69novels Chapter 225 Rope Tree: By the way, where is Orochimaru-sensei?
Chapter 225 Rope Tree: By the way, where is Orochimaru-sensei?
Chapter 225 Rope Tree: By the way, where is Orochimaru-sensei?
Tsunade arrived at the scene of the battle very quickly.
The scene before me was terrifying.
The neighborhood was in a mess, the walls were covered with scorch marks, and the smell of gunpowder filled the air.
Several members of the secret service, wearing masks with various animal patterns, surrounded their target in the center of an open area.
They were constantly forming hand seals and casting spells, with various wind and fire ninjutsu rising and falling, transforming into raging winds and flames that blasted towards the center of the arena.
In the center of the arena coiled a huge brown serpent, its thick body writhing on the ground, nimbly dodging the bombardment of ninjutsu.
With each movement of the giant snake, the ground trembled violently, raising clouds of dust.
On the top of the giant snake stood a young ninja.
He moved nimbly along the snake's body, narrowly avoiding a series of explosions, displaying remarkable agility.
As the young man formed hand seals to direct the giant snake's counterattack, he shouted in a hurried and angry voice, "I already said, I'm not a spy, I'm a Konoha ninja! What's wrong with you? Don't you even recognize me?!"
However, the secret agents surrounding him showed no sign of stopping.
"Hmph, using this kind of summoning jutsu, they must be Orochimaru's accomplice, daring to impersonate a Konoha ninja!"
The leader of the ANBU gave a cold shout, his hands quickly forming hand seals, "Attack together! Show no mercy!"
Upon hearing this, several members of the secret service launched an attack simultaneously, sending a barrage of wind blades mixed with fireballs sweeping across the sky.
Under the scorching heat, the giant brown snake hissed and flicked its tongue, forced to curl up and roll to dodge, the surrounding ground blasted into uneven craters.
Tsunade and Jiraiya finally saw the face of the young man on the top of the giant snake's head.
It was a face that was both incredibly familiar and utterly unfamiliar.
The young man was about fourteen or fifteen years old, with short, light brown hair. His features resembled the boy in my memory, but his angularity was much more pronounced.
A crystal necklace strung together with a blue cord hung around her neck, gleaming with a familiar luster in the morning light.
Tsunade could hardly believe her eyes; her body froze on the spot, as if struck by lightning.
Jiraiya was instantly speechless upon seeing the young man's face, frozen in place: "It really is him?!"
At that moment, Tsunade felt a sudden "memory" in her mind, and her breathing seemed to stop.
She gazed at the giant snake and the young man standing on it, her chest heaving violently, her heart pounding, the emotions surging within her almost tearing her apart.
[Ding! Tsunade's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +2000!]
[Ding! Jiraiya's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +800!]
Shigure, who was hiding in the distance, instantly felt comfortable.
This can also generate emotion points?
I knew I made the right choice.
on site.
The shock and excitement surging in Tsunade's mind almost made her forget that she was on a battlefield, until the giant serpent's painful hiss pulled her back to reality.
Seeing the ANBU's ninjutsu still relentlessly targeting Nawaki, her initial shock quickly turned into uncontrollable heartache and anger.
Her chakra surged, and she suddenly unleashed a roar filled with overwhelming pressure: "Stop! All of you, stop!"
This roar was deafening.
The deafening shout, carrying immense chakra pressure, instantly reverberated throughout the entire battlefield.
The ANBU ninjas froze in their tracks, stunned by the sudden and terrifying aura.
The surrounding spies paused in unison, halting their attacks and turning to look at the source of the sound.
When they discovered that the visitor was none other than the Hokage, the Anbu ninjas were both surprised and suspicious, and they all stopped their attack.
The leader of the secret service raised his hand to signal his subordinates to be on guard and retreat, and he himself suppressed his doubts and stepped aside.
However, the group maintained their encirclement, firmly surrounding the giant snake and the suspicious youth in the center.
The young man on the snake's head breathed a long sigh of relief when he saw the secret agents retreat.
With a swift movement, he leaped lightly from the top of the giant snake's head and landed steadily on the ground.
