In the forest, Tsunade held the Remains Bag, looked at Hinata who had returned to her original appearance beside her, and asked directly.
"When did you change? By the time I noticed something was wrong, you were already in Orochimaru's form?"
"Mm." Hinata nodded calmly, her white eyes clear and cool under the moonlight.
"I changed when I sensed a large amount of Chakra gathering in the distance, forming an encirclement."
"Encirclement?" Tsunade's brow furrowed, and she immediately sensed her surroundings alertly, but at this moment, there was only the silent forest.
"Just now... besides the Old Man and Jiraiya, were there others?"
"Yes, quite a few, including Anbu Jonin," Hinata said with certainty.
Tsunade's expression darkened slightly. Because she was emotionally agitated and focused on the matter at hand, she indeed hadn't had the spare mind to observe her surroundings.
"Since they had it surrounded, why didn't they act? The Old Man just now..." She remembered the Third Hokage's final weary sigh and his words of letting them pass.
Hinata glanced at her. Tsunade didn't know what was happening in the Village and likely thought she had already been labeled a Rogue Ninja.
"Because Konoha currently has no official statement to the outside world. You haven't been listed as a Rogue Ninja, and the outside world still thinks you're serving as an Advisor in the Village."
"Oh? Why is that?" Tsunade frowned.
"Probably because of internal and external troubles. Besides, you were just invited back to the Village and immediately ran off to Orochimaru's place. How would they explain that? You're making Konoha Village lose a lot of Face like this, hahahaha~"
Tsunade:... "...Forget it, we still have business to do. Let's go back." Tsunade shook her head, wanting to laugh but unable to.
Hinata agreed and then extended her arm toward Tsunade.
Tsunade did not hesitate; freeing one hand, she firmly grabbed Hinata's forearm.
The two figures instantly vanished from the forest without a trace, leaving only the night wind brushing through the empty woodland... Inside Orochimaru's base.
Space rippled slightly, and the figures of Tsunade and Hinata appeared out of thin air.
The slight discomfort from the teleportation quickly faded. Tsunade first confirmed that the bag in her arms was safe before surveying the familiar yet strange environment of the base.
"We're here," she said briefly, her voice sounding exceptionally clear in the silent secret room.
She walked toward a large platform in the center of the room and extremely gently placed the two bags side by side on it, as if handling fragile treasures.
After finishing this action, her straight back seemed to relax for a moment, but her eyes remained firmly locked on the cloth bags.
"It seems the mission went smoothly." Orochimaru stepped out from the shadows, his golden snake pupils sweeping over the platform before looking at Tsunade. "No major trouble?"
"There was trouble, but it's resolved." Tsunade was concise, her eyes burning as she stared at Orochimaru. "Cut the chatter. I've brought the things back. When can we start?"
Orochimaru's gaze first swept over the bags on the platform, then lingered on Tsunade and Hinata for a moment, his lips curling into a half-smile.
Tsunade turned to look at Orochimaru, skipping the pleasantries and getting straight to the point.
"What's next?"
Orochimaru walked to the side of the platform but didn't rashly touch the bags, only observing them carefully.
"Your emotions are better controlled than expected. I thought you'd need some time to calm down, or perhaps rest for a bit."
"There's no need for that." Tsunade denied flatly, her eyes sharp and determined. All weak emotions seemed to have been forced into the deepest depths of her eyes, leaving only a burning obsession.
"Every second delayed is a waste. Tell me, what needs to be prepared, and when can we start?"
Orochimaru wasn't surprised by her urgency and gave a low chuckle.
"Everything has been prepared long ago. We can start anytime."
He paused and looked at Tsunade: "Are you sure you don't need to rest first? Start once you've adjusted to your best state."
"I said, no need." Tsunade repeated without hesitation, her fingers curling unconsciously.
"I'm in a very good state right now."
Orochimaru shrugged. "Suit yourself. Then, if you're ready, we can go to the Main Laboratory now. The Materials are all ready. We still need to extract information from the remains to create the bodies. Are you sure you don't need to catch your breath? State is very important."
"I've waited long enough." Tsunade was resolute, her eyes filled with unwavering determination. "Start now."
Just then, Hinata, who was standing to the side, spoke calmly, interrupting the conversation that was about to go deeper: "In that case, there's nothing left for me to do. I'll take my leave."
As soon as she finished speaking, her figure vanished.
Tsunade and Orochimaru glanced at each other.
"Is she always this mysterious? Her current abilities are probably unmatched in the entire Ninja World."
"Mm, she's always been like this." Orochimaru was used to it.
"Her strength is unfathomable, her goals are clear, and her actions are efficient. She never wastes time on pointless observation. Compared to watching us tinker with Forbidden Jutsu here, she clearly has her own matters to attend to."
Tsunade snorted and didn't ask further. All her thoughts were now on the bags before her and the upcoming Forbidden Jutsu. "Let's begin."
"As you wish." Orochimaru turned and signaled for Tsunade to follow.
The sound of their conversation faded as their footsteps went deeper into the corridor... Hinata had already returned to her own home.
She took a bath to remove the dirt and the smell of disinfectant from her body, then changed into slippers and loungewear. As she passed by her Clone's side, she glanced over and sensed the progress.
"Not bad. At this rate, I'll be able to use up this batch of Materials within a week. By then, I should be able to make something decent, right? As for Alchemy, planting in the Spirit Fields also takes time, so I can only practice my skills for now and make some ordinary Medicinal Pills..."
Hinata muttered a few words. With nothing special left to do, she went back to her bedroom and lay on the bed, her mind quickly replaying the night's events before sleepiness soon washed over her...
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