Did I just get kissed by force?
It was just on the forehead anyway. Not exactly thrilling. Next time, dare you go for the real thing?
After silently complaining a bit, Anya looked down at the necklace in her own hands, a complicated expression appearing in her eyes. Could she actually be considering...
Better leave that for later. Matters of the heart can wait. If at the beginning Anya had harbored some ulterior motives toward Tsunade, now that she'd already mastered Medical Ninjutsu, those thoughts had long been abandoned. No way they'd make a good couple, no matter how you looked at it.
After putting the necklace back around her neck, Anya hurried forward and asked, "What happened? Why did Orochimaru suddenly defect?"
"Speaking of this, you also bear some responsibility," Tsunade glared at Anya with obvious displeasure.
"Me?" On the surface, Anya appeared extremely confused, but inside, she felt panic rising.
Tsunade recounted everything from beginning to end.
Anya finally understood what Orochimaru meant by his so-called "gift." After hearing the full story, she couldn't help but smile bitterly. What a twist of fate. Just thinking about that stubborn kid who once wanted to master Swordsmanship filled her with a quiet sadness. It was a pity he ended up like this.
Anya had held a certain degree of admiration for that young man. However, Nocturne's death inevitably resulted in an irreconcilable feud between them. His seeking revenge was perfectly understandable. She even sympathized with him. But if anyone tried to kill her, she'd wipe them out without a trace. Orochimaru understood this too, which explained why he left medicine behind. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse...
After all, Orochimaru never expected Tsunade would willingly become a criminal for two months just for Anya's sake, and ultimately leave prison under Anya's identity.
Not long after the two rushed outside, they saw Jiraiya standing at a crossroads looking completely lost. Obviously, he had completely lost Orochimaru's trail. He seemed particularly gloomy and lacked his usual flair.
Tsunade wanted to comfort him: "Jiraiya…"
Jiraiya raised his arm, stopping Tsunade before she could continue. Then he turned around and gave a bright smile, saying: "Tsunade, please let the old man know—I'll need to leave Konoha for a while. Don't worry. Wherever it takes me, across land and sea, someday I will bring Orochimaru back to Konoha."
After finishing these words, Jiraiya stepped forward and meaningfully patted Anya's shoulder, seemingly wanting to entrust something. In the end though, he said nothing else, only bursting into loud laughter and declaring: "Behold — I, Jiraiya, Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku, now take my leave!"
Watching him walk away like that, Anya couldn't help but feel a little envious. Coming and going freely, dealing with matters with casual ease—surely along the way, he would encounter many beautiful sights. No wonder he later became a best-selling novelist. Too bad such a life wasn't hers.
On the way back to Konoha, both were unusually quiet, clearly lost in their own thoughts. Only upon entering the village did Tsunade realize vaguely that among the Sannin, she was now completely alone. Unexpected loneliness crept in slightly, until glancing sideways at Anya beside her instantly eased away this feeling. Smiling faintly, Tsunade said, "I'm going to report our findings to the old man. Go take a few days off, but remember to come by the Medical Division afterward."
"Okay," Anya replied and headed straight back home.
Late at night, the lights in her house were off. It seemed the two of them were already asleep. Anya quietly peeked through the window, only to find the inside completely empty—no one was there.
What's going on? At this hour, how come both Konan and Haku weren't home?
Could they still be training this late?
Considering this possibility, Anya quickly used Shunshin to rush toward the training ground where Konan had been previously.
Indeed, even at this late hour, Konan and Haku were here sparring with each other. Their ninja techniques were impressively executed—the Paper Release and Ice Release displayed by the two women were truly masterful. Haku clearly had the advantage in chakra power, overwhelming Konan's offense. However, Konan's Paper Release techniques were quite unique, allowing her body to transform into countless paper pieces, rendering physical attacks useless. Thus, the battle was currently deadlocked.
After watching for a while, Anya determined that Haku seemed to have jonin-level strength. With her Kekkei Genkai, she could possibly match an elite jonin, though whether she could defeat one remained uncertain. As for Konan, she was nearly at the level of a jonin. Her special Paper Release abilities gave her top-tier survivability. However, her limited chakra reserves remained a critical weakness—if overused or countered effectively, she'd become vulnerable. All things considered, she had indeed reached the threshold of a jonin's ability.
After assessing their strengths, Anya stepped out from the shadows.
"Who's there?" The two fighters heard the sound at once and turned in unison.
Haku froze instantly. Although she knew that Anya's three-year punishment was nearing its end, she hadn't known the exact day. Seeing him in the flesh confirmed that he had really returned.
Konan rushed over immediately and respectfully called out, "Teacher."
Anya smiled and then nodded at both of them. "Still training this late—very diligent! It seems like you've both made significant progress."
Approaching slightly, Haku whispered, "You told me to work hard and keep improving."
At that moment, Anya recalled how his spirit had almost scattered in fright back then—he really couldn't remember what exactly he had said. He simply nodded at Haku and said, "Go home and rest first. I need to speak with Konan alone."
Since their last conversation inside Haku's spiritual space, Anya had always felt a bit uneasy around her. You could say he was held back by someone completely pure—like filth confronting something holy.
Haku looked carefully at Anya for a moment, as if confirming he wouldn't vanish again before silently leaving without a word.
Konan already understood what Anya wanted to discuss. Taking a deep breath, she declared, "I choose to return to Sanshouo Hanzo's area."
"Have you thought it through?"
Now much more mature than before, Konan firmly nodded. "Yes, I'm absolutely certain."
"Very well, I will arrange it. However, currently you are a ninja of Konoha. To go there, you can only go there as a double agent. You'll also need to regularly report intelligence about Sanshouo Hanzo's area back to the village—you must mentally prepare yourself." Anya warned in advance.
Konan had anticipated this point already and showed no resistance as she agreed, "I understand. I will do it."
After agreeing, Konan hesitated, seemingly trying to decide how to begin speaking further.
Anya realized it. "Just say what you mean."
"As for Yahiko and Nagato, I won't reveal anything about them. Also, I hope Konoha won't go after them. This is my only request for going undercover—Teacher, can you convince the Hokage?" Konan's eyes clouded with worry.
Hanzo gave a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. The only real threat the Rain Village poses to Konoha is Hanzo himself. As for two young boys, Konoha won't care. So your worries are unnecessary. Of course, since you brought it up, I'll explain this to the Hokage."
Hearing this, Konan's face brightened with joy as she said, "Okay, thank you Teacher. I'm ready to depart anytime."
Watching Konan's happy expression, Hanzo sighed quietly. I'm sorry… but there's no helping it. It's just unfortunate that they possess something they shouldn't—the revival power of the Rinnegan. I really need that.
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