Naruto: Tenseigan Eye

"I will definitely do it, I swear!"

After being frightened by Nawaki once, how could Jiraiya entertain any other thoughts?

Just as Shinki had said, it was acceptable for Nawaki to get injured—after all, injuries were normal for ninjas. But if Nawaki were to lose his life, how could Jiraiya face Tsunade?

He would have to live with guilt for the rest of his life.

The mere thought of regretting his actions every day filled Jiraiya with cold sweat.

Bear it. You must bear it.

If he wanted to enjoy life later, he needed to hold back now. Fun could wait until they returned to the village or completed their mission.

"Actually, you don't have to be so tense. With Nawaki's strength, it'll be a while before he takes the special jonin examination. By then, will you still need to take him on missions?"

"Yes!"

Only then did Jiraiya realize an important truth: all apprentices eventually become independent of their teachers.

He had kept Nawaki with him because he felt he owed the boy too much. He took him everywhere, even on the most dangerous missions.

But after hearing what Shinki said, Jiraiya finally understood.

He just needed to be patient for a little while. Nawaki would eventually want to venture out on his own once he felt strong enough.

And when that day came, Jiraiya would finally have the freedom to live life his way.

The thought was thrilling. Jiraiya couldn't help but smirk. His mind wandered, and before long, he was drooling.

Tsunade's disgusted expression snapped him out of it. He quickly wiped his mouth and tried to change the topic.

"By the way, where's Orochimaru? That sneaky snake still hasn't finished his mission?"

"He returned early, before you did," Tsunade replied, unable to resist a jab. "At your speed, you might as well carry Orochimaru's shoes."

"What?" Jiraiya protested. "That just means Orochimaru's mission was easier than mine!"

Shinki, standing nearby, was speechless.

You really have no shame. If Orochimaru hears this, he'll definitely make you pay.

Tsunade scoffed, unimpressed. "Stop lying to yourself. Orochimaru's mission was far more dangerous than yours. After all, you had Nawaki with you. There's no way the old man would assign you anything too risky. Stop making excuses."

Tsunade continued, "After returning, Orochimaru left the village. He claimed to have discovered a valuable research project and hasn't been back since. Who knows what he's up to?"

Orochimaru, engrossed in his research, was the perfect student in the eyes of the Third Hokage. But when it came to experiments, he was a rebel.

If he found something intriguing, no amount of reasoning could stop him.

This time, he had found an excuse to leave and had been gone for a long while. There was no sign of him returning anytime soon.

The Third Hokage was furious.

"He's definitely up to no good," Jiraiya declared. "He's probably conducting some forbidden research. That's why he hasn't dared to come back."

Shinki couldn't help but laugh.

Jiraiya's accusation might not be entirely wrong.

Most experiments could be conducted in the village. But when it came to forbidden research, it was safer to work outside the village.

In the original timeline, Orochimaru and Danzo conducted human experiments within the village, causing significant repercussions. The use of villagers as test subjects made it a forbidden act, on top of the experiments being inherently unethical.

Outside the village, such acts, even if exposed, would have far less impact. A bit of criticism and symbolic punishment would likely be the extent of the consequences.

Shinki had once warned Orochimaru: If you're going to conduct forbidden research, don't do it in the village or even within the Land of Fire. Otherwise, the village will turn against you.

Orochimaru had actually taken Shinki's warning to heart. He conducted permissible experiments in the village and left for the forbidden ones, avoiding unnecessary trouble.

After dinner, Shinki and Tsunade brought some gifts to the hospital to visit Nawaki.

In the ward, Nawaki, wrapped in bandages like a mummy, was animatedly sharing tales of his missions with Minato.

Minato listened attentively, occasionally correcting Nawaki's exaggerations with patience and care.

Outside, Shinki glanced at Tsunade, who shook her head.

"Let them enjoy their time together. They seem to have found a good topic of conversation," she said.

Meanwhile, in the Mist Village, significant changes were unfolding.

The previously fractious factions vying for the position of Mizukage had been called to a meeting.

Master Yuan, a respected elder who had often mediated these disputes, now addressed the gathering.

"This information comes from Kitsuchi of the Stone Village. While our factions have been busy fighting, Konoha has already formed an alliance with the Cloud Village."

The room fell silent.

"The situation in the ninja world is changing rapidly. It's time for us to stop these internal conflicts," Yuan declared.

"Yes, Master Yuan," Yagura nodded in agreement.

The other factions, however, were less convinced. They exchanged skeptical glances.

Why would Yuan suddenly demand peace?

It was clear that some were not ready to abandon their struggles, but the shifting dynamics of the ninja world left them little choice.

>>>>>

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[Naruto: Maelstrom Of the Uzumaki]