"You definitely need a comfortable bath to relax after a tiring day!"
"You can say that again. Man, that..."
Steam rose gently from the women's bathhouse, curling in soft spirals as the women inside chatted about everything and anything. Their laughter and idle conversation floated through the thick, humid air until finally, it was the men's turn to unwind.
"Orochimaru is so powerful!" one of the younger ninjas exclaimed.
"I've been training at Mount Myōboku for ages," another added, "but I still can't match his strength."
Outside the bathhouse, crouched by the entrance to the women's side, Jiraiya listened intently. His mind replayed the day's battle over and over. He had believed his training progress would finally impress Tsunade and Orochimaru, but it seemed he still had a long way to go.
"Fat Frog! I'll train even harder after this mission!" Jiraiya muttered to himself, clenching his fists with determination.
Suddenly, he heard a woman's shout.
"Who's there!"
"Kyaaaah! A pervert!"
"Kyaaaah! A lecher!"
Jiraiya's ears reddened in panic.
"Oh no! That's bad!" he exclaimed.
Without waiting another second, he bolted away, slipping and tripping as he fled. Moments later, the bathhouse doors burst open and a group of furious women stormed outside, armed with buckets, ladles, and whatever they could grab as weapons.
---
Far to the southwest of the Land of Fire lay Tanzaku Street, a bustling entertainment district brimming with casinos, hotels, and nightlife venues. It was also notorious as a place where ninja often broke the Three Prohibitions—drinking, gambling, and associating with women.
Tanzaku Castle stood proudly at its center, a cultural heritage site said to have a long and storied past. Many visitors came to see the castle, though few stayed long enough to resist the temptations of the street.
While returning to Konoha after a mission to destroy a bandit group on the borderlands, Orochimaru witnessed something amusing. Jiraiya, his old friend, had snuck into a hotel using his Transformation Jutsu.
But that wasn't all.
He was immediately dragged into a casino by none other than Tsunade, who had a well-known gambling addiction.
As expected, Tsunade lost everything within minutes. Meanwhile, Orochimaru, merely playing for fun, won a fortune so vast that others began to suspect foul play.
They checked his hands, inspected his dice, and even searched his clothing—but no evidence of cheating was found.
Eventually, they gave up.
"I... I lost again..." Tsunade sighed as she stumbled out of the casino, kicking a stone in frustration.
Orochimaru smirked as he counted his winnings. "Don't forget to call me next time," he teased cheerfully.
She glared at him but could say nothing.
Just then, someone nearby froze mid-motion. A tall figure wearing a mask, his eyes sharp and red-rimmed, stared directly at Orochimaru.
It was Kakuzu.
Why was he here?
Was he hunting a prize target on the black market?
The sight of Kakuzu triggered a storm of theories in Orochimaru's mind.
Meanwhile, Tsunade's rage boiled over.
"Orochimaru! You truly ate my gambling luck! Give it back!" she shouted, clutching her dice tightly and lunging toward him.
"What does my bad luck have to do with you... wait, I can't breathe..." Orochimaru squeaked, his pale face flushing deep red as she grabbed him.
"Doesn't matter. Half the money you won is mine!" Tsunade declared, her hands firmly planted on her hips.
Orochimaru blinked, pretending to think it over. After a pause, he shrugged.
"Sounds fair," he replied with a mischievous grin.
He scooped half his winnings aside and handed it to her.
Kakuzu, standing nearby, narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Are you really willing to share it with me?" he asked softly, as if unsure.
Tsunade glanced at the money, rolling her eyes. "What? You don't want it? Fine, I'll take it back," she said, teasing him.
At this, Orochimaru reached for the money again.
"Who said I don't want it!" Tsunade snapped, yanking it from his hand.
Satisfied, she stuffed the cash into her worn-out wallet and muttered with a smirk, "Let's go find that pervert Jiraiya."
Grinding her teeth, she stalked off, already dreading the search.
Orochimaru chuckled, nodding in agreement as they set off down the street together.
---
"Gentlemen, how could you harass such a lovely lady?" Jiraiya's voice rang out excitedly from inside the hotel.
"Oh no..." Tsunade and Orochimaru exchanged awkward glances, horrified.
From inside the hotel room, Jiraiya's exuberant cries continued.
"Ah!"
The two froze mid-step.
Then they both simultaneously heard him scream.
"Y-you there! You!"
Bursting into the room, Jiraiya's face—once confident and cheerful—had twisted into horror. He stood speechless, staring at the scene before him.
There she was—his dear Tsunade—holding a small leather whip in one hand. Next to her stood a strange man covered in whip marks from head to toe, dangling awkwardly like some grotesque puppet.
Jiraiya's imagination had completely failed him.
"Who let you in here?!" the whip-wielding woman hissed, cracking the whip in the air.
"Waaah!" Jiraiya screamed in shock and stumbled back.
After the chaos subsided, Jiraiya, bruised and swollen, trudged behind Tsunade and Orochimaru, grumbling bitterly.
"What is this?! Some kind of sick game? The adult world is so filthy!" he growled.
Tsunade and Orochimaru could only stare, speechless at the absurdity of the situation.
---
Back at Orochimaru's home, things had changed. New equipment for making soldier pills and shelves filled with medicinal supplies had been added, making the space look far more advanced than before.
"Improvements in the soldier pill formula are yielding results," Orochimaru explained as he placed a bag of pills on the table. "But further enhancements are still necessary. Compared with current formulations, the perfected soldier pill will increase effects and reduce side effects. In missions and battles, reducing side effects is crucial. This is a test product."
