Chapter 489: A Long-cherished Dream

"Hey, are you going back to sleep as soon as you’ve woken up?"

Seeing Jiraiya lie back down and close his eyes, Orochimaru pulled over a nearby chair and sat down casually by Jiraiya’s bedside, his vertical golden pupils observing this old friend who had just "resurrected" with great interest.

"No, just feeling a bit sentimental."

Jiraiya didn’t open his eyes, but the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. Although his voice remained weak, it carried a heartfelt sense of relief and satisfaction from surviving a disaster.

"Being alive... is truly wonderful."

To be able to feel the sunlight again, hear familiar voices, and even crack jokes; his Disciple had also fulfilled his dream and become the Hokage...

Jiraiya was already completely satisfied.

"I have two pieces of news for you."

Orochimaru’s hoarse voice sounded again.

"One good news, one bad news."

Jiraiya waved his left hand, which he had just regained. The movement was still stiff and weak, but the smile on his face grew even brighter.

"Well~ being able to luckily escape from such a desperate situation is already the greatest of fortunes."

Jiraiya said nonchalantly, "What bad news could be worse than almost dying? Let’s hear it."

"The bad news is—"

Orochimaru deliberately drew out his tone, watching Jiraiya’s "I’ve seen it all" expression, and said slowly: "Not long after you ’died’, Pain attacked Hidden Leaf Village and used’Super Shinra Tensei’, razing the entire Konoha Village to the ground once."

He paused, seemingly enjoying the change in Jiraiya’s expression, and then added the most crucial part: "So, all your belongings left in Hidden Leaf Village, and of course, your ’creative material’ notebooks that you secretly hoarded, have all been destroyed, if nothing unexpected happened."

"..."

The smile on Jiraiya’s face froze instantly.

For someone who regarded "gathering material" and "creation" as his second life, this was simply a bolt from the blue.

It was even more painful than having another arm severed.

However, it wasn’t entirely unacceptable.

"Then what’s the good news?"

Perhaps... was something saved?

"The good news is—"

A more obvious, wicked smile appeared on Orochimaru’s face.

"You still have a bill that needs to be paid."

"A bill?"

Jiraiya was stunned for a moment, not reacting in time. He had almost died, his belongings were gone, how could there still be a bill?

His own medical expenses?

That’s not good news at all!

"Orochimaru, you guy! What exactly..."

Before Jiraiya could finish his sentence, due to his agitation and weak state, he tried to sit up abruptly to question him, but a wave of intense dizziness struck him. His vision went black, and he fell back heavily, able only to grit his teeth and shout Orochimaru’s name.

Tsunade, who didn’t dare to sleep very deeply, had already woken up groggily back when Jiraiya and Orochimaru started talking.

She didn’t get up immediately, intending to close her eyes and collect herself first, while listening to what these two old guys were chatting about.

As a result, she heard Orochimaru using that infuriating tone to first announce the bad news of Jiraiya’s "entire collection destroyed", and then saying something about "a bill to pay", making Jiraiya so angry he nearly jumped out of bed.

Tsunade couldn’t hold back anymore.

She lifted her head with a "swish", her long golden hair slightly messy from the movement, her face carrying the laziness of just waking up mixed with a trace of anger.

"Orochimaru! You bastard! Are you bullying a patient just after he woke up?!"

Tsunade growled, and at the same time, her fist containing her Monstrous Strength, without mercy and with the sound of breaking wind, smashed fiercely toward Orochimaru’s shoulder.

If this punch had landed solidly, even Orochimaru would likely have to lie in bed for a few days.

However, to the shock of Tsunade and Jiraiya, Orochimaru’s body only tilted slightly to the side, not even leaving the chair.

Then, under Orochimaru’s slightly mocking and smug gaze, he stretched out his other hand and nonchalantly brushed off the spot on his shoulder that had just been hit by Tsunade’s fist.

"Don’t be so shocked, Tsunade."

Orochimaru looked at Tsunade’s "seeing a ghost" expression, the wicked smile on his face becoming even more pronounced.

"This body... I spent a lot of funding and a great deal of time ’cultivating’ it well. Its strength, resilience, and recovery ability far exceed the ordinary.

Your Monstrous Strength, to this body of mine, is just so-so."

He was clearly very satisfied with this body of his.

