Chapter 114: 114. Dead or Alive...
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When Jiraiya and Tsunade paid homage to Orochimaru, they did so at a base in the Land of Sound.
"The time is up, I hope Orochimaru-sama is safe," Guren said as she smeared Orochimaru's blood on her hand and formed a seal.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
As the white smoke cleared, a massive snake with black and purple stripes appeared. Its size was so immense that it smashed through the roof, causing debris to rain down. This was Manda, the giant snake often summoned by Orochimaru.
Manda roared furiously, "You fool, Orochimaru! How dare you summon me in such a cramped place? If you don't offer me a hundred sacrifices this time, you won't escape my wrath!"
"Orochimaru! Show yourself!" Manda bellowed, noticing Guren instead. "Where's that insignificant bug, Orochimaru?"
Feeling Manda's immense presence, Guren respectfully replied, "The purpose of my summoning is to deliver a message. Orochimaru-sama said that if he encountered danger, you were to help him escape. He instructed me to wait here, and if he didn't return by the appointed time, I was to summon you using his blood."
"You can summon me too? Ridiculous!" Manda sneered, sensing there was no one else nearby. "Hmph, that guy—maybe he was killed before he could summon me. Humans are so fragile."
"Orochimaru-sama won't die!" Guren retorted instinctively, despite the overwhelming pressure from Manda.
"I'm done wasting time. If he's alive, tell him I demand 100 sacrifices!" Manda dissolved the summoning jutsu, disappearing back to Ryuchi Cave.
"Could it be that Orochimaru-sama... No, that's impossible! There are still other options!" Guren hurried to another base, leaving everything behind.
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The next day, in Konoha Village, news of Konoha's solo victory over the joint sneak attack by Sunagakure and Otogakure spread like wildfire.
Simultaneously, reports emerged of former Konoha advisor Danzo Shimura colluding with Orochimaru for power, leaking village secrets, and murdering the other advisors, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane.
When attempting to escape, Danzo was intercepted by ANBU Black Ops and ultimately took his own life.
The villagers celebrated the victory, reassured by Konoha's strength in withstanding the attack. Many had seen the three large serpents outside the village, and knowing the power of Konoha's defences brought them peace of mind.
However, Danzo's betrayal angered the people. Traitors were hated even more than invaders, and Danzo's name became infamous.
Yet, the murder of the two advisors caused unease among the villagers. With two high-ranking officials gone, would Konoha's order fall into chaos?
Thankfully, Jiraiya and Tsunade stepped in as advisors, easing the village's concerns. Both were considered reliable... for the most part.
The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, used this opportunity to restore the honour of Konoha's White Fang, Sakumo Hatake, by personally engraving his name on the village's memorial stone.
No one objected, and many villagers who had once condemned Sakumo now felt ashamed. Some even visited his grave to pay their respects, filled with guilt for their past accusations, silently resenting those who had spread the harmful rumours.
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That day, Kakashi stood motionless in front of the memorial stone, not leaving until nightfall, when Kushina Uzumaki found him and dragged him home by the ear.
Three minutes later, Gai, on his 48th lap around the village as part of his daily workout, stopped by the memorial. Scratching his head, he asked, "Huh? Where's Kakashi?"
After a moment of thought, Gai slammed his right fist into his left palm. "So, he's already left! As expected of my eternal rival and best friend, Kakashi!"
Tears welled up in Gai's eyes. "To celebrate Kakashi's recovery from grief, I'll run backwards until I'm exhausted! This is youth!"
And so, Konoha's streets once again echoed with the sound of Gai's energetic training.
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"Thank you, Lord Fourth," Kakashi bowed deeply to Minato.
"There's no need for that. In fact, this should have been done long ago. The delay was only because we lacked concrete evidence. It was my shortcoming as Hokage," Minato replied.
"Even so, I am grateful for what you've done for my father."
"You two are impossible!" Kushina pointed her spoon at them. "This is family, so stop being formal and come eat!"
"Hahaha, Kakashi, if you're still down, why not borrow my new novel?" Jiraiya suggested, trying to lighten the mood.
Tsunade quickly slammed Jiraiya's head onto the table. "Don't promote your nonsense here, you idiot!"
"That novel is my life's work..." Jiraiya muttered, rubbing his forehead.
Kakashi, however, politely declined under Kushina's sharp gaze, though he subtly made a few gestures to Jiraiya under the table.
The two seemed to reach a secret agreement, much like the covert dealings of black market merchants.
If those two ever took the written portion of the Chunin Exams, they'd surely ace it through cheating. Meanwhile, Naruto, playing with a cat toy and teasing Tonton, seemed oblivious to the fact that the pig wasn't enjoying the game, wearing a look of silent protest.
Shizune watched Naruto with a relieved smile, glad that at least Tonton wouldn't end up roasting on a spit due to Naruto's affection.
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"By the way, Tsunade-sama, did you check on Kimimaro's condition? He fought a major battle just two days after leaving the hospital," Shizune asked.
"Yes, I did," Tsunade replied, carefully examining Kimimaro while Karin, Haku, and the others looked on with concern.
Gaara wasn't present, as the bond with his siblings, strengthened by Kushina's influence, had motivated him to spend more time with them.
Though it put Minato and Kushina in a bit of an awkward spot, they respected his wishes.
After a thorough examination, Tsunade said, "Kimimaro is fine. As long as he avoids overusing his bloodline ability and doesn't excessively manipulate his bones, he won't experience any serious health problems."
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