Chapter 86: Tsunade Takes a Disciple, Kimimaro’s Loyalty

Naruto’s heart stirred.

This proposal was actually quite good.

Although he knew quite a few ninjutsu, he didn’t have the time—or the patience—to teach anyone.

Orochimaru wasn’t suitable for Karin either.

Tsunade genuinely wanted to find someone to inherit her skills, so she would undoubtedly teach Karin wholeheartedly.

If Karin followed Tsunade, she wouldn’t have to spend every day either being chased for debts or running away from debt collectors, right?

Karin, however, was completely stunned.

She was just a nobody. How had the conversation suddenly turned to her?

Tsunade actually wanted to take her as a disciple?

She felt that everything that had happened to her recently was simply too dreamlike.

After Naruto rescued her from the Grass Village, she had gone to the Sound Village.

Normally, she could receive guidance from one of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru.

And now another of the Legendary Sannin, Tsunade, wanted to take her as a disciple.

Of course, Karin knew that everything was because of Naruto.

Otherwise, someone like her, a poor girl, would never have caught anyone’s attention.

Naruto pondered for a moment before looking at Karin.

"Karin, what do you think?"

Karin immediately answered, "I’ll listen to you."

Of course, she had already made up her mind.

Learning from Tsunade was better than learning from Orochimaru.

Orochimaru had also said that she was more suited to becoming a medical ninja.

So in the Sound Village, most of her guidance came from Kabuto Yakushi.

And it was obvious that Kabuto couldn’t compare to Tsunade.

Seeing this, Tsunade didn’t interrupt.

She took Shizune and walked outside, leaving the two of them some space.

Naruto naturally saw that Karin was tempted, so he simply said, "Then follow Tsunade-sama."

Karin glanced at Tsunade and hesitated for a moment.

"You’ll come visit me often, right?"

She deliberately emphasized the word "often."

If Naruto wasn’t going to visit her frequently, she wouldn’t follow Tsunade.

At least if she stayed in the Sound Village, she could see Naruto regularly.

Naruto rubbed Karin’s head.

"Of course. I’ll come visit you often. And remember, you can’t mention anything about the Sound Village."

After giving Karin some money and reminding her of a few things, the two walked out.

Naruto gave Karin a gentle push.

"All right, go over there."

"Mm. You’d better remember."

With that, Karin walked over to Tsunade and quietly called out, "Teacher. Shizune-sis."

Tsunade gave a soft hum before asking, "Karin, right?"

She had heard Naruto call her Karin earlier.

Karin nodded.

Naruto handed Tsunade a sealing scroll filled with money.

"Karin and I don’t have any other clan members, so we can only keep things simple. This is the apprenticeship gift. I hope Tsunade-sama won’t mind.

"I’ll leave Karin in your care."

There wasn’t much inside.

Ten million ryo, merely to express his sincerity.

After all, Naruto planned to pocket Orochimaru’s hundred million ryo for himself anyway.

What belonged to Orochimaru was basically his, wasn’t it?

Nothing wrong with that!

Tsunade didn’t care what was inside and simply accepted it.

"All right. Don’t worry. I’ll teach Karin properly."

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama. Then I’ll take my leave with Kimimaro."

After politely expressing his gratitude, Naruto prepared to leave.

"Wait."

Tsunade took out a scroll and handed it to Naruto.

"This contains the Uzumaki clan’s inheritance.

"I have a relatively complete version of it here."

Naruto shook his head and didn’t take it.

With the abilities he had inherited from Kushina, he already possessed most of the Uzumaki clan’s inheritance.

Tsunade didn’t withdraw her hand.

She shook her head.

"I don’t mean anything else by this. Before my grandmother passed away, she asked me to give this to a descendant of the Uzumaki clan.

"I’m merely fulfilling my grandmother’s final wish."

Hearing this, Naruto nodded and accepted the scroll.

"I understand. Thank you, Lady Mito."

He knew Tsunade was probably lying.

When Uzumaki Mito died, Uzumaki Kushina was still in Konoha.

So Mito couldn’t possibly have asked Tsunade to do this.

If she wanted to entrust it to someone, she should have entrusted it to Kushina, or simply given it directly to her.

This was probably a backup copy or something similar, and Tsunade had decided on her own to give it to him.

She probably wanted to do something for the Uzumaki clan.

But since she had invoked the name of someone who had passed away, Naruto could only accept it.

Seeing Naruto take the scroll, Tsunade secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

She had indeed decided on her own to give him this inheritance.

She had even prepared it just now while they were outside.

This inheritance was of little use to her anyway.

After she died, it would eventually have been passed down to Karin.

It was better to hand it over now.

It could also make up for some of her regrets.

If her grandmother knew about this, she would surely be pleased.

The group walked out together.

After saying their goodbyes, Naruto paid the bill for the hot spring inn and returned to the room.

Then, carrying the sleeping Kimimaro, he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique and returned to the Sound Village.

Not far from the hot spring inn, Tsunade was walking along when a thought suddenly occurred to her.

Naruto had prepared the medicines so quickly the previous night.

She had already guessed that Naruto knew a Space-Time Ninjutsu.

If not for the fact that those Mangekyo Sharingan could open and close freely, rather than being transplanted, she would have begun suspecting Konoha’s Naruto Uzumaki.

He was young.

He was an Uzumaki.

His name was Naruto.

And he knew a Space-Time Ninjutsu.

It was simply too much of a coincidence.

Tsunade shook her head and put those thoughts aside.

Meanwhile, in the Sound Village.

After examining Kimimaro’s body, Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi were both astonished.

He was really cured!

"As expected of Tsunade-hime."

Orochimaru sighed.

Then a trace of gratitude appeared on his face.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun."

Kimimaro had already awakened, and Orochimaru had learned the details from him.

If Naruto hadn’t solved Tsunade’s hemophobia and helped preserve Kimimaro’s life while rapidly healing his wounds, Kimimaro would never have survived.

Anyone whose entire body had been cut open would have bled to death.

No one could survive with the flesh and bones throughout their entire body separated like that.

Only with someone like Naruto constantly healing each section of flesh after Tsunade finished treating each bone, allowing the body to return to normal before she moved on to the next bone, could Kimimaro possibly have endured the procedure.

Naruto smiled.

"Kimimaro has great potential. It would be a real shame if he died young because of his Kekkei Genkai disease."

Orochimaru nodded in agreement.

He then turned toward Kimimaro.

"Kimimaro, make sure you properly repay Naruto-kun for this kindness in the future. Understand?"

Orochimaru had also noticed how highly Naruto regarded Kimimaro, so he simply went along with it.

It also meant completely placing Kimimaro under Naruto’s command.

With the White Zetsu body, Orochimaru had more or less solved his pursuit of immortality.

Now, aside from completing some of the regrets from the first half of his life and exploring the truths of the shinobi world, Orochimaru didn’t have much left to pursue.

As a result, he no longer cared that much about his subordinates.

Since Naruto wanted Kimimaro, Orochimaru had no reason to refuse.

It was better to simply go with the flow and hand over a subordinate Naruto valued to him.

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama."

Kimimaro answered.

He then turned toward Naruto.

"Lord Naruto, if there is anything you need Kimimaro for, even if it costs me my life, I will not hesitate."

If Kimimaro had previously obeyed Naruto only because he feared Naruto’s strength and because of Orochimaru’s arrangements, then now—

Kimimaro was completely loyal to Naruto.

He had placed himself firmly in Naruto’s service.

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