"So, Makoto-kun, what's the plan? are we going after the 'Dragon Vein' first?"
Back in the safety of the laboratory, Orochimaru turned to Makoto.
Having glimpsed parts of the future, Orochimaru's mind was racing with a million different schemes, but he wasn't stupid—he knew that helping Makoto solve his immediate problems had to be the top priority.
He also felt pretty damn lucky that he hadn't tried any funny business against Makoto during the 'Leaf Destruction plan' plan.
"That's not urgent. I can handle that trip alone."
Makoto shook his head slightly. "Actually, Orochimaru, I remember you cultivated Eight-Tails cells, right?"
Earlier in the Ryuchi Cave, Orochimaru had mentioned that generating the basic elements in Makoto's cells naturally might require stellar-level energy.
This wasn't some mutation. Rather, in Makoto's previous world, this was originally the case.
Hell, even basic shit like hydrogen and helium required Big Bang-level conditions to manifest back there.
You could say every living being on Earth in his old life was born from stardust.
The fact that Orochimaru was so amazed by this suggested that creatures in the Shinobi World were fundamentally different.
And since Orochimaru was basically the top scientist in this world, his confusion carried a lot of weight.
But honestly? It didn't surprise Makoto.
In a world running on supernatural powers, it was totally plausible that living things were designed by some "Creator," and it wouldn't be weird if the only basic elements here really were just Wind, Fire, Earth, and Water.
Not to mention other things like "Chakra." That miraculous power alone proved the point. It could transmit data, carry souls, and fuse different powers together.
Take Baryon Mode, for example.
Kurama—literally the only character in the Boruto era who didn't slack off—developed it, but the prerequisite was that his Chakra had to merge perfectly with Naruto's.
That's also why you shouldn't ask why Himawari's constitution in Boruto was so special that even the revived mini-Kurama was shocked, thinking she wasn't a Jinchuriki but more like actual Chakra materialization.
To put it simply... Kurama did it too.
That's what reminded Makoto of the Eight-Tails cells Orochimaru had cooked up.
As representatives of "Chakra materialization," Tailed Beasts actually had physical genetic material.
"Eight-Tails cells? Makoto... I didn't expect you to know about that, too. I guess I really can't keep any secrets from a man who knows the future."
Orochimaru sighed, then let out a resigned chuckle.
Thirty years ago, Orochimaru had drugged the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki in Kumogakure, causing the beast to go on a rampage.
In the chaos, he'd swiped a severed horn and some cells. After years of research, he'd managed to grow a massive horn in his lab.
This was supposed to be a top-tier secret—something neither Kumo nor Orochimaru would ever admit to—yet Makoto casually brought it up like it was common knowledge.
"Oh, and one more thing. If you still have spies in Konoha, don't pull them out yet."
While Orochimaru was lost in thought, Makoto remember something else.
"Oh? Why?" Orochimaru snapped back to attention, his snake-like eyes narrowing as he quickly caught Makoto's drift.
"You don't trust Tsunade?"
Before they left, Makoto had explicitly told Tsunade to notify them immediately if she ran into the future Sasuke.
Now he was saying to keep the spies active. Did that mean he didn't trust her to actually make that call?
"It's not that I don't trust her. It's that she won't completely trust us." Makoto shook his head.
"Orochimaru, you were her teammate. You know exactly how she is."
From Konoha's perspective, Tsunade was a top-tier Hokage, right up there with the Second.
But aside from her gambling and drinking, she had one massive flaw: she was biased as hell.
When Pain invaded and gave his whole speech about how small nations got crushed by the great ones, Tsunade showed zero empathy.
Standing purely on her moral high ground as Konoha's leader, she basically said, "We big nations suffer too, deal with it," which left Nagato speechless and practically forced him to nuke the village.
In the Infinite Tsukuyomi, her ideal dream world was just as telling.
Yahiko wasn't killed by Konoha's politics—he was blown up by Deidara.
Anyone connected to Konoha got whitewashed.
The bad guys became Deidara and Sasori, while the other Kage were turned into useless puppets.
As long as it related to the Leaf, Tsunade would wrap everything up in a perfect little sushi roll of happy endings.
With that "Konoha-First" mindset, if it was just Makoto, she might trust him for the sake of the world.
But with future Sasuke and Boruto showing up? She's obviously going to trust the guys wearing Konoha headbands over the rogue outsiders.
Orochimaru slowly nodded, grasping the layers of the situation.
"That is both Tsunade's greatest strength and her fatal weakness."
Orochimaru looked out the window with a complicated expression. "She's probably trying to treat her hemophobia right now, isn't she? Maybe her efforts will be in vain."
Despite saying that, Orochimaru had no intention of warning his old teammate.
First, this was likely part of Makoto's plan.
Second, you can't teach people shit with just words—some lessons have to be beaten into you by reality.
....
Konoha.
"Achoo!"
Tsunade, rocking sunglasses while teaching Sakura and Ino the basics of Medical Ninjutsu, sneezed violently and rubbed her nose.
Meanwhile, not far away, Jiraiya and Naruto were crouching on a rooftop, spying on the training session.
"This is all your fault, Naruto! Making me rot in this village..."
"Not my business, Pervy Sage! Just shut up and train me!"
"Train my ass! You see that teammate of yours? Once she learns super strength from Tsunade, she's gonna punch you so hard she'll break your ribs! I need to get out of here! I need to see some hot big tits onee-san! Without beautiful women, I'm in no mood to teach you something!"
"..."
Naruto squatted on the roof with a constipated look on his face, racking his brain for a solution.
He'd already tried using the Sexy Jutsu to transform into a girl.
It worked at first, but the old pervert was building up an immunity.
Should he ask Konohamaru for help? Nah, that kid was useless.
[Fun fact: The only female who ever actually used the Sexy Technique in Konoha was Moegi, a classic case of youthful innocence corrupted by Naruto.]
"Got it! Hey, I have a plan!" Naruto's eyes lit up as he suddenly stood up.
"What?! You have a what? Where is she?! Call her out, quick!"
The depressed Jiraiya instantly sprang to life, jumping up and eagerly scanning the streets for a woman.
But it was just empty rooftops.
"Call out who?" Naruto looked confused.
"The hooker! Didn't you just say you have a..."
"I said I have a plan!"
"Ah? Oh. Tch."
Jiraiya instantly deflated, looking like a popped balloon, and slumped back down.
---------
Read 40 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator