The Weight of the Living

Let's rewind to three days ago.

In a dilapidated inn on Tanzaku Town, the smell of mildew mixed with the stench of blood fermented in the air.

Orochimaru sat back in a dark corner, his arms hanging limply in his sleeves.

His ten fingers had turned black and necrotic, and excruciating pain, like being bitten by a thousand insects, climbed up his nerves, making it impossible for him to even lift a glass of water.

Kabuto Yakushi adjusted his round-framed glasses and unfolded the sealed scroll containing clues about the remains for him.

He offered a condition. "Heal my hand, and I'll bring back Broken Tree and Nawaki. They've been waiting for you too long in the Pure Land."

Tsunade's gaze lingered on those festering hands, her shoulders tense, her feet rooted to the spot.

Kabuto then placed an old necklace engraved with a ninja number on the wooden table.

That was Nawaki's favorite keepsake.

The scene shifts back to the early morning of the third day.

The old ruins surrounding Tanzaku Town.

Moss grows among the ruins, and the morning breeze stirs up the withered leaves on the ground.

Orochimaru leaned against a collapsed pillar, his fingertips turning from black to a translucent grayish-purple, the decay accelerating.

He forced a sickly smile, but his teeth bit his lower lip until it bled.

Footsteps echoed from the entrance to the ruins.

Tsunade wasn't wearing her usual green kimono; instead, she wore a simple long robe, her blonde hair cascading over her shoulders.

She stopped ten steps away from Orochimaru, her palm tightly gripping the necklace, the metal edge digging into her flesh, and beads of blood sliding down her palm lines.

A pale green healing light shone from her right palm, the glow flickering with the rise and fall of her chest.

The gasps of the living in the clinic last night and the words of the dead coming back to life before her eyes tore her apart wildly.

"Let's do it, Tsunade."

Orochimaru's voice was hoarse, like the grinding of sand, utterly seductive.

Just as Tsunade forward half an inch, a sound of air being torn apart suddenly arose in the sky.

A Kunai, enveloped in a visible golden vortex, pierced straight into the bluestone slab between the two.

Three inches into the ground, the stone slab shows radial cracks.

The powerful aftershocks of the Yang Release energy transformed into a whirlwind, forcing Orochimaru to instinctively take two steps back, and the pierced burn scar on his neck suddenly throbbed with pain.

"The dead should stay in the Pure Land. You think you're worthy of using them as bargaining chips?"

Naruto stood atop the highest point of the crumbling wall, one hand in his pocket, looking down over the entire scene.

Sunlight shone on his golden stubble, and his body exuded a wild and untamed masculine energy.

Jiraiya and Shizune followed closely behind, landing on either side of Tsunade.

Orochimaru's facial muscles contorted.

The Yang Release that pierced the snake's neck in the Forest of Death, and those domineering eyes, exploded in his mind like a malignant sore.

"Naruto Uzumaki!"

The voice seeped out from between his teeth, carrying a hysterical, tearing quality, "It's you again, you naughty brat!"

Naruto leaped down from the high wall, his boot shattering a blue brick.

At this moment, he was in the twelve-hour period of weakness following the opening of the Gate of Limit, and his Taijutsu output and reaction speed were at a low point, but his arrogance remained undiminished.

He walked straight to Tsunade's side, not even sparing Orochimaru a glance, and tossed a stack of blood-stained papers onto the stone table. "I said, the three-day deadline is up. These are the thirteen people from last night; they were all panting this morning. They don't deserve to be exchanged for Dan and Nawaki, but they remember who pulled them back from the snake venom."

Shizune quickly stepped forward and stuffed a piece of paper with crooked handwriting into Tsunade.

The message simply read, "Lady Tsunade, for ensuring I can eat tomorrow."

Tsunade's throat bobbed heavily as she shifted her gaze from the note to Orochimaru's festering hands.

She placed the necklace back on the stone, loosening her grip on each of her fingers.

The weight of the living utterly crushed the dreams of the dead.

"If Duan and Nawaki return, the first thing they'll do is have me kill you."

His glasses reflected the light, and the Chakra Scalpel in his hand glowed a deep blue. "Lord Orochimaru hasn't been idle these past three days. Naruto-kun, the price of Gate of Limit isn't light, is it?"

As soon as the signal that the deal was about to fall apart was given, a fierce glint flashed in Orochimaru's eyes.

Four rune-inscribed Kunai flew out from between his fingers, and four purple light curtains rose from the four corners of the ruins, completely blocking the retreat route.

The ground churned, and dozens of black snakes surged toward Tsunade like a raging torrent.

Orochimaru seized the opportunity to leap forward, his gray-purple hands gripping Tsunade's wrists tightly, forcibly plundering the healing Chakra within her meridians.

Naruto moved.

The muscles in his right leg suddenly swelled, and with a powerful whip kick, he crushed a large swarm of snakes in front of him. His fist, wielding Yang Release, aimed straight at Orochimaru's face.

The ghostly movement technique caught Naruto off guard during his weakened state, allowing it to sneak in from the side.

A jet-black short sword, engraved with intricate sealing patterns, slashed horizontally, precisely blocking the path of Naruto's fist.

Fists clashed.

The sealing patterns on the blade shone brightly, and an extremely cold and corrosive force flowed back into Naruto's meridians along his finger bones, visibly suppressing the light of Yang Release by 30%.

Naruto lowered his brow.

Orochimaru Tsunade.

"Your opponent is me."

Naruto spoke without turning his head, stopping Jiraiya was about to create Rasengan.

Jiraiya 'Chakra dissipated from his palm, choosing to trust.

Without Tsunade as a supply depot, Orochimaru and Kabuto engage in a desperate doubles battle.

Kabuto's Chakra Scalpel, combined with the Yin Sealing Short Blade, is specifically designed to cut through the Naruto's limbs can exert force.

Naruto dodged to the side, but the sealed short sword pierced deeply into his left shoulder.

Blood gushed out, dripping down his arm onto the bluestone slab.

Orochimaru's lips curled into a sinister smile. Several venomous snakes slithered past, coiling around the blood on the ground and dragging it backwards, leaving a long, glaring crimson line of blood on the gray-white stone slab.

A strong smell of rust filled the air, and Tsunade. She subconsciously took a half step back, and her breathing became labored.

Naruto casually tossed the short sword from his shoulder with one hand.

Orochimaru gave him no chance to breathe, opening his mouth wide and unleashing the Kusanagi Sword, accompanied by a burst of slime, aimed straight for Naruto's heart.

That's it?

Naruto did not dodge; he raised his right arm, his five fingers clamping the Kusanagi Sword like iron pincers.

His palm was torn open, and blood flowed down the sword groove, but the sword could no longer advance an inch.

He yanked Orochimaru back sharply, pulling him close along with his sword. "You're about to lose your life, and you're still spouting empty promises. If those two in the Pure Land knew you were using their names for business, they'd crawl out and beat you to a pulp."

Completely enraged, Orochimaru ignored the excruciating pain in his meridians, transformed into a giant snake, and tightly coiled around Naruto's ribs, continuously contracting and tightening his grip.

At the same time, he spat out a piece of experimental meat covered with the First Hokage's Chakra.

The chunk of flesh grew larger in the wind, transforming into a twisted, thick wooden arm that greedily reached for Naruto's bleeding left shoulder.

[System notification: Detected Wood Release Source... Analyzing...]

Naruto offered no resistance, and even actively channeled his Yang Release Chakra back into his wooden arm through the wound.

Tsunade, standing at the back, kept her eyes fixed on Naruto's back as the giant snake tightened its grip on him.

The dripping blood failed to awaken her Hemophobia; instead, it ignited a rage that had been suppressed for over a decade.

The twelve-year-old boy was standing in front of her, bleeding.

Without relying on any external force, Tsunade took a large step forward, relying solely on her own will, and stomped heavily on the scarlet line of blood.

The diamond-shaped mark on his forehead shone brightly, and the emerald green Strength of a Hundred Seal Chakra swept across his entire body like a storm.

Orochimaru!

She launched herself out like a cannonball, delivering a Monster Strength punch with earth-shattering force that slammed into the giant snake's skull.

The shockwave rolled in, and all the surrounding walls collapsed.

The giant snake was thrown dozens of meters away, its wooden arms shattering into pieces.

Orochimaru rolled down the pile of rubble, vomiting mouthfuls of purplish-black poisonous blood.

Tsunade stood before Naruto, wiping the blood from her knuckles. "Never again shall you utter the names of Dan and Nawaki. They are my family."

His amber eyes turned to Naruto, "I lost the three-day agreement. I'll go back to Hidden Leaf with you."

Orochimaru, supported by Kabuto, swayed as he stood up, his vertical pupils fixed on the two men, a mixture of fear and greed in his eyes.

Knowing that things were hopeless today, he rapidly Hand Seals, his body merging into the ground. "Naruto Uzumaki... the seed within Sasuke will eventually be taken away for me. We'll meet again soon."

The sound faded away with the purple smoke.

The barrier dissipated.

Naruto scoffed inwardly: [I'll conduct a thorough investigation and uncover all the taxes you evaded. I'll collect this debt, principal and interest, from the Otogakure.]

The battle has come to an end.

Naruto leaned against a stone pillar, the Yin-type erosion on his left shoulder being removed by the Sage Body.

Tsunade walked to his side, without saying a word, her palms glowing with a rich, healing green light, and directly covered his wounds.

A morning breeze swept by, and sunlight once again bathed the ruins.

Naruto lowered his eyes to examine Tsunade's serious profile, a playful smile playing on his lips.

"Lady Tsunade, your technique is truly excellent. You don't need to bring your first-aid kit to my room tonight; otherwise, I won't feel at ease."

Tsunade by three points, pressing down on the area where the skin and flesh were torn open. Naruto gasped in pain, but his laughter grew even more unrestrained.

Jiraiya was in the distance, did not participate in the tug-of-war.

A carrier pigeon fluttered its wings and landed on his shoulder.

He removed the scroll from his leg ring, glanced at the short line of text, and his face instantly turned ashen.

"Naruto."

Jiraiya clutched the note tightly, his voice choked by the wind, "Urgent message from Hidden Leaf: Sasuke has defected."