With his enhanced body, Orochimaru sprinted forward at an unbelievable speed, carrying Anya with him. Tsunade and Jiraiya, concerned for Anya's safety, indeed chose not to pursue.
After being bound for so long, Anya couldn't help but say with a slight teasing tone, "Uncle, I know you're into bondage, but could you loosen it up a bit? It's way too tight—I can barely—"
Orochimaru ignored Anya's slightly mischievous taunt and interrupted in his raspy voice, "Judging from the direction you came from… you weren't even in the village?"
Anya answered plainly, "Yes, I've been away for about two and a half months."
Hearing this, Orochimaru nodded slightly, beginning to piece things together, even though he still lacked the full picture. He could guess part of what had happened, and under the circumstances, it was only natural that things got exposed. Thinking this, he released his hold on Anya.
Anya stretched his limbs before walking on beside Orochimaru, curiously asking, "Hey uncle, mind telling me what exactly happened? Did you really betray the village?"
Orochimaru replied calmly, "I left you a little gift. Since you were away, I suppose someone else opened it instead."
"A gift?" Anya knew instinctively that this present was unlikely to be something good, otherwise it wouldn't have caused such serious consequences.
Orochimaru looked at Anya with an ambiguous smile and asked, "What's wrong? Scared that if I get caught by Konoha, it'll drag you down with me?"
Anya replied with a hint of hurt, "Come on, Uncle, you don't really know me that poorly, do you?"
"Hmph," Orochimaru let out a soft mocking laugh. "It's precisely because I know you well that I can understand why you acted as you did."
Ouch! That hit hard!
Anya dropped the subject and summoned his Eagle Puppet. "Let me carry you for a while. You must be exhausted after fighting a major battle and running all this way."
Orochimaru hesitated briefly, then accepted, boarding the puppet. As he felt the wind rushing past during flight, he couldn't help but remark, "Flying truly is a wonderful sensation, Anya. Have you ever imagined what it would be like if everyone could soar freely through the skies someday?"
Anya sighed, "Man, that would turn everything upside-down."
"Indeed," Orochimaru agreed. "Such joy is meant only for a few—for people like you and me. But everything changes eventually. In the future, I will grant more people this ability. Anya, come with me."
Faced with Orochimaru's sudden invitation, Anya went quiet, weighing the unexpected offer carefully in his mind.
Orochimaru didn't urge him, waiting quietly for the answer.
If he left now with Orochimaru, their combined strength could quickly build a new power—perhaps even one unshackled by any existing authority. Their growth could be rapid. But there were also drawbacks. In the end, only one person could possess absolute control over such power, and Anya would never hand that over to anyone. Their paths would inevitably lead to conflict in the end—it wasn't worth it. There was another reason too, something Anya simply couldn't let go of.
Finally, he shook his head and declined, "There are still people in Konoha who matter to me—I can't leave with you right now."
"There are too many people I'd be sorry for if I were to defect from the village now—like Red, Kurenai Yuhi, Kakashi, Tsunade, Minato, and so on."
"So that's how it is? So sad," Orochimaru replied without pressing further. He had already sensed the hidden meaning behind Anya's words.
Anya asked casually, "So where are you planning to go now, Uncle?"
Orochimaru smiled slightly. "Hmm? Are you preparing to join me in the future?"
"This time I went out and founded an organization," Anya didn't hide anything from Orochimaru and truthfully explained. "Right now, it's just a prototype. If one day I leave Konoha, I will develop it further to fulfill my ideals."
"An organization, huh? Interesting. So, you want me to join you?" Orochimaru's gaze turned somewhat dangerous.
"No, I only want to establish cooperation with you," Anya said with a smiling face. "I never intended to lead you."
"You're truly a smart person," Orochimaru never hesitated to praise Anya as he nodded in agreement. "Once I've confirmed my location, I'll contact you. As for this cooperation idea of yours, I fully agree."
Smiling brightly, Anya extended his right hand. "Then allow me to wish us a pleasant cooperation in advance."
Orochimaru similarly stretched out his hand with a smile, and the two formally reached a verbal agreement. However, what each had in mind remained unknown to the other.
At the moment his hand touched Serpent Master's hand, Anya couldn't help but inwardly comment: So cold, so smooth.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya stood there looking blankly in the direction Orochimaru had left. He seemed dazed and disoriented, almost unable to believe that his childhood companion had so decisively defected from the village, possibly never to be seen again.
Compared to Jiraiya, Tsunade was more worried about Anya's safety. This bastard had run off for over two months, and just as he returned, such an incident occurred. Would this provoke Orochimaru's anger and get him killed?
Eventually, Tsunade couldn't hold back anymore. Facing Jiraiya, she said, "Let's chase after him. At least we need to find out which direction Orochimaru went."
Jiraiya nodded and replied, "You're right. Let's go."
Following the trail marks on the ground, they eventually discovered Anya lying on the ground unconscious. Tsunade was shocked. She immediately leapt forward and instantly used [Medical Ninjutsu] on his chest.
Seeing Tsunade's anxious expression, Jiraiya had an unbelievable guess forming in his mind. His despondent look deepened even further, since even he could tell that Anya still had a breath. Could Tsunade, as a top-class medical ninja, not notice that? It seemed like nothing more than being overly worried over someone she cared about.
Thinking this, Jiraiya naturally didn't want to stay long, casually leaving behind a sentence: "You stay here and heal Anya. I'll continue chasing Orochimaru."
Still pretending to be unconscious, Anya opened his eyes groggily after Tsunade's treatment. Upon seeing the concern in Tsunade's eyes, some guilt arose in his heart. However, this guilt quickly disappeared because...
[Poof!]
A thunderous boom echoed. Tsunade's previously worried expression swiftly turned to fury. Her fist, overflowing with rage, smashed into the ground right beside Anya's head, burying half her arm in the dirt. The strike missed by just a hair, scaring him nearly to death and breaking him out in cold sweat.
Tsunade yanked her arm free and shot Anya a lethal glare as she coldly hissed, "You said you'd be gone just one day. Think it's funny to lie to me? If you don't honestly tell me what you've been up to these past two months, I'll cripple your legs so you'll never leave again."
Anya gave a bitter smile and silently pulled something out, holding it up before Tsunade.
Tsunade froze when she saw it. Taking the object, she examined it repeatedly before speaking, "This is the necklace I gave you. You actually found it?"
"Yeah, otherwise why would I be away for so long? I promised you I'd find it, because after all, it was something you gave me." Anya spoke very seriously.
Tsunade's expression gradually softened from its initial fury, her eyes turning as gentle as flowing water.
Feeling he had narrowly escaped, Anya couldn't help but smirk inwardly. He knew this wouldn't be easy, but fortunately, he had come prepared: Hmph, that's just how women are—fierce as a volcanic eruption one moment, gentle as a spring breeze the next.
Still lost in his thoughts, Anya suddenly felt warmth on his forehead, a soothing sensation spreading through him. Before he could even savor the moment, Tsunade returned the necklace into his palm and, without looking back, said, "Don't overthink it—it's just a reward for bringing back the necklace."
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>