Chapter 245: The Journey Home
Rumble!
Among the hills, several giant creatures collided with bone-shaking force.
"Fire Release: Toad Oil Flame Bullet!"
One man and one toad—Jiraiya, suppressing the lingering effects of the drugs in his system, coordinated with Gamabunta to unleash a massive ninjutsu. Across from them, Orochimaru was hit head-on, his massive snake form charred into a blackened husk.
Boom!
Just then, another giant serpent lunged out, coiling around Tsunade's waist in an attempt to crush her to death.
"Hah!"
With a thunderous shout, Tsunade grabbed Manda's tail and swung the massive beast bodily through the air.
"What a violent woman. Truly worthy of being a legendary ninja. Though, compared to the current Acting Hokage, she's slightly less troublesome," Kabuto remarked, landing on the snake's head looking rather disheveled as he spoke to Orochimaru.
Orochimaru hissed, "Of course. And to display such power while suffering from hemophobia—only she could achieve that!" He watched Tsunade and Jiraiya, licking his lips.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sounds of fierce combat echoed as giant craters pockmarked the landscape.
"Orochimaru, today I'm taking you back to Konoha to atone for your sins!" Jiraiya shouted toward the snake's head.
"Atone? Heh. Don't forget what you once said to me, and what I said to you. Since Tsunade refuses to treat me, I have other ways to heal my hands. So, let us end this for today."
Orochimaru released the summoning, and Manda vanished instantly beneath him.
"Don't you dare run!" Jiraiya frowned. Memories of the past flickered in his mind, and he moved to strike, only to find that Orochimaru and Kabuto had already vanished. He moved to give chase, but on the other side, Tsunade suddenly collapsed to the ground.
"Grandma Tsunade!" Naruto scrambled up from the dirt and rushed over.
Hokage's Office.
"It's been almost a month. Why haven't Naruto and the others brought Tsunade back yet? Honestly!"
Tonbo Tobitake felt like he had been waiting for an eternity. He was now intimately familiar with everything in the Scroll of Seals. He hadn't just learned many of the jutsus; he could actually use them. Thanks to the Multi-Shadow Clone technique, his proficiency was sky-rocketing.
Research into the "HeartSteel" was finally on track. He had mapped out the development direction: sealing the nature transformation of the Spirit Transformation Jutsu inside the HeartSteel, then using sealing techniques to merge the two. This would allow for better defense against unknown cognitive attacks.
Because of the sealing techniques, Tonbo was confident that Tsukuyomi would not be able to break his defense. Furthermore, the new variation created by combining those two nature transformations would give the Heart of Steel more "spirituality." Much like how Gaara's mother imbued her will into his sand, this was a ninjutsu distinct from biological life, yet capable of quickly restoring cognition at a critical moment.
If Tonbo's cognition were altered, causing a change in his behavior or chakra patterns, the "spiritualized" Heart of Steel would catch it, overcoming the time-setting flaws of the original version. Of course, this would take some time to perfect.
But right now, he just didn't want to be in the Hokage's office anymore. There were too many chores. Even with his brain capacity, he didn't want to waste it on bureaucracy. Having enjoyed the perks and the power, he was now only eager to shed the burden.
"It's clock-out time. Going home."
Reverse Summoning Jutsu!
Poof!
After finishing his tasks, Tonbo vanished in a cloud of smoke. When he reappeared, he was in the middle of his living room. A large "figure" stood in the center of the hall, covered in intricate runes. This was the result of his month-long research into Summoning Jutsu. As long as the summoning medium was placed, he could use Reverse Summoning to reach any location instantly.
As for the Flying Raijin, he could learn the theory, but he couldn't "fly" around like Minato. His primary focus wasn't sealing arts; weaving signs in an instant and placing a sealing anchor on a moving target was currently beyond him. Besides, Flying Raijin was a coordinate-based spatial jutsu; for someone who didn't fight exactly like Minato, it wasn't as practical as Reverse Summoning, which was an inter-dimensional spatial jutsu capable of summoning things (and himself) across different spaces.
"You're back, husband."
Ayame emerged slowly from the bedroom and greeted him.
"Mhm. Any movement from the baby yet?" Tonbo smiled.
"It's only been ten days, what movement could there be? Have those documents turned your brain to mush?" Ayame laughed, covering her mouth. Thanks to Tonbo's "hard work," she had finally conceived again about ten days ago.
"Haha, true. It's still just an embryo!" Tonbo chuckled.
A main road in the Land of Fire.
"Eh? You're saying Konoha already has an Acting Hokage? Then just let him be the Hokage! Why do I have to go back?" Tsunade grumbled, annoyed after hearing Jiraiya's explanation.
"What?! Who? Who is the Acting Hokage?" Naruto's eyes went wide. He had worked so hard to trick Grandma Tsunade into coming back, and now there was already someone in the seat? How could this be?
"A guy named Tonbo Tobitake," Jiraiya explained. "He's young, and while the Jonin and the advisors think he has the potential, he lacked the seniority. It's not like Minato's era anymore." He chuckled, then added, "Besides, that guy is just like me—he doesn't actually want to sit in that chair."
Tsunade paused. "Tonbo Tobitake? That's an unfamiliar name... wait, is it that guy they call 'Captain Tonbo'?" She recalled a legend. Even while she was traveling, she had heard that name mentioned as one of Konoha's more famous figures.
"Yeah, yeah! Uncle Tonbo is amazing! And he's been really nice to me since I was a kid," Naruto added, speaking up for Tonbo. He didn't mind if Tonbo was the Hokage, but after all the effort he'd put in to bring Tsunade back, he felt a bit like his labor was wasted.
Wait, no, Naruto realized. Grandma Tsunade is the only one who can heal Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke, and Bushy Brows. So it's not a waste. His mood brightened again.
"Mhm, he's a genius on the same level as Minato in certain aspects," Jiraiya mused, remembering Tonbo's Genjutsu-based invisibility. "But times are different; he doesn't have the military record Minato had."
Jiraiya also thought about that Genjutsu that could manifest countless beautiful women. Because of that, Jiraiya was convinced Tonbo was an even bigger "closet pervert" than he was. Who else could create so many women—and women he'd never even seen before? He must have a massive "library" of experience. If Jiraiya hadn't been an expert in intelligence, he might never have guessed Tonbo had such... hobbies.
"A genius like Minato, huh? Hmph. I'd like to see for myself what kind of man earns that kind of praise from you."
Tsunade felt a spark of interest. She had already agreed to return, but the sudden appearance of a proxy irritated her. Now, she wanted to see exactly what this "Captain Tonbo" was made of.
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