"Heh… have you ever heard of Shisui Town?"
"Huh? What's that?"
A moment ago, Toneri had been lost in quiet melancholy—but at the mention of something new, his attention snapped over instantly. Orochimaru smiled faintly.
"It's an interesting place. Located at the border of the Land of Fire, with roads leading in all directions. It's quite prosperous in this region. At night, it's brightly lit, and the night market runs until dawn. They say here, there's nothing you can't buy—only things you haven't thought of. Food, entertainment… it's famous even among neighboring countries."
"Whoa, seriously?! Orochimaru, let's stay there for a day before continuing!"
That was how it began.
And how they ended up crossing paths—by chance—in Shisui Town.
Thinking about it, though, it wasn't all that surprising. After being forcibly removed from her position by the Fire Daimyo, the Fifth Hokage being here made a certain kind of sense. After the chaos in Konoha—the so-called non-human uprising—Tsunade's position had become awkward. Even after Akatsuki gravely wounded Konoha, destroyed the Byakugan, and crushed the Hyuga clan, she couldn't simply return.
So she remained here, in a town filled with constant travelers, watching over Konoha from afar.
To think someone from our generation would end up like this…
Orochimaru set Toneri down. Dusk had already fallen, and the calls of street vendors echoed through the air. Toneri's eyes sparkled as he struggled to decide what to eat first.
And then—
Orochimaru saw her.
At a roadside table, drinking.
Tsunade.
And Tsunade saw him too—Orochimaru, arriving with a half-grown boy on his back.
They should have said long time no see.
Both of them.
But instead—
"Eh, Orochimaru, did you run into a friend?" Toneri asked.
"Not exactly," Orochimaru replied simply, ruffling the boy's hair.
From his sleeve, a small white snake slithered out and slipped into Toneri's robe. The cold sensation made the boy laugh.
"Hahaha! That tickles! What is that?"
"I'm heading to an inn shortly. If you don't want that, keep it with you. Otherwise, you'll be stuck eating the inn's tasteless dinner."
"I'll take it! I'll take it!!!"
Toneri was incredibly easy to persuade. The little snake curled comfortably against his chest.
Orochimaru chuckled, then handed him a bulging pouch.
"Each bill is worth fifty ryo. Don't let the vendors cheat you."
"Got it! I'm going to eat now!"
Without another word, Toneri ran off, following his nose toward the most tempting food.
Then—
Orochimaru turned.
And faced Tsunade.
She was drinking away her troubles.
The alcohol wasn't particularly good. The food was just simple grilled skewers. Orochimaru walked over and took an empty seat beside her. Shizune tried to stop him, but Tsunade didn't.
After that unspoken long time no see, Tsunade spoke again.
"Didn't expect you bastard… to actually succeed."
There was a faint flush on her cheeks. Orochimaru immediately understood what she meant.
This body of his—young, flawless, superior in every way.
He poured himself a cup of sake, not forgetting to refill hers as well.
"I'll spare you the details. But I'll take that as congratulations, Tsunade."
His voice was still hoarse, but the darkness that once lingered within it had faded.
Tsunade noticed his hands—whole, uninjured, as if they had never been damaged.
Of course… if he could break the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, getting his hands back would be nothing…
Damn it… everything about him is irritating.
She raised her cup and clinked it against his.
CLINK.
"Good drink," Orochimaru said, a hint of enjoyment on his face.
Tsunade smiled faintly.
"You never used to drink this kind of sake."
"Trying it once in a while isn't so bad."
He paused, then added,
"Aren't you going to ask where I came from?"
"Would you tell me?"
"Maybe."
Tsunade didn't ask where he came from.
Nor where he was going.
Instead, she asked,
"Did you cure that poison?"
Orochimaru smiled and shook his head. He picked up a grilled fish, carefully removing the bones.
"You have a successor. Unfortunately… she no longer belongs to Konoha."
Tsunade froze.
She lowered her gaze, drinking silently for a long time before asking,
"Is she doing well?"
"Both yes and no."
Tsunade frowned.
"Would it kill you to speak plainly?"
Orochimaru laughed softly.
"Tsunade… a few days ago, Otsutsuki Urashiki arrived in this world."
CRACK.
The cup in her hand shattered.
Orochimaru continued calmly.
"Akatsuki fought him. They killed him. And now… they're no longer in this world."
"What do you mean?"
"Pain—no, Uzumaki Nagato—has led Akatsuki into the Otsutsuki's world. They intend to eliminate the threat completely."
"They've lost their minds?! If they wanted to fight, it should've been here! Going into enemy territory like that—they'll die!"
"And then this world would become the battlefield," Orochimaru replied.
He didn't elaborate further.
"Tsunade… isn't that a good thing? Akatsuki has become a target for everyone. By leaving now, they avoid the storm. If they succeed, both problems are solved at once."
"Wait—Sakura… don't tell me she—"
"Yes. That surprised me as well. That child chose to go too."
"What kind of joke is that?! Why would he let her go?! She'll die!!!"
Her furious shout drew attention from nearby customers.
Orochimaru simply drank, unconcerned.
Tsunade grabbed him by the collar, eyes blazing.
"Bastard! Did you push her into this?! Sakura isn't stupid! She knows how dangerous this is! What did you do?! Were they forced?!!!"
Orochimaru remained calm.
"That child is no longer part of Konoha. If she dies, that's one less external threat for you, isn't it? At least you won't have to worry about—"
BOOM.
The ground shattered beneath her fist. The stall collapsed into ruins.
Tsunade's chakra surged violently.
"Damn you! Whether she belongs to Konoha or not, she's still my student! What are you trying to say, Orochimaru?!"
One raging.
One unmoved.
"Is that so? Then that's good," he said calmly. "She made this decision herself. Nagato originally intended to go only with Konan and Kita. The rest were meant to stay behind—to act as a safeguard if they failed."
"But everyone chose to go. Including her."
Tsunade… you truly have a worthy successor.
Orochimaru rarely explained things at length.
So when he did—
Tsunade realized something was off.
"Why are you telling me all this?"
Orochimaru smiled.
His goal had been achieved.
"At the Five Kage Summit, the decision was to deal with Akatsuki. If you tell them Akatsuki is no longer in this world… you might prevent a large-scale war."
"You? Care about war?" Tsunade scoffed.
Orochimaru answered seriously,
"Yes."
"For one reason only."
"I don't want everything we've done to be for nothing."
From helping Zaraki Kita… to aiding Toneri… to the exile of the Tailed Beasts—
He had been part of it all.
And I have no interest in watching a meaningless war unfold after all that effort…
"It would be like surviving a massive fire… only to drown on the way home," he added quietly.
"Akatsuki chose to fight in that world… so this one wouldn't become a battlefield."
He looked up at the setting sun.
Only a faint golden glow remained on the horizon.
Like dawn.
Tsunade… the fact that Jiraiya stopped me back the…that truly was a good thing.