"I can't believe this guy actually carried such an important thing on him. What a waste of my chakra!"
Yūhi Magatake couldn't help but complain from the side as Orochimaru easily retrieved two scrolls and a small wooden box with a Zero-Tailed seal plastered on its surface from Shinnō's upper garment.
Orochimaru smiled, looking at the three items in his hand, and nodded with satisfaction.
One scroll contained the complete training method for the Eight Inner Gates, previously given by Might Duy to Shinnō. The other was Shinnō's own manual for his body-revitalization secret technique.
As for the sealed box with the talisman, it contained the demon that called itself the Zero Tail, but was actually named Nothingness.
Taking out two blank sealing scrolls, Orochimaru sealed Shinnō's corpse and the wooden box separately, then stuffed the two scrolls into his robes.
Turning to Might Duy, who was watching like an audience, Orochimaru waved the scroll of the Eight Inner Gates.
"Duy, this scroll is for you!"
Might Duy was startled. He glanced at the scroll in Orochimaru's hand and quickly shook his head.
"Lord Orochimaru, please keep it!"
"Consider it... consider it a gift from me to thank you for covering for me earlier!"
Orochimaru chuckled, and did not refuse, taking it along with the body-revitalization secret technique into his possession.
Thus, the Eight Inner Gates secret technique, the body-revitalization secret technique, and the Zero Tail were all collected.
He nodded at Sakumo Hatake and Yūhi Magatake, Orochimaru's face showing a grateful smile.
"Thank you for your hard work, both of you seniors!"
"Now that this matter is settled, I have some follow-up work to attend to, so I will take my leave."
"I will personally visit you later to express my gratitude!"
Sakumo Hatake sheathed his sword and waved his hand dismissively.
"No need for thanks!"
"Firstly, it was your matter, and secondly, it was to eliminate a hidden danger for the village."
"The Anbu also has some matters to attend to, so I won't be accompanying you any further."
"Magatake, take Might Duy to the Anbu for registration and let's go!"
Yūhi Magatake responded, gave Orochimaru a nod, and then went to talk to Might Duy.
The Anbu elites who had been watching the battle in the courtyard received their captain Sakumo Hatake's orders, retracted the Four Violet Flames Formation, and silently withdrew from the area.
Orochimaru watched Sakumo and Yūhi Magatake leave with Might Duy, then turned and pushed open the door to the house and went inside.
He bent down, picked up Amaru, who was sleeping soundly on the bed, and with this stepping stone, he teleported away from the empty courtyard and sped towards the Senju compound.
...
"Grandma, do you think there's any way for me to rapidly improve my strength in a short period of time?"
At the Senju compound, within the mansion where the First Hokage had lived, Tsunade was acting spoiled, leaning against a middle-aged woman and shaking her arm.
Due to her physique and the Yin Seal, Mito Uzumaki showed no signs of being an elder in her eighties.
Looking at her granddaughter, who was usually so fiery, now displaying a rare charming demeanor as she pleaded with her, a kind smile appeared on her face.
"You rascal!"
"Is there any shortcut to becoming stronger?"
"Even if there were, those so-called shortcuts are filled with unknown risks."
"Grandma wouldn't bear to see you suffer like that!"
Mito Uzumaki gently touched her lower abdomen and sighed.
"And besides..."
"You might not be able to withstand it!"
"Otherwise..."
Shaking her head slightly, Mito Uzumaki pulled back her wandering thoughts, glared at Tsunade, who was stubbornly turning her head away, and chuckled softly.
"If you want to become stronger, then train hard!"
"The Uzumaki clan's sealing jutsu, Grandma's Yin Seal, the ninja technique training notes left by your great-uncle..."
"If you can master any one of these, you can go anywhere in the ninja world!"
Tsunade's face immediately fell, and she drooped her head, pouting.
"Sealing jutsu is too difficult!"
"I get a headache just looking at those scribbled sealing runes."
"The ninja techniques left by my great-uncle are all forbidden techniques, and they are too difficult to train. And compared to ninja techniques, I prefer the feeling of hitting people with my fists!"
Tsunade narrowed her eyes, clenched her fists, and swung them at the air, looking like a complete brute.
"Bang!"
"Heh heh! One punch can flatten a person!"
Mito Uzumaki poked her forehead and said irritably,
"Others would kill for a chance to train in these things, yet you find them difficult to learn."
"If you had even a tenth of Orochimaru's thirst for knowledge, no, even a tenth would do, you wouldn't be a mere Jonin who only fights with brute force."
"And Kushina, you say sealing jutsu is hard to learn, but that little girl can already master the Four Symbols Seal!"
"Tell me, what use are you?"
Kushina was out of the question; she was her little fangirl, so Tsunade wouldn't get too angry even if she was surpassed by her. But the moment she heard her grandmother bringing up Orochimaru again, Tsunade's teeth itched with hatred.
After being looked down upon by Hiruzen Sarutobi earlier, she had just been stabbed in the heart by her own grandmother.
"Hmph hmph!"
"Don't think that Orochimaru acts like he's eager to learn; when it comes to a real fight, he might not be my match!"
"If you don't believe me, the next time he comes to find Nawaki, I'll fight him in front of you."
"I'll make sure to beat him into a fat-headed snake!"
"Yeah! That's right! A fat-headed snake!"
"Heh heh!"
As Tsunade spoke, she couldn't help but let out a strange chuckle, imagining Orochimaru with a bruised and swollen face after being beaten by her.
Mito Uzumaki had completely lost hope for her granddaughter, who had been spoiled by Hashirama, and shook her head helplessly.
"You little girl..."
"If you want to improve your combat power in a short period of time, it's not entirely impossible."
"Aren't you good at controlling chakra? Your grandfather had a technique for using chakra to unleash immense power, which might be helpful to you."
Tsunade's expression brightened, and she quickly grabbed Mito Uzumaki's arm and shook it.
"Really?"
"A technique Grandpa used? What's it called? Is it powerful?"
Mito Uzumaki shook her head.
"It's just a way of using strength. Your grandfather was quite skilled with it."
"As for the name, there really isn't one."
Tsunade's interest immediately waned, and she pouted disdainfully.
"Tch!"
"What wasn't Grandpa good at?"
"It doesn't even have a name, it must be some rubbish. I don't care for it!"
Mito Uzumaki's face darkened. She looked at Tsunade with disappointment and was about to lecture the ignorant girl when she suddenly sensed a familiar chakra rapidly approaching the Senju compound.
"Orochimaru?"
"Why is this child here at this time?"
"Didn't you say he went to arrest someone with the Anbu? Did he run into some insurmountable trouble?"
Tsunade was slightly stunned, then overjoyed.
"Haha, it's perfect timing!"