Eastern part of the Land of Fire.
In a gambling den within the town of Yamauchi, dozens of patrons crowded around several gambling tables, their excited shouts and exclamations occasionally erupting through the noisy establishment.
At one of these tables, Konoha's "Legendary Sucker," Princess Tsunade, her sleeves rolled up in determination, was excitedly playing her hand, her substantial assets on the line. Behind Tsunade, Shizune stood nervously, clutching Tonton the piglet in her arms, her gaze frequently darting to the dwindling pile of chips in front of Tsunade. The more she looked, the more her heart sank. Lady Tsunade's stack of chips was visibly shrinking at an alarming rate. When it came to gambling, Tsunade was the quintessential example of someone with terrible skill and even worse luck. Over the years, the amount of money Tsunade had lost could easily be measured in the hundreds of millions of ryo. She was, in essence, the legendary "super easy mark" for any gambling house.
Just as Tsunade's temper was beginning to rise with her mounting losses, she suddenly paused her actions, her head snapping around to look towards the back of the gambling den. Behind her, at the curtained entrance of the establishment, a slender, shadowy figure stood silently, an unsettling, cold aura gradually emanating from them and spreading through the room. Near the entrance, a few gamblers and casino staff had already noticed this ominous figure, but none dared to rashly approach or question them.
Seeing this person, a look of genuine surprise flashed across Tsunade's face.
"Shizune, we're done for today. Go cash in these remaining chips," Tsunade instructed her apprentice without taking her eyes off the figure. Then, she abruptly stood up and left the gambling table.
Shizune, hearing this, looked utterly astonished. This was the very first time she had ever seen Lady Tsunade end a gambling session before completely losing her entire day's stake. Shizune's gaze followed Tsunade's, and when she finally saw the figure standing by the entrance curtain clearly, her body instantly tensed.
Standing there, silhouetted against the light from outside, was none other than Orochimaru, who had long since defected from Konoha! What is he doing here, seeking out Lady Tsunade? Could he mean her harm?
"Lady Tsunade!" Thinking this, Shizune couldn't help but call out to Tsunade's retreating back, her voice filled with concern.
Tsunade didn't turn around. With her back still to Shizune, she gave a dismissive wave of her hand, then disappeared through the curtained entrance alongside Orochimaru.
Inside the gambling den, Shizune's face was etched with worry. After standing rooted to the spot for several seconds, she finally hurried to cash in the few remaining chips Tsunade had left behind. By the time Shizune emerged from the gambling den, Orochimaru and Tsunade were already long gone from the bustling street.
Swoosh, swoosh~
On an open clearing just outside Yamauchi Town, two figures flickered into existence one after the other. Orochimaru and Tsunade had arrived.
"Orochimaru, spit it out. What do you want?" Looking at Orochimaru opposite her, Tsunade's expression was somewhat complicated. Although Tsunade had been wandering outside the village for many years, she wasn't entirely cut off from news of the world. She had learned of Orochimaru's defection from Konoha long ago. At the time, the news had caused her a pang of sadness and disillusionment. The people and things she had once known… everything had changed so drastically.
"Heh heh heh, Tsunade. It's been a long time," Orochimaru chuckled, his voice a dry, raspy hiss. "I was just passing through on some business and thought I'd drop by to see you."
"Just passing by to see me?" Tsunade pursed her lips, not believing his flimsy excuse for a single moment. She knew Orochimaru's personality all too well. Ever since his parents had died in the war, his character had gradually become more and more reclusive, detached, and cold-hearted. For Orochimaru, things like familial affection and friendship seemed to be nothing more than useless, cumbersome burdens. If he didn't have some specific, ulterior motive, he wouldn't have sought her out for no reason.
Orochimaru didn't seem to mind her skepticism. He continued with his characteristic unsettling smile, "Tsunade, about a year or so ago, did Tatsuya Akimichi come looking for you?"
"Tatsuya Akimichi?" Tsunade looked puzzled for a moment, then, after some thought, shook her head. "He didn't come looking for me, specifically. We just happened to run into each other by chance."
Orochimaru pressed on, "And you gave him the Yin Seal?"
