bookbashuk Chapter 199 Danzo stumbled upon Tsunade's good deed and wanted to join in.
Chapter 199 Danzo stumbled upon Tsunade's good deed and wanted to join in.
Chapter 199 Danzo stumbled upon Tsunade's good deed and wanted to join in.
Cold water droplets dripped slowly down the damp wall, making a clear ticking sound in the silent dungeon.
In a dark corner of the Amegakure dungeon, a slender figure sat quietly in the center of the cell, his golden vertical pupils gleaming slightly in the darkness. It was Orochimaru, who had been captured by the Akatsuki organization not long ago.
At this moment, Orochimaru was filled with confusion.
Several days have passed since he was imprisoned in the dungeon of Amegakure, and he feels as if he has been forgotten.
Apart from the day he was first imprisoned, when the Red Sand Demon used a puppet to mock and ridicule him, neither Pain, the leader, nor the Uchiha who had long held him back ever appeared again.
There was no interrogation, no questioning, and no punishment or torture.
It seems everyone has lost interest in this traitor.
He had considered being intimidated, threatened, and even subjected to various cruel forms of execution.
But to his surprise, he was ignored.
This feeling of being completely ignored was incredibly humiliating for the ever-arrogant Orochimaru.
As one of the "Three Legendary Sannin" who struck fear into the hearts of the entire ninja world, how could Orochimaru have ever been treated with such indifference?
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes, secretly lick his lips, and let out a low, cold laugh.
The sound echoed in the narrow cell.
However, all that answered him was the cold echo of water dripping from the corner of the wall.
Orochimaru looked up and stared at the only small window outside the cell, where the light filtering in through the window was dim and cold.
He judged that it was probably early morning, and a light drizzle was still falling outside.
Rain dripped incessantly down the windowsill, just like the endless rain curtain in the village outside.
Just then, a heavy scraping sound suddenly came from the quiet corridor.
The sound of metal scraping against the ground, like a "clattering" sound, came from afar and broke the deathly silence of the dungeon.
Orochimaru's pupils contracted upon hearing the sound, and a glint of excitement suddenly appeared in his previously half-closed eyes.
"They're here!"
He suddenly sat up straight on the ground, straining his ears to listen to the approaching footsteps.
The distinctive metallic clanging sound echoed in the empty corridor, reminding Orochimaru of a familiar figure.
Or rather, a familiar puppet of guilt.
"Hiryuko, ah, I really miss it."
Orochimaru chuckled softly, his voice carrying a chilling pleasure.
He had heard the mechanical sound of his old partner, Kubiruko, during his actions countless times.
Hearing that voice again now, he almost immediately concluded that the person was none other than Scorpion.
Before long, a tall, heavy figure came to a stop in the shadows outside the cell door.
In the dim light of day, one could see that the person was completely covered by a rough, heavy black cloak, with the brim of the cloak hanging low, revealing only the lower half of their face.
However, the sharp metal toes peeking out from under the cloak, and the strange bulges on his shoulders and back, clearly revealed his identity—he was none other than Jie's puppet, "Hiruko".
"Hmph, Orochimaru."
A hoarse, hostile voice emanated from within the puppet, demanding, "What exactly did you say to Payne?!"
Upon hearing this, Orochimaru, standing behind the cell door, raised an eyebrow slightly, but his face quickly revealed his usual mocking smile: "Oh? This is truly interesting?"
His tone was languid and light, and he didn't take the barbed questioning of the visitor to heart.
However, Orochimaru's mind was racing.
Since being captured, Payne has never shown his face, so how could he have had the opportunity to talk to him?
Orochimaru smiled inwardly upon hearing this, becoming even more certain of himself.
He squinted slightly, slowly stood up, and walked to the iron bars, peering through the rusty fence at the dark figure outside the gate.
"It seems—someone's expectations have been dashed."
Orochimaru spoke coldly, revealing a mocking smile.
Hiruko sneered hatefully, "Hmph! Don't get too cocky. This is Amegakure, you can't escape here! Sooner or later, you'll fall into my hands, Orochimaru—"
He practically squeezed the last few words out between his teeth.
