Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 420 Checking Tsunade's Condition

Nara Shikaku, as Konoha's strategist, was intimately familiar with the truth behind Orochimaru's defection. At that time, Konoha was in a frenzied period of eliminating dissidents. To maintain Hiruzen Sarutobi's position as Hokage, figures like Orochimaru, with his immense prestige and power, and a strong possibility of inheriting the Hokage title, naturally became targets of relentless suppression. With Orochimaru's wisdom, he had already grasped the true nature of Konoha at that time. He only had two paths before him: one was to rise up in rebellion, plunging Konoha into chaos; the other was to flee elsewhere, ensuring Konoha's stability.

Nara Shikaku was acutely aware of Orochimaru's feelings for Konoha. Back then, in both the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars, Orochimaru was always at the forefront. He had risked his life and shed his blood to protect Konoha. On the battlefield, he not only displayed fearless courage but also exceptional leadership skills. It was because of heroes like Orochimaru that Konoha was able to survive the fierce wars and gradually grow stronger. Yet, in the end, for the sake of Konoha's stability, Orochimaru chose to defect from the village.

As for killing the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, that was the most correct decision made so that Konoha could continue to stand in the ninja world. At that time, Konoha was in an extremely dangerous situation. It lacked high-level talent, and the village's higher-ups were still suppressing the growth of the younger generation of ninjas, plunging the village into a state of internal and external troubles.

At this time, Konoha needed a revolution to break the existing stalemate, but Hiruzen Sarutobi, as the older generation of leaders, was no longer suited to the needs of the new era. His prejudice against the Uchiha clan and his neglect of the younger generation of ninjas became obstacles to Konoha's development. Therefore, Orochimaru chose to kill Hiruzen Sarutobi to promote Konoha's reform and progress.

While this method was somewhat extreme, it was a necessary measure for Konoha at the time. Only through such means could the village's leadership be awakened, making them realize the seriousness of the problem and begin to value the training of the next generation of ninja. At the same time, it could also eliminate the threat posed by the Uchiha clan, laying a solid foundation for Konoha's future.

However, to everyone's surprise, Orochimaru resolutely took on the heavy and suffocating crime of murdering his master! This decision was like a thunderbolt that ripped through the sky, shocking the entire Hidden Leaf Village.

At that turbulent time, Konoha Village was beset by internal and external troubles, with various conflicts and contradictions intertwined, causing panic and division among the villagers. Orochimaru's action, however, was like a ray of light in the darkness, drawing everyone's attention to him.

From then on, the people of Konoha no longer harbored suspicion and accusations from Hiruzen Sarutobi and his ilk; instead, they placed all the blame on Orochimaru. The disputes that had arisen from past disagreements were now forgotten. Everyone worked together to face the threats and challenges from the outside world.

It was precisely because Orochimaru single-handedly shouldered this enormous burden of guilt that Konoha was able to escape chaos and division, and reunite into a strong whole. In this difficult transformation, Orochimaru became the target of everyone's criticism, but at the same time, he paved the way for Konoha's future.

At this moment, Nara Shikaku was lost in deep thought. The question that concerned him most was: Did Orochimaru really have the ability to rescue Tsunade from the shadow of her injuries and restore her vitality? This was undoubtedly a crucial consideration.

However, besides these factors, many other things worried Nara Shikaku. For example, would the conservative and stubborn conservatives in Konoha be willing to accept Orochimaru to treat Tsunade? It's worth noting that although Konoha had stopped sending assassination squads to Orochimaru since Tsunade became Hokage, Orochimaru still carried the disgraceful title of "Konoha traitor."

If Orochimaru were to become involved in Tsunade's treatment, it would undoubtedly cause a huge uproar in the village. The die-hards might seize this opportunity to accuse Tsunade and her supporters of disregarding the village's safety and dignity. Nara Shikaku needs to devise countermeasures for all these potential problems in advance.

On the other hand, if Orochimaru truly possessed the ability to heal Tsunade and successfully restore her health, it would undoubtedly be a blessing for the entire Hidden Leaf Village. After all, Tsunade's position and role as Hokage were of paramount importance. Therefore, Nara Shikaku had to weigh the pros and cons and carefully consider this complex and thorny issue.

