Tsunade, Orochimaru

The Central Tower of Amegakure.

Konan's gaze swept over Obito and Zetsu, finally settling on Pain. Her worry was almost tangible. "Nagato, your body—"

"The power of God is beyond question." Pain's cold voice suddenly rang out, decisive and resolute.

He finally Rinnegan around slowly, the eerie purple ripples of his Rinnegan flowing gently in the dim light, radiating a suffocating pressure.

He raised his hand towards the window, and an invisible, powerful repulsive force erupted from his hand!

Shinra Tensei.

Boom!

The huge floor-to-ceiling windows, along with the thick curtain of rain outside, seemed to have been shattered by an invisible giant hand, instantly creating a large, rainless vacuum in front of them.

The next instant, a gale-force wind mixed with torrential rain rushed in, causing everyone's robes to flutter wildly.

"Under the gaze of the Rinnegan, all is illusion." Pain's voice pierced through the howling wind and rain, carrying an indifference towards all living beings.

"Konoha? Tailed Beast? They're just a few slightly larger pebbles that need to be crushed on the road to ultimate peace."

His purple Rinnegan swept over the small, dilapidated Amegakure below, as if looking down on a group of insignificant ants. "Konoha's overall strength is indeed worthy of 'recognition'."

He used the word "approval," but his tone was as if he were evaluating an inanimate object.

"But that's all. Its purpose is to be destroyed, becoming the cornerstone for the birth of a new world."

Obito's Sharingan, hidden beneath his mask, narrowed slightly, a crimson light flashing briefly in the shadows.

He lowered his voice, a hint of unspoken hatred for Konoha in his tone, "Since Konoha, this beast, has recovered too quickly and become the biggest obstacle—then let it bleed enough blood, enough to make those hungry wolves from the other ninja villages unable to suppress their greedy nature any longer."

He took a step forward, his footsteps making a soft cracking sound as he stepped on the broken glass and wet flagstones.

"Balance? No, what we need is chaos. A chaos powerful enough to shatter the Konoha and tear apart its seemingly solid shell."

When Konoha is weakened to the point that Cloud Village feels the time for revenge has arrived, Iwagakure sees an opportunity to take advantage of the situation, and Mist Village smells the bloodshed outside—they will naturally pounce and tear it apart.

Obito's voice carried a cruel allure, "At the most crucial moment, we just need to give it a gentle push, or create a sufficiently 'reasonable' wound."

"Create wounds?" Konan keenly grasped the key point. She looked at "Ban" in front of her, anticipating his next words. "What's your plan, or who is your target?"

"Didn't their Hokage get married? Do you know who his wife is?" Obito looked out at the rain, his voice colder than the rain itself.

"What, is your plan related to this?" Konan looked at the mysterious "Ban" and didn't follow his lead at all.

"Hehe." Obito wasn't angry at all; on the contrary, he was quite proud. "The Fourth Hokage's wife is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."

Now, not only Konan, but even Pain has turned their attention to Madara. They really didn't know this news, and besides, Nine-Tails was also one of their targets.

"Marriage leads to children, and the seals on the Tailed Beast are extremely vulnerable when a Jinchuriki gives birth—"

The words didn't need to be explicitly stated, but everyone present was intelligent and quick to understand; this was indeed an excellent opportunity.

If the plan can be successfully implemented, the losses to Konoha will not be as simple as blood loss; they will be crippling.

Obito was responsible for creating hope for Pain and Konan, while Zetsu was responsible for nurturing that small flame of hope.

"Don't be too happy yet," White Zetsu said in an exaggeratedly astonished tone, "That White Reaper of Konoha Taichi Matsushita, is truly an extraordinary young man!"

He gestured wildly, as if performing, "According to our painstaking investigation, this guy is a terrifying being capable of single-handedly taking on Tailed Beast! So young, yet his strength is unfathomable; he's one of the strongest people in Konoha right now! He'll definitely be the biggest threat to us in the future!"

As he spoke, he described in detail to everyone the many battles that Taichi Matsushita had fought during the war.

However, during his report, he made no mention of the strength that Taiichi had demonstrated in his battle with Madara, only highlighting his ability to fight against Tailed Beast and his possession of the Flying Thunder God Ninjutsu Technique.

Obito remained silent, his mask concealing all his expressions. He offered no comment or correction regarding Zetsu's "concealment," and his Sharingan in the shadows like two inextinguishable will-o'-the-wisps.