Tsunade replied, "That's right. He bought it from me for a very hefty price."
A sharp, knowing glint flashed in Orochimaru's serpentine eyes, and he murmured under his breath, almost to himself, "So, that means he has already mastered the cultivation method of the Yin Seal…"
Hearing Orochimaru's words, the confusion on Tsunade's face deepened. "Tatsuya Akimichi already knew a secret technique with functions similar to the Yin Seal. It's certainly possible he learned the Yin Seal itself. What's wrong? Why do you ask?"
Orochimaru shook his head, his smile unwavering. "Oh, nothing important. Just asking casually. Well then, I've said what I came to say. I'll be going now!" With that, without waiting for Tsunade to say anything further, Orochimaru's form dissolved into a burst of what looked like fiery embers and vanished without a trace.
Standing alone in the clearing, Tsunade's face was etched with a thoughtful, perplexed expression. Orochimaru's sudden visit, and the strange, seemingly random questions he had asked, left her feeling very puzzled. She couldn't figure out what possible reason Orochimaru would have to personally seek her out for such a trivial-seeming inquiry. After pondering for a while longer and still unable to make sense of it, Tsunade finally gave up with a frustrated sigh and turned to head back towards Yamauchi Town.
Several kilometers away from Yamauchi Town, in a dense forest, a ninja squad of over twenty individuals was gathered, currently resting. They were all wearing the standard uniform of a hidden village, with a thick rope tied around their waists, its two ends intricately twisted together. This distinctive attire was a common style favored by Orochimaru and his followers.
This squad of over twenty ninja was precisely a contingent from Kusagakure, the Village Hidden in Grass. Among them, the vast majority were talented individuals Orochimaru had recruited and personally trained in his various secret bases before he had taken control of Kusagakure. Only a small handful were newer recruits from Kusagakure itself. Among this smaller group were Muku and Ryuzetsu.
Currently, Muku, the young master of Hozuki Castle, had officially become Orochimaru's disciple.
Not far from Muku and Ryuzetsu, two other Kusagakure ninja stood out conspicuously. They both appeared quite young, yet they kept to themselves, and from the way the other Kusagakure ninja looked at them, a clear sense of fear and apprehension could be discerned.
Of these two, the one who seemed to be the leader had a full head of stark white hair, distinctive red markings around his eyes like eyeshadow, and two prominent red dots on his forehead between his eyebrows. The other had vibrant orange hair and matching orange pupils. He was only about eight or nine years old, yet his physique was already remarkably tall and powerfully built for his age.
These two were none other than Jugo and Kimimaro, who had joined Kusagakure not long ago. Among all of Orochimaru's numerous subordinates, these two were undoubtedly the most special and formidable. When they had first arrived in Kusagakure, some of Orochimaru's existing underlings, resentful of their youth and the special status they were immediately granted, had foolishly challenged them. Not a single one of those challengers had survived the encounter. Most of them had been literally torn apart by Jugo in his terrifying, berserk state. Jugo in his battle state and Jugo in his calm, normal state were like two completely different, terrifyingly powerful individuals.
As for Kimimaro, no one had actually seen him fight seriously yet. However, judging solely from his ability to easily restrain and calm down Jugo even when Jugo was in a full-blown, violent rage, Kimimaro's own strength was undoubtedly extraordinary. For this reason, no one in Kusagakure now dared to provoke either of them.
Swoosh~
The sound of air being cut echoed through the forest, and Orochimaru's figure materialized amongst the resting Kusagakure ninja.
"Lord Orochimaru!" Seeing Orochimaru appear, all the resting Kusagakure ninja quickly scrambled to their feet and bowed respectfully.
Orochimaru looked towards Kimimaro and asked, "Kimimaro, be prepared for battle shortly. If anyone comes from Takeda Town to provide support or interfere, you will be responsible for intercepting them."
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru," Kimimaro replied immediately, his voice calm and respectful.
"Heh heh heh, things are getting more and more interesting!" After giving this instruction, Orochimaru turned away and stood silently amidst the trees, a sharp, calculating glint flickering continuously in his serpentine eyes as he murmured softly to himself.