In the evening, clear river water gurgled, reflecting the afterglow of the sunset.
Uchiha Hikari stumbled along the riverbank, wearing a pair of black Ninja shoes, occasionally looking at Orochimaru, who was examining Tsunade.
Hmm… there's nothing wrong with her physically. She's sleeping so long due to mental exhaustion.
Enduring 72 hours of pain in a short period, the moment she left the genjutsu world caused a powerful burden on her brain and spirit. This is the horror of Tsukuyomi… it can render a powerful Ninja incapacitated in an instant.
Kakashi Hatake in the original story understood this deeply.
The ocular techniques of the Mangekyo Sharingan are indeed overpowered, but their side effects are also significant. However, Hikari's Mangekyo Sharingan seems to be different; after continuously casting Amaterasu so many times, her eyesight didn't diminish.
When she was treated as a weapon in the Warring States Period, she must have used ocular techniques a lot… Orochimaru thought of this and looked at Uchiha Hikari, who was secretly peeking from the riverbank.
She remembered that in the original story, Erzhuzi went blind soon after awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan, and had to replace them with Uchiha Itachi's eyes, "forced" to awaken the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
At that time, any passing dog would get a Susanoo's big slap from Erzhuzi.
Bringing Tsunade back to Konoha like this, Grandma Mito would probably scold her to no end, wouldn't she?
Orochimaru looked at Tsunade's still pale face, gently caressing her cheek. Thinking of what she had said earlier, a smile appeared on his softened face.
It's almost time to cook... Orochimaru looked towards the clear river, where fresh ingredients could be obtained.
Lightning flashed on the river surface, and fish floated on the water.
A moment later, Uchiha Hikari, holding several cleaned fish in each hand, followed behind Orochimaru with a 'this is possible?' expression. Her steps were still a bit shaky; it was her first time seeing someone use Lightning Release Ninjutsu to catch fish.
Does she cook often?... Uchiha Hikari watched Orochimaru skillfully prepare dinner, feeling that it wasn't good to just watch.
"Um... is there anything I can help with?"
"Here are some snacks for you, just wait."
Orochimaru, as if performing magic, casually threw out a few bags of snacks. To prevent this sensitive child from misunderstanding, he had to explain: "Some things aren't better with more people. Cooking is one of them. I can manage by myself; if you come to help, it will disrupt my rhythm."
"Okay, I understand."
Uchiha Hikari, holding the snacks, sat aside and started eating. These were things she had never tasted before; they had a very unique and delicious flavor.
Soon after, the milky white fish soup in the pot was bubbling, the grilled fish by the campfire sizzled, seasoned with various spices, emitting an enticing aroma. On the other side, a portable rice cooker, powered by a Chakra Battery, gave off the unique scent of rice.
Uchiha Hikari looked at the fish soup and grilled fish in the pot, then at the rice cooker. Her mouth watered profusely, and suddenly the snack in her hand, called potato chips, didn't seem as appealing. She couldn't remember how long it had been since she had eaten a proper meal.
"Mmm..."
Tsunade, smelling the aroma filling the air, woke from her slumber. She immediately saw Uchiha Hikari sitting in front of the campfire, drooling while staring at the grilled fish and fish soup. She shot up, only to feel a dizzy spell. As she lay back down, a cool, white arm caught her.
"Are you performing sit-ups?"
Orochimaru looked at Tsunade with a hint of reproach in his eyes.
"She, why is she here?"
Tsunade pointed at Uchiha Hikari, looking at Orochimaru with an inquiring gaze, as if to say, 'Give me an explanation.'
"Where else could she go if not with us?"
Orochimaru tapped Tsunade's forehead and said, "Grilled fish, fish soup, and rice. Oh, and the pickles I made earlier."
"My head feels a bit dizzy, I don't think I can eat..."
Tsunade looked at Orochimaru expectantly, pouting, "Orochimaru, will you feed me, please?"
"You're impossible..."
Orochimaru faced Tsunade's expectant gaze, feeling quite helpless.
Are you really Ninja?... Uchiha Hikari had never seen Ninja like this. When Tsunade acted spoiled, she got goosebumps.
"Hehe, Orochimaru is so thoughtful!"
Tsunade ate the fish meat fed to her, the bones completely removed, so she didn't have to worry about getting pricked.
"Sigh, who told you to be a patient... you need care, right?"
Orochimaru sighed, quickly dissecting a grilled fish and removing the bones.
This was the happiest meal Tsunade had ever eaten; even Uchiha Hikari, sitting nearby, didn't seem so annoying.
"One more... one more bowl..."
Uchiha Hikari, who had already eaten three bowls of rice, handed her bowl over again, blushing shyly and nervously asking, "Am I eating too much?"
"No, no, you're still growing; it's perfectly normal."
Orochimaru took Uchiha Hikari's bowl to serve her rice, then looked at Tsunade and said, "Isn't that right, Tsunade?"
"Yes, it's fine for children to eat more while they're growing. I eat even more than you!"
Tsunade nodded, and under Orochimaru's feeding, she ate even more than Uchiha Hikari.
Uchiha Hikari breathed a sigh of relief; she had been worried that she would be disliked for eating too much.
After the meal, Uchiha Hikari looked at Tsunade solemnly.
"Wh-what's wrong?"
Tsunade was startled by Uchiha Hikari and adopted a defensive posture.
"I'm very... very sorry, please forgive me!"
Uchiha Hikari lowered her head, sincerely apologizing to Tsunade.
"Uh... it's understandable that you resent the Senju Clan after being sealed for so many years..."
Tsunade looked at the very sincere Uchiha Hikari, then glanced at Orochimaru, signaling her to say something to ease the atmosphere!
This kind of situation is what I'm worst at!
"Tsunade has forgiven you."
Orochimaru's hand rested on Uchiha Hikari's head, stroking her hair.
"Mhm!"
Uchiha Hikari looked at Orochimaru, then at Tsunade, a relieved smile appearing on her face.
At night, when it was time to rest, Uchiha Hikari was about to suggest taking the night watch herself when she saw Orochimaru summon hundreds of snakes with various patterns. A swarm of Kikaichu gathered in the air, then dispersed as if receiving a command.
"Rest well. Leave the night watch to them; there won't be any accidents."
Orochimaru adjusted her posture to make Tsunade more comfortable while sleeping. As for herself, she could fall asleep no matter what, because she was already tired enough.
Tsunade felt Orochimaru's movement, her heart warm. She squinted, snuggling into Orochimaru's embrace and rubbing against her, like a cat that had eaten fish and was purring affectionately.
"Sleep..."
Orochimaru gently patted Tsunade's head.
Tsunade hugged Orochimaru's waist, rested her head on his chest, closed her eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.
She fell asleep so quickly... Orochimaru looked at the sleeping Tsunade, then slowly closed his eyes.
Hmm?
As Orochimaru was dozing off, he felt someone approaching. He slightly opened his eyes, just a slit, and saw Uchiha Hikari quietly creeping closer.
What is she doing?
I wasn't discovered, right?... Uchiha Hikari saw that Orochimaru and Tsunade were still sleeping. She crawled into her sleeping bag, rolled next to Orochimaru, and slowly reached out to hug his arm. The unease in her heart disappeared, and the nightmare that constantly plagued her was dispelled at this moment.
Lack of a sense of security?
Orochimaru looked at the sleeping Uchiha Hikari. From a psychological perspective, her behavior was a manifestation of a lack of security, seeking the protection of a more powerful presence.
Ultimately, she was just a child whose mind was not yet mature.
Is it precisely because her mind is immature that she is easy to control?... "Summoning Technique!"
Bang—!
The smoke cleared, and a dark Blue Snake appeared.
"Orochimaru-sama, long time no see."
Blue Snake lowered his head, looking at Orochimaru, a hint of excitement in his voice.
"Orochimaru, is this your Summoning Beast?"
Tsunade looked at the Blue Snake, who had become as fat as a ball, and couldn't help but want to laugh.
Uchiha Hikari covered her mouth with her hands; she had never seen such a fat snake.
"Are you Blue Snake?"
Orochimaru looked at the Blue Snake, who was more than a size fatter, a bit hesitant to recognize him. How did Blue Snake, who hadn't been summoned for so long, become a chubby, stay-at-home snake?
The old Blue Snake was huge, but it didn't give off a bloated, obese feeling.
The current Blue Snake was like a stay-at-home fatty who hadn't left his house in years, fat from head to tail; even the thinnest tip of his tail looked a bit bloated.
"Orochimaru-sama, I am indeed Blue Snake. Why don't you recognize me?"
Blue Snake turned his head to look at his body. He thought he was fine and there was nothing wrong, but why was Orochimaru-sama reacting like this?
"No, why did you get so fat?"
Orochimaru pointed at Blue Snake's body, which had become a ball.
"..."
Blue Snake was silent for a long time, then slowly said, "I ate too many soldier pills... Shinza and Manda are pretty much the same..."
Blue Snake wriggled his body, moving through the forest at a steady pace.
Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Uchiha Hikari sat on Blue Snake's back.
"Blue Snake, I think you should lose some weight. Being too fat isn't good for your health, and the same goes for Shinza and Manda."
Orochimaru patted Blue Snake's thick fat. He imagined that if war broke out and he summoned three giant snakes as fat as balls onto the battlefield... before the fight even started, the enemies would probably laugh so hard they'd lose their fighting power.
If that happened, I would definitely become the laughingstock of the Ninja World, wouldn't I?
No, I must make them lose weight; they must shed that fat!
Orochimaru decided to take time to go to Ryūchi Cave to supervise their weight loss. They couldn't get any fatter; in the future, on the battlefield, they represented his prestige!
"Yes, Orochimaru-sama."
Blue Snake felt that he was perfectly fine as he was now.
Orochimaru-sama thought he was fat, so it would be better for him to lose some weight.
"Orochimaru, I'm tired..."
Tsunade snuggled up to Orochimaru, lying down and naturally resting her head on his lap, wrapping her arms around his waist, and burying her face in his abdomen, rubbing against him.
How do I feel like you're already fine?
Orochimaru looked at the particularly clingy Tsunade.
She was clingy as a child, and even more clingy now that she's grown up.
Uchiha Hikari quietly climbed behind Orochimaru, leaning her back against his, feeling the touch from behind—it was a very reassuring feeling.
"Hikari, there's something I need to tell you..."
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