It was clear they had escaped the Land of Rain; otherwise, the resting ninja around them wouldn't appear so relaxed.
Compared to the Five Great Nations, the Land of Rain had a much smaller territory. In just three days and four nights, even an average Chunin, as long as they didn't take unnecessary detours, could travel from the northernmost point of the country to the southernmost point.
However, this Konoha rescue team that had come searching for them didn't have any low-level ninjas like Chunin. The entire squad was composed of elite ninjas, with the weakest among them being Special Jonin.
Moreover, after finding the three of them, this squad had set off from the eastern part of the Land of Rain and traveled to the southeastern border. The journey wasn't particularly long. If it hadn't been for the various obstacles and relentless pursuit along the way, this team's speed would have allowed them to return from the southeastern Land of Rain to the northwestern Fire Country much faster than three days and four nights.
Haruto Saito knew he had been unconscious for three days and four nights. He must have missed a lot… The duration of his blackout was way too long!
"Fortunately, there's no permanent damage to your brain." Tsunade examined Haruto's injuries while speaking. "You have no idea how dangerous your condition was. Your mental energy was nearly depleted—you were just a step away from brain death."
"I had no choice at the time… Terado was about to…" Haruto started to explain, but before he could finish, he suddenly yelped in pain.
Tsunade had pinched him.
"You cruel woman! I just woke up, and you're already torturing me!"
"Less talking, follow me!"
Tsunade forcefully pulled Haruto to his feet and led him toward a small lake nearby. Haruto, however, remained silent because he had noticed the warning look Tsunade had just given him. He wasn't sure what it meant yet.
After they had walked a good distance away, putting some space between themselves and the other ninja near the forest, Tsunade tilted her head slightly and lowered her voice. "Listen, brat. Do not mention anything about the hypnosis technique! No one knows how you defeated Terado yet. I only told Jiraiya and Orochimaru in private. This matter must remain a secret!"
"Is it really necessary to be so secretive?" Haruto whispered back.
"Are you stupid?" Tsunade flicked his forehead. "Techniques with powerful mental attacks like that must not be widely known. If people learn how your hypnosis works, they'll find ways to defend against it. The element of surprise is crucial, so the fewer people who know about it, the better."
"Oh, right!" Haruto nodded. Tsunade's reasoning made perfect sense.
As they approached the lake, Haruto suddenly recalled something. He tilted his head and asked, "Wait, you just mentioned Jiraiya and Orochimaru… Was it Orochimaru's squad that found us? Jiraiya is still alive?"
"Yeah, that's right." Tsunade nodded.
"As long as everyone is okay… That's a relief." Haruto instinctively patted his chest where Terado's blade had once slashed him, but then he froze.
Huh?
Haruto looked down.
He was still wearing his Black Martial Armor. That armor had been cut open by Terado's attack, causing the enchantments to be broken and rendered useless. But now… the Black Martial Armor he was wearing was completely intact!
Haruto blinked in confusion, thought for a moment, then looked up and asked, "Tsunade, when you found me, was my armor already like this?"
"No, it had cracks back then. But after a while, those cracks disappeared," Tsunade replied.
The armor shouldn't have just had cracks—it should have been torn open.
But Tsunade had seen cracks.
And now, those cracks were gone.
Haruto quickly realized—the Black Martial Armor had an automatic repair function! The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Of course, it had to! Otherwise, how could it have been passed down for a thousand years without ever being completely destroyed? This armor was meant for battle—it couldn't have remained undamaged forever. In fact, it must have been damaged frequently. If it didn't have a self-repair ability, it wouldn't have lasted a single year, let alone a millennium.
"The Black Martial Armor must have an automatic repair function!" Tsunade spoke again. "That's why it has endured for centuries."
She had seen the cracks vanish with her own eyes, so she could easily reach this conclusion.
"A treasure!" Haruto ran his hand over the armor, marveling at it.
"Don't get too excited!" Tsunade crossed her arms and spoke seriously. "While the Black Martial Armor is valuable, it will also bring you endless trouble. Warriors will be drawn to it like moths to a flame, and you will be targeted. Plus, as a ninja, relying on this armor too much will hinder your growth. You'll become overly dependent on it… So I suggest you hand it over to me. I can sell it on the black market for a fortune—"
Tsunade looked at Haruto with an expression of complete sincerity, as if she truly had his best interests at heart.
"You think I'm that easy to fool? No way I'm handing over the Black Martial Armor to you!" Haruto shot her a look of pure disdain.
Knowing Tsunade's personality, Haruto had serious doubts. If he actually gave the armor to her, would she even keep the money? There was a good chance she'd gamble it all away on the same day!
She would absolutely do something like that!
"You little brat! I'm doing this for your own good!" Tsunade flicked his forehead again.
"Oh, thanks so much." Haruto rolled his eyes.
Tsunade was annoyed again, glaring at Haruto. This brat really didn't appreciate her kindness.
Haruto ignored her glare. Instead, he suddenly crouched down, resting his chin on his hands as he stared at the calm lake. With a heavy sigh, he groaned, "Ugh…"
"What's with the dramatic sighing? If you're upset about something, tell me so I can enjoy it." Tsunade smirked.
"Can you not be such a jerk?" Haruto retorted without looking up. After a moment's pause, he sighed again. "What a shame… We managed to escape and avoid danger, but that bastard Terado… Ugh! Even though he's dead, I didn't get to kill him with my own hands! What a waste!"
Haruto was deeply frustrated. He had been so close—just one more strike, and it would have been over.
"Hm?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Who told you Terado is dead?"
Haruto suddenly froze, completely motionless, like a statue.
One second… Two seconds… Three seconds… Then, he slowly stood up, turning to Tsunade with a blank expression. "He's not dead?"
How could Terado still be alive?!
Haruto had been certain of Terado's condition. He knew exactly how severe Terado's injuries were and how much of a toll the forbidden technique had taken on his body. Once Terado was hypnotized and lost consciousness, he shouldn't have been able to survive.
Haruto hadn't even considered the possibility of his survival. He had just assumed Terado was dead.
"He was supposed to die," Tsunade admitted. "But Orochimaru and I saved him."
"You guys are insa—" Haruto almost lost his temper but suddenly stopped himself.
Terado… had been captured alive!
"Where is he now?" Haruto asked urgently.
"Over there." Tsunade tilted her head toward a cave to the east.
Haruto instinctively patted himself down, but he wasn't carrying any weapons. Then he saw that Tsunade was fully equipped. Without hesitation, he reached over and snatched a kunai from her.
He then turned and stormed toward the cave, his fury blazing.