Naruto: Sasuke Uchiha Returns from Soul Society

"That brat Sasuke, who didn't know what was good for him, rejected my 'art'?"

"..."

A brief silence fell over the cave.

"Then, kill them."

After speaking, his eyes glanced subtly at the projection that had remained silent throughout.

But Itachi's projection remained completely still.

Payne withdrew his gaze and slowly closed his eyes.

"The meeting is adjourned."

The moment the words fell, all the figures vanished into thin air.

...............

Yinyin Village, underground laboratory.

A dark, damp stone room.

A nauseating, fishy stench violently assaulted Tsunade's nostrils, forcibly waking her from the darkness.

Beneath her was a cold, hard stone bed, which made the bones in her back ache.

The wrists and ankles, on the other hand, have the cold touch of metal, and each movement is accompanied by a rough friction sound.

"......here it is?"

Tsunade suddenly opened her eyes, and after the initial confusion, she was instantly filled with vigilance.

What comes into view is a ceiling carved out of a huge rock, with a few strands of moss stubbornly sticking out from the cracks in the stone, adding to the sense of decay.

Memories flashed back in an instant.

The casino in Tanabata Street, that Uchiha brat, Jiraiya's appearance, and finally...

That woman, dressed in black, moved with incredible speed.

Tsunade's heart sank. She immediately tried to struggle, but found that her limbs were firmly locked to the stone bed by heavy shackles, and she could not move.

"Are you kidding me!"

A surge of anger instantly welled up inside him.

Who is she?

The granddaughter of the First Hokage, one of the legendary Sannin!

How could I be locked up here like a prisoner?!

However, just as she was trying to use that strange strength to break the shackles along with the entire stone bed.

"Cough...cough cough..."

A weak cough drifted from the deepest, most shadowy corner of the room.

Tsunade's muscles tensed instantly, and she turned her head sharply, straining to look at the source of the sound.

From the shadows, a pale and thin figure slowly emerged.

The newcomer's hands hung limply at his sides like two pieces of rotten, withered wood, and his already pale face now bore an even more sickly pain.

But a smile that Tsunade knew all too well lingered on the corner of his mouth.

"It's been a long time, Tsunade." Orochimaru's voice was hoarse, and his snake eyes gleamed with an unusual light in the dim light.

The moment she saw that face, Tsunade's reason was completely overwhelmed.

Orochimaru—!!!

She let out a hoarse roar, instinctively channeling all the chakra within her body into her clenched fists.

She wanted to smash the entire stone bed, along with this disgusting traitor, into hell!

However, at the very moment she exerted her strength...

"...Huh?"

An overwhelming sense of powerlessness swept over her entire body without warning.

The hands that should have been brimming with terrifying power merely trembled weakly in the air after being raised, before falling heavily to the sides of the stone bed with a dull thud.

what happened? !

My chakra, my power...

Tsunade stared blankly at her unruly hand, her eyes filled with incomprehensible bewilderment.

Just then, another figure silently emerged from the shadows behind Orochimaru.

The newcomer wore round-framed glasses, held a half-empty syringe in his hand, and had a gentle smile on his face.

"Please don't waste your energy, Lady Tsunade."

The pharmacist pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting a cold light in the dim light. "While you were unconscious, I injected you with my latest 'Chakra Nerve Suppressant'."

"Its effects are remarkable; it can temporarily paralyze your entire meridian system, preventing you from gathering chakra in the future."

Kabuto's tone remained gentle, even carrying a hint of "respect" for his senior.

"After all, you are one of the legendary Sannin, on par with Lord Orochimaru. We wouldn't dare leave you here so easily without making adequate preparations beforehand."

Kabuto adjusted his glasses, bowed slightly to Tsunade who still seemed to want to say something, and quietly left the room.

Tsunade's gaze shifted from where Kabuto had disappeared and returned to Orochimaru.

Orochimaru...

What exactly do you want?

Orochimaru did not answer this question immediately.

After a long while, he slowly grinned, revealing a sarcastic smile.

"What do you want to do?"

He repeated it hoarsely, then slowly raised his arms, which were like withered wood, revealing their ugliness to Tsunade.

"As you can see, my hands were sealed by the teacher using a very troublesome technique."

"Although it wasn't fatal, it prevented me from using any more ninjutsu, which is a bit embarrassing."

"Serves you right!"

Tsunade practically spat out those two words through gritted teeth.

Looking at Orochimaru's miserable state, she couldn't help but sneer, "This is your retribution for betraying the village and killing the old man, Orochimaru! I wish I could kill you with my own hands!"

"Kill me?"

Orochimaru chuckled softly, as if he had heard something amusing. "Tsunade, you're still the same as always, so innocently adorable."

He lowered his arm, a hint of confidence flashing in his snake-like eyes.

"I didn't bring you here today to listen to your boring nonsense."

Orochimaru leaned forward slightly onto the stone bed and revealed his true purpose: "Heal my hand, Tsunade."

"If you do that, I can let you go."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Tsunade was taken aback by the matter-of-fact expression on his face.

After a while.

"Ha...hahahaha..."

A disdainful laugh burst from Tsunade's throat, making her laugh so hard she almost fell over.

"Wishful thinking, Orochimaru!"

Her answer was resolute, making no attempt to hide her disgust for the man before her: "I would rather die than help a scumbag like you!"

"What a scumbag..."

Orochimaru repeated the word in a low voice, seemingly unconcerned.

He slowly shook his head and, in a highly seductive tone, whispered the words that were enough to break down her defenses.

"...Even if, as the reward in exchange, it's to let you see Nawaki and Kato Dan again?"

Rope Tree...

Break...

These two names exploded in Tsunade's mind without warning, her body stiffened abruptly, and her breath stopped completely.

His eyes began to contract violently, filled with disbelief, shock, pain, and...

A longing she herself dared not admit.

"you......"

Tsunade's lips trembled violently. She wanted to refute, to curse, but in the end all her words turned into a muffled murmur.

"...That's impossible."

"They had already..."

"Dead, right?"

Orochimaru picked up where she left off, his smile growing increasingly cruel.

"Yes, they're all dead."

"One died in that war filled with foolish mistakes, while the other had his life ruthlessly taken away in the process of realizing his dream."

“But, Tsunade,” Orochimaru’s voice grew increasingly seductive, “death is not the end.”

"Believe me, if you're willing, I can give their decaying bones flesh and blood again and let their souls return to the world at any time."

"You can give them life again at any time, so they can stand before you again and smile at you..."

"Stop talking..." Tsunade's voice trembled, and she subconsciously closed her eyes, as if trying to escape in this way.