The sudden force of Tsunade's killing intent crashed over them like a storm.
"Strong… and terrifying," Kabuto thought grimly as he stepped protectively in front of Orochimaru. His gaze sharpened, and in his heart he made a dry, private judgment:
This woman must be single.
No man alive could withstand a punch from Tsunade at arm's length. Anyone foolish enough to get close would risk being beaten into the ground.
Still, his expression remained calm and respectful. "Lady Tsunade, we're not here to pick a fight. We only wish to discuss terms."
"Terms?" Tsunade's fists lowered, but her eyes stayed cold. "Don't waste my time. I already told you—leave. Now."
Kabuto's glasses flashed in the firelight. "That's impossible. Only you can heal Lord Orochimaru."
"Disappear."
"We're willing to offer something in return. A trade—"
"I'll count to five. If you're still standing here, you won't leave at all."
"Lady Tsunade—"
"Five."
"Please, hear me out. The deal is worth your while—"
"Four. Three."
Her voice was unshaken, merciless.
"Two."
The final moment was seconds away when Orochimaru finally spoke. His voice rasped, cold and deliberate:
"I can return your beloved brother and the man you loved to life."
Tsunade's amber eyes widened, pupils shrinking to pinpoints. The word one died on her lips.
"With the forbidden techniques I've mastered, they can stand by your side again," Orochimaru said, smiling faintly as if already victorious.
Her body trembled. For a long moment, she could only whisper, "Are you telling the truth?"
"In a sense," came a new voice, cutting across the silence.
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. He turned slowly, tension coiling in his body before he forced himself to relax. He thought quickly, then allowed a note of surprise to color his tone.
"…To think you would come here, of all times."
"'You'?"
The honorific in his voice startled Shizune and Tsunade alike. Confusion flickered across their faces—why would Orochimaru, of all people, speak with such respect?
They followed his gaze.
A cloaked figure walked forward from the shadows, black mantle stirring in the wind.
"Truth be told, I hadn't planned to come here," the newcomer said. His voice was low, steady, carrying through the ruined street. His eyes shifted from Orochimaru to Tsunade. "But it seems I arrived just in time."
He pulled back his hood. Beneath it was a face marred by cracks, yet still youthful and striking.
Yui Xuanyue.
The legendary shinobi who had once stood alongside Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara.
He had rushed here without pause the moment he learned of Tsunade's whereabouts. Any delay, and he might have missed this meeting altogether.
The wind stirred dust through the ruins. For a heartbeat, silence held sway.
Orochimaru's confidence faltered. His plan had been simple—provoke Tsunade with her deepest wounds, then dangle the promise of resurrection. Victory had been nearly assured. But now, with Xuanyue's sudden arrival, uncertainty gnawed at him.
Reputation was its own kind of power. Even weakened, even in his current state, Yui Xuanyue's mere presence stirred unease. Orochimaru was no exception.
"…So," Orochimaru asked carefully, "you came here for Tsunade as well?"
"Perhaps," Xuanyue said, his gaze falling on the blonde woman. Then he turned back to Orochimaru. "But don't worry. It won't interfere with your business."
His eyes flicked briefly to Orochimaru's bandaged arms, as if seeing straight through them. "I know what concerns you."
Orochimaru exhaled softly, the tension in his shoulders loosening. If it had been Tsunade alone, he had gambled on exploiting her fear of blood. But against Xuanyue—even in Edo Tensei form, with his hands useless and Kabuto at his side—he doubted his odds.
And Xuanyue never lied.
"Very well," Orochimaru said smoothly, stepping back. "I've said what I needed to. If you have business with Tsunade, the stage is yours."
"Much obliged."
Xuanyue inclined his head, then turned toward Tsunade.
She had only just begun to recover from Orochimaru's words, her heart still reeling at the mention of her lost loved ones. Now she found herself facing another impossibility.
Her eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"
Kabuto, ever eager to prove his knowledge, answered before Xuanyue could.
"This is the man once spoken of in the same breath as Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara—the shinobi said to rival gods themselves. Lord Yui Xuanyue."
He bowed deeply, respect evident in his every motion.
Xuanyue smiled faintly. "A reliable subordinate you have there."
Orochimaru chuckled. "I thought so as well."
But Tsunade and Shizune heard nothing. Their hearts were still pounding with the weight of Kabuto's words.
"On par with Grandfather… and with Madara?"
Tsunade's mind reeled. Memories surfaced—Senju Hashirama laughing as he dragged her into casinos, telling stories of the past between wagers. He had spoken often of Madara. Less often, but with equal weight, of Yui Xuanyue.
And now, here Xuanyue stood, alive before her eyes.
How can a man lost to history stand before me?
Shizune found her voice first. "Lady Tsunade, there were rumors… that Yui Xuanyue appeared during the Chūnin Exams. I thought it was nonsense, but now—"
Most rumors in the shinobi world were. But this? This was no lie.
Tsunade's breath caught as her mind leapt back to Orochimaru's words. I can return your brother and your lover to life.
Orochimaru hadn't lied.
If Yui Xuanyue stood here… then resurrection was truly possible.
(End of Chapter)