Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 290 Spreads Throughout the Ninja World

At this moment, sorrow permeated Konoha Village. Many ninjas who obeyed orders to carry out the operation perished in the forest of trees, and even the Hokage Building was reduced to ruins. Shimura Danzo's shattered body vanished as if it had become ethereal, and soon reappeared intact in another location, though his eyes were filled with terror.

In the attack just now, Shimura Danzo was torn to pieces without any ability to resist. If he hadn't used the Uchiha clan's forbidden technique 'Izanagi' to reverse his death at the first moment, he probably would have died in this attack by Hyuga Kanan as well.

However, the current state of Konoha Village filled Shimura Danzo with deep regret. He had given the order to attack, so everyone in Konoha would blame him. Furthermore, none of the ninja clans obeyed his orders, proving they would never support him becoming Hokage. Therefore, even if Tsunade was unqualified, they wouldn't support him.

Most importantly, the losses to his Root organization were enormous, amounting to more than half of its power. This meant he had lost control of Konoha and was unable to continue implementing his plans and goals. And all of this was due to his flawed decisions.

Moreover, those clans had likely lost faith in Konoha. Without a powerful figure to instill confidence in them, Konoha might very well disintegrate. However, Shimura Danzo felt no sorrow for the fallen ninjas. On the contrary, he felt they were utterly useless, incapable of even putting up a fight, and had nearly killed him as well. At this moment, he urgently needed to return to his Root base to slowly recover from the losses inflicted upon Root. As for the state of Konoha, that was not something this old man without any official position should concern himself with. After all, he had only offered suggestions; issuing the actual orders was beyond his capabilities. Therefore, he would peacefully return to the Root base and await the village's recovery.

As the Konoha clan's ninjas watched helplessly as no orders were issued from the village's leadership, a sense of powerlessness and numbness washed over them. They had once held expectations of the higher-ups, but now felt utterly disappointed. Just then, Nara Shikaku stepped forward. He knew they could no longer wait for instructions from above; action was imperative. With a firm voice, he ordered the Konoha clan: "Immediately dispatch ninja organizations for rescue!" This order was like a ray of light, giving everyone direction. Following this, Nara Shikaku swiftly issued a series of orders, requiring all Konoha ninjas to mobilize and dedicate themselves to the reconstruction of the village. He knew that only through unity could Konoha regain its vitality. Under Nara Shikaku's command, the Konoha ninjas finally found their leader and began to act methodically. They divided into groups: some treated the wounded, some cleared the rubble, and others rebuilt houses. A tense yet orderly atmosphere permeated the entire village, and hope gradually returned to people's faces. As time passed, Konoha slowly regained its former bustling atmosphere. On the streets, children played and laughed, and shopkeepers busily ran their businesses, as if everything had returned to normal. However, everyone knew in their hearts that the pain this attack had inflicted on Konoha Village could never be erased. But they believed that as long as they united, Konoha Village would surely overcome its difficulties and usher in a new era of glory.

Konoha Village has completed its reconstruction and seems to have resumed operations. However, news of Konoha's latest attack has begun to spread throughout the ninja world. Many ninja villages have received news of Konoha's renewed devastation, and their ambitions have been stirred once again.

Inside a quaint tavern, a middle-aged man with graying hair, wearing a beige trench coat, sat opposite a woman with a voluptuous figure, beautiful face, and a somewhat feisty air. He earnestly advised, "Tsunade, I know you hate those old fogies in the village, but this time is different. Now we need you to become the Fifth Hokage..."

The middle-aged man was Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha, and the woman was Tsunade, who was on par with Jiraiya and was also the only remaining member of the Senju clan.

Tsunade slammed her wine glass on the table, her eyes glazed with drunkenness as she looked at Jiraiya and roared, "Hmph! You think I'd believe your nonsense? Didn't you all strongly support Hiruzen Sarutobi continuing as Hokage back then? And what happened?"

At this moment, beside Jiraiya, a boy in an orange tracksuit and a headband was watching the scene with a helpless expression, muttering to himself, "I knew it. Jiraiya-sensei bringing me out for training was just a pretext. His real purpose was to find Tsunade and bring her back to the village to become Hokage." This boy was Naruto Uzumaki, a ninja from Konoha Village. He had heard people mention Tsunade's name many times, but he never imagined that she would be so young and beautiful, and that she would also appear to be an alcoholic.

