Chapter 192 Haruko, a woman of boundless love
"Are you tired? Would you like to rest in my lab?" Orochimaru walked up to Haruko with a smile and extended his hand.
His words were full of his own carefully calculated schemes and hidden agendas.
Without pausing, Haruko led him up, complaining, "With you guys watching over us, we haven't really gotten any training at all."
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow and asked her, "I didn't know you'd become so fond of training?"
"..."
Actually, no, this is just an excuse to resist the fate she is about to face.
Her unparalleled wit and sharp tongue, which she had never been able to match since childhood, suffered a huge defeat in front of Orochimaru. Not only did he not understand her, he also talked back to her. He was truly a formidable opponent.
Haruko subtly pursed her lips, then caught a glimpse of Orochimaru's kind smile out of the corner of her eye, and immediately put on a well-behaved smile.
Jiraiya and Tsunade walked over, and Jiraiya quickly grabbed Haruko's only free hand before Tsunade could reach it, leaving Tsunade frozen in place.
“...Jiraiya!” Tsunade roared at him.
Jiraiya hesitated for a moment, then forced himself to say, "First come, first served...or you can kick Orochimaru out."
Jiraiya remained unfazed by Orochimaru's venomous gaze and even made a face at him, which made Orochimaru snort coldly, unwilling to fight with this childish devil any longer.
Tsunade crouched down, enticing Haruko, who held the power of decision, "Haruko, let me hug you, okay? What's so great about holding hands with two grown men?"
Haruko really didn't want to be caught in the middle, so she readily agreed to Tsunade's suggestion.
So Tsunade, in a victorious pose, hugged Haruko and made a face at both of them.
Orochimaru & Jiraiya: ...
Hiruko, who arrived too late and didn't even have a chance to speak: ...
Later, Haruko was incredibly glad she had made the right decision, because the three grown men following behind Tsunade started arguing with her insincere smiles.
"Isn't Orochimaru busy with experiments? Wouldn't it be better if he went back first?" Jiraiya said, feigning concern.
"The experiment won't stop just because this day is here." Orochimaru remained unmoved and even chased him away, "As for you, you'd better pack your things and get out of the village to find your destiny's answer."
Jiraiya mimicked his tone: "Even if you search for one less day, fate won't disappear."
Hiruko interrupted the conversation, saying in a friendly tone, "You all should hurry up and get busy, unlike me, an unemployed bum, who is idle every day and ready to pick up Haruko at any time."
A silent battle raged between the three, each vying for dominance with both overt and covert attacks.
"What a jealous man," Tsunade remarked with amusement.
Haruko had originally intended to learn the art of sarcasm from Tsunade's performance, but she found that they were just glaring at each other halfway through, leaving her with absolutely nothing to learn from.
Haruko silently withdrew her gaze, then caught a glimpse of the jade necklace hanging around Tsunade's neck and was once again amazed.
"Tsunade's necklace is so pretty!"
Upon hearing this, Tsunade looked down and then winked at her, "This is your necklace."
"A necklace that belongs to me?"
Haruko couldn't help but reach out and stroke the jade that shimmered in the sunlight.
"It was a gift for you before, and you liked it a lot back then, but you never got to wear it..." Tsunade didn't finish her sentence, maintaining a somewhat forced smile.
Haruko knew what happened next; she died on the battlefield, and Tsunade would never have the chance to put it on her again. But when Haruko saw Tsunade's forced smile, she thoughtfully changed her words.
"Can I wear it now?"
"Hmm...it might not be possible now, because Haruko repeatedly told me to give it to you when I'm fifty." Tsunade found the instruction somewhat amusing.
But what followed the smile was the deep sorrow of not being able to wait for the deceased.
Haruko asked, puzzled, "Even now, I can't change it if I want to?"
Tsunade was taken aback by the question. Involuntarily, the image of Haruko Hayama lying in a pool of blood, giving her a smile mixed with blood and tears, flashed through her mind.
"This necklace...remember to give it to me when I turn fifty..."
Her eyes gradually lowered. It is said that memories become more beautiful with the polishing of time, but Tsunade saw more and more crimson surrounding Haruko Hayama, until it overwhelmed her, who was standing there in a daze.
Suffocation, pain, grief...
"Tsunade? Tsunade?"
Gasping for breath as if dehydrated, Tsunade slowly turned her head to meet Haruko's worried gaze. As if a stone had been lifted from her heart, her mind calmed down after seeing Haruko.
"I'm fine..." Tsunade shook her head.
Even after so much time has passed and her memories have faded, Haruko's death remains a fate she refuses to face.
She didn't know when, but the three people who had been following her came up and stood beside her.
Jiraiya, with a grin, steered Haruko's attention back to the original topic, "Haruko, you're after its value again, aren't you?"
Feeling partially wronged, Haruko replied guiltily, "Why not take it if it's free?"
Tsunade regained her composure and said, feigning difficulty, "This is really a difficult matter. After all, it's something Haruko was thinking about before she left. I'll keep my promise and give it to you when I'm fifty!"
"Tsunade at fifty..." Haruko couldn't help but imagine what Tsunade would look like at fifty.
"Ahem." Tsunade quickly interrupted her terrifying fantasy, baring her teeth and threatening her, "No matter what age I am, I'll always be a super beauty! You'd better grow up healthy and strong until I'm fifty before you come back for it!"
"Okay..." Haruko said, somewhat disappointed.
Noticing her subtle emotions, Orochimaru looked at Tsunade, "It wouldn't matter if we gave it to her now, would it?"
Tsunade was less polite to him, saying, "This is what Haruko specifically told me before she died... oops, before she left."
"It's alright, I can wait!" Haruko smiled gratefully at Orochimaru, not wanting to put them in a difficult position.
Orochimaru stared at her for a few seconds, then raised his hand and patted her fluffy head. "What's so special about her necklace? If you like it, I'll search for gems and make you as many as you want."
"That wouldn't be special!" Although she complained, Haruko's mood immediately improved after hearing his words of wealth and power.
Orochimaru chuckled teasingly. "If it were a gift from someone as special as me, would you like it?"
Hiruko couldn't stand it any longer, so she placed her hand, which had transformed into a mechanical cannon, behind his back, feigning surprise, "So you're that special?"
Ignoring his warning, Orochimaru went even further, asking Haruko in a suggestive tone, "Haruko should think so, right?"
Knowing he was referring to his boyfriend, Haruko righteously accused him: "You lied to me! Jiraiya told me that I'm a man of many loves and I don't have a boyfriend at all!"
"A life of universal love..." Tsunade's lips twitched, and she shot a glare at Jiraiya, who was misleading the children.
Jiraiya scratched his head to cover his embarrassment, then looked up at the sky with an awkward laugh.
******
Thank you Li Xibai, you're such a beautiful and adorable girl, for the inspiration capsule! Your bonus chapter has been delivered! (′▽`
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