"..."
Hearing Orochimaru's sudden statement, Jiraiya and Tsunade were stunned into silence. They stood there, speechless for what seemed like an eternity.
Finally regaining his composure, Jiraiya voiced his disbelief, "Orochimaru, have you lost your mind? Too much ninjutsu has made you go senile. Are you trying to make a bad joke?"
Tsunade laughed mockingly, "Yes, yes, we all know you're a genius, always one step ahead. But claiming you're pregnant before me? That's hilarious!"
Clearly, their long-standing friendship made them skeptical of Orochimaru's claim.
"We know your gender, Orochimaru! Stop this nonsense!"
"Heh…" Orochimaru chuckled, brushing back her hair. "I have transcended such trivial matters. Don't use common sense to define me anymore. You both know I never lie."
Seeing Orochimaru's serious and confident expression, Jiraiya and Tsunade shared a puzzled glance, slowly realizing the gravity of her words.
Jiraiya sighed, feeling a pang of sorrow, "Orochimaru, look at you. While you do look rather... lovely, this is absurd."
Tsunade's concern was evident, "Transforming yourself into a woman is one thing, but getting pregnant? How is that even possible medically?"
Jiraiya added, "Considering you managed to make all the women in the Hokage building pregnant, nothing you do surprises me anymore."
Orochimaru responded, "Things aren't as you imagine. There are many uncontrollable factors in this world, but the outcome here is acceptable. At least now, I can live with it."
Jiraiya's voice rose in anger, "Stop talking nonsense! I'm taking you back, even if I have to use force. As your friend, I can't let you harm others anymore. Your future is my responsibility!"
Tsunade agreed, "Exactly, Jiraiya. But... something feels off about all this…"
Orochimaru, unfazed, smiled coldly, "You really intend to fight me? Though my current state isn't ideal for combat, I won't ignore old friends visiting my domain…"
Orochimaru brought her hands together, forming several seals.
"Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram…"
"I have a gift for you two. No need to thank me…"
"Edo Tensei!"
With those words, two coffins emerged from the ground, their lids engraved with the kanji for "First" and "Second".
Seeing the coffins, Jiraiya and Tsunade were struck with shock.
"Edo Tensei? Orochimaru, you've learned this forbidden technique?"
"And these coffins... could they contain…"
"Bang!"
The coffin lids fell, revealing the zombified figures of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
"Grandfather! Great-Uncle! How dare you desecrate the dead, Orochimaru! I won't forgive you!" Tsunade screamed in rage.
Unable to contain her fury, Tsunade leaped at Orochimaru, her fist ready to strike. Orochimaru made no effort to dodge, calmly watching as Tsunade's punch was intercepted by Hashirama's single hand.
"Heh, my dear granddaughter, you've grown strong…" Hashirama said.
"Grandfather…"
Tears welled in Tsunade's eyes at the familiar voice.
Jiraiya quickly intervened, pulling Tsunade back, "Tsunade! Control your emotions! You know Edo Tensei—they're just Orochimaru's puppets now!"
"I… I know!"
"These are two Hokage. We can't hold back, or we'll die!"
"Understood…"
Regaining her composure, Tsunade wiped her tears and steeled herself.
Tobirama turned to Orochimaru, his voice cold, "Did you summon us, girl? Mastering such a technique at your age… impressive."
Hashirama added, "I warned you about this technique, Tobirama. It should never have been created!"
Orochimaru smirked, embedding two kunai with talismans into the heads of Hashirama and Tobirama, "Enough talk. I didn't summon you for idle chat. Let's begin; it's late and I don't want to stay up—it's bad for the baby."
"Huh?"
Both Hokages paused, perplexed by Orochimaru's statement.
"What's with her voice?" Hashirama questioned.
Before they could continue, the kunai fully embedded, suppressing their consciousness but not their emotions, as decided by Orochimaru.
Dust swirled around the bodies of the revived Hokages, their expressions growing cold and lifelike. The air around them buzzed with impending conflict.
From a nearby tree, Natsuhane watched the scene unfold, feeling bored.
"Watching is so dull…"
He wanted to join the fight, but Orochimaru had forbidden it.
An hour earlier, Natsuhane had informed Orochimaru about Jiraiya and Tsunade's arrival, suggesting she use her subordinates to distract Jiraiya while he dealt with Tsunade using his mind-control technique.
The plan was perfect, but Orochimaru insisted on testing her newly mastered Edo Tensei.
Despite his reluctance, Natsuhane agreed, understanding the curiosity of his pregnant partner.