Tsunade smiled and said, "That depends on what Yoruha thinks, after all, it's his decision." Shizune thought for a moment and nodded, "True, I don't think Yoruha would choose Temari. Given his personality, he wouldn't."
Meanwhile, the Yoruha they were talking about was currently in the Land of Water.
In a large lake connected to the sea, Yoruha was sitting cross-legged on the back of the Three-Tails.
Feeling bored, Yoruha asked, "Hey, Isobu, don't you get bored swimming around here every day?"
As the Three-Tails swam in the lake, it replied, "How could I be bored? I think it's you who's feeling bored." "Aren't you going back to Konoha? You've been out for over a month now."
Yoruha replied nonchalantly, "It's fine. Since I'm out, I don't want to go back so soon." The Three-Tails didn't say anything further.
As they reached the edge of the lake, Yoruha looked towards the forest. "Isobu, it seems someone has their eyes on you." The Three-Tails paused, "Who?"
Yoruha looked into the forest. "They're heading this way. You're too big a target, easily spotted." The Three-Tails' expression turned serious, "It seems to be that Akatsuki organization you mentioned."
The Three-Tails guessed it might be the Akatsuki's ninjas, but Yoruha, sitting on its back, shook his head, "Probably not. Just a few average ninjas."
Hearing this, the Three-Tails didn't doubt it. It was surprising that a few average ninjas dared to target it. The Three-Tails was angry.
"It seems I appear weak to people, that even a few average ninjas dare to challenge me."
Yoruha chuckled, "Don't be so angry. Maybe they're just a bunch of arrogant guys." "But I'm quite interested in one of them."
The Three-Tails, initially angry, was taken aback by Yoruha's words, "Oh, someone who piques your interest must be something special."
Although it didn't know all of Yoruha's abilities, from what it did know, the Three-Tails had a general evaluation: Yoruha was a super Kage-level powerhouse, on par with the likes of Hashirama and Madara.
Yoruha looked into the forest and said calmly, "I'll slip away first. If they find me here, it won't be interesting."
Without waiting for the Three-Tails to respond, Yoruha disappeared. The Three-Tails looked at its now empty back and muttered, "What's he up to again?" Although puzzled, the Three-Tails wasn't worried about Yoruha, nor about itself.
It was because it understood Yoruha's strength that it wasn't concerned.
The Three-Tails knew that in the current ninja world, there was probably no one who could match Yoruha.
Meanwhile, in the forest, a group was cautiously advancing towards the lake.
They could vaguely see the Three-Tails swimming in the lake. Yoruha was very familiar with this group.
Leading them was Kabuto Yakushi, and behind him was the person Yoruha mentioned he was interested in, the Crystal Release user, Guren.
Behind Guren was Yuukimaru, whom Kabuto had brought along to control the Three-Tails. Yuukimaru possessed chakra capable of controlling tailed beasts.
At any cost. However, Kabuto Yakushi clearly didn't care about those things; as long as he could control the Three-Tails, he didn't care about Yukimaru's life or death.
Walking behind Guren was the key to their mission this time, Yukimaru, a boy with long pale-golden hair and a very feminine face.
Following them was a burly man, Bullhead. These people were all subordinates of Orochimaru.
In fact, all of Orochimaru's subordinates were people he had manipulated, and he could make those he manipulated willingly serve him.
One must admit that Orochimaru had a knack for this. But Orochimaru was also selective; he chose those who were desperately lacking in recognition from others.
Normal people couldn't be swayed by him. Whether it was Kimimaro, Guren, or Kabuto Yakushi, they were all such people.
He couldn't sway even slightly more normal people, like Sasuke in the original story.
Sasuke stayed by Orochimaru's side for three years without being swayed, not even believing a single word he said. The group cautiously approached the lake.
Looking at the colossal creature swimming in the lake, even though they were still hundreds of meters away, they were still awestruck. "Is that the Three-Tails? So powerful!"
Guren felt the immense chakra emanating from the Three-Tails, along with the terrifying intimidation that belonged to a tailed beast.
Kabuto Yakushi also looked at the Three-Tails, adjusting his glasses with a cold smile,
"The Three-Tails, that guy's summoning beast. I wonder what expression that guy will have when he finds out his summoning beast has been controlled by Lord Orochimaru, hahaha!" Thinking about this made Kabuto happy.
Three years ago, Yoruha had cast a huge shadow over him and Orochimaru. Even after three years, it was still vivid in his memory.
However, during these three years, he hadn't found much useful information about Yoruha. It was as if Yoruha had vanished from the ninja world, completely untraceable.
But this was also due to Orochimaru's poor intelligence-gathering capabilities.
Previously, he didn't even know Naruto was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, which was evident.
Orochimaru had planted many spies in Konoha, but they seemed utterly useless, even overlooking such glaring information as Naruto being the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
Naturally, they couldn't gather information about Yoruha becoming a Hokage guard and being known as the "Medical Sage" in Konoha.
Ultimately, Orochimaru was just a research-oriented ninja, and intelligence wasn't his forte.
The funny thing was that it was understandable for Orochimaru to be lacking in intelligence-gathering since he wasn't a professional in that field.
But for Kabuto Yakushi, a former Root ninja, to be so inadequate was hard to comprehend.
It seemed like Konoha was a black hole, and they couldn't gather any information about it.
Even if they did, it was all common knowledge, and they didn't even know much of the widely known information.
Naturally, over these three years, he hadn't gathered any information about Yoruha because he didn't even know Yoruha had become Tsunade's guard or that Yoruha was a famous medical ninja in Konoha.
Yukimaru stood beside Guren, looking at the distant Three-Tails, feeling a bit timid. It was a tailed beast, a level above ninja beasts.
Even though he had the power to control tailed beasts within him, facing it directly still instinctively made him feel scared.
Guren, knowing Yukimaru was afraid of the Three-Tails, patted his shoulder, "It's okay, it hasn't noticed us." "And we'll protect you while you seal the Three-Tails."