"Hmph." Pain let out a cold sneer. "The White Reaper? Taking on Tailed Beast- on? Before true divine power, he's nothing more than a slightly troublesome sacrifice. His fate was already sealed."

He did not regard Taiichi as a real threat; the absolute power of the Rinnegan gave him unparalleled confidence.

However, his tone shifted, a hint of realistic consideration in his cold words, "However, the claws of this beast, Konoha, do indeed need to be removed one by one. And we, Akatsuki, also need to find suitable allies. We need more manpower to carry out God's will and collect the scattered Tailed Beast."

"A companion?" Konan frowned slightly, as if recalling unpleasant memories, but she quickly faced reality. "People like that are hard to find, aren't they? A trustworthy companion?"

"Power is the only foundation of trust." Obito's voice came through the mask, deep and seductive, "In this vast Ninja World, there are countless people consumed by hatred, misled by power, and abandoned by the world."

Find them, give them a home, a goal. Let them become the fangs of the dawn, tearing apart all obstacles in our way.

His Sharingan swept over the crowd. "This, too, is our means of achieving peace."

A cold consensus was silently reached atop the shattered tower. The Akatsuki, this slumbering behemoth, also began to open its eyes, baring its fangs towards the Ninja World.

April 1st, Konoha Year 49.

The new class of students at the Ninja Academy has enrolled, and Taiichi personally escorted his Three Disciples into the school to officially begin their second year at the Ninja Academy.

Don't underestimate them just because they're only second-year students. With their abilities, they would definitely graduate early if it were wartime.

Leaving aside Uchiha Itachi, a genius who existed in the original work, even the two little kids, Jiangtai and Yami, have mastered the Three Body Technique and the basic Ninjutsu of their respective attributes under Taiichi's tutelage.

Compared to ordinary Genin, what they lack now is sufficient Chakra and practical combat experience, and these take time.

Let it settle.

The biggest change in Konoha in the past few months is that it is about to usher in a huge baby boom.

After the war ended, men and women from all families returned to their villages from the front lines. From the tense battlefield to the relaxed home, these people naturally returned to their most basic human responsibilities.

Taiichi walked through the streets of Konoha, he would occasionally brush past a pregnant woman with a large belly.

Amidst this vibrant scene, Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata, Shikamaru, and the Konoha 12 from the original story were all being nurtured in their mothers' wombs.

This marks the arrival of a new era, and the beginning of new challenges.

In order to meet this new challenge, Taiichi is constantly improving his own strength.

Now 13 years old, Taiichi is entering a period of rapid physical development.

With his Advanced Taijutsu and meditation training, which is about to reach Ly9 level, his physique, spirit, and Chakra are improving at an exaggerated rate every day.

While Taiichi isn't quite at the terrifying level of Naruto's chakra release, he can still easily handle extreme challenges that last three days and three nights in a typical battle, thanks to his strength.

If there's one thing that remains unchanged amidst all these changes, it's probably the person right in front of us.

Taiichi pushed open the door to the Konoha Hospital Dean's Office, and what greeted his eyes was a blonde beauty's embarrassed expression after a flustered moment.

Taiichi didn't even need to think to know that Tsunade was probably secretly drinking in her office again.

A Taiichi's forehead, but he quickly suppressed it.

Don't be angry, don't be angry. After all, he's my teacher. I willingly became his apprentice, so I have to bear the hardship myself.

Taiichi strode to Tsunade's desk, ignoring the faint scent of alcohol wafting past his nose.

"Teacher Tsunade, Lord Orochimaru has made some progress in his research on White Zetsu. Yesterday, he officially submitted a further study on Hashirama Cells. The Hokage-sama asked me to ask for your opinion?"

Tsunade's slightly flushed face suddenly hardened, and she instantly became more alert.

She knew about Orochimaru's experiments; Taiichi, as one of the participants, would occasionally tell her about the research.

The ultimate goal of this research is to master Wood Style by developing Grandpa's cells.

Whether it's Hashirama Cells or Wood Style, these are things that he, as the granddaughter of the First Hokage, needs to know.

"Is the research progressing this fast? They've already delved into the study of grandfather cells."

Tsunade's eyes rarely showed worry, after all, the previous Wood Style experiments had not been very successful. Many Senju clansmen had not died at the hands of their enemies, but had instead perished in the exploration of Wood Style.

"Yes, through research on White Zetsu, we have initially grasped the ability to weaken the infectivity of Hashirama Cells."

