svetikya Chapter 54 Returning to Konoha
Chapter 54 Returning to Konoha
"Lord Orochimaru, do you think Lady Tsunade will agree to your conditions and heal your arms?" Kabuto Yakushi asked.
At this moment, Orochimaru, standing next to Kabuto, looked rather haggard. He squinted and said, "Who knows?"
Suddenly, Orochimaru changed the subject, looking at Kabuto with a somewhat ambiguous expression and asking, "Kubuto, do you also think I should accept Zeref's treatment?"
Upon hearing this question, Kabuto Yakushi habitually pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting a white light that obscured the expression in his eyes.
Disguising his identity and hiding his emotions had long been an instinct for Kabuto Yakushi.
"Since Lord Orochimaru chose to seek help from Lady Tsunade instead of Lord Zeref, there must be a reason for it," Kabuto Yakushi said calmly.
Orochimaru chuckled: "You're quite cautious, Kabuto."
As he spoke, Orochimaru recalled the events after he was rescued from Konoha by Zeref.
On the day of the Konoha Crush, after Zeref took Orochimaru away from Konoha, he saw the Sound Four, who were too weak to join the battle after the collapse of the Four Purple Flame Realms and could only hide, not far from Konoha.
"Lord Orochimaru!" Upon seeing Orochimaru being supported by Zeref, whose weakened state was obvious to anyone, the Sound Four instinctively called out.
Upon seeing the Sound Four, Zeref loosened his grip on Orochimaru.
With his arms limp, Orochimaru was caught off guard and almost fell to the ground in front of his subordinates, completely losing face.
Orochimaru staggered and steadied himself, and the Sound Four, who were standing nearby, quickly helped him up.
Seeing Zeref's actions, Kidomaru was furious and rebuked him, "How dare you treat Lord Orochimaru like this!"
He then rushed forward to teach Jelf a lesson.
The Sound Four knew nothing about Zeref's situation, after all, their abilities were not enough to make them Orochimaru's confidants.
Just as Kidomaru was about to step forward, he met Zeref's calm black eyes. For some reason, his heart trembled, and he involuntarily paused, feeling inexplicably hesitant to go forward.
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes upon seeing this and said, "Come back, Kidomaru. You must treat Zeref with the same respect you show me, understand?"
The Sound Four were taken aback, staring in astonishment at Zeref, who looked like an ordinary boy, before bowing their heads and replying, "Yes, Lord Orochimaru!"
Now that they were temporarily out of danger, Orochimaru was finally able to ask his question: "I'm truly flattered, Lord Zeref. I thought you would continue to stand idly by in Konoha. After all,"
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed slightly, and his voice lowered: "After all, when facing the Grim Reaper, you ignored my pleas for help, didn't you?"
Zeref's lips curled up slightly, a faint smile without any warmth, and he said, "Well, I did hesitate for a moment, but after thinking about it, we might be the people who communicate the most smoothly in the ninja world, even though I find your little schemes disgusting."
Zeref's words were indeed sincere; Orochimaru's acceptance of magic was probably the highest in the entire ninja world.
Orochimaru naturally understood this as well, and his dissatisfaction with Zeref gradually dissipated at this moment.
Orochimaru chuckled softly and said, "Your choice is correct. I am definitely the person in the entire ninja world who understands your extraordinary talent the most."
Zeref looked at Orochimaru's arm and smiled enigmatically: "If you can't get help with your arm, you can come to me, if you don't mind paying a little for your freedom."
……
The recollection ended there. Orochimaru raised his head, looking at the birds flying in the sky, seemingly speaking to Kabuto Yakushi or to himself: "Once you reach out to a demon for help, it won't be so easy to break free."
The unknown risks of seeking help from Zeref were too great. Orochimaru had already witnessed a glimpse of the strangeness of magic on the day of the Konoha Crush.
This is also why he came to find Tsunade instead of directly seeking help from Zeref.
Unless it is absolutely necessary, Orochimaru would never put his life in Zeref's hands!
He had a gut feeling that once he actually let Zeref help heal his hands, he would probably never be able to escape Zeref's control again!
……
Tsunade ultimately resisted the temptation of the Impure World Reincarnation technique, and even directly confronted Orochimaru with swords.
The legendary Sannin of Konoha, who once supported each other, can no longer see the camaraderie they once shared.
"Spiritual communication!"
Three voices rang out simultaneously, and Gamabunta, Slug, and Manda appeared at the same time.
