Your guts seem a little too big.

The four of them found a relatively flat rock near the edge of the woods, where Jiraiya pulled a flask from his scroll and poured drinks for himself and the other two.

Shizune sat huddled to the side, clutching Tonton and stealing glances at Lin Zi every now and then.

Tsunade downed a mouthful of sake, her emotions finally settling, and wiped her mouth before eyeing Lin Zi, who sat across from her.

"Hey, although I don't entirely approve of you, Orochimaru from another world... what is your side actually like?"

Lin Zi was using a small white snake to poke at the campfire with a twig; he didn't even look up at the question.

"Some things cannot be said. I fear that if I told you, it might cause your world to collapse. However... I can tell you some interesting bits."

Tsunade paused, staring at him for two seconds before suddenly bursting into a laugh. "The way you act right now, you're actually a bit like Jiraiya."

"Is that so?"

Lin Zi's snake-like pupils lifted, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

Jiraiya, who was busy chugging sake nearby, nearly choked at these words and leaned over while coughing.

"Tsunade, that's where you're wrong!"

He patted his chest triumphantly, sake dripping down his chin.

"In their world, I, Master Jiraiya, was a genius from a young age! A super genius! The kind who knew countless ninjutsu by the age of twelve."

Lin Zi rolled his eyes, and the white snake in his hand gave the back of Jiraiya's hand a sharp slap.

"Yeah, and I never expected you in this world to be so indecent. You're a grown man and you still peek into women's bathhouses."

"Jiraiya!"

Tsunade's expression turned clearly furious, and she slammed a fist onto Jiraiya's head, causing a dramatic lump to swell up instantly.

"Ah... ow, ow, ow."

"That was strategic reconnaissance! Strategic!" Jiraiya, embarrassed and angry, lunged at Lin Zi. "Didn't I end up finding a spy that way?"

The campfire crackled, and the scent of sake drifted on the night breeze.

The four people who had been at each other's throats just moments ago were now inexplicably huddled together, looking exactly like those three young ninja who had just returned from a mission many years ago.

"So, Orochimaru, what was that about the person from Kumogakure targeting me?"

Tsunade asked.

"You can thank Jiraiya for that. On the way to find you, we ran into a few spies who said they were going to send Killer B to capture you in the next few days."

"Capture me? Why?"

"They got intelligence from somewhere that the Fourth Hokage is severely injured and Konoha is weak. They plan to drag you back and use the opportunity to launch an invasion."

"So you two came to find me?"

"No," Lin Zi stared at Tsunade. "I came to find you because I was entrusted by someone—a blond kid begged me to find you so you could save people."

"Huh? A blond kid?"

Tsunade asked, confused.

[Ding! Detected that world core supporting character Tsunade is experiencing intense emotional fluctuations.]

[Roleplay progress for Orochimaru (Spirit Snake Sage) increased by 7%. Current compatibility: 40%.]

"Hmm, I can't say anything more than that."

The firelight flickered, casting shifting shadows across Lin Zi's paper-pale face. He sat cross-legged with his golden vertical pupils half-closed, yet his voice sounded unexpectedly gentle.

Tsunade tilted her head back to finish the last of the sake, slammed the flask onto the ground, and stood up abruptly.

She brushed the dust off her backside and looked down at the campfire.

"So... I have to go with you guys?"

"Eh? We're leaving now?" Jiraiya leaned in, eyes wide. "Isn't that a bit too fast? At least let me sleep in!"

"It's not fast at all!" Shizune, clutching Tonton, finally couldn't help but retort.

"Master Tsunade has almost spent all our funds here. If we stay any longer, we'll have to borrow money just for the travel expenses back..."

"Shizune!"

Tsunade pulled Shizune over, balled her hand into a fist, and rubbed it fiercely against the girl's head, turning her hair into a bird's nest.

"You talk too much!"

Lin Zi watched the farce, tapped his fingertips lightly against his knees, and suddenly spoke up: "I suggest... we wait for the rabbit to hit the stump."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow: "Wait for those Kumogakure people to deliver themselves to our doorstep?"

"Something like that."

Lin Zi sighed, his snake eyes looking toward the direction of Tanzaku Town.

"It will save them from always having crooked thoughts. No matter where you go in the ninja world, it's the same old story—if you take a step back, they think you're afraid of them."

Jiraiya was silent for a moment, then grinned, opened his arms, and pulled both Lin Zi and Tsunade into a hug, rubbing his head against them while feigning deep emotion.

"Wuwuwu... cheer up! At least the three of us are back together now! The legendary Sannin—this title wasn't something handed to us by charity!"

Tsunade felt her shoulder ache from his grip, a vein throbbing on her temple.

"Jiraiya..."

"Hmm?"

"You idiot!"

BANG!

A heavy punch slammed into the top of Jiraiya's head, smashing him straight into a pile of hay, leaving only his legs twitching outside.

The four of them discussed the situation and decided to retreat to a run-down inn on the outskirts of Tanzaku Town to make do for the night, rest up, and plan how to lure those Cloud Village rats out tomorrow.

Early the next morning, just as the sky began to brighten.

Jiraiya pushed open the inn door while yawning, but before he could even step out, he froze on the threshold.

The street was terrifyingly empty.

Tanzaku Town, usually noisy and bustling, now resembled a dead city. Every shop had its doors tightly shuttered, and a suffocating, deathly silence seeped through the cracks.

"...Something's wrong." Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, his hand already reaching for the scroll at his waist.

Lin Zi stepped out from behind him, morning dew still clinging to his black ponytail.

He stood on the steps, his golden slit pupils narrowing slightly as his forked tongue flickered in the air.

"Six on the rooftops, four in the alleyways, and two more crouching behind the well on the left."

His voice was as flat as if he were reciting a menu.

"All of them are suppressing their Lightning Style chakra quite hard."

Jiraiya gave a bitter laugh: "Well, looks like we've been surrounded."

Tsunade stepped out of the room, the diamond-shaped mark on her forehead suddenly glowing.

She wiped her hand across it, releasing the Yin Seal. A massive surge of chakra erupted from her body like steam lifting a pot lid, causing the door panels to rattle and bang.

"Perfect." She cracked her knuckles, her joints popping. "Saves me the trouble of hunting them down one by one."

Lin Zi drew the Kusanagi Sword from his mouth, his pale fingertips tracing the edge of the blade as a flicker of bloodthirsty excitement flashed in his snake-like eyes.

BOOM!!!

A blinding bolt of lightning descended from the sky, striking the street in front of them. The bluestone pavement shattered, and charred debris rained down on the four of them.

Amidst the swirling dust, a figure appeared at the front of the street.

It was a dark-skinned man wearing a Cloud Village headband, carrying seven short swords on his back. He stood opposite the three of them, holding a small notebook in his hand while humming a bizarre, off-key rap.

"Yo yo~ The Konoha Sannin are all here~ It's a pity Lady Tsunade has to come back to Cloud Village with me~"

Killer B looked up, revealing a set of white teeth as his fingers lightly rested on the hilt of the first sword on his back.

"You actually dare to come here?"

Lin Zi tilted his head, his golden slit pupils scanning Killer B up and down as if inspecting some rare curiosity.

"Seeing the three of us, you don't think about running, but instead choose to attack?"

"The Eight-Tails Jinchuriki of Cloud Village, your guts are bigger than I imagined."