Chapter 354: Orochimaru Returns to the Village

On the second day after the meeting, Uchiha Itachi was escorted by a professional medical team to a special train bound for Konoha. He was temporarily suspended from all duties and only retained his rank and benefits.

Mikoto was happily cooking in the special train kitchen, while Itachi was wrapped in clothes and complaining to Shisui on the phone.

"My body has almost recovered, but the Hokage still wants me to return to the village to recuperate. I think it is totally unnecessary and a sheer waste of resources."

"Shisui, Sanwan City's reform cannot stop. In the next step, we must rely on the strong human resources and the talent advantages provided by Sanwan City Ninja University to establish a comprehensive enterprise. We must increase the employment rate and per capita income within two years."

Uchiha Itachi was very excited when he talked about government affairs, his eyes sparkled: "The Sanwan River should also be utilized. It would be best to apply to the village railway department to lay a railway along the river to improve the efficiency of passenger and freight transportation."

Shisui laughed over the phone, "Take good care of your injuries. I estimate that you will be back in a month or two at most. By then, you will still be needed to steer the development of Sanwan City."

Itachi smiled cheerfully: "As long as they devote themselves wholeheartedly to the development of Sanwan and make every effort to make the people live a happy life, I think it doesn't matter who becomes the new government official. They should have the spirit of not seeking personal success."

Mikoto came over with a plate, smiling: "Itachi, we are going to eat."

"Let's do this for now, Shisui, my mother is calling me to eat."

Shisui on the other end of the phone was filled with envy, and after again telling Itachi to take good care of himself, he hung up.

"You two have been inseparable since you were little. It's been such a short time since we've been apart and you've already called each other five or six times." Mikoto said angrily.

Itachi smiled and walked behind his mother, rubbing her shoulders and back. "Isn't this a matter of job handover? Sanwan City has a population of nearly one million. It's always right for the two of us to be more cautious."

"Okay, okay, hurry up and wash your hands and eat. Try the seafood fried rice and takoyaki that mom made for you."

Itachi picked up a piece of takoyaki and brought it to his mother's mouth with a smile. Mikoto opened her mouth and ate it with a smile on her face. It was a warm scene.

A fiery red special train engraved with the Uchiha clan emblem and the Konoha Ninja Village logo sped past on the rails. This was Fugaku's special train and a symbol of status.

The train was running in the dark night, and the two snow-white lights in front of the train carved out a large area of ​​​​brightness. Uchiha Itachi was in an ever better mood, because the moment of running towards happiness is the most unforgettable.

After Mikoto finished washing the dishes and cleaning up, she sat next to Itachi and looked at her son with a smile, her eyes full of happiness and doting.

She is very satisfied with her current life. Her family is thriving, her husband is in a high position, her eldest son is young and promising, and her youngest son is smart and clever. Their family combination is something that many people in the village envy.

Uchiha Itachi felt uncomfortable under his mother's gaze, twisted his body and asked, "Where are we?"

"I don't know, but it should be here soon. The special train has a high priority."

"Mom, do we have dried persimmons to eat this year?"

Mikoto pinched her son's cheek lovingly, an unintentional gesture she hadn't made in years: "The persimmons have been picked and are waiting to be made. They can be eaten after two snowfalls in winter."

Uchiha Itachi's eyes sparkled, looking forward to the persimmons covered with white frost but revealing orange-red: "I should be in charge of work in other places at that time, so mother should send me more."

The train roared forward with the conversation between mother and son, and arrived at Konoha Train Station on time before dawn.

Konoha Railway Station was built in the 50th year of Konoha and took eleven months to build. It is located in the southeast of the old village, adjacent to the Nanhe River. It covers a large area and has many train lines. It is one of the transportation hubs of the entire Fire Country.

The train's arrival attracted many people, who stood on the platform and watched the unique train, wondering which important person it belonged to. When a group of ninjas wearing embroidered clan emblems came forward to greet them, the people suddenly realized that it was an important person from the Uchiha clan.

Itachi frowned secretly. He was already unhappy that his father sent a special train to pick him up, thinking that it was an abuse of power for personal gain. Now that there were so many ninjas in the clan who were not doing their normal work, what was the point of sending someone to pick him up so early in the morning?

But he couldn't say anything. Uchiha Itachi knew that he had to be polite and behave properly even if he felt disgusted. If he was alone and no one greeted him, wouldn't he feel another kind of dissatisfaction?

It's nothing more than greetings and handshakes, getting to know each other. Don't be surprised. Uchiha Itachi has rarely been in the village in recent years, and he has almost always been working outside. He is not familiar with many ninjas in the family and only knows their names.

