The three—Uchiha Tatsumi, Mikoto, and Nawaki—looked toward the town gate.
From Uchiha Tatsumi's view, the main roads were paved with square stone tiles, and the buildings lining both sides were constructed from sturdy earth and reinforced wood, a clear sign of a semi-military encampment.
Most of the people in sight were clearly shinobi. Supply carts brought in goods from various regions of the Land of Fire, signaling this was a major logistical hub.
With such a dense shinobi presence and tight security, there was no other place in the Land of Fire quite like this—except Konoha itself. But even then, the tension and war-readiness here surpassed the relative calm within the village.
Just the thought of resting in a proper place tonight, away from cramped carriages and cold wilderness, made Uchiha Tatsumi's injuries feel slightly better. His steps grew lighter with hope.
After completing the entry protocols, Orochimaru returned from the checkpoint.
"Alright, everyone out," he clapped his hands.
"Huh? We're going in on foot?" Uchiha Tatsumi asked, puzzled.
He had seen other carriages allowed to pass. Why were they stopping here?
Were they being looked down on for being genin?
"No, we're not going in at all," Orochimaru said with his usual calm.
What?! So they were only coming to the gate just to turn around? All that excitement for nothing!
"Where are we staying then?" Nawaki asked, clearly disappointed.
"We'll be camping with Tsunade's team tonight," Orochimaru answered.
Uchiha Tatsumi recalled—Tsunade's team was mostly composed of kunoichi!
"Oh? What are we waiting for then? Let's go! Tsunade-sensei must be expecting us!" Uchiha Tatsumi slung his pack on with newfound energy.
"....."
Orochimaru led the excited group toward the forest.
After a long trek through brush and trails, they arrived at the campsite.
What awaited them was... a tattered military tent.
Its original olive-green color was dulled by layers of dust, fading now to a dismal gray.
The three—Uchiha Tatsumi, Mikoto, and Nawaki—stood silently with their travel-worn bags.
"Well, here we are," Orochimaru said, satisfied.
Farewell, my town...
Farewell, soft beds...
Orochimaru entered first. The others followed.
Once inside, Tatsumi noted the interior was dim, sparsely furnished with just a desk and one wooden stool.
Tsunade was asleep on the desk.
"Lady Tsunade, please wake up," said the slug Katsuyu softly.
"Mmm... Kushina-chan, I wasn't sleeping..."
Startled awake, Tsunade groped around for a pen on her desk out of habit.
"..."
When she lifted her head and saw Orochimaru and the others, she immediately dropped the act.
Wiping drool from the corner of her mouth, she yawned widely.
"Why are you all here so suddenly?" she grumbled, clearly caught off-guard.
Orochimaru ignored her tone. "You seem to be having quite the easy time, Tsunade."
"Don't blame me. That worthless intel you gave me has had me running in circles trying to find this so-called gold mine."
"Yo, Tatsumi, Mikoto—it's been a while!" Tsunade greeted them more cheerfully.
"Tsunade-sensei, long time no see," said Uchiha Tatsumi.
"Tsunade-sama, it's been a while," Mikoto said politely.
"Hey! What about me, sis? Am I invisible?" Nawaki huffed.
"Oh? My dumb little brother. You're on this team too?" Tsunade teased with a smirk.
"....."
"Anyway, Tsunade, Tatsumi's injured. Take a look at him," Orochimaru interjected.
"Injured, huh?" Tsunade stood and looked him over.
Mikoto and Nawaki's scratches were quickly handled. But Uchiha Tatsumi's wound across his chest was still not fully closed.
"Tch. Getting injured on a simple bandit-hunting mission? Embarrassing. One of my girls took down a Chūnin on our last run," Tsunade muttered.
"Correction," Orochimaru said flatly. "Tatsumi is now my prized student. He was injured while taking down a jōnin."
There was a hint of smug pride in his voice.
"Hmph. Not like the excellent students I trained," Tsunade shot back, annoyed.
She still wasn't happy about the Third Hokage reassigning Tatsumi from her team.
"If he had stayed on my team, he wouldn't be getting injured," she muttered, stretching.
Tsunade wore her standard flak vest over a black shinobi outfit. Her long blonde hair was tied back, and her forehead protector lay casually on the desk.
The younger Tsunade carried more of a youthful fire than the mature aura she'd later develop. But in terms of appearance, the difference wasn't drastic.
Well, there was one notable difference.
Her chest had definitely developed since three years ago—not quite the exaggerated proportions of the later Tsunade, but still significantly fuller. Even someone like Tsunade grows up... Life is full of surprises.
Jiraiya, who used to tease her mercilessly, probably never imagined this transformation.
Tatsumi also noted the prominent violet diamond mark on her forehead—the Strength of a Hundred Seal. She hadn't had that three years prior. Clearly, she had been training hard.
"Alright, kid. Shirt off," Tsunade said casually.
Despite how it sounded, Uchiha Tatsumi didn't misunderstand.
He obediently removed his coat.
Despite her brash personality, Tsunade could also be sharp-tempered. She was absolutely in his top five people not to provoke.
If you ever consider teasing her? Think of what happened to Jiraiya.
A gentle glow of green chakra bloomed in Tsunade's hand.
Tatsumi felt a warm tingling over the wound in his chest.
Medical ninjutsu really was miraculous.
While Tsunade worked, Orochimaru asked her, "So, about that gold mine… did your team confirm its existence?"
Tsunade sighed deeply.
"I'm starting to think the damn thing doesn't even exist."
Visit patreon.com/TEA_QUILL to get 30+ chapters