He's following… Orochimaru, who had planned to go home, noticed the Uchiha Clan boy trailing behind her. She paused, then dashed towards the distant forest.
So fast!
The boy sped up, chasing after her, his gaze locked on Orochimaru's figure. He wanted to know how strong someone who could become the Third Hokage's disciple truly was.
"Not running anymore?"
Seeing Orochimaru stop, the boy smiled triumphantly.
"I deliberately led you here. You didn't think I hadn't noticed you, did you?"
"What?!"
The smile vanished from the boy's face when he heard Orochimaru's words.
"If I kill you here, no one will suspect me."
The Chakra erupting from Orochimaru's body created a fierce gust of wind that blew against the boy's face, making him break out in a cold sweat.
So terrifying… The boy forced himself to look calm as he stared at Orochimaru, then loudly declared: "Let me, Uchiha Youka, test the strength of the Third Hokage's disciple!"
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Uchiha Youka made the first move, forming hand signs and spewing flames from his mouth that coalesced into a fireball.
It hit!
The Third Hokage's disciple, he's not so strong after all… A hint of triumph flashed in Uchiha Youka's eyes.
"Wind Release: Night Wind."
Orochimaru's voice emerged from underground. The hurricane collided with the fireball; the wind fed the flames, but a strong enough wind could also change the shape of the fire, forming a fire tornado.
"Ah! Ahhh!"
Uchiha Youka watched the swirling fire tornado, feeling its scorching heat, and let out a terrified scream.
Swoosh—!
The fire tornado dissipated, and water streams erupted from the ground, extinguishing the flames.
"You haven't even awakened your Sharingan, yet you challenge me."
Orochimaru's figure emerged from the ground, looking at Uchiha Youka, who was slumped on the ground, panting heavily, seemingly greatly frightened. She was speechless, wondering where he got the confidence to challenge her.
If he truly had strength, it would be one thing, but he was a weakling who hadn't even awakened a single-tomoe Sharingan.
"The Ninja Academy taught that fire counters wind! Why did your Wind Release suppress my Fire Release?"
Uchiha Youka recovered and asked in confusion.
"Elemental advantage is only relevant when strengths are comparable. My mastery over Chakra nature transformation and shape transformation far exceeds yours."
After Orochimaru finished speaking, she vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Shadow Clone?!"
Uchiha Youka's pupils suddenly contracted. He stared in shock at where Orochimaru had just been. He hadn't expected that he couldn't even defeat Orochimaru's Shadow Clone, losing so completely in a single exchange. It was a humiliating defeat.
After Uchiha Youka left, Orochimaru stepped out from behind a tree, looking in the direction Uchiha Youka had departed, a thoughtful expression on her face.
This level of stimulation isn't enough to awaken the Sharingan? It seems the Uchiha Clan's awakening is harder than I imagined, or is this guy just a waste?
In the evening, Orochimaru held a kitchen knife, scoring a cleaned fish—a spotted mackerel, also known as a Spanish mackerel—to help it absorb flavor better. She looked at Tsunade, who had rolled up her sleeves, wanting to help.
"Is it okay if you don't go home for dinner?" Don't you know you eat a lot of my money every time?
Orochimaru didn't voice the latter part. Tsunade didn't just freeload dinner every now and then; she did it often.
"Don't worry, Grandma knows I'm with you."
Tsunade waved her hand casually and asked with a smile, "Is there anything I can help with?"
"Tsunade, just wait to eat…"
Orochimaru remembered Tsunade's attempts to help. She didn't want the kitchen to turn into a messy battlefield; every time Tsunade helped, she had to clean the kitchen for a long time.
"Oh, right, I heard someone from the Uchiha Clan caused you trouble. What happened?"
Tsunade recalled the news she had heard from others.
"Nothing, he just wanted to challenge me." Orochimaru finished, then added, "I won."
"The Uchiha Clan's Sharingan is a very powerful Bloodline Limit. You didn't run into any trouble, did you?"
Tsunade asked with concern.
"The person who challenged me didn't use his Sharingan during the fight; he doesn't seem to have awakened it yet. Alright, Tsunade, don't stand too close; watch out for the oil splattering."
Orochimaru adjusted her apron and pointed to the dining table, signaling Tsunade to go wait there.
"Okay!"
Tsunade walked cheerfully to the dining table and saw a stack of papers on the table. Driven by curiosity, she walked over and saw the papers covered in dense writing.
This… this is… isn't this the book Sarutobi-sensei often reads?
Tsunade's pupils widened. She glanced at Orochimaru out of the corner of her eye, saw her intently frying fish, and slowly picked up the stack of papers on the table.
T-the… second volume?!
Could it be… no, it can't be, right?
Tsunade's heart raced uncontrollably, and her slightly trembling hand flipped to the first page. In that instant, it was as if she had opened the door to a new world.
