Hot Spring Inn
"Orochimaru, don't be mad. Look, it's so cold and rainy outside. I just wanted to stay… rest a bit in Tanzaku Street and return to Konoha tomorrow!"
Tsunade clasped her hands together, her bright brown eyes looking at Orochimaru pleadingly. She never dreamed that she would be caught by Orochimaru just for wanting to gamble a couple of rounds.
Could it be that something really happens every time I win a gamble?
Tsunade really didn't want to admit such a thing.
"Then I'll go back first. You can return to Konoha tomorrow."
Orochimaru remembered that he still had important experiments, and Tsunade's training in Shikkotsu Forest hadn't caused any problems. She might as well go back and conduct experiments.
"No!"
Tsunade hugged Orochimaru, her hands touching something. She instinctively squeezed it, and only realized what she had touched when she felt Orochimaru's body tremble.
"Eh? You've grown so much!"
Tsunade's eyes widened as if she had discovered a new continent, then she felt something was off. Her training in Shikkotsu Forest had only been about half a year at most, so Orochimaru couldn't have grown this much!
Don't underestimate her medical knowledge as a Medical Ninja!
"Are you really Orochimaru? You're not like Orochimaru's older sister, are you?"
Tsunade looked at Orochimaru suspiciously, still pinching him with her hands.
"Are you not letting go yet?"
Orochimaru's pale face flushed slightly. He suppressed the urge to hit Tsunade, who was still being flippant with her hands on his chest.
"Orochimaru, why did you suddenly grow so much?"
Tsunade's face flushed, and she hurriedly hugged Orochimaru's waist. She had only trained in Shikkotsu Forest for half a year, but Orochimaru's changes were those that would typically take two or three years.
"The training in Ryūchi Cave is different from the training in Shikkotsu Forest and Mount Myōboku."
Orochimaru looked at Tsunade, who hadn't changed much compared to half a year ago, and had even lost a lot of weight.
"It's you, on the other hand, who has lost a lot of weight."
Orochimaru remembered that the Slug Sage of Shikkotsu Forest was a very kind Sage. Katsuyu was merely a split body of it, essentially a part of the Slug Sage.
How could she have become so thin training beside such a Sage?
"Hehe, I've experienced Jiraiya's suffering…"
Tsunade revealed her signature smile, carefully scrutinizing Orochimaru, whom she hadn't seen in half a year, and noticed his significant changes.
"I reminded you to bring more food. With Jiraiya as a precedent, you just don't learn."
Orochimaru pinched Tsunade's cheek; her chubby little face had thinned out.
Before going to Ryūchi Cave for training, he had reminded Tsunade to bring more food and soldier pills.
Although the training method in Ryūchi Cave was a bit wild, the food was quite good compared to Mount Myōboku and Shikkotsu Forest. They ate wild delicacies. In another world, he would have already been given a pair of silver handcuffs and sent to pedal a sewing machine.
"I didn't think so~! Who knew the diet in Shikkotsu Forest was similar to Mount Myōboku's."
Tsunade thought about the food she ate in Shikkotsu Forest after finishing the provisions she brought, and fully understood Jiraiya's suffering in Mount Myōboku.
"So, have you learned Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode?"
Orochimaru was very curious about what Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode was like. Based on the Sage Mode of Mount Myōboku and Ryūchi Cave, if Tsunade truly mastered Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode, her body would likely develop Slug characteristics, such as antennae growing on her head and her skin secreting mucus.
The thought of Tsunade's eyes possibly turning into round Slug-like eyes… "Pfft—!"
Orochimaru covered his mouth, bursting into laughter at the thought of the changes Tsunade's body might undergo if she learned Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode.
"Orochimaru, what are you thinking about?!"
Tsunade put her hands on her hips, glaring at Orochimaru, feeling that he wasn't thinking anything good.
"Nothing, nothing. Have you learned Sage Mode?"
Orochimaru restrained the smile on his face and asked again.
"No! I didn't learn Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode. I don't want Slug characteristics to appear on my body."
Tsunade's face showed a look of horror at the thought of her entire body becoming slimy, and then at the thought of possibly turning into a Slug.
Even a slight Slug characteristic would be hard to accept!
So, Tsunade gave up Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode for this reason!
Then, what about Sakura Haruno in the original story?
Orochimaru thought of Sakura Haruno, who became Tsunade's disciple in the original story, learned Tsunade's monstrous strength, and signed a summoning contract with the Slug of Shikkotsu Forest.
I remember Sakura Haruno also cared a lot about her appearance… Orochimaru suddenly remembered this and had to admit that Tsunade and Sakura Haruno were indeed master and disciple; they made the same choice, abandoning the power of Sage Mode for beauty.
"What about you, Orochimaru? Have you learned Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode?"
Tsunade asked curiously. Orochimaru had just said he trained in Ryūchi Cave, and with his personality, it was impossible for him not to learn Sage Mode.
"This is Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode."
Orochimaru took two steps back to create distance from Tsunade. The Yin Seal on his abdomen, used to store Sage Chakra, released Sage Chakra. Orochimaru's body grew at a visible rate, two pairs of porcelain-white horns grew on the sides of his head, and a white snake tail fell to the ground with a thud.
