The next day, Tsunade finally regained consciousness.
"Shizune!" She immediately sat up, calling out as her eyes darted around, searching for Shizune.
"I'm here, Lady Tsunade," Shizune said as she hurried to Tsunade's side, relieved to see her awake.
Tsunade examined Shizune's condition carefully. Shizune, understanding her concern, let her check without resistance. Once Tsunade confirmed her injuries weren't severe, she breathed a sigh of relief. She had been haunted by nightmares seeing Shizune vanish alongside Dan and Nawaki. The last thing she remembered before blacking out was Shizune stepping between her and Orochimaru.
"Ouch…" Moving too quickly, Tsunade felt pain surge from her injuries, causing fresh bleeding.
"Lady Tsunade, are you alright? Let me treat you!" Shizune said anxiously.
"No need, I can handle it myself." As Tsunade began healing, she assessed her injuries and was surprised. "Shizune, have your medical skills improved again? This treatment was really effective."
Tsunade had anticipated her injuries would require her to release her Yin Seal to recover. Surprisingly, that wasn't necessary.
"It wasn't me; it was Lord Jiraiya who called in Lord Natsuro for help. After treating you for a while, I passed out myself, and Lord Natsuro helped treat me as well," Shizune explained.
"Natsuro… Jiraiya, huh? Seems like he's the one who saved us," Tsunade murmured, taking it all in.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Shizune confirmed.
"Where are they now?"
"Lord Jiraiya took Naruto, his new student, to train while Lord Natsuro went to Autumn Wind Plains early this morning to scout the terrain," Shizune replied, filling her in on the events of the previous night.
"So Orochimaru thinks he's got me pinned down…" Tsunade muttered, a mix of anger and frustration on her face, aware that Orochimaru would use her hemophobia against her if she faced him.
"Lady Tsunade, wouldn't it be best if Lord Natsuro used the Flying Thunder God Technique to take us back to Konoha? This battle is too dangerous," Shizune suggested. She wasn't entirely sure what the Flying Thunder God Technique entailed, but she knew it could instantly bring them home.
"Flying Thunder God? Natsuro knows that technique?" Tsunade's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Yes, I heard correctly yesterday. Lady Tsunade, is that technique particularly difficult?" Shizune asked, feeling slightly ignorant.
"Of course it is! That jutsu, ever since my second granduncle, has only been mastered by the Fourth Hokage himself. The Fourth Hokage earned his fame in the ninja world using that very jutsu. I can't believe someone else could learn it," Tsunade explained, astonished.
"Is it really that impressive? In that case, Lady Tsunade, should we let Lord Natsuro bring us back to Konoha?" Shizune asked, almost losing her train of thought.
"Enough!" Tsunade cut her off, "I'm not going back there right now. Besides, as Jiraiya and Natsuro said, Orochimaru is an issue that needs to be resolved sooner or later. If I leave, he'll just disappear again. How will we ever deal with him?"
"But…" Shizune tried to protest.
"No more buts. Just do as I say," Tsunade insisted.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade…" Shizune replied, yielding to Tsunade's command.
Even as she spoke, Tsunade's hand trembled slightly. She knew that facing Orochimaru would mean confronting her deepest fears, but avoiding it wasn't an option. As one of the Legendary Sannin, she couldn't allow herself to run away. She had to confront this head-on.
Natsuro, meanwhile, scouted the vast Autumn Wind Plains, the location they'd agreed upon for the battle. He scanned the expansive, treeless area for any signs of traps but found nothing out of the ordinary. Satisfied, he returned to the inn.
Seeing the shattered street outside the inn, he froze, wondering if Orochimaru had launched a sneak attack. After a brief moment, however, he noticed the inn itself remained undamaged, and only the usual chakras were present inside.
Perplexed, he opened the door to find Tsunade sipping sake and Naruto looking disgruntled.
"What happened here? And what's with the wrecked street?" Natsuro asked.
"It's that old lady! She insulted the Hokage, calling anyone who wants to be Hokage a fool!" Naruto shouted, exasperated.
Tsunade's face stiffened, an angry tic forming on her forehead as she registered Naruto calling her "old lady" again.
