Su Mu was heading to Konoha.
Jiraiya was overjoyed. Who wouldn't want someone as capable as Su Mu?
If they could win over Konoha, the Land of Fire would soon regain its former glory!
"Coincidentally, I'll head back and settle the Hokage affairs,"
"Whoever wants it can have it. I'll be living in the Eight Treasures Glazed Pagoda from now on."
Tsunade said happily, looking at Su Mu.
With her mood lifted, Tsunade instantly reverted to her young, ponytail-wearing loli appearance.
Outside the pagoda, Orochimaru remained suspended in mid-air, standing on his sword.
Tsunade, Jiraiya, and the others emerged.
"Thank you for this, Orochimaru, but the matter of the Third Hokage won't be left at that."
Jiraiya's brow furrowed as he spoke sternly to Orochimaru.
Orochimaru gave a bitter smile. "I was too extreme before, which led to this great disaster. Jiraiya, I'm sorry."
Jiraiya and Tsunade's eyes widened in surprise at Orochimaru's words.
"Wait... is this still Orochimaru?"
Tsunade stared at Orochimaru, bewildered. He seemed like a completely different person.
The three of them had grown up together, learned under the same master, and experienced numerous wars.
They knew Orochimaru's personality best.
He would never admit fault or apologize for what he had done.
Yet now, Orochimaru was voluntarily admitting his mistakes.
"Since being enlightened by Master Su, I have found the meaning of life in the lost wilderness. The Orochimaru of the past is dead. The current me has been reborn."
Orochimaru looked towards Su Mu at the entrance of the restaurant with deep gratitude.
Su Mu nodded slightly. It seemed Orochimaru had reached the peak of Qi Refining tenth stage and gained a clear understanding of the karmic fire and three calamities on the path of cultivation.
As a result, he had undergone a complete transformation.
Truly remarkable.
With the Nine-Tails subdued, the villagers poured out of their homes and gathered before the Eight Treasures Glazed Pagoda.
They looked up at Orochimaru in the sky, their discussions spiraling out of control.
"It seems this is truly the immortal cultivation method Master Su spoke of!"
"I wish I could cultivate immortality too. I'm truly envious..."
"Take me as your disciple, Immortal! I'll do anything!"
"The Immortal just looked at me! He looked at me! I'm going to faint..."
Listening to the clamor from below, Orochimaru couldn't help but curve his lips upwards. "Cultivate what immortality? You should believe in science."
Then, Orochimaru flew away directly on his sword.
He left behind a crowd of villagers, standing there dumbfounded and utterly stunned.
They rested in the tavern for half a day.
After Naruto's body recovered, Su Mu, along with Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Kakashi, began their journey towards Konoha.
Konoha, Ichiraku Ramen.
"Xiao E, it's time to eat. You've worked hard all day, let's rest a bit."
Uncle Ichiraku placed a bowl of delicious-looking ramen in front of Chang'e.
Business had been exceptionally good today.
It was already late at night, yet many customers were still coming to eat.
Among them, some had ordered three bowls in an hour...
The reason was the sudden appearance of Chang'e.
One day prior,
Uncle Ichiraku had seen her standing foolishly across from the shop, waiting there the entire day.
Seeing this, Uncle Ichiraku personally made her a bowl of ramen and invited her to help at the shop.
Chang'e, who was eating ramen, had long, silky black hair that cascaded over her shoulders, exuding a gentle beauty.
Her fair, flawless skin had a faint rosy hue, and her thin lips were as delicate and inviting as rose petals.
With golden-toothed clogs on her feet, her legs were as white as frost.
Exquisite.
Suddenly, many Root ninjas appeared on the street.
The customers eating ramen were startled and quickly grabbed their coats and fled.
Among them, several villagers wandering on the street were dragged into an alley by several Anbu ninjas. After being injected with a drug, they fell unconscious.
Then, they carried these villagers' bodies and quickly retreated towards Root.
"Lord Danzo specifically instructed today to capture a woman for human experimentation."
"After all, we've failed too many times with men..."
One Anbu ninja said to the squad leader.
However, it was late at night, and there wasn't a trace of a woman anywhere.
Suddenly, one of them spotted a woman of extreme beauty sitting in Ichiraku Ramen.
"Captain, target acquired..."
Several Root ninjas simultaneously shifted their gaze towards Ichiraku Ramen.
So, while Uncle Ichiraku went to the storage room to get ingredients, they suddenly appeared behind Chang'e and took her hostage.
When Uncle Ichiraku came out, he looked at the unfinished ramen on the table with surprise. "Did they leave before finishing? Was the meal not tasty today?"
Root.
In a dark room.
Danzo was engrossed in reading a book titled "Long Life, No Death."
Suddenly, several figures appeared at the doorway with swift movements.
"Lord Danzo, the subjects for experimentation have been arranged. This is the woman we just captured."
"She doesn't look like she's from Konoha."
Danzo put down his book and slowly stood up, walking towards the bound Chang'e.
"Excellent work. Since she's not from Konoha, take her to the laboratory."
"Yes!"
Then, Danzo walked to a stone wall in an inner chamber. As he turned the switch in the wall seam with his right hand,
the heavy stone door slowly opened upwards.
In the laboratory, countless transparent glass tanks held a villager each.
The stench of the green medicinal fluid almost made Chang'e gag.
This place had previously been used for Danzo's collaborations with Orochimaru.
Now, it had been abandoned for a long time, with thick cobwebs in the corners.
It was only recently, after Hiruzen Sarutobi's death, that Danzo reopened this laboratory.
"Lord Danzo, may we begin?"
A familiar face wielding a chakra scalpel walked in from outside the door.
Kabuto Yakushi.
This fellow had now defected to Danzo, though it couldn't be called a defection.
Kabuto's true identity was that of a double agent.
"Mhm..."
"No need for anesthesia. I want to see their tolerance..."
Danzo walked to a chair and sat down leisurely.
Starting with the first man, Kabuto directly cut open his abdomen with a chakra scalpel.
"Ah!!!"
"No! No!"
Tragic screams echoed throughout the underground laboratory.
Danzo looked at Chang'e, who was bound beside him, with satisfaction. "Are you scared?"
"One cut, and it's over..."
Chang'e shook her head vigorously. Suddenly, a golden pill from her pocket fell to the floor with a bang.
Danzo walked over and carefully examined the pill.
"This substance is very similar to a certain pill in 'Long Life, No Death.'"
"Could this be related to a pill used by Qi cultivators?"
"No, no, the color of this one seems to be golden..."
"Heh, it seems I've discovered something extraordinary..."
Danzo lightly touched Chang'e's cheek, letting out a sinister laugh.
"I've suddenly changed my mind. You are temporarily safe tonight..."