Obito's mission scroll is in his own ninja pouch. Itachi and Kabuto Yakushi are both in Konoha right now.
And Naruto's mission scroll is in Orochimaru's hands.
So where did this spatial–temporal ninjutsu fluctuation come from when a new mission was issued?!
"You all go back and wait for me," Minato Namikaze said curtly, having Kakashi take Naruto, Sasuke, Obito, and Young Kakashi back first.
He followed the direction of that chakra and vanished with a Body Flicker.
When Naruto and the others returned to the guesthouse, they found that Sakura and Rin had just gotten back as well. The two girls had been doing well lately with mission pay and were carrying bags and boxes full of purchases.
...
At the same time, Jiraiya was lounging in a pleasure house in Tanzaku Quarters, attended by two beautiful women. He was clearly in a state of indulgent bliss, long past caring what day it was.
Meanwhile, the gambling-addicted Princess Tsunade was deep in a shop along Gamblers' Alley, fully living up to her reputation as the "Legendary Sucker," throwing money around without restraint…
She had lost the entire afternoon, without a single win.
Shizune was completely numb.
"T-Tsunade-sama, shouldn't we head back now?" All the money is gone! If this keeps up, we'll end up losing—
people, pigs, everything!
She hugged Tonton while trembling, terrified that one day both she and the pig would be sold off as gambling collateral.
Tsunade slammed her palm down violently. Her fair, slender fingers were painted with red nail polish, each strike full of temper.
"So annoying! Keep betting! Go big!!"
"In that case, I'll bet small~"
A voice suddenly sounded behind her, hoarse and slick with an unsettling chill. Tsunade instantly dropped her reckless gambler's expression, her eyes sharpening with danger.
"What are you doing here?" Tsunade's face twisted. "Orochimaru…"
"Not going to gamble a round first? We were comrades who went through life and death together, after all~"
"Shut up! Don't forget you're a rogue ninja, Orochimaru!"
"Fine. Either way, you've never beaten anyone at gambling."
Boom!
Tsunade's punch came down—and the wall of the gambling den cracked open.
The gamblers who had been boldly crowding around her just moments ago instantly wilted, scrambling to flee in all directions.
This time, Orochimaru appeared in his true form, dressed far more neatly than before.
At his side stood Kimimaro, utterly devoid of self. If Orochimaru gave the order, he would fight to the death—whether against the Fourth Kazekage or Tsunade, one of the Sannin.
"Say it! What do you want?!" Veins bulged across Tsunade's smooth forehead.
Her temper was bad to begin with, and losing this much money only made it worse.
Orochimaru took a case from Kimimaro and opened it in front of her.
Inside, neatly arranged, were bars of pure gold. Even a rough estimate put it at the equivalent of more than ten S-rank mission rewards.
Tsunade, who had just lost everything, only glanced at it and showed no reaction at all.
"You think I care about this? You really don't understand me at all, Orochimaru." Still, seeing his actions, she could already guess he had something to ask.
Orochimaru never cared about sentiment. He always acted for profit, and he especially enjoyed exploiting people's weaknesses.
Sure enough, when money failed to move her, Orochimaru decisively closed the case, returned it to Kimimaro, and shifted the topic—to something that was absolutely forbidden to Tsunade.
"Everyone dies sooner or later. You understand that better than anyone, Tsunade."
"After all…"
He deliberately dragged out the words.
"The deaths of Dan Katō and Nawaki affected you deeply, didn't they?"
"Bastard!"
Shizune glanced at Tsunade beside her. Unable to hold back her anger, she launched an attack at Orochimaru. Throwing back her kimono sleeve, she activated her hidden weapon, sending several poison-free surgical needles flying straight at him.
In that instant, a mass of white material burst from the right arm of the youth standing beside Orochimaru. The needles struck it with sharp clinks and all fell harmlessly to the ground.
"This is…" Shizune stared closely at the white substance that had suddenly burst from the youth's right arm and shoulder. "Bone?!"
She was completely stunned. Human bones could be manipulated so freely?!
Just who was this person following Orochimaru?!
Her first strike failed, and Shizune immediately tried to press the attack.
"Calm down, Shizune!"
At Tsunade's command, Shizune lunged toward Kimimaro, but the scalpel in her hand shattered as it struck the bone protruding from his chest. At the same time, a sharp bone spike extended toward her throat, stopping less than a palm's breadth from killing her.
Kimimaro remained expressionless the entire time, his gaze cold as he looked down at her.
