Chapter 319: Success
The laboratory was filled with dust from the trees that had dispersed, creating a suffocating haze. Tsunade lost her footing and collapsed.
Kawakaze reacted swiftly, vanishing from his spot and reappearing with Tsunade cradled in his arms. Carefully, he reached out to check her breathing. Relief washed over him—she was still alive.
"Come quickly and take a look. What's the situation?" he called out, his gaze fixed on Tsunade's face. The once-distorted expression had softened into calmness. Her body temperature felt normal, though her complexion was slightly pale.
"I'm here." Orochimaru deactivated his Earth Release technique and approached with measured strides. Misaki followed silently, her expression unreadable. With the instruments destroyed, she could do little more than observe.
"From a preliminary investigation, the fusion should have been successful," Orochimaru stated, placing his hand on Tsunade's abdomen. His chakra flowed through her body, revealing a massive reserve of energy and intensely active cells. His tension eased slightly as he confirmed her condition.
"That's good, that's good," Kawakaze murmured, exhaling a long breath. The weight pressing on his heart lifted in an instant.
"Let's go out first. Let Tsunade rest for a while," Orochimaru suggested, surveying the wrecked laboratory. Dust coated the floor, and the walls were riddled with holes. Damaged equipment sparked intermittently, further emphasizing the destruction.
Repairing the place would be expensive, but Orochimaru didn't concern himself with that. After all, the bill wouldn't land in his hands.
"Okay," Kawakaze said before walking outside with Tsunade in his arms. For him, she was the most important thing right now.
"Sensei, is Sister Tsunade really okay?" Misaki asked cautiously once Kawakaze had gone a little way. If something happened to Tsunade, she wouldn't be able to face Nawaki, let alone deal with anything else.
"Don't worry, I'm not just trying to comfort Kawakaze," Orochimaru replied with a small smile. "Let's not stand around in the dust. Let's go." Girls, he thought, always seemed to have more on their minds.