He then clasped his hands together and hissed, "Release!"
With a loud "whoosh," the summoning spell was dispelled, and the enormous brown serpent vanished in a puff of white smoke.
After landing, the young man dusted himself off before looking up at his surroundings.
When his gaze fell on Tsunade, dressed in Hokage attire, and Jiraiya, whose white hair was striking, not far away, he was suddenly stunned.
Especially the blonde female ninja, who was staring at him with wide eyes and tears streaming down her face.
"Big sister?"
Rope Tree was so pleased with himself that he almost doubted his own eyes.
He took a closer look, panting heavily, and saw that the blonde, blue-eyed face was clearly his older sister, only much more mature than he remembered, with more signs of age on her face.
And the white-haired man beside her.
Isn't that Jiraiya-senpai?!
At this moment, Tsunade was already in tears.
She walked forward step by step, looking lost and dejected, tears streaming down her face.
Nawaki disregarded everything else and quickly approached Tsunade.
The two were still a few steps apart when Tsunade's trembling hand involuntarily reached out, her expression one of overwhelming excitement.
She wanted to touch her brother's face to confirm that this was not an illusion, but she was also afraid that the person in front of her was just a remnant of a dream that would disappear once she touched him.
Her hand froze in mid-air, hesitant to move forward, her fingertips trembling.
"Big sister." Nawaki looked at Tsunade, who was crying uncontrollably, and was both surprised and suspicious.
"You—what happened to you? Jiraiya-senpai has aged so much—"
He muttered to himself, unsure of what to say next.
Hearing her younger brother's familiar name and voice, Tsunade could no longer suppress the surging emotions within her.
With a sob, she took a step forward and hugged Rope Tree tightly!
The force was so great that even Rope Tree let out a muffled groan.
Tsunade, however, remained oblivious, focusing solely on tightening her arms as if only in this way could she be certain that her younger brother truly existed.
Tsunade was already sobbing uncontrollably.
"Rope Tree—it really is you! It really is you!"
The siblings, who had been separated for so long, embraced and wept in front of everyone.
The ANBU members around them exchanged glances, none daring to approach and disturb them. For a moment, only Tsunade's suppressed sobs and Nawaki's low words of comfort echoed in the air.
Kakashi stood not far away, witnessing the Hokage's outburst as he embraced a strange young man, and his heart was filled with emotion.
Although he had never met Nawaki in person, he speculated about it based on previous discussions and Tsunade's reaction.
The identity of the young man before them wasn't hard to guess. [Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Kakashi Hatake have been detected! Emotional value +500!]
Kakashi gasped, finding the situation utterly unbelievable.
"The characters from my dream have actually come to the real world?"
His thoughts were in disarray, and he quickly rubbed his temples to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
Meanwhile, over there, after a hug...
Tsunade also calmed down a bit.
She slowly loosened her arms from tightly hugging the rope tree, and held her younger brother's shoulders with both hands, her eyes red as she carefully examined him.
He had grown much taller than I remembered, and his once youthful and immature face had matured, revealing a hint of fortitude and maturity.
When Rope Tree saw her tearful appearance, he was surprised, delighted, and worried at the same time, and a flood of questions arose in his mind.
"Big sister, Jiraiya-senpai."
He looked around, then at Tsunade, and said incredulously, "What happened to you all? The village is so strange! I remember there used to be an orphanage here, but it's gone now. And those Anbu members, none of them recognized me, and they attacked me right away—what happened?!"
In just a few words, Rope Tree poured out all the questions that had popped into his head.
Tsunade opened her mouth, but didn't know where to begin.
Jiraiya stepped forward, patted the two siblings on the shoulder, and said with a warm smile, "Nawaki, let's talk about it back in the Hokage's office. This isn't the place to talk."
Tsunade then came to her senses, nodded, and choked out, "Yes, yes—it's not convenient here."
She reached out and grasped Rope Tree's slightly cold hand, as if afraid that he would disappear again if she let go, and gently tugged at it.
"Come with me, let's go back to the Hokage Building first."
Feeling the warmth and pressure from the palm of his hand, Rope Tree felt a little more at ease.
