Flowers bloom on two branches, each telling a different story.
The joys and sorrows of people, and of hidden villages, are not always shared.
No matter how much Uchiha Madara stirred up trouble in Kirigakure, those across the sea couldn't feel it.
Hiruzen and Konohagakure still had to go on living their lives as usual...
Half a month later.
Konoha Hospital.
Feeling the renewed vitality coursing through his body, Hanzō clenched and unclenched his fists again and again, still finding it hard to believe.
Even though Hiruzen had held back, Hanzō had assumed that after being thrown around like that, both his body and his strength would never be what they once were. Surviving alone would have been a blessing.
Still, Hanzō didn't think he had come out at a loss.
Being able to personally experience Hiruzen's overwhelming strength and sincerity toward cooperation had already made it worthwhile...
What he hadn't expected was that after undergoing what could only be described as a complete factory overhaul at Konoha Hospital, his physical condition had actually surpassed what it had been before the spar, approaching the peak he had reached during the Second Shinobi World War.
"Hiruzen..."
"How am I supposed to repay this?" Hanzō sighed.
During these past two weeks of surgery and recovery, ever since he had regained the ability to walk, he had spent his days wandering through every corner of Konoha.
Under Hiruzen's instructions, nobody stopped him. They openly allowed Hanzō to observe firsthand the lives of Konoha's shinobi in all their forms.
From genin to jōnin, from children to the elderly...
He was allowed to see everything exactly as it was, unfiltered and unembellished.
Whenever he encountered something he didn't understand, Hyūga Tenzō, the Konoha council member responsible for diplomatic affairs, would meet with him and explain it.
Because of this, Hiruzen increasingly felt that Hyūga Tenzō was a genuine talent.
He simply hadn't been used properly before. Making him head of the Hyūga Clan had truly been a waste.
If Tenzō could even reason successfully with a muscle-brained person like Nakamaro of the Kaguya Clan...
Then convincing someone like Hanzō, who had risen from humble beginnings to become the leader of a hidden village step by step, was naturally much easier.
"I used to think Hiruzen chose that secluded location because he was worried about losing our spar..."
"Looking at it now, that thought was laughable. He chose that hidden place entirely to preserve my dignity."
"If I possessed that kind of power, I definitely wouldn't have resisted using him to establish my authority. But Hiruzen didn't. He doesn't care about empty prestige. He considered everything from my perspective..."
Hanzō shook his head, his emotions difficult to put into words.
Forget the Konoha shinobi—even his own authority in Amegakure would have suffered a serious blow if the details of his defeat had become public knowledge.
The shinobi of Amegakure would naturally develop resistance toward cooperation as well, believing that the arrangement had been forced through intimidation and violence, even if Konoha's terms were generous.
"Hiruzen, if you treat me this way, I absolutely won't let myself owe you!"
Hanzō took a deep breath, his eyes growing solemn.
"Just watch what I do. Actions will speak for themselves."
At that moment—
A knock sounded on the door to Hanzō's hospital room.
Hiruko, Orochimaru, and Tsunade walked inside.
"Went out for another walk, did you? Didn't I tell you to rest quietly?"
Tsunade frowned and immediately scolded him.
"What if you ruin the treatment results? You've gotten quite comfortable calling my sensei your brother, but if something goes wrong, I'm the one who'll get blamed!"
"The sensei specifically reminded me multiple times to guarantee the effectiveness of your treatment. Are you deliberately trying to make me look bad?"
"If you don't want treatment, then don't get treated. Go find another village!"
Hiruko and Orochimaru both froze.
Wasn't Tsunade's temper a little too explosive?
The person standing before her was none other than Hanzō of the Salamander, leader of Amegakure!
Besides, he hadn't really done anything excessive. Given a powerhouse's physique, what was wrong with taking a few walks?
What Hiruko and Orochimaru didn't understand was that as a physician, the thing Tsunade hated most was patients who ignored medical instructions, regardless of their status or strength.
At its core, it was a sign of disrespect toward her work.
And because of her unique status and the way she'd been raised, Tsunade never felt the need to tolerate anyone. Unlike ordinary medical ninja, she didn't adjust her behavior according to a patient's rank.
Within Konoha...
