"Huh? He's running? Not fighting anymore?"
Watching the show, Natsume saw Kakuzu and Sasori chase the fleeing Orochimaru until they disappeared from sight.
He put away his binoculars—not surprised.
Orochimaru and Kakuzu were evenly matched, but with Sasori joining in, Orochimaru was at a clear disadvantage.
With his personality, he'd never risk his life—he wanted immortality, after all.
He couldn't win, so escape was the only option.
Natsume waited about half an hour before Kakuzu and Sasori returned.
No corpse or head of Orochimaru.
Just as expected—not so easy to kill.
But Orochimaru was probably badly hurt.
"Here's your stuff," Kakuzu said, handing over the scroll.
He didn't mention Orochimaru—probably embarrassed.
"All tasks complete. Please collect your payment at the underground market," Natsume said with a smile, taking the scroll.
Kakuzu and Sasori turned and left.
They were professional mercenaries now.
During a mission, they never asked about the employer's business.
Natsume breathed a sigh of relief.
He returned to Konoha and handed the scroll to his real body.
…
In his room:
Natsume opened the scroll—inside were nine vials.
He'd never seen Hashirama cells before and wasn't sure if they were real.
But he could test them.
Hashirama cells were like cancer—capable of endless proliferation.
If the host couldn't handle them, they'd turn into a tree.
Natsume took a vial to the orphanage and found Kabuto.
"Can you extract a sample for me?"
He held out the vial.
"That's easy," Kabuto said, glancing at the cells. "Come with me."
He led Natsume into Nonou's little lab, full of medical equipment.
After some operations Natsume didn't understand, Kabuto handed him a syringe.
"Do you have a white rabbit?"
"No, but I have a white mouse."
"That'll work."
Natsume took the mouse to a secluded spot where he and Kabuto often hung out.
"Kabuto, what I'm about to tell you—don't be scared."
"…?"
Kabuto tilted his head, confused. "What exactly are you holding?"
"It's not a thing. It's… something rare. A form of life."
Natsume injected the Hashirama cells into the mouse.
Within moments, it shrieked in pain.
In Kabuto's stunned gaze, branches burst from its body, turning it into a small tree.
It was a mind-blowing scene.
An animal turning into a plant—how was that possible?
"Natsume!" Kabuto couldn't wait. "You'd better explain."
Natsume raised an eyebrow.
That expression reminded him of Orochimaru.
No wonder you went into research later.
"You can't tell anyone about this," Natsume said sternly. "It's our secret. If it leaks, we're both dead."
Kabuto froze, then nodded quickly.
After all, whether during the war or at the orphanage these three years, Natsume had always looked after him.
Trust didn't need to be said.
That's also why he agreed to hide his medical talent.
"This is the First Hokage Hashirama Senju's cells. If you transplant them, you can get Wood Release."
Natsume decided to come clean.
Kabuto might be a villain in the original, but he was loyal to Orochimaru.
Now, he hadn't suffered at Danzo's hands, so he was even more trustworthy.
And another thing—
Wood Release was a huge secret. If Kabuto ever blabbed, he'd be doomed.
As Natsume said, both their lives would be at risk.
Kabuto was too smart to do something stupid.
And by sharing this secret, Natsume had won himself a valuable ally.
Kabuto stared, dumbfounded.
So much information in one sentence, his brain almost fried.
Wood Release could be acquired this way?
No, wait, that's not the point.
How did you get Hashirama's cells?
From Lady Tsunade?
No way. She'd never do something so disrespectful.
"I know what you want to ask. I'll tell you later."
Natsume handed him the vials. "I want you to research Hashirama cell transplantation."
"Me? Research it?" Kabuto blinked. "Aren't you overestimating me?"
"You're underestimating yourself," Natsume said, patting his shoulder. "Come on, let's go see Tsunade-sensei. Then you'll see how talented you really are."
Kabuto didn't really believe him, but was happy for a chance to meet Tsunade.
….
The two went to the Senju residence.
But Tsunade wasn't home.
"Shizune-nee, where's sensei?" Natsume asked, using "sensei" in front of outsiders. If he called her "Tsunade-nee," Kabuto's brain might crash again.
"She went to the Konoha hospital," Shizune replied, looking rattled. "Lord Orochimaru was badly wounded and showed up at the village gate. It scared everyone. Not just Lady Tsunade, but even the Hokage went to the hospital."
Natsume quickly pieced it together.
Orochimaru couldn't shake off Kakuzu and Sasori quickly enough.
Since Tanzaku Quarters was close to Konoha, his best choice was to flee there.
As for what secrets he might reveal—when your life is on the line, nothing else matters.
And with Orochimaru's smarts, he could easily make excuses.
…
Tsunade didn't return until nighttime.
She opened the door and saw Kabuto, remembering that he'd been present when she adopted Natsume.
They seemed to get along.
"Natsume, is your friend visiting today?" Tsunade asked, changing her shoes.
"Lady Tsunade," Kabuto greeted respectfully.
Natsume ran up, glanced at her bare feet, then took her hand and said in a childish voice, "Sis, my friend just learned a medical jutsu. I think he's really talented—could you take him as a student?"
Tsunade suppressed the urge to hug him. She looked at Kabuto. "Show me the medical jutsu you learned."
She could give him a chance since Natsume asked.
Kabuto took a deep breath, held out his hands, and green chakra glowed.
"The Mystical Palm Technique—already?" Tsunade was surprised.
Shizune was even more shocked.
The Mystical Palm Technique was difficult, requiring immense chakra control and knowledge.
[Because of your actions, Kabuto's fate has changed. You gain 48 fate points.]
[Because of your actions, Karin's fate has changed. You gain 69 fate points.]
With the system prompts, Natsume knew Tsunade had decided to take Kabuto as a student.
Kabuto's destiny had shifted again.
But not as much as last time.
Even without Tsunade, Kabuto would've been an excellent medical ninja.
Now, the process was just faster.
So in terms of fate, the change wasn't as big as before.
Karin's points were lower simply because she had fewer scenes.
Either way, Natsume had profited handsomely.