Konoha Village — Training Ground No. 1.
Ruofeng stared at the people before him, his heart tangled with complicated emotions.
He had originally planned to rest at home. Over the past few days, he had been busy rebuilding the canine clan. Madara Uchiha's massacre and the sealing technique had destroyed almost all of their training systems, and much of their equipment had been ruined. To restore everything, he needed to purchase large quantities of supplies and help them rebuild from the ground up.
Fortunately, his family was wealthy—extremely wealthy—and that wealth had largely been built by Ruofeng himself.
His grandfather had initially only operated a hot spring business. But when Ruofeng was three or four years old, he had already guided the family into expanding into the restaurant trade, clothing industry, and many other businesses.
With sufficient capital and Ruofeng's strategic advice, their business empire quickly expanded severalfold. Even several of Konoha's gambling halls were secretly under their control.
On the surface, everything was managed by his grandfather, but in reality, Ruofeng could bypass him entirely and directly command all of these operations.
Using these resources, Ruofeng purchased massive quantities of medicinal seeds, herbs, cloth, leather, ores, and countless other materials.
In times of war, these supplies were invaluable. Since his enterprises already kept large reserves, this sudden bulk purchasing did not arouse suspicion. Everyone assumed it was simple commercial stockpiling.
What they did not know was that all these resources were being sent directly to the canine clan.
Within Beast King Mountain, different breeds quickly resumed their specialized roles. The bulldogs and bull terriers excelled in construction and forging. The butterfly dogs handled tailoring. The sheepdogs focused on medicine. As a result, these materials were rapidly put to use. The once-declining canine clan steadily began to regain its former strength.
Because of this, Ruofeng had been extremely busy these past few days, transporting supplies and training in Beast King Mountain whenever possible.
Yet today, just as he finally had time to rest, Nawaki dragged him straight to the training ground.
That alone felt strange.
After such a major assassination incident, Nawaki should have been under the tightest protection. Yet not only had he slipped out, he had even pulled Ruofeng along with him.
The more Ruofeng thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.
The recent assassination attempt had shaken Konoha deeply. Many clans—such as the Hyuga, Uchiha, and Aburame—had mobilized their elite sensory units to purge spies from the village. In just a few days, countless infiltrators had been captured and handed over to ANBU. Entering ANBU custody was worse than death.
The Ninja Academy had been closed for a full month to strengthen security measures. Even the training grounds were being thoroughly renovated.
At this moment, the influence of the Senju clan in Konoha was overwhelming.
And above all stood one person—
Mito Uzumaki.
As the wife of the First Hokage, she was the most respected individual in the entire village. In some ways, even the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, deferred to her. Moreover, she was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, giving her unparalleled authority.
This assassination had enraged her.
As a result, the entire village went into high alert, and all clans cooperated without exception—even the normally aloof Uchiha clan.
Yet here was Nawaki, the very center of the storm, casually dragging Ruofeng to a training ground.
Ruofeng could only feel speechless.
Still, once he spread his perception, he sensed many hidden guards watching from the shadows, which finally reassured him.
But the moment they entered the training ground, those hidden protectors withdrew. Several figures stepped forward instead, causing Ruofeng to pause in surprise.
Nawaki laughed loudly. "Hahaha! I finally got out! I was suffocating at home. If my sister hadn't come back, I probably wouldn't have been allowed out today!"
Now Ruofeng understood.
Standing before him were Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Kushina Uzumaki.
The future Three Legendary Sannin were all present.
With them here, Nawaki's safety was naturally guaranteed.
Tsunade walked over with a warm smile. "Ruofeng… I truly need to thank you. Not just for helping me, but for saving Nawaki as well."
Ruofeng waved his hand casually. "It's nothing. Just return the dragon's blood resin to me."
Even now, he still missed that treasure. Though its effects paled in comparison to Tsunade's monstrous recovery, it remained an exceptional healing item.
Tsunade continued smiling. "What dragon's blood resin? I never took anything."
She said such shameless words with complete composure.
Ruofeng was at a loss for words. But the next moment, his eyes widened in disbelief.
Tsunade bent down and gently kissed his cheek.
Ruofeng felt a sudden warmth against his face, his mind momentarily going blank. Tsunade leaned closer and whispered softly, "Thank you, Ruofeng. I owe you my life… and Nawaki's. That's a debt I can never fully repay."
He stood frozen as she pulled back, her gentle smile still lingering.
The scene was surreal.
Jiraiya looked utterly stunned, his expression a mix of shock and disbelief.
Orochimaru licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. "How rare… I never imagined I'd see Tsunade show such tenderness."
Nawaki stared blankly. "Is this really my sister? That violent monster can actually be gentle?"
The instant those words left his mouth, Tsunade's fist descended.
"Are you saying your sister isn't gentle?"
Nawaki shrieked and instantly changed his tune. "No! Absolutely not!"
Ruofeng finally snapped out of it. "Well… it's my first time seeing such a gentle side of you too, Sister Tsunade."
Only then did he fully realize—this was Tsunade's way of expressing her gratitude.
Though he hadn't recovered the dragon's blood resin, her words carried far greater meaning. Two lives. A debt that lasted a lifetime.
At that moment, however, Ruofeng felt an unsettling gaze lock onto him.
It carried expectation, excitement, and something unsettlingly intense.
A chill crept down his spine.
Slowly, he turned his head—
And met Orochimaru's smiling eyes.
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