With these harsh words, Fei Liuhu slowly turned around, the steel spikes scraping the ground with a piercing sound.
Orochimaru watched through the iron bars as Sasori controlled the puppet and drove away. The smile in his golden eyes gradually faded, replaced by deeper doubt and gloom.
Why is Payne not moving him?
Does Payne really intend to let him go like this?
"Impossible." Orochimaru's lips twitched. He closed his eyes, his thoughts returning to the scene when he first met Pain.
The orange-haired youth had an expression so cold that it seemed devoid of any emotion. His purple Rinnegan eyes were even colder and more unfathomable. Orochimaru never believed that such a person could be a soft-hearted person.
Orochimaru slowly opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them.
He had always liked to be in control, but now he was trapped in enemy territory, completely unaware of the situation around him. This feeling of being lost in the fog of uncertainty was truly infuriating.
"If only we could stay here."
At this thought, Orochimaru's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and he instantly realized: "Kabuto—where's Kabuto?!"
His thoughts flashed back to the battle a few days earlier.
At that time, in order to obtain Itachi Uchiha's Sharingan, he led Kabuto in a surprise attack on Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Uchiha.
Where did they go after I was captured?
In the dimly lit cell, Orochimaru's eyes flickered uncertainly.
the other side.
Konoha Village, Hokage's office.
Tsunade sat behind her large desk, buried in piles of documents, her brush flying across the files as she added her signature.
Beside her, Shizune held a chubby little pig in her arms while reviewing rolled-up documents, occasionally pointing out points that Tsunade needed to pay attention to.
As time went by, the official documents on the table were finally all processed.
Tsunade put down her pen, let out a long sigh, and stretched her stiff neck and wrists.
Recently, she has deliberately made her official duties very tight so that she can have enough free time to prepare medicine for Uchiha Itachi.
Jiraiya then told her that Itachi's body had fully recovered and he no longer needed her to spend time making medicine every day.
Tsunade, suddenly relieved, felt a little out of sorts and found herself with nothing to do for a while.
Tsunade leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes slightly to rest.
However, after a moment, her mind drifted elsewhere.
That mysterious and unpredictable dream world that has kept her awake at night recently.
Thinking of her dream, Tsunade recalled the scenes she had witnessed a few days ago.
In particular, the familiar boy's face in Orochimaru's dream still makes her tremble and unable to calm down.
Rope Tree —
The younger brother, who only existed in memories and nightmares, reappeared vividly in my dream!
Even though she was just watching through a screen, Tsunade could still clearly feel the wound on her chest that had been buried for many years being torn open and stitched up again. Pain and ecstasy were intertwined, and she could hardly control herself.
"I must enter that dream myself." Tsunade opened her eyes, a hint of determination and longing flashing in them.
She longed to get closer to Rope Tree, even if it was just to say one more word to him. Once this thought arose, it was hard to suppress.
Tsunade knew very well that she could not just wait idly; she needed to actively find a way to enter the dream world.
Oh, right, Naruto!
Jiraiya once told her about a rather important rule.
To enter that bizarre dream world, getting along well with Naruto Uzumaki seems to be one of the key conditions.
At the time, Tsunade was skeptical of this, but later events proved the credibility of this inference.
She remembered that shortly after returning to the village, she accepted Xiang as her disciple. Not long after, she unexpectedly appeared in the audience of a dream and personally experienced that strange movie-watching experience.
Therefore, looking back now, Tsunade has to admit that Jiraiya's guess made a lot of sense.
Perhaps if she can get Naruto closer to her and trust her more, she will be more likely to enter the dream the next time it opens.
Thinking of this, Tsunade could no longer sit still.
She suddenly stood up from her chair, her gaze fixed intently on the clear sky outside the window.
A moment later, she turned to Shizune and asked, "Shizune, is Naruto home at this time?"
Upon hearing this, Shizune recalled her schedule for the day and then nodded, replying, "Today is a day off, so there shouldn't be any missions. Naruto should be resting at home. Lady Tsunade, are you going to see him?"
