Chapter 479: Tsunade Encounters Orochimaru
Crack.
The black curse ring surrounding Uchiha Itachi was instantly shattered.
The amalgamation of the Uchiha clan's resentment stood in black armor, wielding two massive, pitch-black zanbatō. It resembled a heavily armored warrior.
Its immense, vengeful form smashed through the ceiling.
The circular, wood-constructed house—so iconic of Konoha's architectural style—couldn't withstand the repeated destruction and collapsed with a thunderous crash.
"Curse energy detected!"
A Shadow Organization player's eyes widened, the veins around them bulging grotesquely as he observed a surge of energy near the residential area.
Yamato's face twisted in fury. With a wave of his hand, the players behind him quickly followed as they raced toward the source.
"Was the Hokage really assassinated?"
Far off in the Mobile Division's base, located on the village's outer perimeter where the Uchiha clan once lived,
Tsunade, who was grinding away at skill proficiency, tensed slightly when a player reported in.
Her expression was complicated.
"Uchiha Itachi?"
"If it's the old man… how could he be killed so easily? Is there really more to this?"
Tsunade pondered silently.
The Mobile Division's players had all been handpicked by Asuma. They were the most loyal of elites.
If they were reporting in person, the likelihood that the Hokage had truly been assassinated was high.
Memories swirled in her mind—
Childhood moments of being led on missions by Sarutobi Hiruzen, alongside Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
Fighting side-by-side in the Great Ninja War.
And later… as Hiruzen aged and made decisions that Tsunade found harder and harder to accept.
...
Scene after scene.
They all turned into a sigh as Tsunade slowly exhaled.
"Regardless… I still need to go see for myself."
With mixed feelings, she turned to the Mobile Division player. "Naruto's still fighting in the [Deep Abyss Layer], right?"
"Keep this quiet. Don't let him know. Wait for my return."
"Yes, ma'am."
Tsunade extended her right arm, fingers spread. As her hand closed into a fist, golden light flared.
A spear of holy light materialized in her palm, and she hurled it with full force.
A chain of holy light was tethered to its tail, wrapped around her arm. Using the spear's momentum, she flew through the skies toward Konoha's heart.
Clues Asuma had uncovered painted a troubling picture—Hiruzen's behavior had become increasingly erratic.
He might have been possessed.
It wouldn't be the first time. Kirigakure's Fourth Mizukage had once been manipulated by none other than Uchiha Obito, turning the village into the infamous Bloody Mist.
That incident nearly destroyed an entire generation of Kirigakure elites.
Since the [Evil God Incident], Hiruzen's decisions had become erratic—unworthy of the long-standing "Professor of Ninjutsu."
So Tsunade chose not to inform Naruto, a key high-tier fighter of the Mobile Division.
The situation was too complicated. If Naruto learned of it prematurely, his immaturity could lead to a complete meltdown.
She'd wait until the truth was clear.
Boom.
The holy spear's momentum waned and halted midair above the residential district. Then it plunged straight down.
By the time she landed, Tsunade had already donned her pure-white suit of holy armor.
A thin golden veil of light shielded the surroundings from the shockwave, protecting the buildings from collateral damage.
"Orochimaru?"
Tsunade looked up at the amalgamation of Uchiha resentment—
And sensed a familiar aura.
There, standing on a nearby rooftop, arms crossed, stood Orochimaru.
"Tsunade, huh? What a bother."
Orochimaru frowned slightly, then quickly resumed smiling.
He knew such a spectacle would draw Konoha's gold-tier players—but hadn't expected Tsunade to be the one.
Holy Light.
A natural counter to undead energy. Even if Orochimaru's overall strength surpassed hers, a dominant victory would be difficult.
"You already destroyed Konoha once. Isn't that enough?"
Tsunade's fists clenched tightly. Her sharp eyes were filled with killing intent.
She hadn't expected Orochimaru to appear—let alone enter the village unnoticed.
How?
Konoha's defensive wall was max-level, embedded with [Wall Pearls]. No matter how many tricks Orochimaru had, infiltrating unnoticed should've been impossible.
If he'd stormed the gates, every player in the village would've been alerted.
Which meant someone from the inside had let him in.
And not just any insider.
Only someone with the status of [Clan Elder] would have that kind of clearance.
Who?
Names flashed through Tsunade's mind—until she stopped at one:
The ever-smiling, impeccably polite man—
Aizen.
The man so many civilians and shinobi hailed as the heir to the Will of Fire.
Even for someone like Uchiha Itachi, a gold-tier player, assassinating the Hokage wouldn't be easy—
Especially not with the Shadow Organization watching nearby.
And yet, after Hiruzen's death, Orochimaru somehow slipped past the defenses and reappeared in Konoha.
It reeked of conspiracy.
Pulling off something like this required someone of high status, someone the Shadow Organization and Hokage wouldn't question—
Only Aizen fit.
"But… why would he do this?"
Tsunade couldn't figure it out.
At Aizen's current standing, he was guaranteed a future seat on the Hokage advisory council. Maybe even the Hokage title, if he proved stronger.
Why risk it all to ally with Orochimaru? Wasn't even the Hokage seat tempting enough?
"Oh? You figured it out quickly, Tsunade… You even guessed Aizen."
Orochimaru hissed, tongue flicking as he stared at his old teammate, waiting for the right moment to strike.
He wasn't protecting Aizen anymore.
By now, the plan was likely complete. Even if exposed, no one in Konoha could stop it.
Just as he'd said—
This whole event had little to do with Uchiha Itachi. Orochimaru simply wanted chaos—to give Aizen the opening he needed.
When Itachi and Kisame just happened to arrive, they made perfect scapegoats. Killing the Hokage would send the village into turmoil, diverting all attention.
Holy Hammer!
Tsunade gripped a massive golden warhammer. Her toned, pale legs stepped forward, muscles tensing as she flipped the hammer and slammed it down.
Each face of the hammer was embedded with radiant spikes of light.
BOOOOM!
The residential zone trembled.
In the crater, Orochimaru revealed his undead serpent form—his cold, serpentine eyes locked on Tsunade.
The cursed serpent coiled around a massive gray tombstone.
"Tsunade, back in the ninja era, even though Jiraiya was a fool, you were always the weakest of us."
"And now, in the era of the Samsara Game, it seems not much has changed."
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