As the sudden downpour began to ease, a hint of twilight light colored the horizon, illuminating the sky and marking the end of the long, damp rainy night.
On the battlefield, the cracked earth was riddled with ravines, bearing witness to the intense battle that took place last night.
Two massive Wood Dragons broke through the mountains and coiled in mid-air, standing tall and unmoving in the cold wind. One of the dragons had Rōshi, the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, suspended in its mouth, unconscious.
Without Nian's Wood Release chakra support, they were merely two large wooden sculptures.
"I'm sorry, Tsunade, but I can only help you this far," Nian said, looking at her with a gentle smile.
"You have nothing to apologize for; I owe you… a favor," Tsunade replied softly, placing a hand on her heart. "I know you don't care about the village, so this favor is mine to you."
What do you plan to use to repay it… Nian couldn't help but chuckle at the thought, imagining what his uncle would have said.
"What are you laughing at?"
"Nothing. It's getting late; I should be on my way."
"Huh?" Tsunade tilted her head in confusion, her bangs brushing against her forehead, her light golden hair swaying with the wind.
Seeing her adorable look, Nian couldn't help but reach out to smooth her hair. His fingers brushed against her soft cheek but quickly recoiled as if shocked.
Tsunade's cheeks flushed slightly, and she didn't reject the seemingly intimate contact; her heart raced, as if a thousand little deer were recklessly bumping around inside her, causing her heavy chest to rise and fall.
"Um…" Nian pointed to the Wood Dragon behind him. "I must take the Four-Tails Jinchūriki with me. My uncle said we can't let any incident happen with the Tailed Beasts."
"Oh, oh…" Tsunade nodded in confusion, her brow furrowing slightly as she asked thoughtfully, "I have a question; why does Uchiha Kamihane, your uncle, care about the Tailed Beasts?"
"That question is overstepping." Nian felt a stirring in his heart, a mischievous grin playing at the corners of his lips. "You're not yet qualified to know these things."
"Qualified? What do you mean?"
Nian silently shook his head, smiling without responding.
Just then, a dark silhouette appeared in the sky, accompanied by the howling wind as it approached closer. Tsunade immediately tensed and took up a fighting stance.
Squinting, she saw a strange-looking giant bird. Despite her status as a princess of Konoha, she couldn't recognize what kind of beast it was.
"Don't be nervous; they're all acquaintances," Nian turned to her and looked up at the large bird as it descended gracefully.
Several faces came into view, and Tsunade suddenly froze, her frown relaxing instinctively. Indeed… they were all familiar faces.
Orochimaru, Hatake Sakumo, Katō Dan, and the handsome figure who was wildly waving and saying "Hello"—was that… Hiruko???
"How did you all get mixed up together?"
She rubbed her eyes, an inexplicable emotion swelling within her. Her gaze seemed to transcend time; the scene before her was not the battlefield of the Rain Country, but rather the graduation ceremony from the ninja academy years ago, with familiar faces flashing before her, all fading into the moment's daze.
Hiruko jumped off the back of the fused bird, his face beaming with a warm smile. "Tsunade, it's been a long time! You're just as beautiful as ever."
Tsunade glanced at Hiruko, then at Orochimaru, and finally at Nian, recalling what Orochimaru had said outside Uzushiogakure, a hint of realization crossing her eyes. "So… you're all really together…"
Nian tilted his chin toward Hiruko and Orochimaru. "Did you succeed?"
Orochimaru shrugged nonchalantly. "You could call it a warm-up; if I got serious, I would finish it in one move."
"Yeah, Orochimaru handled it all by himself," Hiruko playfully wrapped an arm around Nian's shoulders, winking. "Hey, did we arrive too late—ouch, why are you elbowing me…"
Nian felt a bit embarrassed. Fortunately, Tsunade wasn't paying attention to them. In the gap of their conversation, she had already run in front of Sakumo to confirm the events of last night's battle.
Upon learning that Orochimaru and Hiruko had rescued her comrades, Tsunade fell silent for a moment, her expression suddenly stern as she turned and solemnly bowed to the two, lingering in her gesture.
"This is…" Hiruko tilted his head.
Orochimaru crossed his arms and raised his chin slightly. "Tsunade, it's still too early for bowing. To be honest, our intentions aren't entirely pure."
"I understand, but regardless of your motives, you saved the village… no, you saved my comrades." She slowly straightened up. "I'll remember this favor."
Orochimaru was somewhat surprised, his vertical pupils narrowing slightly. "It seems you've finally grown a bit, Tsunade."
Tsunade took a deep breath, lightly patting her face to adjust her expression, then gave Orochimaru a provocative smile. "Yeah, wasn't that what you wanted to hear when you slashed my face last time with that Light Wheel?"
Orochimaru smirked dismissively. "Heh, if one day we decide to take action against Konoha, I hope you still have today's awareness."
"Separate matters," Tsunade replied calmly.
"Exactly, separate matters." Orochimaru politely gestured with his hand. "If you feel upset, you can always seek revenge on us."
Tsunade frowned, a not-so-pleasant memory flashing in her mind. "I really hate that phrase."
"Let's stop reminiscing for now," Nian walked up to the two, his tone gentle. "Everyone, it's time for us to go."
"Yeah, we've caught our prey; I can't wait for the Calamity Light to descend so I can take the first step," Hiruko said, his expression one of rapture.
"Prey? Calamity Light?" Tsunade looked puzzled. She had just learned from Hatake Sakumo that Orochimaru and Hiruko had kidnapped the Explosive Release ninja from Iwagakure.
"Tsunade, if you're interested, I wouldn't mind sharing my path of creation…"
Orochimaru skillfully covered Hiruko's mouth, leaping onto the strange bird with an expressionless face.
Nian slightly bent his knees, executing a graceful somersault to land on the bird's back, folding his hands behind his head. He turned to Tsunade and offered her a gentle smile.
"Well then, until we meet again."
The giant bird let out a long cry, then spread its wings, soaring into the sky as the three figures gradually vanished into the clouds.
"Goodbye," Tsunade murmured softly, her voice only for herself.
…
High above, the giant bird soared through the sky.
"What's our next move?" Nian asked Hiruko.
"The time is approaching. Although the conditions for devouring an individual aren't too strict, I still need to prepare some techniques in advance. Let's head directly to Stone Ridge Mountain." Hiruko's gaze hinted at anticipation. "My master promised me he would come to witness the event."
Orochimaru and Nian exchanged glances, seeing a glimmer of envy in each other's eyes.
"Speaking of which, what has your master been up to lately?"
"At the base, training senjutsu with my mother in the cat hut."
Orochimaru's expression shifted as he reminisced about his time in the Dragon Cave. "Is he going to practice senjutsu?"
"No, just as a reference," Nian replied with a hint of pride in his tone. "My uncle is preparing to create his own senjutsu."
"Creating his own senjutsu? That certainly fits his style." Orochimaru thought for a moment, quickly understanding.
With his master's power, he naturally would disdain practicing the senjutsu of every sages' land.
He recalled how his own hard-earned perfect Sage Mode from the Dragon Cave was effortlessly shattered by a casual reference to the "Second Opening," which had nearly left him questioning his entire existence.
"In that case… it's best to reference more senjutsu for greater assurance." He pondered silently.
The fused giant bird spread its wings, its ten-zhang-long body gliding smoothly through the clouds, enveloped by a chakra barrier as it began to accelerate evenly toward the northern part of the Rain Country.
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