"Yes." Tsunade nodded solemnly. "It's been a while since I've seen that kid, so I was thinking of going to see him."
Upon hearing this, Shizune smiled slightly and nodded knowingly, saying, "Okay. I'll get ready right away."
She knew in her heart that Lady Tsunade and Naruto had always had a good relationship, and it was common for her to visit her subordinates to offer her comfort when she had some free time.
However, Tsunade waved her hand to stop Shizune from retrieving the documents, adding in a deep voice, "Wait, don't go empty-handed. Bring a gift; we can't let that brat think I, as Hokage, am too stingy."
"Yes." Shizune paused for a moment, then smiled knowingly. "Lady Tsunade is right. I remember Naruto likes the chashu from Ichiraku Ramen, so how about we bring some ingredients?"
Tsunade smiled and nodded, "You can prepare whatever you want, as long as it's not alcohol. That child isn't an adult yet, we can't let him go astray."
As she spoke, she casually picked up her green coat from behind her desk, put it on, and straightened her collar.
"Alright, take your things, let's go now."
Shizune, holding the piglet, quickly packed up several portions of the nutritional potions and carefully selected ingredients to be given away, and then followed in Tsunade's footsteps.
The two people and the pig quickly left the Hokage Building and headed towards Naruto's residence in the village.
Meanwhile, in another secluded mansion in Konoha Village, in a dimly lit study.
Danzo Shimura closed the last scroll, slowly raised his head, and his eyes gleamed.
On the desk beside him lay a pile of scrolls, which were records related to Amegakure and Akatsuki that he had recently retrieved from the secret files of the Root organization.
After days of careful examination, Danzo's lips curled into an undisguised smile of satisfaction.
He hummed to himself, gathering the scrolls beside him one by one, a cold smile playing on his lips: "So that's how it is. I wasn't mistaken after all. The original 'Akatsuki' was nothing but a rabble, just a handful of kittens."
This information confirmed Danzo's inner judgment and made him even more confident.
He put down the scroll, walked slowly to the study window, and pushed the window open a crack.
A ray of morning light pierced the room, illuminating half of Danzo's aged face hidden beneath bandages.
He gazed at the bustling village outside the window and murmured, "Now everything is ready—only the east wind is lacking."
His eyes flashed with a cold light, but his thoughts were no longer in Konoha; instead, they drifted into that strange and unpredictable dream world.
Danzo raised a hand wrapped in bandages and slowly clenched it into a fist.
"Rinnegan—Hmph, a power even stronger than the Sharingan?" Danzo murmured to himself, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.
The last time he entered the dream world, he was unprepared and unable to fully unleash his potential.
But next time, I won't let the opportunity slip by so easily.
As long as he makes the first move, he can nip that so-called "lucky one with the Rinnegan" in the bud before he fully awakens his power!
At that time, the Rinnegan in his dream would naturally become his spoils of war, which he could use at will.
"As long as I possess those Rinnegan," Danzo's eyes flashed with fanatical light.
There was a time when he coveted the Sharingan and was even willing to pay a huge price to have it transplanted.
However, the Sharingan is ultimately just the power of the Uchiha clan, and it is far from being comparable to the Rinnegan, a legacy of the Sage of Six Paths.
If he can obtain and develop the Rinnegan and master its mysteries, his strength in dreams and even in reality will undergo a qualitative leap!
At that time, not only will Hiruzen Sarutobi be nothing but a clay chicken and a tile dog, but even Minato Namikaze will be nothing but a clay chicken and a tile dog!
A surge of excitement welled up inside Danzo, and he couldn't hide his emotions; a smile even appeared on his lips.
But the good times didn't last long. Before the smile had completely faded, Danzo's brows furrowed slightly. To truly realize all of this, a crucial prerequisite was still needed—the opportunity to enter the dream world.
Thinking of this, Danzo frowned slightly; he hadn't entered that dream much.
Perhaps we do need some external help.
He had also read quite a bit of the record about dreams that Kakashi had given to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Danzo narrowed his eyes.