When Gamabunta, who had been summoned, appeared, he glanced around warily. Only after noticing a certain nightmarish shadow did he secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
The last time Acnologia was so powerful that it was quite frightened. The huge scar on its stomach, which was almost pierced by Acnologia, was left behind.
Looking at Manda, Gamabunta even showed a hint of affection in his eyes. Manda is great! It doesn't have claws, it's not that strong, its scales aren't that tough, and it can't fly. It's really great!
So, a battle where the forces are evenly matched is what's interesting! Gamabunta thought to himself.
Disgusted by Gamabunta's inexplicable gaze, Manda flicked its tongue fiercely and said, "What are you looking at! I'll swallow you, you toad, right now!"
Having said that, he quickly moved forward, attempting to entangle Gamabunta.
The battle has officially begun!
……
Afterwards, a series of events occurred, including the battle between the three legendary Sannin of Konoha, Naruto risking his life to fight the enemy, and Tsunade overcoming her hemophobia.
The final result was that Orochimaru's negotiations with Tsunade completely broke down, and he was ultimately defeated and forced to retreat. Tsunade agreed to become Hokage and returned to Konoha with Jiraiya and Naruto.
Just like when he came to find Tsunade, Naruto carried his own bag and had the Nine-Tails on his head. The difference was that, compared to his excitement when he left the village, he now only wanted to fly back to Konoha immediately.
"I'm telling you guys, hurry up! Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei are waiting for Tsunade to save them! And there's also the injured boy with thick eyebrows!"
Seeing Tsunade and Jiraiya walking slowly side by side behind him, Naruto ran ahead and shouted loudly in dissatisfaction.
"That noisy brat!" Tsunade's forehead twitched.
Seeing Tsunade's clenched fists, Jiraiya broke out in a cold sweat. He quickly chuckled and said, "Aren't we on our way? Naruto, don't worry too much. Tsunade will be able to heal Sasuke and Kakashi's injuries once we get back."
Seeing that Naruto had stopped babbling on, Jiraiya finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After all, Tsunade might not necessarily beat Naruto when she gets angry, but she definitely will! Jiraiya thought to himself, tears welling up in his eyes.
The Nine-Tails perched on top of Naruto's head, leisurely stretching out its claws. It was becoming more and more accustomed to this position on Naruto's head.
Kurama ruffled Naruto's hair and asked, "Hey kid, did you pack up all those pastries? They're flavors that no one in Konoha has ever tried before. Take them back for Mavis to try."
Naruto quickly patted the strap of his luggage and replied with a smile, "Don't worry, Kurama, I brought everything. Mavis will be very happy to see it!"
Indeed, after spending this time together, Naruto's relationship with Kurama improved significantly, and Kurama finally allowed Naruto to learn its name—Kurama.
Seeing Kurama and Naruto getting along harmoniously, Jiraiya was greatly pleased and watched the conversation between the two with a faint smile.
Tsunade glanced at Jiraiya beside her and asked, "It seems that Naruto and Kurama have a good relationship with that girl from another world named Mavis?"
“Yes,” Jiraiya replied, “Naruto does seem to get along quite well with Mavis, and as for the Nine-Tails… well, this form is also because of Mavis.”
Tsunade looked at Naruto's figure ahead and suddenly said, "Naruto told me that you used to think Mavis was his half-sister?"
Jiraiya, caught off guard by Tsunade's words, slipped and nearly fell.
That brat Naruto! Didn't I tell you not to bring this up again?!
Jiraiya glanced resentfully at the oblivious Naruto ahead.
Tsunade glared at Jiraiya with annoyance, crossed her arms and snorted coldly, "Luckily, Kushina doesn't know about this, otherwise, you and Minato would probably be lucky to get your arms and legs broken."
The image of Kushina Uzumaki's red hair fluttering wildly in her rage flashed through Jiraiya's mind, and a bead of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
After the joke, Tsunade asked seriously, "Is that Mavis really trustworthy?"
Now that she has agreed to become the Hokage of Konoha, she will naturally take on the responsibilities that belong to the Hokage.
Jiraiya also put away his nonchalant expression and replied seriously, "If you ask for my opinion, in my opinion, Mavis is trustworthy. If it weren't for her, I simply can't imagine what Konoha would have become under the battle between Acnologia and the Nine-Tails."
Upon hearing Jiraiya's approval of Mavis, Tsunade's expression relaxed slightly.
