The endless desert of Sunagakure stretched beneath a burning sky. Five small figures rode atop camels, peering curiously at the barren world around them.
But it didn't take long for the monotony of sand—and the wind that kept blowing grit into their faces—to make Senju Tsunade frown in irritation.
"Orochimaru, how much longer until we reach Sunagakure— pfft—"
Tsunade spat out a mouthful of sand, hurriedly pulling down the gauzy veil attached to her straw hat. Her tiny face scrunched with impatience as she glanced at Orochimaru, who was leading the way.
"Half a day until the next oasis town."
Orochimaru adjusted his own hat, snake-like eyes sweeping across the dunes. Matching their route to the map in his mind, he gave his answer with steady calm.
"Come on, Tsunade. You're giving up already? You're a senior student about to graduate—don't embarrass us out here!"
Jiraiya seized the chance to provoke her, his voice dripping with mock disdain. *"If we went around telling people you're a student of Sensei, it'd bring shame to the title *'Supreme Leader of the Shinobi World.'"
"Jiraiya, I swear—you're asking for a beating!"
Tsunade's fist clenched. For a moment, she radiated a pressure reminiscent of Uzumaki Mito when she was angry. Jiraiya shivered, tugged on his camel's reins, and scrambled farther to the edge of the group.
"Jiraiya, maybe leave her alone? You get punched every day. Something's wrong with you."
Kato Dan—already popular in the Academy and recipient of countless love letters—couldn't comprehend Jiraiya's habits.
To Jiraiya, Tsunade seemed both the source of trouble and the object of his attention. He angered her daily, yet always held back during spars, which only irritated her more. Even Dan, the most mature of the five, had begun to suspect Jiraiya had developed… unusual preferences, having grown addicted to getting beaten by Tsunade.
"Dan! Don't talk nonsense!"
Jiraiya panicked, rummaging through his clothes before triumphantly pulling out a stack of questionable magazines. He jabbed at the cover—where a voluptuous woman posed suggestively.
"I like these!"
(I mean… I do too… but don't say that out loud!)
Dan stared silently. After a moment, his expression shifted to something resembling respect—although unwillingly so.
Jiraiya lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Come on, Dan. We both know no man can resist a large chest. Want to flip through them together tonight? These are masterpieces."
Temptation flickered across Dan's young face. But being caught reading this material with Jiraiya would become a lifetime stain, so he coughed lightly. "We're nine years old…"
"Heh. I brought the latest issue from that TV star, too…"
Jiraiya whispered, raising the stakes. Dan wavered again.
Nearby, Ebisu gave both boys a sidelong look of pure disdain before guiding his camel closer to Orochimaru.
Under the blistering sun, Tsunade opened her water gourd—only to find it empty. She fetched another from her camel's pack and took a refreshing sip.
"How does anyone live out here? No wonder Sunagakure got crushed by Amegakure. They can't even keep their Kage alive."
News of the Black Horn Region incident had spread across the entire shinobi world in just three days—on every television, through every special-edition newspaper.
The five children, after touring Lōran and renting camels, naturally knew all about it.
Orochimaru's voice drifted over, calm but tinged with interest.
"Don't underestimate human resilience. Sunagakure continues to exist—and continues producing Kage-level shinobi—because they're strong in their own way."
His tone loosened as boredom settled in from the endless desert.
"From the First to the Second Kazekage, progress was slow. But the Second—Sajon—was brilliant. He derived Magnet Release from the One-Tail and created the Puppet Arts. If he hadn't overestimated himself and attempted to invade Konoha—where Sensei killed him—the village might still thrive."
"Unfortunately, after the Second Shinobi War, Sunagakure declined. They even let a woman take command. She's strong—Kage-level—but compared to Hanzō… not so much."
Tsunade, who had been listening with mild interest, immediately bristled.
"Orochimaru! You have something against women becoming leaders?"
…Silence. Orochimaru wisely shut his mouth.
Ebisu stepped in smoothly. "Tsunade, that's not what he meant. He simply meant Sunagakure lacks successors."
"Isn't there that One-Tail jinchūriki—Bunpuku?"
