Time had passed for too long.
Some unimportant information had long been forgotten by Gensou.
He knew that Tsunade would become the Fifth Hokage of Konoha.
Jiraiya would take Naruto to find Tsunade.
But he didn't know exactly when, where, or how long it would take.
The original story only gave a brief account.
In reality, a single scene often spanned many days.
The name "Tanzaku Town" sounded familiar to Gensou, but it didn't leave a deep impression.
When the enthusiastic loan sharks assured him that their VIP client, the legendary big spender, was definitely in Tanzaku Town, Gensou nodded, asked for the exact location, and then left.
The loan sharks were about to breathe a sigh of relief when suddenly, a raging fire erupted from the back room.
"No!!!"
Flames engulfed everything.
The gamblers in the casino, caught up in their games, panicked and fled the burning building. Gensou, emerging from the chaos, glanced back at the smoke-filled casino.
Only dead men tell no tales.
He had learned this at a very young age.
To ensure none of his information leaked, killing a few loan sharks was a routine task for Gensou.
These weren't good people, anyway.
Not every gambler was Tsunade, with medical skills to pay off debts or enough strength to protect herself.
Most gamblers would be completely drained by loan sharks, their lives ruined.
Eliminating these scum and confiscating their ill-gotten gains seemed perfectly reasonable to Gensou.
Even though Edo Tensei bodies didn't need to eat or drink, and couldn't savor food or wine, planning for the future was still essential.
Money would always be needed.
Especially now that he was a lone wolf.
"Time to head to Tanzaku Town."
After confirming the location with a few more locals, Gensou donned a black cloak and set off quickly.
"Seven! Seven! Seven! Tsunade-sama! We won!!!"
In Tanzaku Town, amidst Shizune's joyful screams, the sound of coins pouring out of the slot machine continued.
"Again?"
Unlike Shizune's excitement, Tsunade frowned.
She knew what this meant.
The last time this happened, it was because of the old man's death.
She had chosen to ignore it then, burying herself in her own life.
She thought it was all in the past.
But now new troubles had come again.
Feeling uneasy, Tsunade stood up abruptly.
"Shizune, let's go!"
"Huh? Now? Tsunade-sama, we still have fifty million ryo in debt to repay."
Reluctant to leave, Shizune wanted to capitalize on their winning streak.
But seeing Tsunade walking away without a backward glance, she quickly gathered their winnings and followed.
However, despite their haste, someone else was faster.
Boom!
The walls of an ancient castle in Tanzaku Town suddenly collapsed.
Tsunade and Shizune turned to see a giant snake crashing through, its cold, emotionless eyes fixed on them.
Tsunade stopped, her bright brown eyes ignoring the snake and focusing on the two figures standing atop its head, especially one familiar man.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
The two figures leaped from the snake, landing in the alley, facing Tsunade and Shizune.
Sensing the tension, Shizune and even the pig, Tonton, instinctively prepared for battle. Noticing Shizune's movement, Kabuto adjusted his glasses, remaining vigilant.
It was Orochimaru's weakest moment, and he had to be cautious.
Only Tsunade and Orochimaru, the main parties involved, did nothing, silently staring at each
other for a long time.
Finally, Tsunade broke the silence with a cold tone:
"Long time no see, Orochimaru."
Orochimaru smiled, "I finally found you, Tsunade."
Tsunade snorted, "What do you want now? You can't be here for a reunion. Or maybe you want
to die, and need my help?"
Orochimaru shook his head, "I actually need your help."
Tsunade scrutinized Orochimaru.
"Your heartbeat is erratic, you look feverish, constantly exhausted, and those hands..."
As a medical expert, Tsunade quickly noticed Orochimaru's condition.
"You've probably figured it out," Orochimaru said, glancing at his bandaged hands, "I need
you to heal my arms."
Tsunade crossed her arms and refused without hesitation, "Find someone else. I'm not
treating anyone anymore."
Since developing hemophobia, Shizune had handled most treatments. Tsunade had rarely
used her own hands.
Especially now, with Orochimaru as the patient.
Tsunade had left Konoha but didn't mean she had no feelings for it.
Kabuto stepped forward, "That won't do. You should know how severe these injuries are. No
one can heal Orochimaru-sama's arms except the renowned medical expert, one of the
Legendary Sannin, Tsunade-sama."
Tsunade glanced at Kabuto and suddenly asked, "Orochimaru, your hands aren't just injured. There's a special curse mark on them. What did you do?"
"Nothing much," Orochimaru calmly replied, "I got this while killing the Third Hokage."
Instantly!
Shizune was shocked.
Tsunade's brows furrowed, fists clenched, "You bastard! You really..."
Before she could finish, Orochimaru's sneer interrupted.
"No need for such a scary face."
Orochimaru was indifferent.
"All things die eventually. People too."
"You should know this well. After all, your most beloved ones died in your arms, and you were
powerless."
"Such tragic deaths!"
Swoosh!
Hearing Orochimaru mock Tsunade's scars, Shizune couldn't hold back and attacked.
Kabuto stepped in to block.
After a few exchanges, Tsunade called them off.
Surprisingly, instead of anger, she wore a smile, seemingly seeing through everything:
"Orochimaru, you've always been this annoying."
Orochimaru tensed, becoming wary.
Knowing Tsunade's personality well, he knew she was up to something.
Sure enough.
One moment Tsunade was smiling, saying, "You should know my temperament. Don't mess
with me."
The next, she exploded.
Boom!
She punched behind her, shattering the thick wall. Looking up, her cold, murderous intent
replaced her smile, and she spoke word by word to Orochimaru:
"Be careful, I might kill you right now, Orochimaru!"