Neither of them was in a hurry, so they began searching along the coastline.
"Don't you already have Hashirama Cells? Why can't you use Wood Release yet?"
"At least give me time to develop water- and earth-nature chakra!
Once we reach the Land of Whirlpools, I'll train beside you while you study Sealing Jutsu."
As they walked, they came upon a fishing village.
Just as they reached the village entrance, they spotted an old woman chasing a child at a surprisingly brisk pace.
She held a short stick with bloodstains on it.
Xuanhui and Orochimaru exchanged a glance and immediately ran over.
Xuanhui caught the child in his arms, while Orochimaru grabbed the old woman.
The child was so frightened by Xuanhui suddenly rushing out and grabbing them that they began shrieking.
The old woman also flailed her arms wildly, demanding to know who they were.
They told her they were travelers.
The old woman immediately dropped her fierce expression and replaced it with a fawning smile.
"Oh? You two gentlemen must be from town, right? Those clothes of yours don't look cheap.
Would you like to buy some local specialties to take home?"
The child immediately began shouting at the old woman.
"Don't believe her! Everything in her house is junk, and she keeps trying to force people to buy it!"
"What do you know, you little brat? I'll teach you a lesson!"
Xuanhui and Orochimaru hurriedly separated them.
Xuanhui leaned close to the child's ear and asked what was going on.
It turned out that the old woman and her husband had both been fishermen in the village.
But her husband had died of an illness, and she had refused to go out to sea ever since.
Her two children occasionally came back from town to visit her,