After all, they had been companions for many years, and she knew very well that although Jiraiya was unreliable in many ways, he was still very dependable when it came to serious matters.
Since Jiraiya had such a high opinion of Mavis, Tsunade was basically at ease about Mavis's feelings.
As they approached Konoha, Naruto, who was walking ahead, spotted Mavis and Sakura Haruno, who had received advance notice and were waiting at the entrance of Konoha. He immediately ran over excitedly.
"Sakura, Mavis, I've brought Grandma Tsunade back!"
"You're finally back! That's great, Naruto!" Sakura was also excited to see Naruto.
Compared to the excited Sakura, Mavis was more composed. She smiled and stepped forward, saying, "Welcome back, Naruto, and Mr. Nine-Tails."
With her arms slightly outstretched, Mavis caught the Nine-Tails as it leaped down from Naruto's head. She cradled the Nine-Tails close to her cheek, feeling its soft, warm fur, and couldn't help but rub it against her.
Then Mavis couldn't help but lift up the Nine-Tailed Fox and spin it around: "I missed you so much, Mr. Nine-Tailed Fox! You must have had a long journey; you seem to have lost weight. I'll treat you to lots of desserts to make up for it~"
Jiraiya and Tsunade, who had just arrived, heard Mavis's words as soon as they got there. Looking at the Nine-Tails' glossy fur and round body, the two fell silent.
"Is this the secret to Mavis's good relationship with Kurama? Impressive, Mavis." This was Jiraiya's thoughtful remark.
"This child's ability to lie through her teeth is remarkable; she has potential!" This was Tsunade's first impression of Mavis upon their first meeting.
Compared to Mavis, who was having an intimate conversation with Kurama, Sakura noticed the two who arrived after Naruto more quickly.
She knows Jiraiya-sama, so the other female ninja whose aura is comparable to Jiraiya-sama must be Tsunade-sama, right?
Sakura looked at Tsunade, who appeared exceptionally young and beautiful, and wondered about her age with some uncertainty.
Tsunade, sensing Sakura's scrutinizing gaze, met Sakura's eyes and saw Sakura's startled look followed by an instinctive avert.
Having made her judgment, she turned her gaze back to Mavis, who was holding the Nine-Tails, and thought with certainty: This is Mavis.
Having finally finished speaking with Kurama, Mavis hugged Kurama in her arms and greeted Jiraiya with a smile: "It's been a long time, Mr. Jiraiya."
Then she turned to Tsunade and introduced herself: "Hello, my name is Mavis, you must be Miss Tsunade, it's nice to meet you."
Tsunade, who seemed a little intrigued by the title "Miss Tsunade," raised an eyebrow and said, "You look even younger than I expected, little girl."
Naruto, who was standing to the side, finally couldn't hold back any longer and urged, "Grandma Tsunade, hurry up and go to the hospital to see Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei! Stop dawdling!"
Tsunade, who had been urged by Naruto countless times along the way, waved her hand impatiently: "I know, I know."
With that, they walked straight into Konoha. Sakura's eyes lit up when she heard this, and she followed Tsunade and Naruto towards Konoha Hospital.
Mavis and Jiraiya followed side by side behind Tsunade and her group.
Jiraiya looked at Kurama, who was lying obediently in Mavis's arms, and couldn't help but sigh, "You and Kurama have such a good relationship."
After hearing Jiraiya's words, Mavis patted Kurama's back and said, "Kurama is actually very easy to talk to. It's just that you have too many prejudices against it. Kurama can feel your rejection and hatred."
Just now, Kurama also told Mavis his name, making Mavis the second human after Naruto to be allowed by Kurama to call him by his name directly.
Hearing Mavis's words, Jiraiya felt a mix of emotions. He was speechless for a moment, then opened his mouth and explained weakly, "The Nine-Tails' power is simply too great for humans..."
Nine-Tailed Fox wagged its tail in a bad mood after hearing this. It had already felt the fear humans had instilled in it deeply enough. It was so tired of hearing these kinds of words that it was practically calloused.
Hearing this, Mavis stopped in her tracks, turned to look directly at Jiraiya, and said seriously, "Is it wrong to say that great power is a mistake? It only proves that Kurama is a powerful and beautiful being!"
Seeing Jiraiya's somewhat silent expression, Mavis continued solemnly, "I strongly condemn this cruel act of sealing Kurama into Naruto's body simply because Kurama is powerful! If I ever have the chance to see Mr. Senju Hashirama again in the future, I will make him apologize to Kurama!"