Orochimaru's Tempting Offer

Jiraiya took Naruto and left Konoha, traveling far and wide in search of Tsunade's whereabouts.

The two headed west, passing through dense forests and crossing treacherous mountain ranges. After several days of travel, they finally found traces of Tsunade in a remote little town.

The town was simple and peaceful, far removed from the conflicts of the ninja world. Tsunade had secluded herself here, with Shizune at her side.

Most days, she either drank at the town tavern or trained in the outskirts, living a carefree life as though she had long forgotten Konoha, forgotten her identity as one of the Three Sannin, and forgotten the conflicts of the past.

When Jiraiya and Naruto found Tsunade, she was sitting in a corner of the tavern, several jars of wine placed before her, completely drunk.

There was a touch of laziness on her face, along with a barely noticeable loneliness.

It was pain buried deep within her heart—the endless longing for her younger brother Nawaki and her lover Dan Katō.

"Tsunade, it's been a long time."

Jiraiya walked up to her, his tone complicated, carrying both joy and helplessness:

"The Third Hokage was badly wounded by Orochimaru and is still unconscious. Konoha's leadership is in disarray, and many ninja in the village were seriously injured during the battle with the Three Sannin and Orochimaru's invasion, with no one to treat them."

"I hope you'll return to Konoha with me, take up the position of Fifth Hokage, and shoulder the responsibility of protecting Konoha. I also hope you'll help treat our injured comrades."

"Hokage? Treating comrades?"

Tsunade gave a cold laugh. She lifted a wine jar from the table and took another huge gulp, liquor running down from the corner of her mouth. Her voice was full of mockery and pain:

"I don't care about becoming Hokage, and I don't want anything more to do with whether Konoha lives or dies!"

"Back then, my grandfather, the First Hokage, gave everything for Konoha, only to meet such an end. My younger brother Nawaki wanted nothing more than to become Hokage and protect Konoha, yet he died miserably on a mission. My lover Dan Katō died on the battlefield protecting his comrades, leaving not even a body behind."

"What did Konoha give me? Nothing but endless pain and loss! Why should I go back? Why should I give everything for Konoha?"

Tsunade's voice caught slightly. Grief suppressed for years churned in her eyes—the obsession she had never been able to let go of through all her years of wandering.

Seeing Tsunade's pain, Naruto's heart ached for her. He stepped forward, his eyes firm and sincere.

"Granny Tsunade, I know you're hurting. I know you lost people who were very important to you. But Konoha really needs you, and so do those injured comrades!"

"I promise you, if you return to Konoha, I'll train hard. I'll protect Konoha, and I'll protect you too. I won't let you lose anything ever again, and I won't let Brother Nawaki and Uncle Dan's sacrifices be in vain!"

As Tsunade looked into Naruto's determined eyes, something within her wavered. Yet the pain buried deep in her heart still bound her tightly, leaving her unable to make up her mind.

Just then, a sinister, wicked voice suddenly came from outside the tavern, carrying intense temptation and malice. "Tsunade, it's been a long time. I never expected you to be hiding here, drowning your sorrows in drink."

The moment she heard that voice, Tsunade's expression changed drastically. Chakra erupted from her body, instantly clearing away most of her drunkenness. Her eyes turned incomparably cold as she stared fixedly at the tavern entrance.

She would never forget that voice for as long as she lived. It was Orochimaru!

Jiraiya and Naruto immediately became alert as well. They turned around, gathering chakra around themselves as they prepared for battle.

Two figures slowly entered the tavern. The one in front was Orochimaru.

He wore a long white robe. His face was so pale it was nearly translucent, and his hands hung limply at his sides, his knuckles white. A sinister aura surrounded him, while pain and madness filled his eyes.

Ever since the Third Hokage had sealed his hands with the Reaper Death Seal, he had been unable to form hand seals or use ninjutsu. That agony tormented him day and night, making him wish he were dead.

Kabuto Yakushi stood respectfully behind him, dressed in black and wearing a faint smile. Yet his eyes were incomparably cold. Chakra surged around him as he remained ready to act at any moment, while covertly keeping guard beside Orochimaru.

Orochimaru stared intently at Tsunade. A flash of greed and temptation passed through his eyes, and his voice was hoarse yet lethally alluring. "Tsunade, I know you hate me. But I can give you everything you want.

"I can use the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu to revive your younger brother Nawaki, as well as your lover Dan Katō."

"As long as you help me break the seal on my hands and let me form hand seals again, I'll immediately perform Impure World Reincarnation. I'll reunite you with them, so you'll never have to suffer the pain of losing them again."

Those words exploded in Tsunade's mind like thunder.

Revive Nawaki. Revive Dan Katō!

This was her greatest wish for all these years, the only obsession that haunted her dreams at midnight.

Her body began to tremble at once. Longing and struggle filled her eyes, and tears slipped uncontrollably from their corners. "You... You're telling the truth? You can really revive them?"

"I, Orochimaru, never lie."

Orochimaru sneered, his tone filled with certainty:

"As long as you help me break the seal, I'll act immediately and let you see them with your own eyes."

"Think about it, Tsunade," Orochimaru continued tempting her. "As long as you nod, you'll see your younger brother again, see your lover again, and reunite with them.

"You won't have to endure loneliness and pain by yourself anymore. As for Konoha and the position of Hokage, what do they have to do with you?"

Tsunade was caught in a fierce inner struggle.

On one side was the reunion she had dreamed of, the obsession she had been unable to relinquish for years. On the other was Konoha's safety, the comrades who needed her treatment, and the home Nawaki and Dan Katō had protected with all their strength while they were alive.

She looked into Orochimaru's sinister eyes, and her mind gradually cleared.

She knew better than anyone what kind of person Orochimaru was. He was insidious, cunning, and had committed countless evils. The resurrection he spoke of was likely nothing more than a lie.

Even if he truly could revive Nawaki and Dan Katō, they would not be the people they once were. They would only be puppets controlled by Impure World Reincarnation—soulless shells.

Moreover, Orochimaru had betrayed Konoha, slaughtered his clansmen, and severely wounded the Third Hokage. His ambition to destroy Konoha was obvious to all.

How could she possibly help him regain his power and continue endangering Konoha and the ninja world?

If Nawaki and Dan Katō knew in the afterlife, they would never want her to betray Konoha and aid evil just to "reunite" with them.

At last, Tsunade raised her head. The longing and struggle in her eyes were gradually replaced by resolve. She wiped away her tears, her gaze turning incomparably cold as she stared at Orochimaru. "Orochimaru, stop dreaming!"

"Even if you really can revive them, they wouldn't be the Nawaki and Dan I once knew. I won't help a devil like you for the sake of two soulless puppets, and I certainly won't give you the chance to keep harming Konoha!"

"I will never allow your ambition to destroy Konoha! Even if I die today, I'll stop you!"

As her words fell, chakra burst from Tsunade's body at full force, and the Strength of a Hundred Seal activated instantly.

Distinct diamond-shaped markings appeared on her cheeks. Chakra surged like a tide, and even the ground around her trembled faintly.

She had finally seen reality for what it was, let go of the obsession in her heart, and decided to shoulder her responsibility—protecting Konoha and fighting Orochimaru.