His sister's hands were still as warm and strong as he remembered, and he obediently nodded: "Mmm."
Although he was eager to have his questions answered, he also realized that there were too many people and too much talk in the area, and the recent conflict had caused quite a commotion, so it was indeed not appropriate to have a serious discussion in the street.
So Nawaki let Tsunade pull him along, and the three of them turned around and quickly headed towards the Hokage Building.
Before leaving, Jiraiya gave Kakashi a meaningful look.
Their eyes met, and Jiraiya nodded slightly, his eyes conveying a request for someone to clean up the mess.
Kakashi understood and nodded vigorously: "Understood."
He strode forward and ordered the bewildered members of the secret service, "All alert! Everyone disperse immediately and return to your posts. What happened this morning must not be told to anyone, understand?"
"Yes!" The members of the secret service exchanged glances and accepted the order.
The leader of the ANBU squad still hesitated, then whispered to Kakashi, "Kakashi-senpai, this young man suddenly appeared near our post this morning. Although he was wearing Konoha protective gear and a Konoha headband, when we checked his identification number, we found—that number belongs to a ninja who was registered as dead more than twenty years ago!"
The commander of the secret service had a complicated expression.
"We thought we had encountered an enemy infiltrator, so we—"
Kakashi patted him on the shoulder and said confidently, "You handled it correctly. The Hokage won't blame you for this. Staying vigilant is a good thing."
His gaze swept over the crowd, then he sternly commanded:
"But remember, nothing that happened this morning must be told! Keep your mouths shut, understand?"
"Understood!" the secret service members replied in unison.
Even without Kakashi saying anything, they could guess that this matter was no small thing.
Lady Tsunade's reaction just now says it all.
This mysterious young man who appeared out of nowhere has a close relationship with the Hokage and is definitely not an ordinary person.
The wise thing to do is to speak out three times.
In a short while, all the secret agents had dispersed.
After the dark forces dispersed.
Kakashi checked the battlefield again, and thankfully it was still early and no one had come to the vicinity.
Kakashi finally breathed a sigh of relief and turned to return to the Hokage Building to report the situation to Tsunade.
But just as he turned around, a hurried shout came from afar: "Kakashi-sensei! What happened?!"
A familiar, energetic voice rang out from the other end of the street.
Kakashi looked in the direction of the sound and saw Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura running towards him from the street corner.
Soon, they ran up to Kakashi.
Naruto looked around with concern: "Kakashi-sensei, is the battle over? I saw a huge commotion from afar and rushed over! Too bad, I wanted to help! Did an enemy invade Konoha?"
Sasuke stood beside Naruto without saying a word, but his eyes also held a hint of worry that he couldn't hide.
Sakura, after catching her breath and looking at her knees, turned to Kakashi to ask Naruto's question.
Kakashi's expression softened instantly when he saw the three students rushing over. He smiled reassuringly and shook his head, saying, "No enemy has invaded, don't be nervous."
"It was just a misunderstanding, and it's been resolved now."
"Huh?" Naruto scratched his head.
Only then did they notice Tsunade, Jiraiya, and the unfamiliar young man beside them, who were heading towards the Hokage Building not far away.
He stared wide-eyed with curiosity.
"Granny Tsunade and the perverted sage are both here! Who's that young man they're with?"
As he spoke, Naruto pointed in the direction where Tsunade and the others had left, his face full of curiosity and confusion.
Sasuke and Sakura also cast inquiring glances their way.
Clearly, the three brats also saw Tsunade and Nawaki leaving.
Kakashi hesitated for a moment, then decided not to hide it from the three little ones.
After all, Naruto and Sasuke have a close relationship with that dream, so it's good to tell them early so they can be mentally prepared.
"The young man you're talking about," he said solemnly, "is not an enemy, but Lady Tsunade's younger brother—Nawaki."
"He came from that dream world into reality."
"Wh-what?!"
Naruto and Sasuke exclaimed in unison.
Even the usually calm Sakura's eyes widened.
"Tsunade's younger brother? Someone from the dream world?! How is that possible?!"
[Ding! Naruto's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +500!]