Only Hiruzen and Mito could make Tsunade restrain herself.
As for everyone else—including Danzō, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura—it wouldn't surprise anyone if she grabbed them by the collar and shouted directly in their faces when her temper flared.
It was admittedly somewhat self-willed.
But given her respect for Hiruzen, her status, and the fact that she'd never caused any major problems in matters of importance, the Hokage had never bothered to rein her in.
In fact, someone who ignored political niceties and always spoke her mind served as a useful balancing factor among the village's various factions.
After all, who wouldn't fear spending months plotting some elaborate scheme, thinking they had successfully shifted all responsibility elsewhere, only to end up getting publicly chewed out by Tsunade anyway?
She was the kind of person who acted entirely according to her own convictions.
To Orochimaru and Hiruko's surprise—
Hanzō showed no anger whatsoever. Not even the slightest trace of displeasure.
Instead, he chuckled awkwardly.
"My apologies, my apologies. I've caused you trouble."
"I mainly wanted to see more of Konoha and observe the tangible manifestation of Hiruzen's Will of Fire. I got carried away and couldn't resist. Please forgive me."
At first, a sliver of irritation had instinctively surfaced within Hanzō.
But it vanished almost immediately.
After all, Tsunade had made herself perfectly clear.
She was worried that Hiruzen would blame her if he didn't receive proper treatment.
And besides, the vitality flowing through his body made it obvious that Tsunade had genuinely used top-tier medical resources on him.
Under those circumstances, being scolded a few times was only fair.
Tsunade blinked.
Honestly, she had already prepared herself for a fierce argument with Hanzō.
Given her personality, she responded to toughness with even more toughness.
But when Hanzō lowered his head so readily, she suddenly didn't know how to continue.
What an awkward situation...
"Enough."
"We're doing your final follow-up examination now to make sure the surgery didn't miss anything."
With a wave of her hand, Tsunade moved past the topic.
Interestingly, after scolding Hanzō a bit, much of her prejudice toward him had also faded.
Medical instruments were connected to Hanzō's body, and various readings began appearing.
Tsunade nodded slightly as she reviewed them.
"Not bad. You've recovered faster than I expected. That means both your body and your willpower are still at an excellent level."
In the shinobi world, the influence of willpower on the physical body was extremely apparent.
A person with a strong desire to live would achieve far better results from the same treatment than someone whose spirit had already collapsed.
"This is your treatment report."
"Take a look. I removed part of the original fluid from your poison sac. If you have any objections, tell me now."
Tsunade crossed her arms as she spoke.
Although Konoha had previously obtained some salamander toxin and developed an antidote from it, that was nothing compared to the original substance.
Tsunade had a hypothesis. One of the major obstacles in their Hashirama Cell research was finding a way to control and reduce the excessively vigorous life force contained within them.
Yin Release was one possible avenue, but Tsunade also wanted to experiment with biological toxins.
Hanzō took the report and examined it carefully.
"Emergency Non-Invasive Repair of Acute Injuries — Mystical Palm Technique."
"Comprehensive Restoration of the Skeletal, Muscular, and Fascial Systems — Cell Activation Technique."
"Deep Restoration of Internal Organs and Metabolic Systems — Cell Cloning Technology."
"Complete Reconstruction and Regenerative Repair of Poison Sac Structures — Cell Fusion Technique, Delicate Illness Extraction Technique."
"..."
Hanzō let out a long breath.
It was a little embarrassing, but he couldn't understand many of the technical terms.
The results, however, were easy enough to grasp.
Simply put, while Tsunade and the others had been treating his injuries, they had also refurbished his aging body in the process.
They had eliminated a large number of hidden ailments and chronic conditions.
Most notably, they had used Hiruko's heterologous cell fusion technology to completely integrate his salamander poison sac into his body, turning it into a true biological organ.
From this day forward, not only would he have perfect control over his poisonous mist, but he could also greatly enhance it with chakra, since he no longer had to worry about overuse causing the sac to rupture.
Hanzō slowly exhaled.
At that moment, he finally understood why he felt young again.
How was this merely treating injuries?
This was practically a rebirth!
"Konoha's medical technology has truly opened my eyes. I've never heard of anything like it..."
