"What?" Tsunade and Jiraiya were shocked. Orochimaru's expression was smug, the corners of his mouth turned up in a slight, cruel smile. "How else do you think I defeated that old man? He may have been old, but he was still our master."
"How did you do it?" Tsunade asked, her voice urgent.
Jiraiya walked over to stand beside her. "I think… it must have been the Reanimation Jutsu."
"Reanimation?" Tsunade remembered the technique. It was an extremely dangerous forbidden jutsu invented by her own grand-uncle, Tobirama Senju. It used living people as sacrifices to summon immortal souls from the Pure Land.
"So that's it," Jiraiya said. "That's the method of resurrection Orochimaru was talking about."
"That's not resurrection!" Tsunade said angrily. "It's a desecration of the dead!" Her hatred for Orochimaru grew even deeper. Not only had he killed their sensei, but he had also used her grandfather and grand-uncle as his personal murder weapons. It was completely unforgivable.
"Desecration? Haha… How can this not be called resurrection?" Orochimaru shook his head. "To me, this is the most perfect ninjutsu. To make the dead immortal… it is simply art."
"Tsunade, don't you wish that Nawaki and Dan were standing before you right now, immortal, able to speak their minds to you?"
Hearing their names, Tsunade fell silent again, her expression filled with a deep, heart-wrenching sadness. "Honestly," she whispered, "I still hope to see them both again."
"I hope to touch their cheeks again, to see their smiles again…" Images of Nawaki and Dan flashed through her mind. "But, when I thought about seeing them both right now, the moment I felt that, I realized how sad it will feel and I don't want to disrespect the dead…"
"I'm truly a hopeless idiot!"
"So stupid that whenever I think of them, I suddenly lose all judgment!"
"You once told me that tangible things will eventually wither, but the fact that I care for them will never wither."
"I loved them very much, and I remember their dreams. They both wanted to become Hokage… and you killed the Third Hokage, the man they both respected. If they knew that their resurrection was because of you, they would surely not want to exist."
"So, I will never do such a thing! I've let it go. As long as I can think of them every day, that is enough! Whether they can be resurrected or not is no longer important!"
"…" After listening to Tsunade's words, Orochimaru sighed helplessly. "It seems our negotiations have broken down. There is no other way. I will simply have to come to you later."
"Later? Hmph!" Tsunade raised a hand to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes, a look of fierce determination replacing her sadness. "I'm afraid there is no later. You killed our master. Do you really think Jiraiya and I will just let you go?"
Orochimaru gloated, "I advise you to worry about your village. The Uchiha clan is wreaking havoc, and there are still the Sand and Sound ninja to deal with…"
Jiraiya flexed his wrists a few times and slowly walked to Tsunade's side. "So what? I believe Minato will handle everything. Today, I must get rid of you. You are too dangerous, Orochimaru!"
"Hahahaha, hahahahahahahaha…" Orochimaru threw his head back and laughed loudly. "Jiraiya, always the dead last. You don't actually think you can beat me just because I've lost the use of my hands, do you?"
"I… am very strong."