Tsunade sat there, her eyes somewhat blank, her hands clasped together, her two index fingers constantly overlapping and circling each other.

After a long while, her eyes regained their clarity, as if she had made up her mind.

"I'll go with you tomorrow. It'll be a good opportunity to see how Orochimaru's Scientific Research Department is doing."

A glint of light flashed in Taiichi; this was the first time Tsunade had explicitly expressed interest in this research.

As one of Tsunade 'Konoha top Medical Ninja, Tsunade's research abilities are also exceptional.

Unfortunately, this girl's laziness had reached a certain point, and no matter how Taiichi hinted or invited her, she remained unmoved.

Now that she's taken an interest herself, it's a golden opportunity.

The day passed quickly in a flurry of activity, and before we knew it, it was the next morning.

After finishing his morning prayers, Taiichi went straight to Tsunade's room.

Tsunade no longer wants to go back to her own home. At Taiichi, there are people to serve her, delicious food, and plenty of people. It's much better than her own cold and desolate home, which has been uninhabited for a long time.

Upon arriving at Tsunade's house, before Taiichi even got close, he heard a Shizune urging coming from inside.

"Lady Tsunade, get up quickly! Aren't you supposed to go to the Scientific Research Department with Taiichi today?"

"What Scientific Research Department? I'm not going. Let me sleep a little longer."

"Ah, Lady Tsunade, how much did you drink last night?"

Taiichi stopped in his tracks. Sure enough, one couldn't have too many expectations of Tsunade in these matters.

His senses locked onto Tsunade, who was still lazing in bed inside the room. His aura suddenly erupted, flashing by in an instant, and a wave of energy rippled outwards from Taiichi.

Inside the room, Tsunade, who had been lazing in bed, sprang up as if electrocuted, her eyes sharp and ready for battle.

This is the moaning technique Taiichi occasionally uses, taking advantage of the vigilance ingrained in a master's bones. It's very effective, always works, it's just...

"Song--------too----ー!"

A roar came from inside the house, and Taiichi had already disappeared from the spot, leaving only a faint sentence echoing in the air.

"Teacher Tsunade, I'll be waiting for you at the main gate!"

Half an hour later, Taiichi followed behind Tsunade, who had a sour look on her face, and slowly walked towards the Scientific Research Department. However, if someone paid close attention, they could see an abnormal bump on Taiichi's forehead, which was the result of being hit by Tsunade's iron fist.

Even a disciple who casually uses their senses to lock onto the sleeping Lady Tsunade will get a severe beating.

The two arrived at the Scientific Research Department, with Taiichi Tsunade and Tsunade following behind. This was Tsunade's first time here, while Taiichi knew the place like the back of his hand.

After several twists and turns, the two finally found Orochimaru in the laboratory.

Orochimaru, true to his reputation as a research fanatic, was already in the lab conducting research early in the morning.

Taiichi and Tsunade's arrival did not disrupt Orochimaru's experiment at all, nor did they intend to disturb him. They simply stood outside the laboratory, quietly watching Orochimaru operate the equipment.

Cutting, encapsulating, cultivating Chakra, observing, verifying—step by step, with focused attention and without the slightest slackening—this is the professional spirit of a scientific researcher.

An hour later, Orochimaru, having finished recording and tidying up the experiment, finally noticed Taiichi and Tsunade outside the laboratory.

At that moment, Orochimaru's usually sinister face broke into a happy smile.

He put down the report in his hand and walked out of the laboratory.

"Tsunade, isn't my Scientific Research Department pretty good? How does it compare to your Konoha Hospital?"

At this moment, Orochimaru is like a child showing off something good to a friend, sincere and adorable.

"Hmph, so-so!"

Tsunade was acting rather arrogant at this moment. Although she seemed indifferent to the matter of Konoha Hospital, she didn't want her field to be surpassed by others.

"I came today to see your research on Grandpa's cells. How is it going? You didn't produce a bunch of deformities like before, did you?"

"You've come at just the right time. You applied yesterday and it was approved this morning. Our Fourth Hokage really does a great job supporting the Scientific Research Department."

As he spoke, he smiled at Taiichi. Taiichi was naturally Taiichi to blame. If it weren't for Taiichi's role in facilitating things and establishing a series of laboratory regulations, Minato wouldn't have agreed so quickly.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go. Let's take a look at your preliminary experiment. I heard it was inspired by the corpse of White Zetsu. I never thought my cells would be constrained one day."

Orochimaru led the way, and the three of them headed towards a special laboratory.