Right now.
In the sea outside [Hozuki Castle].
The Great Toad had already carried Jiraiya and Tsunade far away, several kilometers distant.
They were about to escape from this sea area.
Jiraiya held the weakened Tsunade in his arms, showing deep concern.
"Tsunade, how are you feeling?"
"Just hold on a bit longer. Once we leave this area, I'll find a way to remove this seal for you!"
Jiraiya comforted gently.
But inside, he was extremely anxious.
Just moments ago,
He had carefully examined this special sealing mark multiple times along the way.
Yet, he found himself completely clueless—no idea how to even begin removing it!
Damn it!
Although he wasn't as smart or knowledgeable as Orochimaru…
Even Konoha's hardest seal—the Five Elements Seal—he had already mastered!
How could he fail to break such a mere sealing jutsu used by a Grass ninja!?
No, he couldn't panic now!
Above all, he must stay calm, and get out of here quickly...
However.
At that moment,
The eight crimson Heaven's Prison Cursed Seals on Tsunade's body grew brighter and more vivid.
Soon, those eight markings transformed into eight blazing chains, burning her body.
That was exactly the trait of this sealing technique.
Once the sealed person strayed too far from the one who cast the spell, these flame chains would activate, setting fire to the sealed target's body—possibly even leading to death by burning!
Only being submerged in water could nullify the effect.
Or, kill the caster directly...
Right now, intense pain spread throughout her body, as though her very bones were being charred.
Tsunade furrowed her brows, clearly in pain.
Still, her last ounce of stubborn pride kept her clenching her teeth, resisting cries of agony.
"What the hell? This seal can set itself on fire?!"
"What kind of trigger is this?"
"Time-based?"
"Or distance-related?"
"DAMN IT, HOW DID THIS HAPPEN!??"
Seeing the chains burst into flame around Tsunade, Jiraiya nearly lost his mind with panic.
"Fool!"
"Use water! Try some water!"
The Great Toad below urgently reminded him, finally snapping Jiraiya back to focus.
[Water Release · Water Prison Technique!]
Quickly, Jiraiya performed the water jutsu, forming a massive ball of water that surrounded Tsunade.
Of course, he made sure to keep her head above water so she could breathe.
Instantly.
Under the suppression of the water, the fiery Heaven's Prison Cursed Seals began to weaken rapidly, returning to normal, no longer scorching Tsunade...
"Phew! Thank God that actually worked!"
Seeing this, Jiraiya exhaled deeply in relief, finally relaxing slightly.
If something truly happened to Tsunade, he feared he might lose his mind too.
Who would have thought—
It started out feeling like just another casual joint mission.
Yet it turned into such a mess, putting Tsunade in danger...
Unbelievable!
Thankfully, the Heaven's Prison Cursed Seals appeared to be under control now.
"Tsunade, hang in there!"
"Just a little longer!"
"I'll take you back to the village right away!" Jiraiya repeatedly reassured her.
But Tsunade, nearly drained of all strength, could only purse her lips and weakly nod in response.
So immediately, Jiraiya directed Chief Toad to continue heading toward Konoha.
However, Chief Toad dared not leap forcefully at this moment,
lest he rupture Jiraiya's [Water Prison Technique].
He could only walk, which slowed their progress significantly.
Yet Jiraiya was absolutely certain.
Once they returned to [Konoha],
with Tobirama-sama's abilities, no sealing technique would be able to stop him!
Even if Tobirama-sama couldn't undo it himself,
he'd just come back again, capture the jutsu user Mui, and force him to undo the seal!
No matter what happened, he had to protect Tsunade properly!
...
Inside [Hozuki Castle].
At this moment, Shimoku knew nothing about Jiraiya's current situation.
Of course, even if he did know, he wouldn't care.
From a personal standpoint: he didn't dislike Jiraiya—in fact, he held slight admiration for him.
But from the Uchiha clan's perspective: he could only hope more elite warriors from [Konoha] perished.
Meanwhile, inside the room,
Shinyu had already rushed over to her mother, awakening the tattered woman.
