Tsunade's eyes flickered with sudden intensity, and Orochimaru's lips curled into a chilling smile.
He offered no further explanation. The more desperate she became, the calmer he grew.
"It seems my arrival has served as the perfect advertisement," he murmured.
Yui Xuanyue, who had noticed the change in Tsunade's expression as well, gave a quiet laugh. He raised his cracked hand, the mark of Edo Tensei, and spoke with a strange kind of reassurance.
"True, I lack the senses of the living… but conversation, companionship, love, even wandering the world together—those things remain possible."
As long as the caster does not seize control, he added silently. That truth, however, was best left unspoken.
After all, he and Tsunade shared no bond. If she truly chose to let Orochimaru bring back her brother and lover… then Xuanyue could only watch, amused. He almost wanted to see it happen.
Because of his very existence—proof that life after death was possible—Tsunade's resolve wavered all the more. Confusion clouded her eyes.
Shizune, ever the observer, grew restless. "Lady Tsunade…" she began, hoping to break through her hesitation, to remind her that Orochimaru's words were poison.
But Xuanyue's gaze shifted to her instead. "Shizune, isn't it?"
She froze, startled. That a figure of such mythic weight would know her name left her stunned. He was supposed to have come here for Tsunade, not her.
Xuanyue wasted no time. "I've heard Kato Dan was your only uncle. That means you inherited his legacy. The Reika no Jutsu—Spirit Transformation Technique—should be in your keeping, yes?"
"…Spirit Transformation?"
Shizune blinked, her thoughts scattering. Never had she imagined Yui Xuanyue, of all people, would seek her out for something so specific.
Before she could respond, the mention of Kato Dan snapped Tsunade back to her senses. She steadied Shizune with a hand on her shoulder, then turned a sharp, questioning gaze on Xuanyue.
"What's your purpose?"
"Simple." Xuanyue spread his hands casually. "I want the scroll of the Spirit Transformation Technique. In exchange, you may name any price. A jutsu, a bloodline limit, secrets of history, the downfall of your enemies—be they the Five Kage or otherwise. Name it, and I'll make it so. All I ask is that technique."
"Is that not a fair bargain?"
The offer was sincere, and even Orochimaru felt a flicker of temptation. But he could only sit quietly—he held no such scroll.
Tsunade frowned deeply. She hadn't expected such a proposal. The Spirit Transformation Technique was a formidable soul-based jutsu, but compared to what Xuanyue offered in return… the scales seemed absurdly tilted.
Bloodline limits alone—if Xuanyue truly passed down everything he knew—could give birth to entire new clans. Who wouldn't leap at such a trade?
And yet, Tsunade did not.
"For someone like you… Why would you need the Spirit Transformation Technique?"
She searched his face, suspicious. She had not forgotten what history recorded—that this very man had once stood against the Five Kage in the Valley of Fallen Gods, leaving one dead, another crippled, until her grandfather himself had to intervene.
Xuanyue's eyes lit faintly at her words, confirmation enough. "So it is in your hands after all."
He had not traveled in vain.
His tone softened. "Think of it as polishing a gem with another. Soul-based jutsu are rare, and I wish to study this one. Discovery and exploration of chakra—that is my greatest joy. Trust me, you'll be well rewarded."
"Lady Tsunade," Shizune whispered, hesitant.
The scroll was indeed hers, but the decision belonged to Tsunade. And though Xuanyue's words stirred something inside her, Shizune's instinct screamed caution. He was no ordinary man; he was a specter from another age, walking the living world through forbidden means.
Tsunade read the same doubt in her apprentice's eyes. With her own experience, she trusted Xuanyue even less.
"I refuse."
Her voice was firm, cutting through the air like steel.
Xuanyue's offer might have dazzled another. But Tsunade, the so-called Princess of Konoha, had no grand ambitions left. The life she desired was simple: casinos, taverns, fleeting days. Dreams of reshaping the shinobi world held no appeal.
And above all—trusting such a man was unthinkable. No matter how sweet the bargain, the safest answer was always refusal.
"…I see."
Xuanyue sighed lightly. The warmth in his expression faded away, his face returning to cold stillness. He had anticipated this outcome—it was Tsunade, after all, stubborn to her core. But he had wanted to try.
After all, if he forced her, she would resist until the end. And even if he won, the Spirit Transformation scroll would not be here. It would be hidden, sealed, far from her person. To kill her now would only mean leaving empty-handed.
"A shame," he said calmly. "I came here with genuine intent."
And though he made no move, though his chakra remained utterly still, a crushing pressure descended.
Yakushi Kabuto stiffened instantly, his breath catching. "So this… this is what it means to face a shinobi of the Warring States… so strong. He hasn't even done anything, and my body refuses to move…"
Beside him, Shizune felt the same weight, her heart hammering in her chest.
Only the two Sannin stood firm, veterans of countless battlefields.
Tsunade cracked her knuckles, unflinching, and lifted her chin to meet Xuanyue's eyes head-on.
"So what now?" she asked, her voice sharp as a blade. "I refuse you once, and your answer is to take it by force?"
(End of Chapter)