"O… Orochimaru, this is Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode?!"
Tsunade looked at Orochimaru's transformation in shock, circled him, curiously touching the cool, smooth white snake tail, and then touched the porcelain-white horns.
"Orochimaru, can you drink alcohol now? You look 18 years old now!"
His chest has grown quite a bit… Tsunade looked at Orochimaru's chest, which had grown even more.
"Looking 18 doesn't mean being 18."
Orochimaru didn't expect Tsunade's focus to be there and couldn't help but sigh.
"Stop looking. You'll definitely grow up in the future."
Orochimaru saw Tsunade staring intently at his chest and pushed her cheek.
You will be called a "fat sheep" in the future, not just because you can lose money, but also because of your good figure.
"Really? I think so too. I'm just a late bloomer!"
Tsunade placed her hands on her chest, her eyes filled with hope for her future.
"I remember Jiraiya said that Sage Mode requires condensing Natural Energy to refine Sage Chakra. How did you do it, Orochimaru?"
Tsunade recalled Jiraiya once saying that entering Sage Mode required long periods of condensing Natural Energy to refine Sage Chakra, and maintaining stillness was necessary when condensing Natural Energy.
"Here."
Orochimaru lifted his clothes, revealing the Sealing Technique of the Yin Seal spreading outwards on his abdomen.
"This is… the Yin Seal?"
Tsunade recognized the Yin Seal on Orochimaru's abdomen. She gently stroked his abdomen, looking at the beautiful Sealing Technique on his pale skin. She felt an urge to kiss it, and this idea grew stronger and stronger.
"I improved the Yin Seal to store Sage Chakra. When you need to enter Sage Mode, just control the Yin Seal to release Sage Chakra… Alright, stop touching."
Orochimaru waved his hand to push away the hand that was stroking his abdomen.
"What's wrong with a little touch…"
Tsunade blew on her reddened hand, muttering unhappily. She couldn't believe she had just had the idea to kiss it.
It must be those forbidden books Orochimaru wrote that influenced me!
Tsunade blamed all of it on the forbidden books Orochimaru wrote.
"Tsunade, are you staying in Tanzaku Street until tomorrow, or coming back to Konoha with me?"
Orochimaru didn't want to waste time here.
"Will you come to the Casino with me, please?"
Tsunade shook Orochimaru's arm, whining, "Can we go back to Konoha together tomorrow? Please? The hot spring inn's accommodation fee has already been paid. It would be such a waste not to soak in the hot springs!"
"Sigh… Alright, we'll go back tomorrow. I still have very important experiments."
Orochimaru sighed helplessly, having no way to deal with Tsunade.
"No time to lose, let's go! We're going to win all the Casinos in Tanzaku Street!"
Tsunade pulled Orochimaru's hand, full of vigor and determination to dominate the Casinos. Anyway, with Orochimaru backing her, she wasn't afraid of losing too much.
You and I are going to slaughter them, huh… Orochimaru looked at Tsunade, who exuded the aura of a gambling god, unable to understand why she loved gambling so much.
He remembered Senju Hashirama taking Tsunade gambling when she was very young… If it weren't for fear of a bad influence, he would definitely give Senju Hashirama a good scolding at his grave if he had the chance.
On this day, all the gamblers in Tanzaku Street's Casinos ushered in their darkest hour. The overcast sky and the desolate rain seemed to be the most accurate reflection of their mood.
"Hehehe!"
Tsunade sat cross-legged without any decorum, a suitcase in front of her filled with money—all the money she and Orochimaru had won from the Casino, including the money from those who had gambled with her before. Seeing their faces turn green from losing was incredibly satisfying.
"I told you we could win all the Casinos in Tanzaku Street!"
Tsunade looked proudly at Orochimaru, who was changing clothes.
So that tail grows there… Tsunade looked at Orochimaru's figure and his pale skin, blushing, and then lowered her head to stare at the money in her hand.
Strange, why are you blushing?
Winning this little money, and you're still so excited?
Orochimaru suspected that Tsunade had already lost an unknown amount of money before he found her, otherwise she wouldn't be so excited.
"Tsunade, aren't you going to soak in the hot springs? If you're not going, I'm going first."
"I'm coming! Wait for me!"
Tsunade stuffed the money into the suitcase and hurriedly fumbled to take off her clothes.
"Ah ah… ah!"
Bang—!
Orochimaru looked at Tsunade, who had tripped over her shorts, raised a hand to his forehead. He couldn't even watch anymore and went over to help her change.
After Tsunade finished changing, Orochimaru keenly sensed an unfamiliar Chakra approaching. It was a very special kind of Chakra.
Is it a Ninja with a Bloodline Limit?
In Sage Mode, Orochimaru had sensed the Chakra of all Konoha Ninja. The Chakra of a Bloodline Limit Ninja was different from that of an ordinary Ninja.
"What's wrong?"
Tsunade noticed Orochimaru's unusual behavior.
Orochimaru put a finger to his lips, smiled slightly, and said, "Let's go soak in the hot springs."
"Okay."
Tsunade's eyes darted around, and she pulled Orochimaru's hand to go soak in the hot springs.
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