Chapter 176
Jiraiya's heart stirred, and he decided not to tell Naruto for now… This search for Tsunade was to have her succeed Sarutobi-sensei as Hokage… "Let's go!"
"Oh!"
…Just as Naruto followed Jiraiya out of the Village, preparing to search for Tsunade.
In Otogakure Village, at a secret base.
Orochimaru unrolled a scroll, glanced at it casually, licked his tongue, and his snake-like pupils scrutinized the Ninja in front of him.
"Is this Danzo Shimura's intention?"
"Yes!"
"He wants me to kill Tsunade? Why would I do that?"
The Root Ninja, wearing a mask, spoke in a low voice.
"Lord Danzo believes you already know without needing an explanation."
Orochimaru sneered coldly.
"Is it to make himself Hokage?"
"After all these years, he still hasn't let go of that obsession…"
"However, Tsunade and I have no grievances, and we were once comrades fighting side by side. Why should I kill her for no reason?"
"What's in it for me?"
The Root Ninja said, "Lord Orochimaru, such words don't seem like something you would say, do they?"
"After all, you even tried to kill your own sensei."
Orochimaru stood up, and in the eyes of the RootNinja, it was as if a giant python suddenly raised its coiled body, its massive shadow completely enveloping him, as if it could swallow him whole at any moment!
He couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
"Do you, a mere nobody, presume to fathom my thoughts?"
Orochimaru extended his long tongue, licking his lips, his eyes already transformed into vertical, eerie snake pupils!
"No… I wouldn't dare…"
"These are all Lord Danzo's instructions…"
"Furthermore, Lord Danzo also said that if you truly don't want to kill her, it doesn't matter, as long as you prevent Jiraiya from convincing her to return to the Village!"
Orochimaru smiled sinisterly, "Enough talk, what are the terms?"
"Of course, it's the one thing Lord Orochimarudesires most…"
Orochimaru's pupils contracted slightly.
"Uchiha…"
"Sasuke?"
"Why should I believe Danzo can deliver him?"
The Root Ninja swallowed.
"As long as Lord Orochimaru can stop Tsunade, Lord Danzo will be the rightful Hokage. At that point, dealing with a Uchiha Sasuke will be effortless."
"Even if he can't openly hand him over to Lord Orochimaru, there are countless ways to achieve it!"
"Lord Danzo said that you two have cooperated tacitly for many years, and this time is no different. He hopes Lord Orochimaru will not betray your past friendship…"
Orochimaru laughed heartily.
"Friendship…"
"That word sounds even more ridiculous coming from Danzo's mouth."
"However, this deal is quite good…"
"You may return."
Hearing this, the Root Ninja immediately breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Orochimaru had agreed to the cooperation.
"Yes, thank you, Lord Orochimaru!"
"Lord Danzo awaits your good news!"
Watching the Root Ninja's retreating back, Yakushi Kabuto, standing behind Orochimaru, frowned slightly.
"Is a guy like Danzo even trustworthy?"
Yakushi Kabuto had been exposed to Danzo since he was young, and one could even say his life was ruined by Danzo, so he naturally had no good impression of him.
Orochimaru, however, sneered.
"As long as a person has desires, there's always a possibility of cooperation."
"And that dark old dog, Danzo, no one understands his desires better than I do…"
Yakushi Kabuto said, "That may be true, but what should we do?"
"Stop Jiraiya from convincing Tsunade to return to the Village…"
"First, we need to find their whereabouts, right?"
Orochimaru licked his tongue, revealing a sinister and eerie smile.
"I do know a place that Tsunade might very well go to…"
"What place?"
"Tanzaku Town."
…"ano sa, ano sa, Pervy Sage…"
"Where exactly are we going to find Grandma Tsunade?"
Naruto, carrying a huge backpack that looked like a small mountain on his back, attracted a lot of attention as he walked along the road.
Although he was sweating profusely and every step felt incredibly heavy, Naruto didn't complain; in fact, he had gradually grown accustomed to the weight.