The station was very close to the clan's residence. After repeatedly declining everyone's farewell, Uchiha Itachi and his mother walked back home. At noon, they went to the hospital to change the dressing, but were told that they needed to be hospitalized for recuperation.

Tsunade's medical ninjutsu was excellent. Itachi's wounds had already scabbed over, and apart from being unable to use chakra and do strenuous exercise, he was no longer in danger. He resisted the request for hospitalization, but did not dare to say anything under his mother's gaze.

So, Itachi only stayed at home for a few hours before lying back in bed, with all kinds of instrument sensors pasted all over his body, and the annoying beeping sound of machines continued.

......

At night, Tsunade came to the Hokage's office and placed a thick stack of test reports on the coffee table, her eyes full of fatigue.

Uchiha Fugaku, whose hair was half white, picked up the report and read it again and again, his hands gradually trembling.

"The liver is normal."

"The spleen is normal."

"No abnormality in the kidneys."

"..."

"Too many unknown elements in the blood!"

Ye Shan sighed: "Can't our instruments detect what element it is?"

Tsunade shook her head: "This is just a preliminary test. The relevant elements need to be further tested with more professional instruments to be clear, but..."

"If you have any difficulties, just tell us and we will do our best to solve them."

"Be prepared. The elements in the blood will soon enter various organs through the blood circulation. In other words, the truth cannot be concealed for long."

Fugaku's face was pale and his eyes were dull: "Tsunade-sama, is there any way to stop the spread?"

"Tomorrow... I will prepare the medicine later. First, we need to slow down the spread of the disease and buy time for follow-up treatment."

"Thank you so much!"

Keiji took a sip of his tea and spoke, "The Uchiha has a rich store of precious medicines, and Lady Tsunade can use them at any time."

Ye Shan knocked on the table and asked, "Should we tell Itachi about this illness now?"

"It's better not to." Tsunade rubbed her temple with her white and tender fingers. She looked very tired. "It's very important to maintain an optimistic and positive attitude at this stage. I believe Itachi has a strong psychological quality, but in the face of life and death, no one dares to say that they don't think too much."

"I'll let you inform him when the time comes, at least until that guy Orochimaru comes."

Everyone had no objection. They were professionals in politics, and when it came to medical skills, Tsunade was their ancestor.

.........

Jiraiya woke up in his 50-square-meter luxurious bedroom, picked and chose in the cloakroom, and finally put on clothes he had not worn for a long time. He seemed to have turned into the bohemian and lustful immortal again.

"Flowers may bloom again, but people can never be young again..."

Looking at the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes in the mirror, Jiraiya rarely sighed to pay tribute to the past ten years, then sat in a chair without any image, waiting for the nanny to bring him breakfast.

Yes, Jiraiya is one of the richest men in Konoha Ninja Village. He has shares in all the custom industries and publishing chains in the Land of Fire, and his annual dividends are an astronomical figure that is unimaginable.

"I never care whether my friends are rich or not, because no one is richer than me." - One of Jiraiya's heroic stories, regarded as a model by merchants in the Land of Fire.

But even though he was so rich, Jiraiya still felt unhappy. He would rather exchange all his wealth for a dozen things he lost before - love and friendship.

"I have no interest in money. I think making money is the easiest and simplest thing in the ninja world. My happiest days are when a ninja gets his monthly allowance." - One of the Versailles quotes.

Breakfast was simple, a bowl of rice porridge, two steamed buns and an egg. In order to maintain his figure, Jiraiya refused to overeat, at least not eat too much for breakfast. He would not feel hungry by eating snacks while working.

"The lunch must be grand, with lots of eggs and bird eggs, and the best wine. Also, hire a barbecue chef from the hotel and roast a lamb in advance."

Jiraiya patiently instructed, explaining everything he could think of at once: "Check the bathroom, washroom, towels, and clothes again, there must be no mistakes."

"Don't worry, the Hokages are here today, and we will definitely serve them with great care."

"After today, I'll give you your eighteenth month's salary!"

Look, is this human language? These are the words of the God of Wealth.

After Jiraiya finished his instructions, he got into his Hanako luxury car, simply input some chakra, then sped out and headed to the office to start working.

But when he actually sat in the office, Jiraiya had no intention of working. He reluctantly approved a few documents about attracting investment, and then began to check his watch frequently.

Today is the special day that Orochimaru, one of the original three ninjas, is allowed to return to the village. It is also the day when the three ninjas gather together for the first time in more than ten years. Jiraiya appears to not care, but he has actually been looking forward to it for a long time.

Since the Nine-Tails Rebellion, Orochimaru has been exiled to the Land of Fields. Although his freedom is not restricted, he is not allowed to leave the Land of Fields. If it weren't for Jiraiya's continuous financial support, Orochimaru would have been in dire straits.

