Chapter 77: Tsunade: ┌╏ º □ º ╏┐ 

——

The night passed with this simple conversation. Kurama didn't say much more, and Naruto either fell silent or was lost in thought. He quietly lay in bed and fell asleep.

This quietness made Kurama realize that Naruto was probably holding in something big, just waiting to surprise everyone when he finally let it out.

Just hope Tsunade can handle it.

By the way, what day is it today?

…

"Where are you going?" Early in the morning, Naruto stood at the entrance of the izakaya, arms crossed, looking at Tsunade.

Tsunade looked at him with a blank expression, though there was a hint of surprise in her eyes, as if she hadn't expected to see him here at all.

She stepped out of the izakaya, completely ignoring Naruto's question. 

"I'm going wherever I want, and it's none of your business."

Just as they were about to pass each other, Naruto suddenly turned to Tsunade. 

"You're going to find that bastard Orochimaru, right?"

"!" Tsunade instinctively stopped in her tracks, shocked.

She didn't answer or say a word, but her silence confirmed Naruto's question.

Naruto turned to face Tsunade, his blue eyes calm. 

"For your lover and your brother, you want to heal Orochimaru's hands, right?"

Tsunade clenched her fists, her gaze icy. 

"You don't know what you're talking about."

After saying that, she looked at Naruto. 

"And you're meddling too much."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Tsunade suddenly vanished and reappeared behind Naruto. Before he could even react, he felt a powerful force hit the back of his neck and lost consciousness instantly.

Tsunade caught Naruto as he fell, her expression bittersweet. 

"Seriously, to be seen through by a kid... I must be losing my touch."

Looking at Naruto's face, still showing surprise even in sleep, Tsunade unconsciously held the necklace around her neck. 

"Kid... Naruto, you really remind me of Nawaki…"

Holding Naruto, sadness crossed Tsunade's face. 

"If only just once, I just want to see them again."

Bending down gently, Tsunade kissed Naruto's forehead. Whether it was an illusion or not, a cold tear fell onto his cheek.

"But... kid, what's more important than memories is what can't be forgotten…" Tsunade lifted her head. 

"So I won't heal that bastard Orochimaru, because you, you stupid kid, really... really look like Nawaki…"

Their dream was to protect that village, the very village she had scorned. Two fools and a kid—just thinking of that scene made Tsunade want to laugh. 

"If it were you, you'd probably be Nawaki's best friend." 

Because you both have the same dream.

Gently placing Naruto on the ground, Tsunade stood up, wiped her face, and returned to her usual emotionless expression, stepping confidently toward her destination.

After Tsunade left, Naruto suddenly turned into smoke and vanished. His real body slowly emerged from behind a billboard.

He watched Tsunade's retreating figure, feeling no pity or compassion, but an overwhelming sadness. 

"She wants to handle that Orochimaru on her own."

"Ah." In the sealed space, Kurama smiled at Naruto. "But I'm surprised you figured out that Orochimaru had been here."

Just a couple of days ago, after Kurama told Naruto the story about Tsunade, he thought Naruto might have some snarky remarks about her. But to his surprise, Naruto acted like he didn't hear a thing, going about his day as usual—getting Tsunade angry, getting beaten up by her, and then continuing to annoy her in a dull cycle.

While Kurama wondered if Naruto had forgotten about it, Naruto suddenly went up to Jiraiya and asked him a question.

"Hey, pervy sage, is Orochimaru one of your old teammates with Tsunade? After all, you guys are three of the Legendary Sannin."

Jiraiya, who had been drinking, didn't think much of it. He ended up boasting about their past, talking about how Tsunade had the best medical ninjutsu, Orochimaru had unmatched talent, and he himself was a genius who saved the world.

After hearing that, Naruto went home and went to sleep. The next morning, he was at the izakaya, waiting for Tsunade.

Oh, it's not that Naruto knew Tsunade would leave today; it's just that he had been waiting at the izakaya door for three days already, putting on an act like he had known all along when in reality, he was just guessing.

After all, Naruto knew about Orochimaru's Edo Tensei technique.

He even used Kurama's chakra to strengthen his shadow clone, so it wouldn't disappear after taking a single hit.

"Ever since you've been with me, your IQ has significantly improved," Kurama said proudly.

However, Naruto completely ignored him.

Since he couldn't use chakra, Naruto's presence was almost non-existent. Unless a special sensing ninja was nearby or someone was focusing on their senses, he would be nearly impossible to detect.

Using this advantage, Naruto stealthily followed Tsunade, trailing behind the golden-haired beauty like a stalker. If it were anyone else, they'd probably call the cops, but fortunately, it was early in the morning, and not many people were around.

After about twenty minutes of walking, Tsunade met up with Orochimaru, just as expected.

Watching them stand at either end of the street, Naruto quietly moved behind Orochimaru, giving a thumbs-up for some unknown reason.

As he watched the two still talking in the distance, Kurama suddenly felt a chill down his back. "Wait, Naruto, what are you planning to do?"

Naruto looked at Kurama with confusion and replied, "Of course, I'm going to take a shot at Orochimaru right now." 

Kurama: "..."

Naruto raised his thumb again and aimed. 

"Since that bastard is injured and not alert, I can't let this chance slip by. I need to hit him now! But I have to control the power; the Tailed Beast Ball is too strong. If it hits Tsunade Grandma, that wouldn't be good."

"Kurama, help me control my chakra so it can blow Tsunade Grandma away without hurting her." Naruto turned to Kurama, his face full of excitement.

Kurama responded with silence for a moment, then broke into a grin. "I like it; let's do it."

As the two of them charged up, Tsunade and Orochimaru were still caught up in their emotional exchange. Orochimaru felt he had Tsunade under his thumb, while Tsunade showed signs of pain and struggle but remained resolute.

With green chakra swirling in her hand, Naruto, wearing the cloak of the Nine-Tails, descended from the sky.

"Here comes the Tailed Beast Ball!"

Boom——

Tsunade: ┌╏º□º╏┐

The fierce wind whipped through Tsunade's golden hair. If this were on a beach by the waves, it would be a beautiful scene. But at this moment, mixed with the wild laughter of a kid, the picture became a bit bizarre.

In any case, Orochimaru took a full hit from the Tailed Beast Ball, and right before the explosion, he still wore a confident smile.

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