it..." - muttered the Oto man wearily as he felt his chakra levels stop dropping to his surprise - "I-I have... something I want to protect..."

"Orochimaru?" - asked the redheaded man curiously.

"N-No... Guren..." - muttered the Kaguya young- "Yuukimaru... family..."

"I see..." - nodded Kurama.

"Why?" - asked Kimimaro.

"Why am I giving you a chance to live?" - asked Kurama as he watched the young man nodding - "I told you, it's because I'm impressed by your loyalty... not many people can reach that level, not when they are all looking to improve their social status, power among other things... this world where everyone is looking to do what they want most, needs more people like you, loyal, firm and with conviction... that's why I decided to save you... although obviously it won't be for free"

"I-I'll do anything you want... just... help me save Guren and Yukimaru..." - said Kimimaro. He knew their lives would be in danger now that he was 'dead'. Orochimaru was only keeping them well because he was still useful to him even though he couldn't use his body as a new vessel - "I-I'll even give you my soul..."

Kurama smiled when he heard this - "Those are the words I was looking for..."

". . ." - Kimimaro was silent when he heard this because he felt that he had made a deal with the devil, although honestly it was not that far from the truth, after all, the Bijuu were considered demons.

"I accept your deal, Kimimaro," said Kurama as he burst out laughing. "I will save you and your family in return for your complete loyalty, as well as theirs. When I say jump, you will only ask how high, when I say run, you will ask how far, when I say do Ramen, you will only ask the amount"

"Ramen?" - Kimimaro asked.

"Details" - replied the redhead - "Do we have a deal?"

"Y-Yes..." - replied the Kaguya.

"Welcome to the Uzumaki clan, my new shinobi" - said Kurama as he made a hand seal with a small scroll and created a barrier around Kimimaro, who was left completely static.

"What was that?" - Tsunade asked in surprise.

"It's a stasis seal, it's the last seal Kushi-chan created for Konoha and it serves to put the shinobis who are in a serious condition so that they have enough time to get them back to the Village and get the necessary medical assistance" - answered the redheaded man while he created a Moku Bunshin and indicated that he should take his new ally carefully - "But let's leave that for another time, now we have to go somewhere else"

"Right, Shizune!" - exclaimed Tsunade but was surprised when she saw that the boy was shaking his head.

"She and Ero Sennin are fine... they left the place with Pakura when they met" - said Kurama calmly - "What I'm talking about, is that we have to go see someone"

"Who are you talking about?" - Tsunade asked with a scowl.

"I feel that there is still a small chakra source in the place" - answered the redhead - "And from his chakra signature, I can deduce that it is Dan's"

"!" - Tsunade opened her eyes when she heard this but her expression quickly changed to a serious - "Ok, let's go..."