Chapter 65: Orochimaru, You Got a Transplant Too?!
A night passed.
It has to be said that emotional matters in the ninja world are still very simple.
Especially when it comes to relationships between men and women, they're extremely straightforward.
Take the beginning of Boruto, for example. Boruto and his peers are all twelve years old, the same age.
But here's the terrifying part: according to the timeline, Naruto got married in April when he was nineteen. In May, Boruto was already conceived. After ten months of pregnancy, Boruto was born on March 27.
And at Naruto's wedding, it's mentioned that he was the first one to get married. The others hadn't even pierced the "window paper" yet, being at the stage of holding hands already counted as fast.
Yet somehow, everyone else's kids ended up being Boruto's peers.
Their birthdays were only a few months later than Boruto's.
Which means that everyone else, including couples like Chōji and his wife, who barely even knew each other back then, must have gone through extremely rapid relationship development and very intense "activities" during those few months to ensure their children would reliably be the same age as Boruto.
Even more frightening is that man who once said, "You want me to accompany her in playing a romance game." Sarada's birthday is March 31, and she's also the same age as Boruto.
In short, emotions in the ninja world are very simple.
And considering that there have been so many tragedies throughout the entire ninja world, yet not a single "crotch tragedy," that alone proves the point.
Aside from "crotch tragedies," even those so-called heart-wrenching emotional tragedies, other than "Kamui cannot hide tears", seem to barely exist.
For example…
On this very night, the future protagonist of Shippuden, Gekkō Hayate, was brutally killed by Sunagakure's Baki.
As Hayate's childhood friend and girlfriend, Uzuki Yūgao had no way to take revenge.
Because after the Konoha Crush Plan ended, Sunagakure made peace with Konoha at lightning speed, and not just peace, but full reconciliation.
Later, Gaara became Kazekage and Naruto's best buddy.
Baki, as an elite ninja of Sunagakure, Gaara's squad leader, and a "dragon-riding contributor" who had recommended Gaara as Kazekage, naturally rose with the tide and became part of Sunagakure's upper ranks.
Yet Yūgao didn't fall into despair, didn't think Konoha was dark, didn't believe the ninja world was beyond saving, didn't decide to become a rogue ninja, and didn't plan to activate Infinite Tsukuyomi or anything like that.
She continued serving in ANBU under the Hokage and went on living her life.
This was the normal state of the ninja world.
Ninjas are people who can endure anything.
Oh right, this has nothing to do with Shiromo.
He didn't even have chakra. Naturally, he wasn't a ninja and didn't need to endure anything.
What he wanted was to quickly recruit Orochimaru and have him help find more efficient training methods.
Right now, the only two people in the organization with even a bit of scientific spirit were both busy playing with "art."
—
In the spectator stands.
"I've waited so long my flowers are about to wither."
Shiromo sighed as he looked at Gaara and Sasuke down in the arena.
"Same."
"Mm-hmm."
Terumī Mei and Kurotsuchi also nodded in agreement.
All the rookies from their villages who were still alive had already returned home.
None of them had made it this far anyway.
The reason they stayed wasn't just to watch a good show, it was also to stand behind Shiromo, add bargaining chips, and make the alliance easier to achieve.
Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't know this. He thought they were simply like the other spectators, looking forward to Gaara versus Sasuke.
"Same here."
The "Kazekage" chimed in as well.
The match officially began.
After a brief exchange of probing attacks, Sasuke confirmed that pure taijutsu couldn't break through Gaara's defense. He immediately pulled back, forming seals with both hands.
A flash of lightning lit up the arena.
"Kakashi, I didn't expect you to teach even this to Sasuke."
Guy looked at Kakashi in surprise.
"T-this Lightning Release… could it be…?"
In the opposite stands, Kankurō sucked in a sharp breath.
That's right.
It was Kakashi's Raikiri.
That legendary jutsu is rumored to have cut off the Raikage's hemorrhoids!
"So Kakashi really passed this move on to his student… Gaara's butt…"
Kankurō looked miserable.