[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Uchiha Sasuke have been detected! Emotional value +800!]
[Ding! Sakura Haruno's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +600!]
"Shh! Don't make a sound! This is an S-class secret."
Kakashi planned to intimidate the three little ones first.
Sasuke's eyes flashed.
If something like this can actually happen, then could the Nissan in the dream also be—
The thought made Sasuke's breathing quicken, and he eagerly said, "Kakashi-sensei! Take us with you!"
On the other side, Tsunade held Nawaki's hand and walked briskly through the streets of Konoha without stopping.
Jiraiya followed closely beside the two, glancing around warily from time to time.
Tsunade didn't say a word the whole way, only tears uncontrollably streaming down her cheeks.
She held tightly to Nawaki's broad, warm hand, the solid touch of his palm reminding her again and again that this was not a dream, Nawaki had really returned!
Rope Tree was slightly out of breath, but his head kept looking left and right.
He looked around and felt that although the buildings on both sides of the street still had some familiar outlines, many of them were obviously old and dilapidated, and some had even disappeared, leaving only the ruins of their foundations.
A once bustling commercial street is now deserted and desolate, as if it had been transformed into another place.
He remembered this place as a temporary wartime market, but now, with doubts swirling in his mind, he couldn't help but ask, "Is this Konoha Village? How come it's changed so much? Could it be that I've traveled to many years in the future?"
Upon hearing this, Tsunade and Jiraiya both stopped in their tracks.
The two looked at each other, and saw a mixture of emotions and helplessness in each other's eyes.
Jiraiya touched his nose and chuckled dryly, saying, "That's not entirely wrong—you have indeed arrived in the present, many years later."
Nawaki's eyes widened upon hearing this: "How long exactly is 'many years'? I think you're not hearing correctly, Jiraiya-senpai looks so much older. The changes on the streets are so great, even the dango shop's sign is faded and worn out. I clearly remember that shop only opened a few years ago." Jiraiya smiled wryly: "I'll explain the exact time later, but in short, the era you know of is a long time ago." Nawaki nodded firmly, speechless for a moment.
After a moment, his gaze suddenly fell on Tsunade, noticing the Hokage-specific pattern embroidered on the hem of her white divine robe draped over her shoulders. He was stunned: "Big sister, your attire—are you the Hokage now?!"
Tsunade smiled slightly, reached out and wiped away the tears that had not yet dried from the corners of her eyes, and saw that her younger brother had noticed her Hokage outfit.
She remembered how her younger brother always dreamed of becoming Hokage when he was little, and a pang of sadness welled up inside her. But she still nodded with feigned pride, saying, "That's right! The Fifth Hokage of Konoha is none other than your older sister, me. How about it, are you envious?"
She had expected Nawaki to show a look of surprise, but instead, Nawaki looked her up and down with a skeptical expression: "Wait, someone like you can become Hokage?"
He scratched his cheek, his tone full of suspicion. Tsunade was taken aback at first, then a vein throbbed on her forehead: "What nonsense are you spouting, you brat?!"
She raised her fist and punched Rope Tree on the forehead.
"Ouch!" Caught off guard, Rope Tree took a solid rap on the head, immediately clutching his head and staggering back two steps, gasping for breath, "Ouch—that hurts!"
He rubbed his reddened forehead and grumbled, "Just like my older sister—she's still so ruthless!"
Seeing Nawaki's pained expression, Tsunade felt both annoyed and amused, as if she had been transported back to the warm and cozy days of bickering between the siblings.
She couldn't help but laugh out loud, her eyes filled with a mixture of tears and laughter, which eased the immense tension and joy in her chest.
Jiraiya chuckled and scratched his head, saying, "Haha, it's hard to believe, isn't it? Who would have thought that Princess Tsunade, who was addicted to gambling and running around the world, would one day become Hokage?"
"Hey! You want to get beaten up too?" Tsunade glared at Jiraiya.
Just as they were chatting and laughing, Rope Tree seemed to remember something, and his smile gradually faded.
He glanced around the streets, his brow furrowing slightly. "By the way, where's Orochimaru-sensei? I can't find him. Shouldn't he be with you guys?"