He remembered the record that being on good terms with Naruto Uzumaki would grant access to the dream world.
As Danzo recalled those words, his one eye narrowed dangerously, and a smile gradually appeared on his aged face.
"It seems it's time to win over the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki—"
He lowered his voice and chuckled softly, turning to walk towards the cabinet next to his desk as he muttered to himself.
When it comes to brainwashing techniques, Danzo and Orochimaru are evenly matched.
He was the head of the "Root" organization, and had trained and brainwashed countless assassins and elite members of the secret service throughout his life. Dealing with a mere brat was naturally a piece of cake for him.
Danzo was brimming with confidence.
He reached into the drawer of the cabinet, rummaged around for a moment, and pulled one out from a pile of scrolls.
Danzo patted the seal mark on the scroll with satisfaction and tucked it into the wide sleeve of his kimono.
"Anyway, that nine-tailed brat is ignorant and has never seen anything truly good."
Danzo thought to himself, a mocking smile playing on his lips, "A technique of this level should be enough to make him grateful to tears."
Once everything was ready, Danzo grabbed his cane, which was leaning against the wall, and slowly left the study.
He straightened his clothes slightly and strode out of the main gate of the mansion.
The morning sun shone on Danzo, who squinted slightly, feeling quite pleased.
This time, he had a feeling that everything was under control.
When the dream opens again, he will surely be able to participate, unleash his full potential, and seize the Hokage position that belongs to him!
The neighborhood where Naruto lives is not far from the Hokage Building.
Before long, Tsunade and Shizune arrived at Naruto's house one after the other.
Jingyin bowed slightly, moved the little pig Tun Tun from her arms to her left arm, and gently knocked on the door with her right hand.
"Here it comes!"
A girl's clear voice came from inside the house, accompanied by light footsteps approaching.
A moment later, with a cry of surprise, the door opened a crack, and a pretty face wearing black-rimmed glasses peeked out.
When Xiang saw who was standing outside the door, she was stunned for a moment, then her eyes widened suddenly, and she excitedly pulled the door open completely: "Master!"
"Silent Sister! What brings you here?"
Behind the door, Kaori's bright red hair was particularly eye-catching, and her pretty face showed a surprised and flattered expression.
She was dressed in simple casual clothes, as if she had just finished cleaning at home, and she was wearing a light-colored apron around her neck.
When Tsunade and Shizune suddenly arrived, Kaori was both surprised and delighted. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she stood at the door, at a loss for what to do.
Tsunade looked her disciple up and down and nodded in satisfaction.
Especially when her gaze fell upon Xiang's smooth forehead, she couldn't help but smile with a mixture of surprise and relief: "Oh? Xiang, you already have the Yin Seal mark on your forehead?"
Xiang blushed upon hearing this, quickly raising her hand to touch the diamond-shaped dark line in the center of her forehead, and hurriedly said modestly, "Ah, this..."
It's just a faint imprint; I'm far from having fully mastered it. It's all thanks to Master's excellent teaching—"
She smiled shyly, and as she spoke, she discreetly covered the mark with her bangs, clearly a little embarrassed.
Tsunade chuckled upon hearing this, her face revealing undisguised satisfaction: "Don't be modest. It's already quite impressive that you've mastered the Yin Seal in such a short time."
She patted Xiang on the shoulder as she spoke, to show her encouragement.
Tsunade was surprised, but more than that, she was satisfied.
Indeed, Tsunade was very satisfied with her disciple, Kaori. Kaori not only had amazing talent in medical ninjutsu, but also understood the Yin Seal very quickly.
But thinking about it, it makes sense. Kaori herself has a very pure Uzumaki clan bloodline, and the Yin Seal is also a sealing technique from the Land of Whirlpools.
It's normal for people to get the hang of incense quickly.
Xiang's cheeks flushed, and she quickly waved her hands, saying, "Master, you flatter me too much—I, I will definitely work harder and live up to your expectations!"
