When night fell and everyone else had gone to sleep, Tsunade sat on a rooftop, her hand cupping the necklace at her chest, lost in thought. Memories of her past lover and brother flooded her mind.
"Lixing, come out. I know you're here. Don't underestimate me, I'm your master after all."
Knowing Tsunade had found him, Lixing emerged from the shadows and leaped onto the rooftop, sitting beside her.
"Lixing, do you know why I didn't give you this necklace before?" Tsunade asked, gently stroking it with one hand, her voice laced with sadness.
Lixing knew the story of the necklace, but he couldn't reveal his knowledge directly. He feigned ignorance.
"Orochimaru was right today. I killed them, I killed Dan and Nawaki."
Tears welled up in Tsunade's eyes as she spoke of the past. Lixing remained silent, listening with a gentle smile, offering himself as a confidant.
After Tsunade finished recounting the events of the past, Lixing felt that the necklace and the kiss she believed brought death were mere coincidences. Naruto, in the original story, had lived a good life. This, however, required time to prove, and Lixing felt it was not his place to say much.
"Master, I don't think it's your fault. The fault lies with this era, this environment where people constantly fight. Where there are people, there will inevitably be conflict, and where there is conflict, there will be death. Living in this world, all we can do is reduce the conflict."
Tsunade looked at Lixing, her eyes brimming with tears. Shizune had also told her it wasn't her fault, and she understood the logic Lixing presented. However, every time she remembered how they died, Tsunade still felt responsible.
"I'm sorry. I didn't expect that I, the master, would need my disciple to comfort me. It's late, we should get back and rest."
The quiet conversation under the moon came to an end. Both returned to their rooms. Lixing watched Tsunade's retreating figure and sighed softly.
...
A week passed quickly. Today was the day of Tsunade's bet with Naruto and her promised reply to Orochimaru.
Just as in the original story, Tsunade, the world's foremost medical ninja, used a colorless and odorless sleeping drug to knock Jiraiya out, preventing him from interfering.
She then went alone to meet Orochimaru. However, unlike the original story, Tsunade now had a disciple named Lixing.
"It's exactly like the plot. From today onwards, you are the Fifth Hokage, Master Tsunade!" Lixing whispered from the shadows, following behind Tsunade. He mentally chided Tsunade, calling her a foolish woman for going alone. "What can one person do? Unity is strength!"
Tsunade soon arrived at the meeting spot, where Orochimaru had been waiting for a long time. As in the original story, Tsunade approached Orochimaru slowly, her palm emitting a healing technique. Just as she was about to attack, Kabuto blocked her with a kunai.
"Why? Betraying me at this moment, Tsunade!" Orochimaru said indignantly. Without the ability to heal, he could do nothing, and worse, he was still suffering.
"No reason. Our dear Tsunade wouldn't be in league with you. Hahahaha!" Lixing's laughter echoed from above. This time, a real fight was about to happen, and an inexplicable sense of excitement surged within him.
Tsunade was startled. Lixing had been following her all along without her noticing, and he had just spoken such a teasing remark.
"Lixing, be careful!"
At that moment, Kabuto threw several more kunai. Lixing didn't dodge. He blocked them with one hand, letting the kunai embed themselves in his arm. As he landed, he punched Orochimaru with his other hand.
Seeing blood, Tsunade began to tremble again. This was precisely the effect Lixing needed, to keep Tsunade out of the fight.
The first punch was dodged by Orochimaru with Kabuto's help. Lixing pulled out the kunai, letting the wound bleed. The pain was a sensation he hadn't felt in a long time.
"Come on. What I said that day still stands. Beat me, and I'll heal you!"
However, Orochimaru was unaware of the true extent of Lixing's medical ninjutsu. He was just a child, perhaps not even as skilled as Kabuto. Lixing's combat ability, on the other hand, seemed formidable, making a direct confrontation unwise. Orochimaru signaled Kabuto to retreat.
Seeing them about to escape, Lixing pursued them directly. While leaving Tsunade behind wasn't ideal, he reasoned that even with her hemophobia, she was one of the Sannin, so she should be fine.
...
The chase continued until they reached a plain. Orochimaru could no longer stand being pursued by a single child. He ordered Kabuto to capture Lixing and use him to force Tsunade to heal him.
"Why did you stop running? Did Orochimaru tell you to cover his retreat? To capture me? Or to kill me?" Lixing asked, seeing Kabuto stop and turn back, with Orochimaru observing from a distance. He immediately began to provoke Kabuto.
Although Lixing was a child, Kabuto knew he couldn't underestimate him. He began to form hand seals and used his signature chakra scalpels.
"I'm sorry, Lixing-kun. Lord Orochimaru's order is to capture you. However, your strength is immense. I'll have to sever your limbs first before capturing you!"
Hearing this, Lixing laughed. "Kabuto, you're too confident. What gives you the courage to talk about severing my limbs? If you have the ability, come and try!"
Kabuto wasted no time. With a burst of speed, he attacked, his chakra scalpel aimed at Lixing's arm.
Lixing, possessing an immortal body, could disregard Kabuto's attack and regenerate severed limbs. However, this would expose his secret. Lixing had no desire to be constantly scrutinized by Orochimaru, a man whose sanity had been warped by his research.
Lixing twisted his body, easily dodging Kabuto's hand. With a counter-attack, he punched Kabuto. This punch was purely instinctual and not delivered with full force, yet Kabuto was sent flying back more than ten meters.
"As expected of a disciple of the legendary Sannin, Lady Tsunade. At such a young age, you already possess this strength and reaction speed," Kabuto said, wiping the blood from his lip. He then began to offer flattery.
"No need for further talk. Let's finish this quickly!"
Lixing assumed a fighting stance and launched himself forward with explosive speed, charging towards Kabuto. This time, he wasn't holding back. If he were to be hit solidly, he would be pulverized.
"So fast!"
Kabuto was shocked. He couldn't even track Lixing's speed with his eyes. Knowing he couldn't match Lixing's speed and would be easily caught even if he dodged, Kabuto quickly formed hand seals.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Before Lixing could reach Kabuto's face, white smoke billowed from the ground, and two giant, earth-brown pythons blocked Lixing's path.
However, Lixing's punch was not to be trifled with. What did the sudden appearance of giant pythons matter? He punched through them anyway. The newly summoned pythons had their bodies pierced by this single punch, and the powerful wind pressure from the attack sent Kabuto, who was behind the serpent's hole, flying.
"Kabuto, your summoned beasts don't seem very impressive. Two appeared, and one is already dead. With another punch, the other will also be gone!"
Kabuto finally understood. Lixing had been hiding his true strength. That punch had undoubtedly surpassed Tsunade's. At such a young age, his strength already exceeded that of Tsunade, one of the Sannin. What kind of monstrous talent was this?