A Root ninja bowed. "Yes, I will report your words to Lord Danzo."
Danzo Shimura, Orochimaru's angel investor, had to be kept informed.
"Please also tell Lord Danzo that I need to purchase more medicinal materials to fully refine the soldier pill formula."
"Yes."
The Root ninja saluted and disappeared into the shadows.
Watching him go, Orochimaru picked up one of the newly crafted soldier pills, popped it into his mouth, and bit down hard.
Almost instantly, he felt changes ripple through his body.
His mind surged with excitement as his stamina and chakra replenished rapidly. The effects were twice as potent as ordinary soldier pills, while the side effects were only half as severe.
Improving the current formula was no challenge for Orochimaru. By using his Shadow Clones for research, he doubled his speed and refined the formula within days.
The books Danzo had sent him proved incredibly useful. Not only had he perfected the formula, but he also enhanced the taste without reducing its effectiveness.
If he continued his research, he could even develop a version that boosted certain abilities, transforming the pills into a popular tonic embraced by men across the land.
Of course, he had reasons not to hand over the finished product directly to Danzo.
If he gave it away, how would he secure further funding?
Slow and steady wins the race.
Danzo wanted to claim the credit for Orochimaru's breakthroughs, using them to boost his own reputation. Orochimaru would not make that mistake.
---
Zero Training Field – Underground Base
"Excellent."
Danzo Shimura beamed with pride after listening to his subordinate's report on the perfected soldier pill.
Knowing that ninja relied heavily on such pills, he imagined how revolutionary the new formula would be for the village.
Every ninja and even the villagers of Konoha would remember him.
"I, Danzo Shimura! It was I who financed the development of this new soldier pill! Without me, this wouldn't have happened!"
The thought of how much popularity he could gain—and perhaps even position himself as the next Hokage—made him suppress a grin as hard as he could.
The corners of his mouth twitched awkwardly, and his face contorted in ways even an AK-47 couldn't match. He forced a smile to hide his excitement from the others.
Still, he knew he might need Orochimaru's abilities in the future, even if the young ninja hadn't officially joined Root.
Danzo chose to play the role of an old well, a keeper of secrets, waiting for the right time to strike.
---
Chapter 27 – Unique Ninja Tools
Konoha was a prosperous town, built within a natural fortress formed by forests and rocky cliffs. In appearance, it resembled more a thriving settlement than a typical ninja village.
As Orochimaru left the Hokage building and walked down the busy street, he paused.
Had it been more than a year?
He touched an electric pole by the roadside, feeling a strange sense of disconnection—as if he didn't belong.
Though he lived there, he felt alien, like a traveler far from home.
His memories extended only a few years back; his babyhood was too blurred to recall.
Though his soul was whole, the memories he carried paled compared to the vast decades of experience in another life.
When it came to being a ninja, Orochimaru thought of himself merely as a hired hand.
If a mission didn't pay enough, he wouldn't send himself to die over it.
Failure or cowardice in completing tasks—what nonsense!
If he had to endure such humiliations, he'd rather insert a Rasengan into the backside of the Six Paths Sage!
To Orochimaru, the relationship between Konoha and the Land of Fire felt transactional—no different from mercenaries and employers.
The Land of Fire funded Konoha to train ninjas, and Konoha safeguarded the territory.
The Daimyo's right to nominate a Hokage meant the Daimyo could recommend a candidate, and villagers would vote accordingly.
Still, he chuckled to himself. "I guess I'm just lazy. When I get lazy, I think of stupid things."
Quickening his pace, Orochimaru soon spotted a boy wearing a distinctive green tracksuit with thick eyebrows—a striking figure among the crowd.
"Maito Dai?"
Might Guy's father?
Still in the Ninja Academy?
A traditional suit passed down through generations?
Orochimaru immediately looked away, wary of the oddity, and headed toward Ninja Tool Street, hoping to buy steel wire that matched his chakra.
Even slight differences in material could affect compatibility with a ninja's chakra.
Green vests weren't seen in Konoha anymore.
In the original timeline, vests were standard for Chunin and above, appearing officially before the Third Shinobi World War.
During the Second World War, armor was used instead.
Ninja Tool Street bustled with shops selling all kinds of equipment—from kunai and shuriken to chain sickles, chakra knives, and other commonly used weapons.
Exploding tags, smoke bombs, and flash bombs were essential in every ninja's arsenal.
Orochimaru clutched a scroll, eyes fixed on the exorbitant prices.
Even though Danzo funded him generously, purchasing specialized scrolls crafted from chakra-retaining paper still made his heart ache.
Expensive. Way too expensive!
No wonder everyone thought Tenten was wealthy. Who else could afford such loads of equipment?
Smiling at the shopkeeper, he purchased two scrolls and then spent his money on 100 meters of steel wire, 10 exploding tags, 5 smoke bombs, 20 kunai, and 50 shuriken.
Though it seemed a lot, the steel wire was actually just a compact roll—perfect for traps or enhancing ninjutsu.
The shopkeeper's smile was warm.
"Thank you for shopping with us! We appreciate your patronage."
"Come again next time!"
Their modest attitude and friendly service ensured that customers kept returning despite stiff competition.
After gathering his equipment, Orochimaru spread the items on the table and asked, "Shopkeeper, how long would it take to customize these parts?"
The man examined the strange shapes on the plans.
Some resembled blowgun darts, but curiously had threads inside.
"And what's this for?" he asked, intrigued.