"Minister, please approve the request for funding from the Wave Country Chamber of Commerce as soon as possible. Deputy Hokage Minato is urging us to do so."

Jiraiya stood up and said, "Just let Hizashi take care of it. I need to go out for a while."

The assistant was helpless. He looked up at the scroll hanging on the wall that read "Happy work, enjoy life" and felt that there was nothing wrong with it. It was common for the minister to go out to collect materials and drink during the day. Why should an assistant like him worry about it?

"Alright, I got it."

Jiraiya walked out of the office without looking around. He originally wanted to find Tsunade to go pick up Orochimaru together, but he thought better of it. Tsunade and Orochimaru had been at odds with each other for a long time, so he could go alone.

At the same time, two people stood on the Hokage Rock overlooking the Konoha Ninja Village. They were Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi who had hurried over.

"No matter how many times I see it, I am still shocked by the scale and modernization of Konoha."

Pharmacist Dou pushed his glasses up and said with a smile, "This is still an old village where high-rise buildings are not allowed to be built. The Nanhe River area is really lively. Compared to that, this place seems to be a product of the last century."

Orochimaru snorted grimly: "Yayama asked me to come here unnecessarily. Now your medical skills have surpassed mine. Who would have thought that a spy would inherit my mantle."

Yakushi Kabuto said seriously: "Lord Orochimaru has misunderstood. I am not a spy. I have always been your disciple."

"It's okay if you admit it openly. With Ye Shan protecting you, I dare not speak out."

"Issues of principle cannot be discussed."

The two were silent for a moment, and Orochimaru spoke up after a while: "What do you think of the new policy?"

"I am just a pharmacist and doctor. I only treat illnesses, not people."

Orochimaru seemed not to have heard and continued to talk to himself: "He is stronger than the Third Generation. He has allowed the ninja to take control of the government affairs. It depends on how he controls the future."

"Let's not compare the Third Hokage, okay?"

The sunlight reflected the glare from Yakushi Kabuto's glasses. "If I could cultivate a person as heartless as Shimura Danzo, I believe I am not much better."

Orochimaru said sinisterly: "It is not a good thing to speak ill of others behind their backs."

Pharmacist Dou spread his hands and said, "I am speaking from the perspective of someone else."

"Well, that guy Jiraiya is here, our good days are over."

There is something right in what Orochimaru said. None of the tasks given by Hayama are easy, but who can blame him for having the upper hand over him?

Jiraiya's unique car and shape could be seen from a long distance away, and Orochimaru felt uncomfortable being stared at by many people. Fortunately, he used the transformation technique in advance, otherwise it would have gone against his requirement to enter the village secretly.

The reunion of close friends is a special feeling. The two men stood on the rock statue of Sarutobi Hiruzen and shook hands vigorously, as if all the conflicts in the past had disappeared.

"You've turned pale again, Orochimaru. Don't stay in the house all the time. Go out and get some sun when you have time."

A familiar hoarse voice sounded: "Idiot, you should change your lustful habits first. You are already an adult and you still peek into the women's bathhouse all day long."

Jiraiya shook his hair nonchalantly and said with a smile: "I am collecting materials, do you understand?"

"Okay, I'm unsure about being forced to return to the village this time. Now that there's no one around, can you tell me what I'm doing here?"

Jiraiya glanced at Kabuto Yakushi calmly, hesitating whether to let him avoid it.

"This guy is not an outsider. If you have something to say, just say it directly."

"Itachi Uchiha is dying, so I asked you to come back to help with the treatment."

Orochimaru seemed to be thinking: "A blood disease, right?"

"Yes, and it's the most dangerous kind."

Jiraiya sighed, as if he saw the scene of the fall of a genius ninja: "The Hokage's meaning is very clear, if you can cure Uchiha Itachi's bloodline disease, you can go wherever you want for the rest of your life."

"Just believe half of what they say."

Jiraiya laughed and said, "Stop talking nonsense. Tsunade and several Hokage are waiting to receive you at my house. Let's go there quickly."

"hehe."

The three of them got into the car and sped away, but they had to take a detour because the road on the Hokage Rock meandered downward like a belt.

Jiraiya instructed as he drove: "Be polite when you meet Ye Shan later, he still hates you."

"..."

"And Tsunade, you should be careful too. The incident in which you dug up her grandfather and second grandfather has not yet passed."

"..."

"The Uchiha clan should also pay attention. They still remember when you and Danzo teamed up to oppress them."

"......"

"The Sarutobi clan..."

"The Hyuga clan..."

Orochimaru was sweating profusely. He had been away from the village for decades, and all he saw were enemies? He didn't seem to have done so many evil things, did he?