Tsunade read page after page, her face growing redder and redder. She finally understood why this book was for adults 18 and over in bookstores, and why Sarutobi-sensei loved it so much.
Orochimaru first pan-fried the mackerel until both sides were golden brown and set it aside. The corner of her eye caught Tsunade looking at the manuscript she had forgotten to put away. Her movements paused for a moment, then she pretended nothing had happened.
Shame?
Why should she feel shame?
Writing adult novels was for money. Even if Tsunade knew, it meant nothing to her. Some of the missions Ninja performed, in her opinion, were less respectable than writing adult novels.
There were even missions to investigate extramarital affairs, which was just absurd.
Orochimaru even suspected that Sarutobi-sensei might have given her something to do because he thought she was too engrossed in training.
Three dishes and one soup were laid out on the dining table, and the freshly steamed rice emitted steam and its unique aroma.
Orochimaru used a bamboo rice paddle to pile a mountain of rice in a bowl.
"Tsunade, dinner's ready."
Seeing Tsunade still reading, Orochimaru walked over and patted her shoulder.
"Ah!"
Tsunade trembled, let out a cry, and instinctively threw the item in her hand.
Orochimaru pressed Tsunade's shoulder with one hand, leaped up, and her hand became a blur, swiftly grabbing each manuscript. As the last page was about to fall onto the dining table, she opened her mouth, inhaled gently, creating a strong suction, and the manuscript flew over with a whoosh.
This was something easily achieved with mastery over the wind's Chakra nature transformation.
"Really, what are you feeling guilty about?"
Orochimaru straightened the manuscripts in her hand; this volume was due tomorrow. Seeing Tsunade's little face, red enough to drip blood, she let out a chuckle.
"I didn't expect you to understand it!"
"You, you, you! Orochimaru, you…"
Tsunade stared at the manuscript in Orochimaru's hand, then at Orochimaru, unable to utter a complete sentence for a moment.
"Let's eat first; it won't taste good if it gets cold."
Orochimaru placed the manuscript on the table and hung her apron on the hook on the wall.
Bang—!
After dinner, as if her full stomach had restored her intelligence, Tsunade slammed the table and stared at Orochimaru.
"Why would you write a book like this?! I never thought you were the biggest pervert!"
Tsunade had seen Jiraiya secretly looking at Sarutobi-sensei's hidden books more than once. She never imagined that Jiraiya's favorite book was actually written by Orochimaru!
"The money I earn from missions isn't enough, so I earn money this way."
Orochimaru gazed at Tsunade, who was assertive after filling her stomach. Was it easy for her to save money? She was either dragged to the Casino or freeloaded dinner.
Scratch that first part; she had already found a way to win money at the Casino with Tsunade. That was to join in when Tsunade gambled with others. Tsunade's luck was terrible, but the luck of the people gambling with her was excellent!
She could literally win money with her eyes closed!
"Pervert, no, I'm not a pervert. I just made some slight changes and innovations based on the content of the forbidden books in the bookstore."
Orochimaru extended her finger, indicating that she didn't produce adult novels; she was just a carrier of nature.
"B-book, bookstore?!"
Tsunade froze, then thought of something. Clenching her fists, she said through gritted teeth, "It must be that pervert Jiraiya who corrupted you!"
Ah, this… No, what does this have to do with Jiraiya?
I didn't even mention Jiraiya!
Orochimaru stared blankly as Tsunade picked up the black pot and slammed it squarely on the head of Jiraiya, who was training far away in Mount Myōboku's Hidden Village.
Mount Myōboku
Jiraiya sat on a square stone slab, below which was the sharp peak of the mountain. It was difficult to meditate steadily on the slab with a distracted mind; one slip and he would be flung off the slab and tumble into the valley.
"Ah… ah… ah! Achoo!"
Jiraiya suddenly sneezed, breaking the precarious balance he had maintained. His body swayed.
"N-not good!"
Jiraiya tried desperately to regain his balance, but the swaying grew wider, and he fell off the stone slab.
Fukasaku, who was assisting Jiraiya's training nearby, shot out his tongue and wrapped it around Jiraiya's waist. After a thud, a human-shaped dent appeared on the mountain wall.
"Little Jiraiya, let's call it a day."
Fukasaku looked at Jiraiya, who was rubbing his nose.
"Boss Fukasaku, stay with me a little longer!"
Jiraiya grinned, feeling he could continue training.
"Training cannot be rushed. You need to find your balance, be still, and harmonize with nature."
Fukasaku said helplessly. Jiraiya's perseverance was more than double that of previous people who had entered Mount Myōboku for training.
"I feel like if I just hold on a little longer, I'll grasp the key. Please stay with me a bit more!"
Jiraiya gave a thumbs-up, a confident smile on his face, not at all discouraged by the difficulty of the training.
"Alright."
Fukasaku agreed to Jiraiya's request.
"Alright."
Fukasaku agreed to Jiraiya's request.