After two days of research within the Umbrella Organization, Lady Tsunade found herself frustrated.
Despite her progress, her study of the Hashirama Cells had reached a bottleneck.
No matter how she analyzed or cultivated them, something crucial seemed to be missing—something that eluded even her legendary medical intuition.
That lingering sense of incompleteness made her think of one person—Orochimaru.
If there was anyone in the Ninja World whose knowledge of Hashirama's cells could rival or even complement her own, it was him.
Without wasting a moment, Tsunade left the laboratory and made her way to Naruto's residence.
Inside, Naruto Uzumaki had just finished his morning meditation.
Over time, as his strength grew, he'd come to recognize one of his current weaknesses—spiritual power.
Though already immense, his spirit was still vulnerable against high-level Genjutsu, especially those of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
To overcome that flaw, Naruto had begun researching ways to strengthen his mental energy—perhaps through a Ninjutsu designed to enhance spiritual power directly.
There were known practices related to Yin Release, but they were unsystematic, scattered across secret clan archives and ancient scrolls.
Compared to that, Naruto's approach to spiritual cultivation through meditation and discipline was more structured—and under his principle of "Heaven Rewards Diligence," even slow progress was guaranteed.
Just as he was about to leave for the Sky City construction site, Tsunade appeared at his door.
"Oh, Tsunade, is something wrong?" Naruto greeted her warmly.
The Hokage glanced around at his mountain villa—a serene place surrounded by water and forest, an ideal retreat for someone like him.
But she wasn't here to admire the scenery.
"Naruto-kun, you should be able to contact Orochimaru, right?" Tsunade said directly.
"I've been studying my grandfather's cells, but something's missing. I can't shake the feeling that he's the one who can fill in that gap."
Naruto blinked, surprised. "You want to work with Orochimaru?"
Tsunade nodded.
"I know you've been in contact with him. He's studied my grandfather's cells for years. I want to conduct joint research. I've long since let go of my grudge. If this research can help you—and ultimately help bring back Grandfather and Second Grandfather—then it's worth it."
Her eyes softened slightly.
"In a way, it would be my contribution to them."
Naruto chuckled.
"Heh… I didn't expect you to say that. But yes, I've worked with him before. I'll contact him for you right now."
He pulled out his phone—a sleek piece of technology that had become commonplace within the Umbrella Organization—and dialed Orochimaru's number.
The phone rang twice before a familiar voice slithered through the receiver.
"Heh… Naruto-kun. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Orochimaru's tone was calm but curious.
At present, he maintained frequent exchanges of technology and data with the Umbrella Organization.
Although he still refused to formally join, his cooperation was so consistent that Naruto had long since stopped insisting. In his eyes, Orochimaru was already half a member of Umbrella.
In recent months, Orochimaru had been busier than ever. Having obtained Sage Mode cultivation methods from Naruto, he had successfully achieved a stable form of it—and even improved his Cursed Seal, reducing its corrosive effects while amplifying its power by nearly twenty percent.
It was a major leap in his experiments, one that filled him with excitement every single day.
"Orochimaru-kun, it's not me who needs you this time—it's Tsunade." Naruto said with a grin.
"Tsunade...?" Orochimaru's voice paused, a hint of intrigue slipping into his tone. "Now that's unexpected."
Naruto passed the phone to Tsunade. She hesitated for a moment—she'd nearly forgotten how convenient these new communication devices were compared to messenger toads or summoning scrolls. Then, taking the phone, she spoke firmly.
"Orochimaru, it's me."
A brief silence followed, then a quiet chuckle from the other end.
"Tsunade... what a surprise. To what do I owe the honor?"
"Orochimaru," she said, getting straight to the point.
"You've studied my grandfather's cells before. I want your cooperation in developing a serum capable of fusing the Uzumaki and Uchiha bloodlines. Together, we might finally achieve true cellular harmony."
For a moment, Orochimaru didn't reply. Then his pupils narrowed—sharply, almost trembling with excitement.
"Fuse Uzumaki and Uchiha...?" he murmured.
"Tsunade, even you... I never thought I'd hear that from you."
Tsunade remained silent, resolute. Her conviction spoke for itself.
Orochimaru finally let out a low, delighted laugh.
"Very well. I look forward to our cooperation. Let's see how far our combined genius can go."
His tone carried unmistakable excitement.
Naruto took the phone back with a small smile.
"Then it's settled. I'll have someone pick you up, Orochimaru. We'll prepare a full research lab for you."
Without delay, he ended the call and began issuing orders.
Moments later, he was on another line, contacting Umbrella's Air Force division.
Within hours, a transport craft was dispatched to Orochimaru's location.
A new era of research was about to begin—one that would blur the line between science and legend.
And for the first time in decades, the three Sannin would stand on the same side once more.
At that very moment an uninvited guest had already slipped into Konoha—Danzō Shimura. He had acted on information brought to him by Obito Uchiha, and then gone to work in secret.
Obito's tip proved true: many of Konoha's buildings hid explosive tags—surgically concealed, cleverly camouflaged, and placed long ago. They were not obvious; unless someone searched for them directly, they would remain invisible for years.
The Hyūga could not possibly keep the Byakugan active forever, scanning every roof and foundation. Clan estates—built and maintained by their own people—were largely free of such sabotage. But the civilian sectors of the village, the old structures and public buildings, were vulnerable.
When the news reached Lady Tsunade, fury flared through her. The idea that Konoha harbored dozens—perhaps hundreds—of hidden tag bombs was intolerable.
Before long she arrived in the village only to find Danzō standing openly with a handful of his remaining Root shinobi. The Root operatives moved like living weapons—eyes distant, faces blank—the result of years of Danzō's control and indoctrination.
"Danzō! What are you doing?!" Tsunade pushed past the crowd and fixed him with a glare.
Danzō's expression was cold and unrepentant. "What do I want? Do you still remember how you treated me?" he snapped. "I am the true future of Konoha. I—Danzō—have returned!"
His voice had a fanatic edge. "Konoha cannot survive without my leadership. Only I can make it strong."
Tsunade's jaw tightened. She could see the madness in his eyes.
"I'll say it plainly," Danzō continued. "Make me Hokage. Hand over the village's government. Refuse—and I will detonate these explosive tags. We will burn together."
In his hand he held a small device—no bigger than a pouch. A crude detonator, wired and keyed to the tags he'd hidden throughout the village. He'd fused timing and remote triggers with the explosive tags themselves: a single command and Konoha would become a battlefield.
Around them, villagers and shinobi froze. The air felt thin; the village itself—its homes, markets, and hidden alleys—seemed suddenly fragile.
Tsunade stepped forward, fury and calculation warring in her eyes. The stakes were clear. If Danzō pushed the button, countless lives—innocent and shinobi alike—would be lost. Konoha would be crippled.
But Danzō had misjudged Tsunade's temper. Beneath her calm there burned the will of a medical-nin and a leader who had never shied from sacrifice.
"Danzō," she said, voice low and lethal, "you do this and you will die a criminal. You will not lead Konoha—the village will survive because we will not be cowed by threats."
Root moved like a shadow ready to obey. Danzō's finger hovered near the detonator.
Somewhere in the crowd, the first sharp orders cut through the silence. The village's defenses were activating. Hands went to kunai, seals were formed—Konoha would not fall without a fight.
Danzō's lips curled. "Then we shall see," he said, and the detonator gleamed in his palm like a promise of ruin.
...
TN:
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