From Tsunade's rapid progress in mastering Lightning Release, it was evident that if she was a genius, her Senju blood made her something far more formidable—almost a monster. Her strength and aptitude surpassed expectations, leaving everyone in awe.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's teaching methods were impeccable. He was respected by all, and his standards were unquestionable. Yet, his style of instruction left room for individual exploration. He encouraged students to follow their interests, trusting that their passion would guide them to success. While this approach nurtured talent, it also risked leading them astray if not disciplined.
In the original story, Tsunade's potential had been stifled. She was strong, no doubt, but limited by her impulsive nature—more of a brawler than a strategist. However, in this reality, with Orochimaru's encouragement, she transformed into a driven, focused, and highly capable ninja.
"Then let's get started right away!" Tsunade's eyes blazed with determination.
True to her nature, she was quick to act, speak, and follow through. Orochimaru, ever observant, smiled faintly as he witnessed the fire in her.
Just then, Jiraiya arrived, waving with a cheerful grin. "Tsunade! Orochimaru! You're here!"
Tsunade's eyes lit up at the sight of him. "Jiraiya, you're back! How was your training?"
Jiraiya flashed his signature smile, his white teeth gleaming with confidence. "Me? Amazing! I'll surprise you—and Hiruzen Sarutobi—very soon!"
Yet, despite his boastful tone, his expression shifted briefly into one of uncertainty. A rare glimpse of doubt clouded his eyes.
"But the Great Toad Sage hasn't given a prophecy about me yet…"
"A prophecy, huh…" Tsunade murmured thoughtfully.
Blow-up!
Orochimaru snapped his book shut and stared at Jiraiya. "Do you really believe that your future is determined by a prophecy?"
Jiraiya hesitated. He had learned from Lord Fukasaku, Lady Shima, Gamabunta, Gamaken, and Gamahiro that the prophecies of the Great Toad Sage had never been wrong. They spoke of destinies that had already been written, sealed by fate itself.
Yet, Orochimaru's question struck at the core of his belief.
Jiraiya remained silent, lost in thought.
Seeing his hesitation, Tsunade burst out, "Say something, Jiraiya! Can't you answer?"
Orochimaru frowned at him, muttering under his breath before speaking again, "You once told me that the Great Toad Sage foresaw you coming to Mount Myōboku."
"Yes, that's right."
"Then perhaps the prophecy is true. But I believe a prophecy is nothing more than a possibility, not a certainty. Your future depends on the choices you make—not on a prophecy forcing you toward one path. A prophecy should only be used as a reference, not as a leash around your neck."
Orochimaru's eyes bore into Jiraiya's thoughtful expression. In the original story, Jiraiya had blindly followed the prophecy, as if it dictated every step of his life.
"What if," Orochimaru continued, "the prophecy said that you would kill a baby—one who would grow up to destroy the ninja world? What would you do? Would you hunt down and kill that child?"
"I… I…"
Jiraiya struggled to answer the hypothetical scenario.
Orochimaru's expression hardened as he leaned closer. "If you obeyed everything the prophecy told you, Jiraiya, would the path you walk be one you chose, or one chosen for you?"
"I—I am Lord Jiraiya! Of course I'll walk my own path!" Jiraiya roared defiantly, though his eyes betrayed his uncertainty.
"Tch!" Orochimaru scoffed. He wondered which fool would waste their life on a prophecy.
---
Sparring Match Begins
"Hey! What kind of look is that?!" Jiraiya growled, clenching his fists and stomping his feet in frustration.
"Do you want me to really say it?" Orochimaru smirked.
"You're the one making me angry!" Jiraiya snapped and lunged forward.
With uncanny speed, Orochimaru dodged his fist, grabbed his wrist with one hand and his arm with the other, and flung him over his shoulder.
"Damn it!" Jiraiya tumbled to the ground but quickly sprang back up.
"Is this all the training you got at Mount Myōboku?" Orochimaru taunted, pointing at him.
"I'll show you just how strong the genius Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke of really is!" Jiraiya retorted with determination.
With a dramatic flourish, he flung a shuriken and began forming hand seals.
"Fire Release?" Tsunade whispered, recognizing the sequence.
Orochimaru calmly held a kunai and intercepted the flying shuriken. "Fire Release?" he repeated with a knowing smirk.
"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!" Jiraiya barked, concentrating his chakra into a concentrated flame ball and spitting it toward Orochimaru.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!" Orochimaru responded, slamming his hand into the ground to raise a thick, jagged earth wall that blocked the burning projectile.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!" Orochimaru added, leaping over the earth barrier and forming five hand seals in rapid succession. A torrent of water burst from beneath the wall like a cascading waterfall, engulfing the flames and extinguishing them with a hiss.
Steam rose as the battle intensified. Tsunade, keenly observing, leapt onto a nearby tree to avoid the combat's splashes.
Orochimaru shook his head, throwing his kunai and charging toward Jiraiya, splashing through the water's edge.
So he had indeed mastered Water Release Ninjutsu!
---
Observation from Afar
Meanwhile, at the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the council watched the skirmish through a crystal sphere using Telescope Jutsu. It was less a battle and more a friendly contest between comrades.
Every move Jiraiya made showed growth. Was it the result of training at Mount Myōboku?
The exchange continued as Jiraiya's kicks clashed with Orochimaru's blocks, both launching bursts of water with each strike.