"Stop thinking about butts. The real issue now is… Gaara, you must hold back."
Temari stared nervously at Gaara below.
What she was worried about was whether Gaara might get injured and start bleeding from this move…
Gaara's emotions were extremely unstable. He could snap at any moment.
The best thing was to not provoke him at all.
"Well, Temari, actually… yesterday I told Gaara…"
Kankurō scratched his head awkwardly and explained how, after Temari left yesterday, he'd gone and "educated" Gaara about the origins of Raikiri.
"What?! That's real nonsense history!"
Temari was stunned.
Kankurō had the nerve to accuse others of spreading wild rumors yesterday, where was his shame?
Now it is completely over.
Temari stood up and walked to the edge of the stands.
At that moment, Sasuke activated Chidori and charged forward at full speed.
Gaara hid inside a spherical sand defense, leaving only a single opening in the front as he stared at Sasuke.
He recalled what Kankurō had told him yesterday about the origin of "Raikiri."
The next second, Sasuke's figure suddenly vanished.
The crackling sound of Chidori appeared behind him!
Normally, this was a completely standard maneuver, circling behind for an attack.
But in Gaara's mind, it was something entirely different.
That inherently evil Konoha ninja, Uchiha Sasuke, was aiming for his butt!
"Aoooo!"
A strange, beast-like roar erupted from inside the sand sphere.
Wild sand stormed through the arena.
Bang!
After a bizarre collision sound, the sand dispersed.
Sasuke was sent flying and crashed to the ground, struggling to get back up.
Opposite him, half of Gaara's body had already transformed into Shukaku.
"I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"
Half of Gaara's face was a crazed human expression, the other half Shukaku's tanuki visage. The murderous aura radiating from him, combined with his words, was terrifying.
If Shukaku's hand hadn't been covering his butt.
The "Kazekage" froze when he saw this.
He had considered that Gaara's fight with Sasuke today might trigger Shukaku's rampage, and he'd already ordered his subordinates to be prepared.
But… the timing of this rampage was wrong.
Sasuke hadn't even hit him. He'd just used Chidori. Why did Gaara go berserk already?
And hadn't he ordered his men to act immediately once Shukaku rampaged?
Why was there no movement at all?
The "Kazekage" glanced back at the stands.
Right. His subordinates hadn't reacted yet either.
But now they were moving.
"Hm?"
Seeing the Kazekage suddenly turn his head, Hiruzen followed his gaze. When he saw a ninja forming hand seals, his expression instantly sharpened.
But it was already too late.
Feathers drifted down across the arena, the Temple of Nirvana Technique, a genjutsu that induces sleep.
This move was only effective against ordinary spectators. Anyone with a bit of skill could break free.
Boom!
The half-Shukaku Gaara and Sasuke smashed through the arena and fled.
Naruto and Sakura, who had broken the genjutsu, chased after them, along with Sunagakure's Temari and Kankurō.
Meanwhile, the "Kazekage," holding Hiruzen hostage, appeared on the rooftop.
The Sound Four immediately deployed the Four Violet Flames Formation, cutting off interference from other ninja.
"Kazekage, you…"
"Hiruzen-sensei, you've really grown old."
Holding Hiruzen, Orochimaru tore off his face, literally, revealing his true appearance.
"Orochimaru… How are you still so young? Could it be that you really completed that?!"
Hiruzen stared at him in shock.
"That's right, Hiruzen-sensei."
Orochimaru peeled off yet another layer of skin, revealing a woman's body beneath.
"Orochimaru, for the sake of your greed, you actually transformed yourself into a woman… no, into something neither human nor demon!"
Hiruzen's face was filled with pain and sorrow.
"What?!"
Because the Four Violet Flames Formation had been deployed too quickly, even Jiraiya, who was always on standby in Konoha, arrived too late and could only watch from outside.
Arriving just in time to hear this exchange, Jiraiya stared at Orochimaru in horror.
"Orochimaru… you got a transplant of a woman's purple bow too?!"
(End of this chapter)