Jiraiya said, "Since Tsunade left the Village, she's been wandering the world, making her home everywhere. It's hard to say exactly where she is, but there's one place she's very likely to go."
"It's a place called Tanzaku Town. It's a famous cultural heritage site in the Land of Fire. It's said that even before Konoha Village was established, it was already a prosperous town, a very lively place…"
Naruto's heart stirred, "Great!"
"I need to buy a lot of things!"
"Oh? What things?"
Naruto listed them off like precious treasures, "Hmm, first, leg weights and arm weights like Lee's. Then I want a good sword. Besides that…"
Jiraiya interrupted him.
"A sword?"
"What do you need that for?"
"I don't recall you being skilled in swordsmanship?"
Naruto chuckled, "I've recently been wanting to train in a new Ninjutsu. To be precise, it's a legendary Ninjutsu called…"
"Wind Release: Vacuum Sword!"
Jiraiya's heart stirred, "Oh? That Jutsu, I think I once saw it in Konoha Village…"
"It was used by a guy named Hayama Shirakumo…"
"It truly is a formidable Jutsu."
Naruto was also surprised, "So someone in Konohaalready mastered Wind Release Ninjutsu?!"
"Then why didn't you tell me sooner, Pervy Sage!"
Jiraiya said, "Shouldn't I be the one asking that?"
"Naruto, since you didn't know these things, where did you learn this move?"
Naruto was speechless.
He couldn't very well say it was a system mission reward, could he?
"Well… *cough, cough*, I figured it out myself!"
Jiraiya listened with a mixture of belief and doubt, but he had also heard about Naruto creating Shadow Clone Technique and Wind Body Flicker Technique himself, so it wasn't too far-fetched.
"Alright, when we get to Tanzaku Town, you can buy the best of all these things, and then…"
"While we search for Tsunade, we'll also train in new, powerful Ninjutsu!"
"Oh!"
…The scene changed.
Naruto looked at the Pervy Sage, who was surrounded by beautiful women, reveling in the lively atmosphere, his face beaming with delight. For a moment, Naruto's face was filled with joy… "Per! Verted! Sage!"
"Is *this* what you meant by training?!"
Chapter 135: Rasengan! Summoning Technique! Wind Release Vacuum Sword! Extreme Training! Please give me your monthly votes!!!
Naruto glared angrily at the Pervy Sage, who was laughing boisterously and indulging in debauchery.
Jiraiya was unconcerned. He reached for his cup, took a big gulp of sake, and then continued to embrace the women, enjoying himself to the fullest… "Didn't you just teach me the three Ninjaprohibitions?!"
"And now you've broken all of them at once!"
Jiraiya laughed heartily, "Oh, Naruto, what do you a kid know about the three Ninja prohibitions!"
"Besides, I'm not just having fun; I'm gathering material!"
"And, of course, I'm also gathering clues about Tsunade!"
Naruto was furious, "You're not gathering clues at all!"
"What are you talking about, Naruto? Information sometimes comes unexpectedly!"
"Never mind, you wouldn't understand even if I told you. Take your allowance and go explore. It's not every day we get out, so you don't have to be so tense!"
Naruto crossed his arms and couldn't help but pout.
"I'm not like the Pervy Sage; I came out here to train!"
"And you promised, didn't you, to help me train and teach me new Ninjutsu!"
Jiraiya couldn't be bothered with that at the moment.
"Then you train by yourself for now; I need to continue gathering material!"
Naruto: "…"
He could only shake his head helplessly and turn to leave the strange shop filled with women's laughter.
"What an unreliable old man!"
"Hmph, then I'll just train by myself first!"
"Oh, right, this is one of the most prosperous places in the Land of Fire. I can finally buy the things I want…"
Naruto's interest was immediately piqued, and he began to wander around Tanzaku Town.
Tanzaku Town is a cultural heritage site and a historic city in the Land of Fire. Today, it is also a famous tourist destination known throughout the Five Great Nations and even the entire Ninja World.
Casinos, hotels, hot springs, entertainment venues… one could say it was a dazzling array, leaving people wide-eyed and overwhelmed