In the Land of Fire, Heikawa Town had become a major transport hub under the management of the Keikou Trade Association. It was the closest settlement to the Land of Rain, and even Suna and Iwa sent people there—though they always disguised themselves, careful to avoid detection by Konoha's forces.
The Keikou Trade Association had set up a medical machine showroom here, allowing potential buyers to test the device before purchasing. To ensure security, they had hired samurai, mercenary ninja, and even mechanical guards armed with heavy weaponry—more than enough to handle most troublemakers.
Not that anyone dared to cause trouble.
By now, most of Keikou's enemies had been dealt with, and within the Land of Fire, powerful rogue ninja were rare.
That said, if someone truly wanted to destroy the medical machines, there wasn't much they could do to stop it.
Accompanied by Kaminarimon Kaede's team and hidden ANBU operatives, Kimura arrived at Heikawa Town.
After confirming the details, she personally tested the medical machine—even going so far as to inflict common injuries and poison herself to verify its effectiveness.
For medical-nin, firsthand experience was the only way to truly trust or evaluate new medical technology. Even Chiyo of Sunagakure had done the same.
Once she was satisfied with its performance, Kimura tried questioning Keikou personnel about its inner workings.
She got nothing.
Not a single piece of confidential information.
The employees genuinely didn't know—aside from Keikou Sanmoku, who was directly controlled by 18, the rest were nothing more than laborers.
With no further intel to gather, Kimura finalized the purchase of four medical machines—the largest single order since Keikou had begun selling them.
Even the Daimyo of the Land of Fire had only bought three.
Kaede's squad members were still in shock at the scale of the transaction.
While Kaede and Kurenai remained composed, Asuma Sarutobi and Kinoshita Teru were visibly shaken.
They had spent years grinding through missions, earning only a few hundred thousand ryo per mission, which then had to be split four ways.
Yet here, in a single deal, each machine was worth 300 million ryo.
Terrified of accidentally breaking something, Asuma and Teru kept their distance from the machines, as if merely standing too close would make them responsible for damages.
With the contracts signed and the medical machines sealed in storage scrolls, Kimura prepared to return to Konoha.
Just as they were about to leave, a lone figure entered the hall—cloaked in a black robe with red clouds.
Konan.
The moment she walked in, Kurenai's team tensed.
Weapons were drawn in silent preparation.
Their reaction was justified.
Konan's ability to phase through physical attacks, combined with how effortlessly she had wiped out an entire Root squad, made it clear—she was dangerous.
But Konan simply glanced at them once before ignoring them entirely.
Ever since her last mission, she had chosen to avoid direct conflict with Konoha, at least until Akatsuki was ready to act.
"We should go," Kaede suggested.
Kimura nodded in agreement, and the team quickly left Heikawa Town.
The medical machine's existence had spread like wildfire.
Now, every village wanted one.
Training medical-nin was extremely difficult—even major villages struggled to produce enough, let alone smaller ones.
Even Kusagakure, one of the stronger minor villages, had barely any competent medical-nin.
Among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, only Konoha had a complete medical system.
After testing the machine herself, Konan immediately signed a purchase contract, paying the full price upfront.
However, she was told she'd have to wait for the next batch—Konoha had already bought out the last available units.
Keikou assured her that once production resumed, the first shipment would go to Amegakure.
For now, most of the first batch was being distributed among the major villages—only a few had been sold to the Daimyo of the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind to maintain good relations.
There was one key feature of the medical machine that few had noticed.
During treatment, the machine recorded the patient's physical data.
Keikou's user manual specifically recommended that villages create patient profiles before treatment, ensuring consistent records.
In just a short time, the medical machines would compile a massive database of ninja physiology.
Bloodline limits.
Clan-specific jutsu.
Secrets once thought impossible to analyze.
And all of it would be sent directly to 18.
One day, when she had gathered data on 90% of the ninja world, she would stand on the same level as a god.
The next-generation medical machines would even include nanotechnology, allowing microscopic implants inside the body.
This was Mirai Hyuga's ultimate vision—a way to control every ninja in existence.
Of course, it was still far from reality.
For now, even just obtaining biological nanomaterials was a major challenge.
Meanwhile, in the Land of Hot Water
After leaving Konoha, Tsunade had spent considerable time searching for a way to break the Cursed Seal.
But it was a lost cause.
Orochimaru had only recently developed this Sage Energy-based seal, and knowledge of natural energy manipulation was still rare.
The only ones who truly understood it were the Three Great Summoning Lands.
Realizing the futility of her search, Tsunade gradually gave up—though she still occasionally experimented with possible countermeasures.
Freed from her trauma-induced hemophobia, Tsunade was regaining the confidence and presence she once had as one of the Sannin.
However...
That didn't mean she had stopped gambling and drinking.
Whenever they passed a casino or a tavern, Tsunade would lick her lips and resist the urge—but only for a short while.
No amount of Shizune's nagging could fully cure her habits.
"Where to next, Lady Tsunade?"
Shizune pouted, arms crossed.
She had made up her mind—if Tsunade even mentioned gambling or drinking, she would refuse to give her a single ryo.