As she spoke, she turned sideways and opened the door, "Please come in—"
"Mm." Tsunade nodded happily, then took a basket of carefully wrapped gifts from Shizune's arms and handed it to Xiang. "These are a few things I brought for you. Please put them away. Is Naruto home?"
Xiang accepted the basket of gifts with both hands.
"Naruto's home, Master, please come in." Kaori stepped aside to welcome Tsunade and Shizune into the entrance hall, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Master, what brings you here to see Naruto today? Has he gotten into trouble again?"
"No." Tsunade snorted, took off her boots and put on the indoor slippers that Xiang handed her. "I just happened to be passing by and wanted to take a look."
Xiang covered her mouth and chuckled. After closing the door, she led the two to the living room and said, "This morning, Kakashi-sensei was suddenly called away by Jiraiya-sama without any training assignments. Naruto spent half the day complaining about having nothing to do."
"What?" Tsunade paused slightly upon hearing this, turned around and frowned. "Jiraiya called Kakashi away? When did that happen?"
'
Xiang thought for a moment and said, "It must have been early this morning. I heard it from Naruto. He said that Kakashi-sensei had to go out unexpectedly and that Naruto and the others should rest today."
Upon hearing this, Tsunade gently bit her lower lip, a hint of seriousness flashing in her eyes.
Jiraiya, I just firmly rejected him yesterday, and today he can't wait to call Kakashi away—
Thinking of Jiraiya's expression after he rejected her yesterday.
It's obvious that he's still thinking about rescuing Orochimaru!
Tsunade felt a mix of emotions, both worried and angry.
She thought she had persuaded him yesterday, but it seems he hasn't given up at all.
"Lady Tsunade?" Shizune called out softly when she saw Tsunade standing absentmindedly at the living room door, her eyes filled with worry.
"It's nothing." Tsunade snapped out of her daze, suppressing the turmoil in her heart, and put on her usual cheerful smile again. "Let's ignore that guy for now. Let's go check on Naruto."
Xiang nodded, ran a few steps to the living room door, peeked out, and called out, "Naruto! Tsunade-sensei is here to see you!"
In the spacious and bright living room, Naruto was sprawled out on the sofa, his hands behind his head, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Upon hearing Xiang suddenly mention the words "Tsunade-sensei," Naruto was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly jumped up from the sofa.
"What? Granny Tsunade is here to see me?!" he exclaimed, rushing to the door without even putting on his shoes properly.
When Naruto actually saw the blonde female ninja standing by the door, he was certain he hadn't misheard.
He scratched the back of his head, looking puzzled, and went to greet her. "Grandma Tsunade, what brings you here?"
Grandma Tsunade is usually very busy with official duties, so how could she find time to come here?
However, to Naruto's surprise, Tsunade did not answer his question immediately.
She simply stood quietly in the entryway, a thoughtful expression on her face, as if her mind was elsewhere.
In fact, Tsunade was indeed somewhat distracted.
Ever since she heard that Jiraiya might lead people on his own, various worries had been swirling in her mind, and she had temporarily forgotten the original purpose of her trip.
Seeing this, Xiang and Jingyin exchanged a glance and neither of them made a sound to disturb them.
The atmosphere in the living room instantly fell silent, becoming somewhat awkward.
Just as the group was lost in their own thoughts and the atmosphere was heavy, an unfamiliar voice suddenly came from the living room doorway: "Oh? Tsunade, you're here too?"
The sudden appearance of this deep, hoarse voice startled all four people in the room.
Naruto turned and looked towards the gate.
Suddenly, a gaunt old man, his body wrapped in bandages, stood quietly at the door.
The old man was thin and tall, wearing a loose kimono. His right cheek was wrapped in bandages, revealing only a sinister-looking single eye.
He was leaning on a cane and slightly turned his head to look into the room.
Caught off guard by this bizarre attire, Naruto froze, exclaiming, "Who—who is this?"
Tsunade looked in the direction of the sound, and her already furrowed brows furrowed even more tightly.
She slowly took two steps forward, meeting the old man's gaze, and said in a deep voice, "Danzo? What are you doing here!"