However, when Nara Shikaku witnessed Naruto Uzumaki—currently arguably the strongest fighter in the village—showing such deep fear of Orochimaru, his heart sank. This scene clearly revealed a harsh reality to Nara Shikaku: Konoha Village simply did not possess the ability to contain Orochimaru's immense power.

Rather than blindly fighting an invincible enemy, it would be better to accept Orochimaru's so-called "goodwill" with an open attitude. After all, even those Konoha diehards who are always stubborn and adhere to traditional values ​​should clearly realize that Konoha's current strength has been greatly weakened and it is really difficult to withstand another fierce attack that Orochimaru may launch.

Having thought this through, Nara Shikaku directly and frankly addressed Orochimaru: "Since Lord Orochimaru has come to visit Lady Tsunade, please come in!"

The Konoha ninja present stared wide-eyed at Nara Shikaku's words, their faces filled with disbelief, as if they couldn't believe what they were hearing. Naruto, in particular, his round eyes blazing with shock and rage, could no longer contain his emotions and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Absolutely not! How can we let such a dangerous guy get near Granny Tsunade? Don't forget, the Third Hokage died at his hands!"

However, Nara Shikaku interrupted Naruto Uzumaki without hesitation. His face was serious, and his voice was deep and powerful: "Obey orders, Naruto Uzumaki! Lady Tsunade was once a comrade of Orochimaru, and they have a special relationship. Orochimaru would never harm Lady Tsunade." Nara Shikaku knew that the situation was urgent and that he could not allow Naruto's impulsiveness to cause the situation to get out of control.

He pondered to himself that Konoha had already suffered heavy losses and was far weaker than before, lacking the strength to deal with any potential renewed battles. If news of Orochimaru's return to the village were allowed to spread, not only would it cause panic among the villagers, but it could also trigger an attack from other hostile forces, with unimaginable consequences. Therefore, the most urgent task was to stabilize the situation and prevent it from escalating further.

Orochimaru's pale and expressionless face was like wearing a cold mask. He merely glanced at Naruto Uzumaki before turning around without hesitation and walking with steady yet slightly eerie steps, following Shikaku Nara into Tsunade's makeshift recuperation room.

Along the way, the hostile and wary gazes of the Konoha ninjas around him were like sharp arrows, aimed directly at Orochimaru. However, Orochimaru seemed completely oblivious to all of this, paying them no heed whatsoever.

When he resolutely made that shocking decision, he already knew what kind of situation and consequences he would face. Over the years, countless accusations, insults, and hatred have failed to shake him in the slightest.

Orochimaru knew he was an absolutely rational person who would never be easily swayed by external emotions, nor would he allow the attitudes of these Konoha ninjas to affect his state of mind and actions. No matter what difficulties and obstacles awaited him, he would steadfastly continue along the path he had chosen.

Naruto Uzumaki gritted his teeth, his heart filled with resentment and anger. Despite his extreme unwillingness, he followed Orochimaru with heavy steps into the door of Tsunade's treatment room.

Naruto's gaze burned like a raging fire as he stared intently at the figure before him—Orochimaru. He secretly vowed to keep a close watch on this evil fellow no matter what, to never allow him the slightest opportunity to harm his beloved Granny Tsunade, and to never allow him to pose any threat to the Konoha Village he cherished!

With each step, Naruto could feel his heart pounding harder, as if his beating heart was constantly transmitting strength and determination to him. He knew Orochimaru was dangerous; his Sage Mode allowed him to sense Orochimaru's power. But he was fearless, because protecting Tsunade and Konoha was his inescapable duty!

After Orochimaru stepped into this place, he seemed oblivious to the presence of those around him, walking straight towards Tsunade without looking to the side. When he reached Tsunade's side, he slowly extended his pale and slender palm and gently pressed it onto Tsunade's smooth forehead.

In an instant, an invisible force erupted from Orochimaru's palm, this mysterious and unpredictable soul power surging into Tsunade's body like a torrent. Orochimaru closed his eyes, concentrating intently on controlling this power, attempting to probe the true state of Tsunade's body at this moment.

Although he had already gained a preliminary understanding and perception of Tsunade's general condition from afar using his powerful soul force, he knew that relying solely on that rough assessment was far from sufficient now that they were in close proximity. Therefore, he needed to be more meticulous and thorough in perceiving every subtle change, leaving no stone unturned, to ensure a comprehensive and detailed understanding of Tsunade's current situation.