Relieved by the topic shift, Orochimaru explained:
"After the Black Horn battle, it's clear Bunpuku's control over the One-Tail is far inferior to Iwagakure's Fifth Tsuchikage candidate, Han. A jinchūriki who might lose control at any moment can't be a leader."
Tsunade scoffed. "What's so hard about controlling a tailed beast? Those jinchūriki are just too weak."
Orochimaru fell silent again. With a mother who was the Seven-Tails' jinchūriki and a grandmother who contained the Nine-Tails, Tsunade's casual arrogance was… unanswerable.
Ebisu continued, ever patient:
"Not every village has the Uzumaki clan's sealing arts, nor people like Lady Mina or Lady Mito."
Then his tone sharpened with curiosity.
"The Lava Release Seed from the Four-Tails has already changed the world. Sunagakure got Magnet Release from the One-Tail. Sensei's clan received Flame Release from the Two-Tails. I wonder what kind of bloodline techniques will come from the Seven-Tails and Nine-Tails…"
Tsunade tilted her head thoughtfully.
"I've heard a little. Both beasts can produce their own bloodline variations."
"Really, Tsunade?"
"Of course. Why would I lie?"
She crossed her arms, thinking.
"The Seven-Tails is a giant beetle with six wings. It's insanely fast, and its scale-dust can blind enemies. Its development paths would be Swift Release and Dark Release."
"The Nine-Tails is a fire-red fox with nine tails… but its potential paths, I'm still not sure."
Seeing Orochimaru's and Ebisu's disappointed faces, Tsunade clicked her tongue.
"Once you join the Academy's Research Division, you can study them yourselves."
Orochimaru nodded, eyes burning with ambition.
"I'll study tailed beasts… and make Konoha stronger. But I also want to study Wood Release and the Sharingan."
Tsunade punched the air, creating a sharp crack of displaced air. The sudden sound startled Dan and Jiraiya—who nearly dropped his treasured magazines.
(My precious!)
Jiraiya lunged, grabbing them before the sand could touch them. Only after confirming they were safe did he breathe out in relief—and glare at Tsunade.
"Tsunade! You scared the camels!"
"I think it's just you who's scared."
Tsunade sighed, staring at the endless desert ahead.
"I'm almost at special jōnin level and still haven't awakened Wood Release. Maybe it's impossible. Once I become a combat shinobi and earn merit, I'll just exchange for the Lava Release Seed."
Ebisu blinked. "Lady Mina and Lady Mito didn't prepare anything for you?"
Tsunade pouted.
"Sensei said: anything that belongs to the village should be earned ourselves."
Orochimaru reassured her.
"It's to develop our capability. And besides—there's still so much we haven't mastered in the Three Basic Arts."
Then a rare smile touched his face.
"But… I am curious what gift Sensei might give us after graduation."
Tsunade sighed softly.
"Hopefully something better than verbal praise."
The desert stretched on endlessly. Their so-called oasis remained nowhere in sight.
"I don't get it. What's the point of land like this? Even if you gave it to me for free, I wouldn't want it."
Orochimaru chuckled, lifting his water gourd.
"Maybe now. But with the Academy developing desert-reconstruction technology, someday this wasteland might become a forest to rival Konoha."
"Chakra is limitless. Chakra science will be, too."
Time slipped by as they talked. When the sun dipped toward the horizon, an oasis finally appeared.
Their frustration vanished in an instant—replaced by awe.
It was a natural miracle.
And that miracle was being expanded by shinobi hands.
A massive Flying Thunder God array linked directly to the Great River, spewing water in a steady torrent. Dozens of Water-style specialists stood nearby, performing coordinated techniques.
Further away, Earth-style shinobi molded the sand into fertile soil, planting tree after tree transported through the teleportation array. The oasis was growing—visibly, rapidly—before their eyes.
Orochimaru's eyes filled with yearning.
"This… must be what Sensei meant when he said humanity could bend nature."
"I heard that Lord Hashirama once created a massive sea of trees with Wood Release. If someone in the village awakened that power… desert reconstruction would be much easier."
He gestured forward.
"Let's go. There should be a teleportation array inside. We'll use it to reach Sunagakure directly."
As they led their camels toward the oasis, someone in the back muttered:
"There's nothing left to see on the shinobi continent… Should we visit the other world next time?"
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