Not. One. Coin.
Tsunade's eyes gleamed mischievously.
"Let's go to the hot springs, Shizune! We're in the Land of Hot Water—it would be a waste not to enjoy the baths!"
After leaving Konoha, it felt as if she had escaped a suffocating cage. Though the cursed seal on her neck was still a constant annoyance, it was still far better than remaining in the village.
Meanwhile, the battles in the Land of Hot Water had started to subside. The introduction of the medical machines had shifted Kumo's focus away from war with Konoha. The main reason was simple—Konoha's defenses were simply too stubborn.
Without committing their full military strength, Kumo had no chance of gaining any advantage.
A drawn-out battle would only lead to mutual destruction—leaving both sides with no choice but to consider a peace agreement.
Even so, the Fourth Raikage, A, was not happy about it.
"Hot springs, huh?"
Shizune exhaled in relief.
It wasn't a casino.
It wasn't a tavern.
Hearing that Tsunade's destination wasn't another gambling den, she finally relaxed.
And now that she thought about it, a nice, warm hot spring sounded quite appealing.
"Yes! Let's go, Lady Tsunade!" she said eagerly, scooping up Tonton in her arms. After running around endlessly for days, the idea of soaking in a natural hot spring felt like a rare luxury.
Tsunade pointed toward the most famous hot spring street and grinned.
"Then let's get going!"
The two of them—plus one pig—moved quickly, checking out of their inn and heading straight for the most renowned hot spring town in the Land of Hot Water.
The country had earned its name because of its abundance of natural underground springs, drawing visitors from all across the continent.
However, just as they were about to enter the hot spring district, Tsunade suddenly encountered an unexpected figure in the woods.
"Well, well… it's been a long time, Tsunade," came a familiar, raspy voice.
"You don't have to glare at an old friend like that the moment you see them."
The hoarse chuckle belonged to none other than Orochimaru.
He hadn't expected to run into Tsunade here.
He was simply out searching for new bloodline limit test subjects when fate decided to bring them together.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes.
"Orochimaru… You betrayed Konoha," she said coldly. "You have no right to call me a friend."
Her gaze flicked briefly to the young girl standing beside him and then back to Shizune, quickly assessing the situation.
Now was not the time to fight.
Orochimaru smirked.
"Funny… Your actions don't really seem like those of someone deeply devoted to Konoha."
He chuckled and then waved a hand dismissively.
"Regardless, today isn't the best time for a fight. If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way."
Tsunade's gaze landed on the young girl beside Orochimaru—Guren.
Another kid he'd taken in.
"Where'd you find this one?" Tsunade sneered. "Planning to use her for more of your twisted experiments?"
"You have no right to insult Lord Orochimaru, you wretched woman!" Guren snapped, her young face twisting with anger.
She wanted to say more, but Orochimaru raised a hand, silently telling her to stop.
"Enough, Guren," he said, his voice calm but firm. "Let's not make things… troublesome."
Tsunade noted something immediately.
Orochimaru's clone body was fragile.
Even though he retained all of his jutsu, his chakra reserves were a major weakness.
She could feel it.
The real Orochimaru had been searching for bloodline limits, hoping to engineer the perfect vessel before attempting another body transfer.
As Orochimaru turned to leave, Tsunade suddenly called out—
"Oi, Orochimaru. Since we ran into each other… How about a drink?"
Shizune stiffened in shock.
"Lady Tsunade!?" she blurted out, eyes wide.
They had just avoided a fight, and now she wanted to go drinking?
It was obvious—Tsunade had been holding back ever since they passed that tavern earlier.
Shizune clenched her fists.
No matter what happens, I am NOT paying for her this time.
Orochimaru tilted his head slightly.
Then, to everyone's surprise, he agreed.
Though he had betrayed Konoha, Tsunade had been his comrade for over a decade.
Unlike Jiraiya—who constantly got in his way—Tsunade had never been one to actively interfere with his plans.
So, why not?
The group found a small tavern and stepped inside.
Guren was clearly unhappy, still seething over Tsunade's earlier words.
But with Orochimaru there, she couldn't say anything disrespectful.
Instead, she simply glared at Tsunade, making her displeasure obvious.
Tsunade, however, wasn't bothered in the slightest.
She had no intention of arguing with a child.
Shizune, on the other hand, was not pleased with Guren's attitude—so she glared right back.
It quickly turned into a silent staring contest.
Once the food and sake were served, Tsunade wasted no time.
She poured herself a drink and downed it in one gulp.
It had been nearly thirty hours since her last drink.
Orochimaru took a few sips, though his mind was elsewhere.
And after watching Tsunade get increasingly relaxed, he finally couldn't hold back his curiosity.
"Tsunade," he said, setting his cup down.
"You didn't call me here just for a drink, did you?"
He smirked and tapped his long, pale fingers against the wooden table.
"Let me guess…"
His golden eyes flickered toward her neck, where three dark tomoe were etched into her skin.
"You want information about that curse mark, don't you?"
Orochimaru chuckled, leaning back slightly.
"Well… I suppose I could share a little."
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"After all… I was the one who created it."
(End of Chapter)
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