Inside the Hokage Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi was draped in his Hokage robes, reviewing a report by lamplight, the tobacco in his pipe flickering.
It was clear that the Village's accumulated affairs were many lately, and with the shortage of high-level personnel, he had no choice but to work overtime late into the night before Tsunade's succession.
Suddenly, with a loud "bang," the office window was violently burst open from the outside. A tall figure swept in with a gust of wind and landed steadily in the center of the room; it was the travel-worn Jiraiya, his expression extremely grim.
"Jiraiya?" The Third Hokage was startled. Jiraiya was usually steady, so why was he acting like a reckless youth now? He hadn't even knocked before barging in.
The Third Hokage set down the report in his hands and momentarily moved the pipe away from his mouth.
"Why have you returned so soon? What about Orochimaru? What happened?" Seeing the rare anxiety and gloom on Jiraiya's face, an ominous premonition immediately rose in his heart.
"Something big has happened!" Jiraiya didn't bother with formalities or greetings. He rushed to the desk in a few steps, slammed his hands onto the tabletop with a "thud," leaned forward, and spoke with rapid-fire urgency and irrepressible anger.
"Tsunade... she's been bewitched by that bastard Orochimaru!"
"What?!" The Third Hokage stood up abruptly, his aged but still sharp eyes fixed intently on Jiraiya.
"Explain yourself! What exactly is going on?"
Jiraiya took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and began to recount the events that took place in the Tanzaku Quarters with the fastest speed and clearest logic.
They had found Orochimaru's lair and seen Kimimaro's incredible state of "resurrection," how Orochimaru had used the revival of Nawaki and Dan as bait to lure Tsunade into joining him, and Orochimaru's shocking rhetoric.
Along with Tsunade's progression from her initial angry refusal to her later intense struggle, and finally, her choice to compromise.
"...I tried to stop it, but it was too late. I shouldn't have brought Tsunade along."
Jiraiya's voice was filled with frustration and pain.
"From the look on Tsunade's face, she was truly swayed. That madman Orochimaru has somehow found another collaborator; I haven't heard a single thing about them."
Jiraiya couldn't go on. He paced back and forth, then slammed a fist hard against the nearby wall, producing a dull thud.
After hearing this, the Third Hokage felt a chill rush from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and his temples throbbed with pain.
He slowly sat back in his chair, took out his pipe, and pressed his fingers firmly against his brow, as if this could alleviate the headache that felt like his skull was splitting.
Tsunade... won over by Orochimaru?
The impact of this news was no less than when he first learned of Orochimaru's human experimentation and defection; in fact, given that it was a critical period, the impact of Tsunade's departure was even stronger.
Who was Tsunade? The granddaughter of the First Hokage, the princess of the Senju Clan, one of Konoha's Legendary Sannin, and the strongest Medical Ninja in the Ninja World!
For a somewhat turbulent Konoha, her return was more than just adding a top-tier combatant; it was a powerful stabilizer, symbolizing that Konoha's Legacy remained unbroken and its foundation was still deep.
Previously, the Third Hokage had pushed through all opposition to appoint Tsunade to a position with a flexible title like "Wartime Advisor," precisely to use her prestige and power to stabilize the situation.
But now she had instead joined the ranks of the defected Orochimaru? Even if it was just a temporary "collaboration," once this news got out, the blow to Konoha's reputation would be devastating.
Enemies would broadcast Tsunade's defection far and wide, allies would question Konoha's cohesion and stability, and the sense of unease within the Village would be ignited.
"Damn it..."
The Third Hokage squeezed the words through his teeth, both cursing Orochimaru and feeling heartache over Tsunade's failure to live up to expectations.
He understood how deep Tsunade's feelings for her brother and lover were, and it was precisely because he understood that he found the matter even more troublesome.
"Old Man, we must take action immediately! Bring Tsunade back! We can't let her sink deeper! And that so-called collaborator of Orochimaru's must be investigated. I've traveled the Ninja World for so many years and never heard of such a person! It's too dangerous!"
The Third Hokage remained silent, his mind racing. Search? Where would they even look? Orochimaru's bases were scattered everywhere and were incredibly secretive. Forcefully demand her back? Setting aside whether they could defeat the current Orochimaru, the blow to Konoha from the news leaking would be immense.
If he gathered the Jonin and deployed Konoha's high-end combat power, he was confident he could resolve it, but at this time, the Village would very likely be vulnerable to an attack.
Secretly contact and persuade Tsunade? She probably wouldn't listen at all right now; instead, it might alert the enemy.
After a long time, the Third Hokage sighed heavily, his face full of exhaustion and helplessness.
"Jiraiya, this matter must be kept strictly confidential for now," the Third Hokage's voice was low and serious.
"Regarding Tsunade being taken by Orochimaru, as well as Orochimaru's rhetoric and the existence of the collaborator, it is limited to only the two of us..."
"How can this be hidden? A person as prominent as Tsunade has disappeared, and Shizune is still in Konoha," Jiraiya frowned.
"Shizune..." The Third Hokage's eyes flickered. "Shizune didn't go with Tsunade?"
Jiraiya was taken aback: "No, she would have only caused trouble in that kind of situation."
"Go find her," the Third Hokage decided immediately.
"She has followed Tsunade for many years; Tsunade won't just ignore her. Take her into custody."
He rubbed his temples.
"At this point, that's all we can do..." Jiraiya sighed.
Leaping out the window again, his figure quickly disappeared into the night of Konoha.
The Third Hokage sat alone in the large Hokage chair, silence returning to the office.
He picked up his pipe again but didn't light it for a long while, simply leaning back against the chair and staring at the ceiling.
"Tsunade... Orochimaru... and now a mysterious fellow has appeared to collaborate with Orochimaru..." he whispered to himself, his aged face filled with gravity.
"The waters of the Ninja World are truly getting deeper and muddier. Is it really that hard to retire?"
As he grew older, he felt increasingly powerless, and his body and mind were gradually becoming sluggish.
"Let's get through this immediate hurdle first..." He lit his pipe and took a deep drag, letting the pungent smoke temporarily numb his frayed nerves.
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