"Lord Jiraiya's training results are impressive!" Tsunade called out, proud of her friend's progress.
"Indeed…" Orochimaru's lips curled into a sly grin as lightning crackled ominously in the sky.
---
Lightning Release Unleashed
"Orochimaru… you…!"
Jiraiya's eyes widened when he noticed the lightning arcing from Orochimaru's fingertips toward the water swirling around them.
"Lightning Release: Five Finger Lightning Bullet!" Orochimaru shouted as sparks danced between his fingers. Dense lightning bolts shot from his hand like deadly projectiles, faster than the eye could follow.
The electricity struck the water surface and transmitted directly to Jiraiya's body.
"Aaaaaaaaah!" Jiraiya screamed as lightning coursed through him. His fur bristled, smoke rose from his skin, and he collapsed onto the ground.
"Ah! Jiraiya! Are you alright?!" Tsunade cried, leaping from the tree and rushing to his side.
"I'm fine! I'm not hurt!" Jiraiya assured her, though his body trembled from the shock.
Orochimaru crouched beside him, offering a hand. "It wasn't meant to kill you. It was only to test your strength."
---
Jiraiya's Vanity
"You're too much, Orochimaru!" Jiraiya grumbled, brushing his singed hair.
"My hair's ruined! No one in the village will want to get close to me now! Lord Jiraiya's image as a handsome and charming hero is destroyed!" He wailed dramatically.
It seemed as though his vanity was only heightened by his injuries.
Orochimaru struggled to suppress his laughter at the sight of Jiraiya's disheveled appearance.
His once-pristine white locks now looked as though they belonged to the "Funeral Lovers" clan. Anyone seeing him might mistake him for an elder calling out, "Brother!"
"Handsome and charming?" Orochimaru scoffed, barely containing his amusement. "That perverted old fool, handsome and charming?!"
Tsunade, overhearing Jiraiya's absurd complaints, scowled at him in disbelief.
"What do I know! My chest is as flat as Tea Street's alleys! But the pretty ladies love me!" Jiraiya continued, his eyes gleaming with delusional pride.
Before he could finish, Tsunade's face darkened, and she pummeled him with a swift punch.
With a dramatic whoosh, Jiraiya flew high into the air!
Orochimaru stared in amazement as his friend spiraled skyward, helpless to intervene.
---
The Perils of Lightning Release
Despite being repeatedly pummeled, Jiraiya learned nothing!
"Wha… Lightning Release Ninjutsu being improved?!" Jiraiya muttered in shock, his left cheek swollen from blows.
The realization dawned upon him: Tsunade's punches must be enhanced by Lightning Release Ninjutsu. His eyes widened in fear.
If she improved it further… what then?
His imagination spiraled into terror—what if a lightning-powered Tsunade became even more formidable, turning into a nightmare capable of destroying anyone in her path?
Cold sweat streamed down his face.
---
A Word of Warning
"Hmm? What are you thinking?" Tsunade asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously at Jiraiya.
"Nothing! Nothing at all!" Jiraiya stammered, raising his hands defensively and shaking his head.
---
Night Falls on the Senju Residence
That evening at the Senju residence, Tsunade's room was a chaotic mix of books, cushions, and personal effects. Two dice-shaped pillows were tossed carelessly on the bed, and stacks of heavy books lined her desk.
She was deep in study, working on a new technique to enhance her Lightning Release Ninjutsu. She wanted to understand which acupuncture points in the body would accelerate chakra flow and how stimulation of these points would affect the body.
Her ambition was clear: she aimed to create a lightning technique uniquely suited to her strengths—not merely a generic attack, but one that complemented her medical expertise.
---
A Visit from Uzumaki Mito
Just then, Uzumaki Mito entered quietly, noticing the clutter.
"Xiao Gang, still working so late?" she asked, surprised.
"I'm trying to refine my Lightning Release Ninjutsu," Tsunade replied enthusiastically. "I want to develop a technique that only someone skilled in Medical Ninjutsu like me could use!"
Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she explained her plan, eager to impress.
"That's the spirit, Xiao Gang! I believe you can do it," Mito encouraged, affectionately stroking her head.
Deep inside, she admired both Tsunade's drive and the genius of Orochimaru. She had never sensed darkness or malice in him—only intelligence and purpose.
Clearly, everyone's attention was on Tsunade tonight.
As the granddaughter of the First Hokage and a member of the Senju clan, her reputation was impeccable. Her fiery temper and extraordinary strength made her both feared and respected.
Among her peers, only Orochimaru dared to challenge her, and even that was in jest.
With a gentle smile, Mito refrained from disturbing her and quietly left the room.
---
Orochimaru's Thoughts
Under the pale moonlight filtering through the window, Orochimaru sat on the bed, cradling a glass box holding a white snake's shed skin.
"Luck and renewal?" he mused.
In this world, becoming stronger required interaction with Sage Mode. Accessing it demanded passing through the Three Great Sage Regions.
But perhaps… another path existed.
Hashirama Senju's Sage Mode had not been tied to those regions. He must have developed it himself. Given his mastery over Wood Release, accessing natural energy would have been easier.
Could it be that Hashirama's Sage Mode was connected to the Ashura lineage?
Orochimaru's eyes glimmered with ambition as he contemplated his next move.