"You..."

Tsunade was speechless for a moment, both annoyed and helpless.

This guy Orochimaru was really going further and further down the path of body modification.

Of course, it was also fortunate that this was the case, or Jiraiya’s throat wouldn’t have been healed.

At the time, Tsunade was truly at her wit’s end; otherwise, Orochimaru wouldn’t be appearing here right now.

In order to treat Jiraiya, the Seventh Hokage approved a pass allowing Orochimaru to freely enter and leave the laboratory.

Although everyone knew Orochimaru had other ways to bypass Yamato’s surveillance and leave, the superficial formalities still had to be fully observed.

"Alright, let’s talk business."

Orochimaru took a neatly folded A4 sheet of paper from the pocket of his lab coat and handed it to Jiraiya, who was lying in bed, still depressed over his "entire collection destroyed" and the "bill".

"Confirm the content. If you have no questions, sign in the designated spot."

Orochimaru said in a businesslike manner.

"Sign?"

Jiraiya took the A4 paper suspiciously, muttering: "I remember hospital medical bills are usually those long, receipt-like slips, right? How did it become an A4 paper? And it needs to be signed and confirmed? So formal?"

Full of suspicion, he used his still-trembling left hand to carefully unfold the folded A4 paper.

His gaze fell on the bright red, bolded title at the very top of the paper, which came into his view:

"Hidden Leaf Village Resident Marriage Registration Form"

"?"

Jiraiya’s eyes instantly widened, and his mouth fell open unconsciously.

He suspected that his eyes were playing tricks on him, or that he hadn’t fully woken up yet.

He blinked hard and looked again carefully.

That’s right!

This is a "Marriage Registration Form"!

His gaze moved down quickly.

In the form, the information for both the man and woman had already been filled in; the man was him, and the woman was Tsunade.

And in the woman’s signature column, a familiar and powerful signature had already been filled in.

"Tsk..."

Jiraiya took a deep breath, and the expression on his face gradually transformed from shock into an extremely complex mixture of ecstasy, disbelief, and being moved.

"The price of this ’bill’ is not small."

Jiraiya said in a trembling voice, but the corners of his mouth couldn’t stop widening, eventually turning into a loud and hearty laugh.

"Hahahaha!"

This laughter seemed to want to vent all the emotions, regrets, and the happiness gushing out at this moment that had been pent up in his chest for many years.

Orochimaru watched Jiraiya in this state, the corners of his mouth also curling into a faint arc, and he took a pen from his pocket and handed it over.

Jiraiya laughed loudly, and without hesitation, took the pen from Orochimaru’s hand and signed his name neatly in the man’s signature spot.

He swore that before graduating from the Ninja Academy, his handwriting had always been elegant, and this was the first time since he learned to write that he had written such neat characters.

He knew that signing this "bill" meant he would pay a "huge" price.

His future single, free life, no longer being able to "gather material" at will, possibly having to endure Tsunade’s Monstrous Strength and bad temper, and taking on the responsibilities of a "husband"...

However, he was more than happy to do it!

This was the bill he had chased for a lifetime, the one he had dreamed of.

It was a "bill" that was countless times more precious than the royalties from Icha Icha Paradise, than any limited edition photo album, and even more precious than his own life!

After signing, Jiraiya handed the pen and form back to Orochimaru, his face still wearing that bright, somewhat silly smile, but his gaze couldn’t help but look at the blonde woman beside him, who was blushing because of his loud laughter and current silly appearance, yet trying hard to pretend to be indifferent.

Tsunade felt his gaze and turned her face away, but the tips of her ears quietly turned red.

Orochimaru took the form, examined the signature carefully, and nodded with satisfaction.

"Congratulations."

Orochimaru said in a flat tone, as if announcing the success of an experiment.

"As for the rest, like the wedding ceremony, wait until you’ve recovered, Jiraiya, and discuss it with Tsunade yourself."

Orochimaru stood up.

"I won’t disturb your reunion."

After saying this, Orochimaru turned around, walked with light steps, left the ward, and closed the door behind him.

In the ward, only Jiraiya, who was lying in bed giggling, and Tsunade, who was sitting by the bed pretending to look out the window but with her neck completely red, were left.

Sunlight shone through the window onto them, warm and bright.

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