Hanzō said sincerely, "Calling it the recreation of life itself would not be an exaggeration."
Willpower was certainly important, but the body was also one of the greatest influences on a person's will.
When the body began to decline, the constant negative feedback it generated would inevitably wear down one's resolve, causing physical condition to deteriorate even further.
The Hanzō of the past had been a perfect example.
After the Shinobi World War, his body had never received proper care. His already unstable state of mind had gradually collapsed further, nearly transforming a hero of the shinobi world into a petty, narrow-minded man.
It was difficult not to feel a sense of regret over that.
"About this..."
"How much do I owe for all this? What do I need to do?" Hanzō thought for a moment before speaking quietly.
"As for the salamander poison, take as much as you need."
If it had been an ordinary treatment, he wouldn't even have considered paying.
But the results were simply too extraordinary.
It was obvious that enormous resources and rare secret techniques had been employed. In the shinobi world, this was the sort of opportunity that no amount of money could buy.
Money alone could never repay such a debt, but Hanzō had nothing else Konoha particularly needed. At the very least, he wanted to offer payment as a demonstration of his sincerity.
"You call my sensei your elder brother, so naturally he has to look after you as his younger brother."
Tsunade clicked her tongue.
"We're not charging you. Besides, the three of us working together isn't something that can be measured in money."
"You can discuss it with the sensei yourself."
Orochimaru smiled and added, "Hanzō-sama, if any issues arise with your body in the future, we provide post-operative support."
"The sensei specifically told me that your health is an important foundation for ensuring deep cooperation between Amegakure and Konoha. He told me to devote my full attention to it."
In truth, Hiruzen had never said such a thing.
But Orochimaru didn't think his teacher would mind.
Using the teacher's name to do things beneficial to Konoha—wasn't that exactly what the teacher did all the time?
One had to learn from example.
"That's right. Lord Hokage instructed us to spare no effort in applying the latest techniques."
"The fusion of your poison sac was personally handled by me. How does it feel?" Hiruko asked with a smile.
"Excellent. Truly excellent."
Hanzō rose to his feet.
With a solemn expression, he first extended his hand toward Orochimaru.
"You and I have had some unpleasant history between us, but that's all in the past now."
"From this day onward, both I, Hanzō, and Amegakure will be Konoha's most reliable companions and comrades-in-arms."
Orochimaru's grip tightened slightly.
"How could it have been unpleasant? It was precisely Hanzō-sama's timely lesson that allowed me to understand just how vast the shinobi world truly is."
"The techniques you've experienced today are, in a sense, an echo of the will and strength you demonstrated back then when they reached me."
"That only proves that cooperation between Amegakure and Konoha was destined from the very beginning."
Hanzō burst into laughter.
"Exactly! Exactly!"
"Those damned Sunagakure and Iwagakure deceived us, causing brothers to fight one another and take the wrong path. Fortunately, it's not too late to set things right."
Both Tsunade and Hiruko were somewhat surprised.
The way Orochimaru carried himself when speaking really did contain a trace of Hiruzen's style.
It could only be said that he truly lived up to being the Hokage's favored disciple.
"Thank you. Thank you."
Hanzō shook hands with Tsunade and Hiruko in turn before saying earnestly, "Let's work together more in the future. If there's ever anything I can do, don't hesitate to ask."
Orochimaru smiled inwardly.
The shinobi of Amegakure possessed few research materials worth coveting, but they were exceptionally good at obtaining information about such materials.
Because of its geographical position at the crossroads between the great nations and the smaller countries, Amegakure was one of the best-informed places in the shinobi world.
Still, Orochimaru didn't mention any of this to Hanzō.
He knew his teacher would make all the necessary arrangements.
He wasn't Hokage yet. There was no need for him to worry about so many things.
"Hanzō-sama, if there are no further issues, you should go speak with the sensei."
"He's been waiting for you to recover before finalizing the deep cooperation agreement between our villages," Orochimaru said softly.
Hanzō's expression turned serious.
"Then I'll go at once."
After bidding farewell to the three with several hurried nods, Hanzō immediately headed for the Hokage Tower.
"Wait a second..."
"Why did he shake your hand first?" Tsunade finally reacted, frowning, though her tone sounded more teasing than annoyed.