Upon hearing Tsunade refuse to inherit the Hokage position, Naruto Uzumaki could no longer contain himself. He stood up abruptly, pointed at Tsunade, and shouted, "Hey! How can you talk like that? The Hokage is the most important position in the village. How can you be so disrespectful of it?"

Tsunade frowned, glanced at Naruto, and said disdainfully, "Kid, what do you know? The Hokage is just a game for a bunch of old guys. I have no interest in playing with them."

Upon hearing this, Naruto was instantly enraged. He clenched his fists and shouted at Tsunade, "How dare you insult the name of the Hokage! I challenge you to a duel! If you lose, you must apologize to the Hokage!"

However, just then, the tavern door was pushed open, and two figures walked in. Tsunade showed a hint of surprise upon seeing them, then stood up and asked calmly, "I didn't expect you to be here too."

Upon seeing the two enter, Jiraiya's expression turned angry, while Tsunade looked at them thoughtfully. Shizune stood nearby, her expression wary, while only Naruto continued to demand an apology from Tsunade.

The two people who entered the tavern were none other than Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi. Orochimaru's face remained completely unchanged as he walked directly to Tsunade's table and sat down. He completely ignored Jiraiya's furious expression and calmly said, "Long time no see, Tsunade. So many years have passed, yet you haven't changed at all."

However, Jiraiya could not suppress his anger. When he saw that Orochimaru was completely ignoring him, his rage finally erupted, and he roared, "Orochimaru, how dare you show your face before me! You killed our teacher and caused such a huge loss to Konoha. Don't you feel any guilt or remorse?"

Orochimaru's eyes were cold and ruthless, as if he had lost all emotion. He turned his gaze to Jiraiya, a slight, contemptuous smile playing on his lips. He then ignored Jiraiya and turned his attention to Tsunade. He had come to ascertain Tsunade's condition.

Upon hearing this, Jiraiya's anger intensified, but he struggled to control his emotions. He knew that arguing with Orochimaru about morality and ethics was pointless, as their values ​​were fundamentally different.

Tsunade picked up her wine glass, took a small sip, feeling the heat in her throat, and a faint blush rose to her cheeks. She quietly observed everything before her, her mind filled with countless thoughts. The Hidden Leaf Village of today was no longer the way she remembered it; the people and things that were once familiar had gradually faded into the distance.

She recalled the wonderful times she spent with her family during her childhood. Back then, Konoha was full of life and vitality, and people supported each other, protecting their home together. However, as time went by, Konoha gradually became unfamiliar. Hiruzen Sarutobi's manipulation of public opinion to force Sakumo Hatake to his death caused Tsunade immense grief; and the departures of Nawaki Senju and Dan Kato further eroded her trust in Konoha.

The Hidden Leaf Village of today is rife with power struggles and intrigues; its former unity and harmony have vanished. Tsunade understands that this village can no longer offer her warmth or a sense of belonging. She prefers to leave this land and seek inner peace on her own.

Tsunade gently set down her wine glass, her eyes revealing determination and resolve. She knew her choice might be misunderstood, but she didn't care. Because only by leaving could she find her own true path.

Seeing the reminiscing look in Tsunade's eyes, Orochimaru knew that she had long since lost all hope in Konoha. However, he could still sense that Tsunade still harbored deep feelings for Konoha.

Orochimaru revealed a playful smile and said calmly, "By the way, I just received intelligence that Konoha mobilized over a thousand ninjas to besiege the Hyuga clan, but they were ultimately wiped out by Hyuga Kanan. It seems that Konoha was also largely destroyed. In the end, the Hyuga clan chose to leave Konoha as a whole."

Upon hearing this news, a flicker of surprise and anger crossed Tsunade's face, but she quickly regained her composure. She sighed silently, thinking to herself, "Konoha has become so insane that it dares to provoke a war with the Hyuga clan."

Jiraiya, standing nearby, wore a horrified expression. He never imagined that such a thing would happen so soon after he left Konoha. Moreover, half of Konoha was destroyed, and thousands of ninjas had been slaughtered by Hyuga Kanan, filling him with rage at Kanan's actions. How could the Hyuga clan do such a thing to Konoha? This had shaken the very foundation of the village.

However, for Orochimaru, it was all just a game. He observed Tsunade and Jiraiya's reactions with great interest, trying to find more enjoyment in them.