This poor mother and daughter clung to each other joyfully, tears streaming down their faces.
After quite some time,
the mother finally let go of Shinyu,
quickly wiped away her tears, composed herself emotionally, and expressed gratitude toward Shimoku:
"[Land of Whirlpools] refugee: Uzumaki Huīyī respectfully thanks the young master!"
"Thank you, young sir, for rescuing us—mother and daughter..."
Uzumaki Huīyī, holding Little Shinyu's hand, endured her body's intense pain and immediately knelt before Shimoku, sincerely expressing her gratitude.
Shinyu, however, was somewhat stubborn and reluctant to kneel.
Especially since she didn't really feel like she'd been rescued!
The surroundings still remained thick with dust, filled with constant danger, and blood scents stung the air...
Why should she give thanks?
But for the sake of her beloved mother, she obediently complied anyway.
...
Shimoku stepped forward, helping Lady Huīyī to stand up.
He also extended several chakra threads
to connect her torn clothing together, covering up the upper half of her nearly exposed body.
Under normal circumstances,
driven by instinct, Shimoku might have lingered a bit longer.
Yet upon seeing Lady Huīyī's entire body covered in densely packed bite marks and tooth prints,
all Shimoku felt was boundless respect rising within him.
Any lingering inappropriate thoughts completely vanished.
Toward such an extraordinary mother who gave everything to protect her daughter's life,
nothing but reverence was deserved.
Any other kind of thought would only amount to a violation of her spirit.
Then, before Shimoku could even speak,
Lady Huīyī suddenly made a request:
"Grateful beyond words for your young master's life-saving grace; we have nothing to repay you with."
"We humbly beg you—please allow us mother and daughter to follow you! I am willing to give everything I have..."
Such an unexpected plea startled Shimoku for a moment.
When he thought about it further, though, it didn't seem strange at all.
She had managed to survive the catastrophic destruction of the [Land of Whirlpools] and remained hidden until today.
Madam Huīyī was naturally no fool.
Although she wasn't sure why this young master had saved her and her daughter,
nor could she determine whether he was truly good or not...
but considering the current situation,
there was absolutely no other choice for her and her daughter but to rely on this young master!
And truthfully, this really was their best and safest bet...
After all, someone who could rescue her daughter intact from the [Grass Hidden Village]
and even fight his way here effortlessly, saving both mother and daughter,
sufficiently proved how powerful this young man was!
As long as one had strength, age was never a problem...
Only with such power could the two of them continue to survive!
At worst,
they would simply end up in another place,
being exploited and victimized time and again...
She had already endured so many years; what were a few more suffering to bear?
As long as it meant her child could live!
"Alright, I agree."
"Fear not! From now on, your safety shall be protected by me and my [Homuragakure]."
Shimoku did not hesitate or pretend to be modest.
He readily accepted their plea.
After all, his original mission was to rescue this mother and daughter.
Since they were offering themselves like this,
it would only be improper for him to feign reluctance any longer.
What a waste—his prepared speech couldn't even be used.
What speech?
Of course something along the lines of: "[Lady, surely you wouldn't want Shinyu to lose her mother too soon?]"
Ahem—
Wrong line.
That was an extreme-case scenario.
Unless necessary, Shimoku preferred not resorting to threats.
He much preferred convincing people through reason.
Gaining willing cooperation.
"Thank you, young master..."
Interrupting Madam Huīyī's thanks, Shimoku continued giving instructions:
"Here. This pill will treat your wounds. Rest after taking it."
"I'll take you away shortly."
"As you command!"
Huīyī accepted the pill without hesitation and gulped it down instantly.
Even if it had been poison, she would have taken it—for her daughter's sake!
Yet as the pill began healing her body,
she couldn't help but feel astonished, her delicate eyebrows lifting slightly.
Never had she imagined this young master would actually give something so valuable to heal her.
Was it a strategy to win her loyalty?
Or was he just that wealthy?
Either way, it beat the stingy, greedy [Hidden Grass Village] by far.
Seems like her gut feeling was right after all!
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