"Naturally because Orochimaru looks more like the next Hokage."
Hiruko, never one to miss an opportunity to stir up trouble, immediately fanned the flames.
Ever since realizing that preserving his current position was more important than constantly climbing higher, Hiruko's mindset had become much more relaxed.
He was no longer quite so sensitive about these things.
Kakuzu and Asuma—one a key figure directly under the Hokage, the other the Hokage's own son—had both developed increasingly close personal relationships with him, and their growth trajectories were visible to the naked eye.
There was also Hizashi, with whom he shared a mutual sense of respect and understanding.
And after spending time around determined and exceptionally talented Konoha shinobi such as Hizashi, Orochimaru, and Tsunade, Hiruko had no choice but to admit that the village was truly overflowing with talent.
Being able to hold his current position was already a stroke of great fortune.
"Hey, that's not how it works! I'm not giving up."
Tsunade spoke with unusual seriousness.
Orochimaru responded with a few absent-minded acknowledgments, clearly unconcerned.
Lately, he had been thinking...
Becoming Hokage was something he absolutely intended to do. After all, it had been his lifelong obsession.
But how long he would serve and what kind of Hokage he would be—that was another matter entirely.
If necessary, he could serve for a few years and then step down. It would even demonstrate his noble character, and afterward he could join his teacher in researching ninjutsu and enjoy a happy retirement.
The teacher still needs to stay in office for several more years... At least until the situation in the shinobi world stabilizes. War is certain to break out within the next few years...
Orochimaru pondered inwardly.
Konoha's rapid development will inevitably make the other hidden villages wary and anxious. Whether they act to interrupt Konoha's growth or simply to plunder its achievements, conflict is unavoidable...
Just like the battle with Hanzō.
"Oh, right. Have either of you received a letter from Jiraiya?"
Tsunade asked with a smile in her eyes.
"That idiot actually says he wants to challenge the sensei! He even said he wants all the village's shinobi to come watch and admire the magnificence of the Great Toad Sage."
Orochimaru and Hiruko exchanged glances and burst out laughing.
Both of them had received letters from Jiraiya as well.
During his training at Mount Myōboku, Jiraiya had secluded himself and trained diligently, but life had not been particularly pleasant.
Eating insect-based meals every day was one thing.
More importantly, while the village was advancing at a breathtaking pace, he, as a combat-oriented shinobi, wasn't useless—but he simply couldn't keep up with the research-focused direction Konoha had taken.
Falling behind was perfectly normal in itself.
The problem was that the primary contributors were Hiruko, Orochimaru, and Tsunade—his own teammates.
That left Jiraiya feeling extremely frustrated.
So his frequent letters served two purposes. On one hand, he genuinely wanted to show off and publicize the fact that his strength had reached a new level.
On the other, he wanted to maintain his bonds with his teacher and companions so that he wouldn't be left behind.
In a sense, he resembled a more cheerful and proactive version of Hiruko.
"Why tell him?"
"That idiot is obviously trying to reassure the sensei that there's no need to feel pressured, that his excellent disciple is ready to step up."
Orochimaru shook his head.
"But the sensei isn't old yet. And not only is he not old..."
Hiruko laughed.
"Perfect. I've always regretted never getting to witness Hokage-sama's combat prowess in person. Besides, now that medical chakra scrolls have been developed, having another volunteer for testing isn't a bad thing."
"I vote we don't tell Jiraiya. When the time comes, let's invite all the village council members and jōnin to watch."
Tsunade nodded in wholehearted agreement.
There was always a certain satisfaction in setting up one of your childhood friends.
"Then it's settled. None of us tells Jiraiya what the sensei's current strength is. On the contrary, we should encourage him to give it everything he's got. Didn't he say he wanted to become Hokage?"
Tsunade declared.
Hiruko swayed his head as he recited: "Orochimaru is devoted to scientific research; Jiraiya should take him as an example. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"
Although Hiruko was Jiraiya's friend,
the thought of the Hokage disciplining his student in front of everyone, establishing his authority while earning the admiration and cheers of the village's shinobi, seemed completely worth it.
As for Jiraiya...
Well, he could suffer a little.
Besides, he still had his writing career.