Tsunade walked through the streets of Uzushio Village with an annoyed expression.
Her footsteps echoed firmly on the cobblestone path, indicating that Tsunade's emotions had not yet calmed down after leaving Reiji's house.
Tsunade's breath was slightly heavy, and her brows were deeply furrowed, a sign that her mind was still filled with frustration.
Without wasting any time, Tsunade immediately began searching for Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
Her gaze swept over the bustling village, passing by residents busy with their activities.
After a while, Tsunade finally spotted her two companions sitting in a small eatery, enjoying their food.
However, Tsunade's attention was quickly drawn to something in their hands—a food that looked like skewers?
Without a second thought, Tsunade walked over to them and, without permission, grabbed one of the skewers.
"Hey! That's mine!" Jiraiya reflexively tried to stop her, but his movement halted as soon as Tsunade shot him a sharp, warning glare.
Like a struck lightning, Jiraiya immediately shrank back.
"Well... If you want it, go ahead..." Jiraiya mumbled resignedly, staring at the skewer now in Tsunade's hand.
As she chewed, Tsunade grumbled, "Hmph! That boy is really annoying! Who does he think he is, huh?! He really gets on my nerves!"
Tsunade even slammed her fist on the table, causing Jiraiya and Orochimaru to glance at her with a bit of caution.
"Uh... I know that kid is annoying, but what actually happened to make you this angry?" Jiraiya asked, his curiosity overcoming his fear.
"You don't need to know, Jiraiya!" Tsunade snapped back sharply, her eyes still blazing with anger.
"Alright, alright!" Jiraiya immediately raised both hands in surrender, not wanting to risk being hit by Tsunade.
At that moment, Orochimaru, who had been silent until then, suddenly commented, "This place is really different from Konoha, isn't it?"
Jiraiya furrowed his brow. "Huh? What do you mean, Orochimaru?"
"Yeah, what do you mean?" Tsunade also asked, though her annoyed expression had not completely faded.
Orochimaru did not answer right away.
He scanned the surroundings of the village before finally speaking in a flat tone, yet with a hint of admiration.
"Look... The people here. The children, the adults... They all seem so happy."
Tsunade wanted to argue, but as she followed Orochimaru's gaze, her words caught in her throat.
Jiraiya also looked around and was instantly surprised.
The scene he saw was truly different from what he usually encountered in Konoha.
Wherever Jiraiya looked, the residents of Uzushio appeared to be living their lives with smiles on their faces.
Children ran around joyfully, merchants served customers with warmth, and the village's ninjas seemed relaxed, as if they were not overshadowed by fear of outside threats.
In comparison, although Konoha was known as the strongest and safest village, happiness like this was not so palpable there.
There were barriers that separated people in Konoha.
The caste differences between civilian ninjas and clan members made some residents feel inferior.
Moreover, even though Konoha had a good economy and abundant wealth, its geographical position among four other major villages made it a primary target in every conflict.
That was why, despite Konoha having high security, many of its residents did not truly feel comfortable or at peace.
Indeed, there were happy people in Konoha, but was that happiness felt by all its residents? Or just a select few?
This awareness made Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade fall silent for a moment, realizing that Uzushio had something that Konoha did not—widespread happiness for all its residents.
"You're right... This place is different from Konoha..." Tsunade murmured, her eyes sweeping the surroundings with a confused and disbelieving expression.
"There are no political issues, no fear of attacks from outside villages, nor economic problems. This village is truly... strange."
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