"Hey! You little brat, what are you trying to do?"
Tsunade noticed that Haruto Saito was acting strangely. She called out to him and quickly chased after him, grabbing his arm.
"What else? I'm going to kill him!" Haruto gestured with the kunai in his hand, then stared into Tsunade's eyes.
"You're not going to stop me, are you? We're already back in the Land of Fire. Do we still need Terado as a hostage?"
Haruto lowered his voice, leaned in closer, and whispered,
"Besides, I was the one who put Terado under hypnosis. This was my accomplishment, so I should have the right to decide his fate, right?"
Tsunade's expression turned a little strange. She didn't understand why Haruto was so fixated on personally killing someone. This wasn't the first time he had shown such an obsession.
"I'm not planning to stop you," Tsunade said calmly.
"Then why aren't you letting go of me?" Haruto tried to shake her hand off.
But Tsunade held on tightly and quickly explained,
"I won't stop you, but Orochimaru will. He absolutely won't allow anyone to kill Terado—at least not before we reach Konoha. Orochimaru is the captain of this team. We all have to follow his orders."
Haruto frowned. "Why? Why would Lord Orochimaru protect Terado?"
"Put your kunai away first. I'll take you inside to see for yourself. Then you'll understand."
Haruto thought for a moment, then tucked the kunai away. This wasn't something he could handle recklessly. Even though he had a legitimate claim—since he was the one who subdued Terado—Orochimaru was not the type of person to be reasoned with.
Inside the small cave, only about a dozen meters deep, a temporary sealing barrier had been set up. Faintly glowing sealing scripts could be seen inscribed on the walls, floor, and ceiling.
Haruto and Tsunade appeared at the cave entrance. Tsunade gestured for silence, signaling Haruto to stay quiet. They both stood still and looked inside.
At the very back of the dimly lit cave, Terado sat cross-legged in the shadows. His expression was calm and indifferent, and he remained silent.
Jiraiya stood leaning against the wall at the opposite end of the cave, his arms crossed, watching everything carefully.
Orochimaru sat cross-legged about two meters in front of Terado, his eyes shut, and his breath fluctuating erratically.
He seemed to be practicing some kind of unique technique. The eerie aura he radiated was unmistakable, but due to the sealing barrier, those outside the cave couldn't sense anything happening inside.
Suddenly, Orochimaru's aura surged violently.
Jiraiya immediately straightened his posture, his eyes filled with caution. If anything went wrong, he was prepared to intervene at once.
However, the surge of energy didn't last long. Within a few breaths, it quickly faded away, returning to complete stillness.
Orochimaru opened his eyes and stared at Terado with an icy expression. "I warn you—don't try any tricks. If you dare deceive me, you know what the consequences will be."
Terado remained silent, his face calm, as if he hadn't heard the threat at all.
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. "I cannot do as you instructed. I can't unblock the remaining four chakra points and allow my chakra to flow through all four meridians simultaneously. Are you sure you're not lying?"
Finally, Terado spoke, his voice eerily tranquil.
"You're too impatient. You think you can master in a few days what took me six years to develop? That's impossible. Hitting a bottleneck is normal. And I believe, given your skills and knowledge, you can tell that I haven't lied to you."
At the cave entrance, Haruto's eyes widened in shock. He wanted to say something but held back. Instead, he turned to Tsunade, who simply made a silent hand gesture.
Without disturbing those inside, the two quietly backed away from the cave. Haruto kept glancing back, his expression filled with growing confusion. Finally, he couldn't hold it in any longer. "What the hell is going on?"
Tsunade sighed and explained, "When we found Terado, he was critically injured and unconscious. At the time, he was beyond saving—at least, I couldn't have saved him in my condition. But Orochimaru used a secret technique to stabilize his injuries. Then, with my help, we managed to keep him alive. Later, when I recovered some of my chakra, we were able to fully heal him."
Haruto's eyes narrowed. "Lord Orochimaru... he did all that because…?"
"Because he wants Terado's forbidden jutsu—the one that burns life force to enhance power," Tsunade said immediately.
"Orochimaru's talent surpasses both Jiraiya's and mine. Especially when it comes to studying secret and forbidden techniques, he has unmatched expertise. He doesn't just want to learn this jutsu for the sake of gaining another skill—he sees it as a stepping stone to understanding something even greater. Orochimaru has always been obsessed with techniques related to life and immortality."
"Oh…" Haruto let out a long sigh, nodding in understanding.
It made perfect sense. In the original history, Orochimaru was always a mad scientist, driven by an insatiable thirst for knowledge—especially anything that defied life and death. His childhood, his countless encounters with death, had shaped him into the researcher he was.
But then, something didn't sit right with Haruto. "Wait! Terado actually agreed? He willingly handed over his forbidden technique to Lord Orochimaru?"
"They made a deal."
"What kind of deal?"
"Orochimaru promised Terado that if he handed over the technique, he would personally ensure his safety. No matter what happens, he vowed to deliver Terado to Konoha alive."
Haruto clenched his fists. "But once he reaches Konoha, will he really survive?"
Tsunade continued, "If Terado provides us with critical intelligence, he might even be granted a pardon. It all depends on what he offers and how much Konoha stands to gain from him."
Haruto gritted his teeth, his expression dark. "Then that means… I..."
His voice was low and bitter. "I should have the right to decide his fate! I was the one who defeated him! Not any of you! I should be the one to kill him!"
Tsunade suddenly wrapped an arm around Haruto's neck, pulling him close. She whispered in his ear, "Listen, the others don't know. But we do. You are the reason we captured Terado alive. This is a monumental achievement!"
Haruto blinked, confused. "And what does that mean for me?"
Tsunade smirked. "It means power, status, promotions, money… and maybe even forbidden jutsu."
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