Yesterday, Orochimaru was swindled out of a large sum of money and was also dragged by Tsunade to demonstrate a considerable amount of Medical Ninjutsu. Orochimaru, feeling some mental phantom pain, arrived at the Senju clan's territory at half-past five in the morning on the second day.
However, at this moment, he furrowed his brow. Four children were currently engaged in short-distance shuttle running, followed by Ninja Tool Throwing in a state of oxygen deficiency. Orochimaru admired this method.
What truly made Orochimaru frown was Tatsuma's running posture. Unlike the others, Tatsuma swung his arms naturally while running.
For any other ninja, Tatsuma's running style would be corrected. However, Orochimaru was different from other ninjas. He keenly noticed the benefits brought about by Tatsuma's peculiar running style.
The stability of the center of gravity was improved, allowing adjustments to the waist and abdomen at any time. Although his hands were slightly farther from the ninja tool pouch, making it inconvenient to retrieve tools at any moment, Orochimaru recognized the advantages.
Moreover, if Tatsuma runs with a Kunai or another weapon suitable for close-quarters combat already in his hands, his running posture with bent arms and hands mostly in front of his chest would be highly advantageous for blocking.
After all, from the chest and abdomen to the head, these areas are filled with vulnerabilities. When ninjas use Ninja Tool Throwing, they often target these vulnerable parts. If Tatsuma ran with his hands behind him, it would be slower to defend against attacks.
Frowning in contemplation, Orochimaru had already compared Tatsuma's running posture with the conventional one, considering numerous advantages and disadvantages. His conclusion was that Tatsuma's running style was more scientifically sound.
Unconsciously, Orochimaru's arms followed Tatsuma's bent-arm swinging motion as he ran. His hands instinctively simulated holding a weapon, speculating on how to block and counterattack.
"Are you having a seizure?"
Tsunade, who had been woken up early by Mito due to her sudden progress in training, looked at Orochimaru, who was standing in place swinging his arms and twisting his hips, with a weary expression, and spoke in a disdainful tone.
However, Orochimaru shook his head. He wasn't Jiraiya, and he wouldn't argue over such trivial matters. He turned back and said earnestly:
"Sakamoto Tatsuma is a genius."
"Everyone says that," Tsunade shrugged. She was curious about Tatsuma's growth, but at the moment, Tatsuma, in her eyes, wasn't particularly outstanding. Moreover, her perception of Tatsuma's talent subconsciously made her skeptical about his future.
Hearing Tsunade's somewhat indifferent tone, Orochimaru pursed his lips and said, "Tsunade, between Sakamoto Tatsuma and Minato Namikaze, whom would you choose as your disciple?"
"It doesn't matter; Jiraiya will be training them both anyway."
Tsunade, still not fully awake and appearing indifferent to everything, prompted Orochimaru to speak seriously, "Tsunade, as your teammate, I advise you to consider it carefully. Seize opportunities when necessary."
At these words, Tsunade, with sleepy eyes, opened them slightly wider and asked, "You have high hopes for Tatsuma?"
"The point is not whether I have high hopes; it's whether you do," Orochimaru replied. Tsunade raised an eyebrow and said, "Actually, Minato has better talent."
"Indeed, with Minato's talent, he might become the most outstanding ninja in people's perception. However, Tatsuma seems like the kind of person who can change people's perception of what a ninja is."
Hearing such a high evaluation of Tatsuma from her teammate, Tsunade made an effort to open her eyes wider. She looked at Tatsuma, who had an unusual running posture, then thought about Orochimaru's earlier peculiar behavior. Her brow furrowed.
After a while, Tsunade spoke, "Let's wait for Jiraiya to come back and ask for his opinion. After all, these two kids are his apprentices."
Orochimaru nodded and said, "It's up to you to decide. By the way, since you went out yesterday, did you master that Jutsu?"
Tsunade touched her forehead, sighed, and replied, "Mastered? It's not that simple. I just finally figured it out, that's all."
"To think it took you a year to master a Jutsu, I really want to see it in action," Orochimaru said with some emotion. However, he didn't notice that Tsunade suddenly felt a bit uneasy. After all, in the past year, she had spent most of her time idling, and the time she had truly dedicated to learning was not long.
Moreover, the Jutsu was not a conventional Ninjutsu and couldn't be directly witnessed in terms of its power.
Seeing Tsunade not responding, Orochimaru didn't press further. After all, asking Tsunade to abandon a year-long mission for a Jutsu that must be mastered was probably something classified.
It wouldn't be polite to inquire more. The fact that they were teammates meant that Orochimaru didn't mind. After a pause, he continued, "You'll be going on a mission soon."
"Because my ban was lifted?" Tsunade asked.
"Not just that." Orochimaru shook his head and continued, "Regarding the incident in the Land of Whirlpools, Sakumo-senpai has completely investigated it and cleared out some people. The villages involved are keeping quiet, but..."
"The individuals from the Wind Country involved in this incident are quite peculiar. Sakumo-senpai is waiting for sensei's confirmation. If action is indeed taken, it will inevitably lead to a serious friction between the Wind and Fire Nations. Chiyo from the Hidden Sand Village, she might come out of retirement because of this. You're the only one who can counter her poison."
Upon hearing this, Tsunade's residual drowsiness vanished, and she sat up straight. Chiyo from the Hidden Sand Village was not someone to be taken lightly.
In terms of using poison, Chiyo was undoubtedly one of the best in the entire ninja world. The only one who could be considered her equal in this regard might be Hanzo from the Hidden Rain Village.
If Chiyo were to come out of retirement and actively participate in the war, just thinking about it made Tsunade feel extremely challenged.
"Who does Sakumo-senpai want to kill?" Tsunade asked. Orochimaru remained silent for a moment, seemingly contemplating whether to reveal this classified information to Tsunade. After some thought, he spoke, "Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law."
"With Chiyo's position in the Hidden Sand Village, if her son and daughter-in-law are killed, it's probably not as simple as mere friction, right?"
"Well, friction is the most optimistic scenario. Small-scale wars or even large-scale wars at the level of nations could potentially erupt because of this."
Orochimaru nodded, and Tsunade turned her head, looking towards the place where her grandmother lived, and said, "Grandma probably doesn't know about this news yet, does she? What do you think Sarutobi-sensei's attitude will be?"
"Sarutobi-sensei will definitely support Sakumo-senpai's actions. He desperately needs victory. Even if Lady Mito has no intention of seeking revenge, Sarutobi-sensei will initiate it. Don't forget, these are Lady Mito's last few years. If we don't leverage the power of Lady Mito as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki now, the next opportunity might have to wait until Kushina grows up."
Orochimaru's tone carried a hint of helplessness. Listening to Orochimaru's analysis, Tsunade clenched her teeth. In the end, she could only sigh in resignation because she knew that her sensei needed a war to alleviate the tensions in the ninja world.
And her grandmother will surely agree with the village's decision for the sake of the village. No one loves this village more than her grandmother.
Even if unwilling in her heart, Mito will also, for the village's sake, agree to support the village's future in her final stages in life.
Mito naturally doesn't need to take action; she just needs to serve as a symbol. However, ultimately becoming the key to initiating the war is a bit regrettable for her at this stage of life.
Orochimaru glanced at Tsunade and then said, "Prepare yourself. I think the next time Jiraiya comes back, he will voluntarily bring up the issue of apprentices."
"I understand."
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