The mess outside was due to her using more force than intended when disciplining the kid, who, despite his attitude, showed unexpected strength. That left her needing to use more power than anticipated, accidentally damaging the street.
"Jiraiya-sensei, did you already tell Lady Tsunade about…?" Natsuro sighed, "Shouldn't this have waited until after dealing with Orochimaru?"
"Haha, it slipped out," Jiraiya said, scratching his head sheepishly.
Looking at Natsuro, Tsunade gave a slight nod. "You're different from that idiot over there," she said, nodding toward Naruto. "More sensible."
"Actually, Naruto's very capable; he just tends to surprise people," Natsuro replied.
Naruto grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head in pride.
Tsunade didn't argue further, though Naruto's technique with the dozens of wind chakra-coated shadow clones had certainly left a mark on her. It was an unusual and powerful way to use Shadow Clone Jutsu.
"So, Lady Tsunade, you don't want to become Hokage?" Natsuro asked.
"Hmph. Of course not. That position's up for grabs. Whoever wants it can take it," she replied, taking another swig.
"You!" Naruto began to argue, but Natsuro held him back.
"Let's save that for another time. As for the matter with Orochimaru, do we have a plan yet?" Natsuro asked.
"Kid, you think I'm going to run away?" Tsunade shot back, a slight slur to her words as she sized him up. "Thirteen, right? You're not very cute for your age."
"Lady Tsunade!" Shizune called out in alarm, worried that Tsunade was talking out of turn.
Natsuro, unfazed, continued considering their options. Most of Konoha's available jonin were away on missions, and even if they could be recalled, they might only be a burden on the battlefield. He had no choice but to face the battle head-on, step by step, without backup.
...
The day of the showdown arrived. For the past three days, Natsuro had been scouting the plains regularly, finding no signs of traps or ambushes.
Could Orochimaru truly intend to fight head-on?
Natsuro found it hard to believe, but with no evidence of a trap, he prepared for the challenge.
On the other side, Tsunade had spent the three days fully recovering, much to Natsuro's amazement—her medical skills were, without a doubt, unmatched.
During this time, an exchange reminiscent of the original story took place: Tsunade teased Jiraiya about teaching Naruto a jutsu he couldn't master, and Naruto, ever defiant, ended up making a bet with her.
"Let's head out. Shizune, Naruto, stay close to Lady Tsunade," Natsuro instructed, knowing he and Jiraiya would be too focused to protect them. He also handed both Tsunade and Shizune a Flying Thunder God kunai, just in case.
It was hard to say whether Naruto and Shizune would be protecting Tsunade or the other way around.
Natsuro couldn't shake a lingering feeling of unease. Orochimaru knew he had the Flying Thunder God technique, yet still suggested a direct battle. The setup seemed to favor them, as Natsuro could take everyone away at a moment's notice.
Bracing himself, he led the group onto the plains where the confrontation was set.
Soon, three figures appeared in the distance... Orochimaru, Kimimaro, and Kabuto.
Natsuro activated his sensory abilities but detected no additional presences.
"My, my, Natsuro Shindōkawa, we meet again," Orochimaru greeted him with a sinister grin.
"Not that I wanted to see you," Natsuro replied, eyeing Orochimaru and calculating their chances. While he might have a fair chance of defeating him, actually killing him was another matter.
"Heh," Orochimaru chuckled, his gaze turning dark. "You destroyed the plans I meticulously crafted and reduced my village to rubble. Oh, I've thought long and hard about how to kill you, Natsuro. Or better yet, perhaps your body would make a good vessel… reaching such power at your age, surely you must have a hidden bloodline trait."
Orochimaru's eyes glinted as he licked his lips. He had his sights set on Sasuke, but infiltrating Konoha was no easy task. If Natsuro's body could serve as a backup, it would be more than satisfactory.
"Orochimaru! Why do you still chase such things? You don't need a bloodline limit to grow strong!" Jiraiya yelled, unable to hold back his anger.
At this, Orochimaru suddenly burst into wild laughter, a crazed, unhinged sound that sent chills through Natsuro's group.
This guy… is he completely insane?
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Currently on Chapter 209 - Reevaluating Plans