Only then did Shizune realize she was no match for the young man before her. Standing on the brink of death, she gasped for breath, her chest heaving.
Arriving via Body Flicker Technique, Minato Namikaze happened to witness this scene. The Flying Thunder God kunai in his hand nearly left his grip.
At that moment, everyone was still inside the casino. Minato stood along the second-floor corridor, with a clear view overlooking Tsunade and Orochimaru facing off below.
He watched as Tsunade slowly stood up and brushed the wrinkles from her clothes.
One of the legendary Sannin, Slug Princess Tsunade still bore the appearance of a woman in her prime. She smiled faintly, her expression deceptively gentle.
"Orochimaru, you've always been like this… You know my temper very well, don't you? Don't toy with me~"
Tsunade, granddaughter of Senju Hashirama, one of the Sannin, possibly the strongest Medical-nin alive, a stunning beauty with monstrous strength, a violent temper, and a habit of throwing punches before words…
That was the image of Tsunade Minato had gotten from Jiraiya.
Sensing danger on instinct, Minato used the Body Flicker Technique to move onto the roof tiles above.
Almost at the same time, the entire building beneath his feet began to shake violently, teetering on the verge of collapse.
It lasted less than three seconds.
From a distant rooftop, Minato watched as the entire gambling house was reduced to rubble.
People from nearby gambling dens came rushing out, cursing as they tried to see what had happened. The moment they saw an impossibly beautiful woman destroy a gambling hall with a single punch, they instantly fell silent and hurriedly scooped up their money before fleeing.
Standing at a distance, Minato heard a furious roar rise from within the settling dust.
"I'll kill you!"
Moments later, as the dust cleared, it was exactly as Jiraiya had described. Tsunade-sama had smashed the entire gambling house with a single blow.
...
"Don't be so impatient, Tsunade," Orochimaru said with a playful laugh.
Tsunade clearly had no interest in talking. She stated flatly, "Leave my sight within five seconds, or I'll make you disappear here."
A sticky chuckle followed.
"So quick to anger. You really haven't changed."
"Five…"
"Aren't you even going to hear what I want to entrust to you, or the conditions I'm willing to offer?"
"Four…"
Standing beside Orochimaru, Kimimaro had never imagined anyone could treat him with such disrespect, much less a woman. What astonished him even more was that Orochimaru-sama seemed unusually tolerant toward her.
One of the legendary Sannin, said to rival Orochimaru-sama himself. That she looked this young was surely no coincidence.
Kimimaro didn't know Orochimaru-sama's purpose for coming here. But as Orochimaru-sama's subordinate, his tool, he believed there was no need to know too much. As long as Orochimaru-sama still required him, obedience was all that mattered.
After Tsunade finished counting down to four, Orochimaru showed no sign of urgency. Instead, he fixed his snake-like eyes directly on her.
…
"Three…"
"Two…"
Kimimaro and Shizune were already fully prepared for battle.
"One…"
A clash between the three Sannin was about to erupt!
At that very last second.
Orochimaru curled his lips into a sinister smile.
"I can bring Dan and Nawaki back to life. Are you really not going to reconsider, Tsunade?"
"!!!!"
Revive?!
The first thing Minato Namikaze thought of was intelligence from the early days of Konoha's founding.
The true methods to revive Izuna Uchiha—
Tobirama Senju's Edo Tensei, and Madara Uchiha's Outer Path: Reincarnation!
He quietly suppressed his presence, fixing his gaze on Orochimaru.
Minato pondered inwardly whether Orochimaru truly possessed either of those methods.
Madara's Rinnegan was highly unlikely, which meant he must have learned the Second Hokage's Edo Tensei…
Strictly speaking, that wouldn't count as true resurrection at all, but rather a sleight of words meant to deceive Tsunade-sama.
"Well? Tsunade, this condition should be tempting enough, shouldn't it?"
"When you say resurrection, you mean…"
"Having them stand before you once more. Dan and Nawaki, loving you just as they did before."
Tsunade fell silent for a long time.
"What is your goal?"
"I need you to help cure this child." Orochimaru shifted slightly to the side, revealing Kimimaro beside him.
Kimimaro froze.
This was the strongest reaction he had shown since arriving here.
"Orochimaru-sama?!"
He had never imagined that Orochimaru-sama had come here to negotiate with Tsunade for the sake of treating his illness.
At the same time, Minato Namikaze was also stunned.
Not because of Orochimaru's words.
But because of the boy named Kimimaro…
Why did his voice sound exactly the same as his own?