The sticky blood Orochimaru had left in the fissure began to dry in the wind.
It gave off a foul, fishy stench, like a dead fish.
Jiraiya and Naruto plopped down on the muddy ground, amid puddles and loose stones.
They gulped down great lungfuls of air.
Naruto brushed the black mud off his tattered clothes.
From his pocket.
He pulled out the remaining half of a red bean cake, covered in stone chips from the explosion.
He casually brushed it off with the back of his filthy hand, not caring about the dirt, then kept stuffing it into his mouth, crunching loudly.
"Pervy old man, he really won't dare come back this time, right?"
Naruto mumbled through his food.
"Of course not." Jiraiya spat, his mouth stretching into a broad grin.
"That snake probably won't ever set foot in Konoha again."
Tsunade stood a short distance away.
She looked at the two severed hands on the ground.
Then she looked at the boy who was slowly rubbing his eyes and yawning.
In those beautiful eyes, still red and brimming with tangled emotions.
The pain, the relief, and her aversion to the Konoha High Command.
At that moment.
Finally.
Faded away.
"Sen Senju."
Tsunade strode forward, stepping over the broken roof tiles.
She walked over to him.
Her fair right hand, still slightly reddened from the earlier impact.
Landed on Sen's shoulder.
Smack!
With tremendous force.
She gave him a hearty slap.
The sheer force made Sen's wooden sandals slip beneath him, and a large patch of his shoulder instantly turned red.
"Not bad, kid."
Tsunade grinned, laughing heartily.
Her ample breasts bounced with her laughter.
"From now on, I've got your back in the village!"
"Give it a rest, lady."
Sen rubbed his aching shoulder, baring his teeth as