The three Sannin were reunited—a scene unseen since the end of the Second Great Ninja War.
All three had changed in different ways since their last meeting. The most unfortunate was Orochimaru—his hands sealed, his soul weakened, and the youthful body he had repeatedly transferred into now on the verge of collapse.
"Sit down," Anya said, pointing to an empty seat. "It's set aside especially for you."
Orochimaru didn't hesitate. He sat directly and looked at the familiar faces before him. "There are too many people here. Let the irrelevant ones leave first."
Anya nodded readily. "Shizune, please take these two kids away."
"Yes, Uncle."
It had been years since they last saw each other, and Shizune had grown into a full-grown woman. Looking at Anya's ageless appearance—somehow even more youthful—it felt strange to call him "uncle."
Hakuto had no objections and followed Shizune toward the exit, but Naruto frowned and asked, "Why do we have to go?"
Calmly, Anya pulled out an illustrated book and handed it to Naruto. "Here, this is my newest Oub Ultraman comic I've drawn. It has unpublished storylines—you can get a sneak peek."
"Really?" Naruto's eyes lit up with joy as he happily accepted it.
After the three young people left, the atmosphere around the table shifted completely. The four remaining individuals were lost in their own complicated thoughts.
Finally, Jiraiya broke the silence. Ignoring the recently arrived Orochimaru, he turned directly to Anya. "I remember inviting you back then and telling you we were heading here to find Tsunade. You didn't care at the time—why have you suddenly changed your mind?"
At this, Tsunade, who had been silently drinking, stiffened and stopped mid-motion.
"I..." Anya paused slightly before replying, "On a whim, I suppose. I felt something unexpected might happen, but never imagined such a pleasant surprise."
Hearing this, Tsunade opened her mouth as if to speak but hesitated.
Jiraiya caught on immediately, laughing heartily. "Tsunade, that's where you're wrong..."
Tsunade showed little courtesy toward Jiraiya. Before he could finish speaking, she slammed her fist on the table. "Be quiet!"
Jiraiya chuckled uncomfortably and indeed fell silent.
"Enough already—we're done catching up," Orochimaru darkly interjected. "I didn't come here to waste time."
Tsunade coldly responded. "I won't do it—I won't save you."
Orochimaru didn't reply but fixed his gaze on Anya.
Seeing the tension rise, Anya lightly laughed. "Let's deal with one thing at a time. Jiraiya, explain your purpose first."
Jiraiya grew serious. "I already stated previously—my reason for coming is to deliver orders from the village elders, formally inviting Tsunade to become the Fifth Hokage of Konoha."
Anya asked directly, "Tsunade, will you accept?"
Fueled by rising anger, Tsunade blurted out a response completely opposite from her earlier stance. "This Hokage position—I'll take it."
Knowing Tsunade thoroughly well, Anya wasn't surprised by this answer, though disappointment still crept into his voice. "All these years later, you truly haven't changed at all."
Tsunade snapped, "It's none of your business what decisions I make."
Anya ignored Tsunade's anger and continued, "Fine. Now that we've dealt with Jiraiya, let's move on to Orochimaru's injuries. As the future Hokage, you should hear what he has to say—it concerns Konoha, and even the entire Ninja World."
Tsunade was about to explode when Jiraiya caught the hidden meaning and stopped her. He said seriously, "Let's first hear what these conditions are."
Orochimaru laughed softly, a sinister tone in his voice. "A piece of intelligence—an Intelligence Report on Akatsuki. Its existence alone could overturn the entire Ninja World. Because of it, my urgency to forcefully seize Konoha and make it my Stronghold has grown even greater."
Jiraiya pressed on, "Why do you have intelligence on this organization? How much do you know about it?"
Orochimaru kept smiling as he replied, "Because I was one of its original members."
Upon hearing that, Jiraiya no longer doubted. He turned to Tsunade and said, "Anya is right. I think Konoha needs this Intelligence Report. Of course, if you choose to refuse, I'll support you too."
Tsunade forced herself to calm down. Without a word, she walked up to Orochimaru. Green chakra surrounded her bandaged hands as she treated him for a while, then sighed, "Such a powerful Sealing Technique! It seems the Third was truly furious. This injury can't be healed with Medical Ninjutsu—I can only ease your pain and extend your lifespan."
Even though I came in with low expectations, I'm still disappointed to hear that. If that's the case, goodbye." Orochimaru placed a scroll on the ground and turned to leave.
"Wait," Anya called out.
Orochimaru paused and looked at Anya with curiosity.
Anya spoke slowly and clearly, "There's anyone else in this world you may target, and I won't truly wish to kill them—but not for one particular person. Drop that idea entirely."
Orochimaru's expression darkened. "Am I to take this as a threat?"
Anya replied with terrifying calmness, "I'm simply stating a fact. No one survives when I decide they're dead."
"Fine. I'll remember those words."
After Orochimaru left, Tsunade said to Jiraiya, "I've already granted your request—you may leave now too."
Jiraiya looked at the two women. Already anticipating the storm that would follow, he cast a sympathetic glance at Anya before pushing open the door and leaving.
Inside the tavern, only Anya and Tsunade remained. The atmosphere was heavy and oppressive, their minds equally chaotic.
"I..." Anya barely uttered the first word.
Before she could finish, Tsunade suddenly leaped forward and landed a punch straight into Anya's stomach.
[Boom! Boom! Boom!]
Anya flew backward like a cannonball. Tables and chairs within the tavern shattered under the impact until she finally slammed against the wall.
Still unsatisfied after throwing the punch, Tsunade took out a bottle filled with dark pills from her bosom. With a Shunshin, she dashed right before Anya and shoved the pills directly into her mouth without hesitation.
Tsunade gripped Anya's throat, her eyes burning with murderous intent as she hissed, "You dare poison me? Let you taste my poison."
Already poisoned, Anya couldn't help but chuckle. Looks like the tables have finally turned. Gritting through the pain, she managed to say, "I've been poisoned by you… long ago."
"Don't laugh."
Years of pent-up resentment—how could Tsunade possibly release it all in one blow? She pressed down on Anya's head and slammed it into the ground again.
Reeling from the brutal impact, Anya could no longer hide her pain behind a smile. She sucked in a sharp breath and said, "You're not seriously planning to kill me, are you?"
Tsunade shot her a dangerous glare and snarled, "What do you think?"
<><><><><><><><>
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
<><><><><><><><>