Chapter 239: Experimental Materials for Orochimaru!

"Who is it?"

Upon hearing the door open, Nawaki immediately became alert and stood up from the stool. He had also seen the two giant beasts outside Konoha and the terrifying figure beyond them. Many critically ill patients in the hospital couldn't be moved, so under Raiden's orders, the Jōnin and Chūnin had established a defensive line.

Nawaki, who had not yet been evacuated, stayed behind to protect his wife and children.

"Master Nawaki, it's time to change your medicine."

A young nurse entered the room, pushing the door open while carrying a stainless steel tray filled with several bags of unknown potions.

"Change the medicine?"

Nawaki frowned, and without hesitation, he swiftly threw a kunai at the nurse while simultaneously forming hand seals. With just one sentence, he had determined that the nurse was an imposter—after all, he had been personally handling the medicine in this room.

"Chi chi chi!" The three kunai struck the nurse, but instead of blood splattering, the figure raised its head to reveal a ferocious face—it was White Zetsu, who had attacked Nawaki before.

White Zetsu, without concealing himself, extended his hands toward Mariko lying on the hospital bed. Two wooden spikes shot out at such speed that they instantly shattered the restraints Nawaki had set up, forcing him to grab Mariko and their baby, dodging the attack.

Clang! The two wooden spikes pierced the bedframe, their pointed tips embedding deep into the floor.

"Hehehe!" White Zetsu let out a sinister laugh, and without forming seals, the wooden spikes he had fired earlier rapidly grew, extending toward Nawaki's family.

"Wood Release?! He can actually use Wood Release!"

Nawaki was shocked upon recognizing the technique. He never expected such a strange enemy to be capable of wielding his grandfather's famous jutsu.

The fast-growing wooden spikes wrapped around Nawaki, Mariko, and their child, binding them tightly. The thick vines coiled around Nawaki's body, completely restraining him.

"Water Release..." Nawaki puffed up his cheeks, preparing to release a water wave to cut through the vines. However, before he could act, White Zetsu delivered a heavy punch to his abdomen.

"Ugh!" Nawaki spat out a mouthful of water, the impact disrupting his jutsu. He tried to speak, but White Zetsu shoved his hand into Nawaki's mouth.

"Hehehe! Don't think the Hokage will come to save you—he's too busy to bother right now!"

"I'll be taking your body!"

White Zetsu sneered as he drained Nawaki's chakra. He then turned his attention to Mariko and the baby, sending several wooden tendrils toward them.

"Uh! Eh!" Nawaki struggled desperately, but the Wood Release technique restrained his movements, and with his mouth stuffed, he couldn't call for help. All he could do was resist helplessly.

"Who's there?!"

Boom!

A loud voice echoed outside the ward, and in the next second, the iron door was blasted off its hinges with terrifying force, slamming into White Zetsu and pinning him against the wall.

"Nawaki!" Tsunade rushed into the room, chakra surging in her hands as she effortlessly sliced through the vines that bound him.

"Sis, be careful!" Nawaki warned as soon as he was freed. White Zetsu leaped behind Tsunade, launching a kick aimed at her head. A fierce glint flashed in Tsunade's eyes, but before she could counterattack, a loud shout erupted from the doorway.

"The Toad Sage's Fiery Kick!"

In an instant, a figure shot past Tsunade—Jiraiya's wooden clogs struck White Zetsu's face, sending him crashing into the wall.

"Jiraiya? What are you doing here?" Tsunade asked in surprise.

"With everything happening in the village, how could I just stay home?"

"I had a hunch you'd be in danger, so I rushed over."

"Hey, Tsunade, don't forget to thank me!"

Tsunade shot him a cold glance and ignored him, turning instead to check on Nawaki, Mariko, and their child. Jiraiya, undeterred by her reaction, grinned and shifted his focus to the unconscious White Zetsu pinned to the wall.

White Zetsu, seemingly lifeless, remained embedded in the wall without moving. Jiraiya pulled him free, crouching down to inspect him.

"I feel like I've seen this thing before... but I can't remember where," Jiraiya muttered, scratching his head in thought. Despite the familiarity, he couldn't place where he had encountered it before. Shaking off the thought, he joined Tsunade.

"Are you all okay? Why did this thing attack you?" Jiraiya asked casually. However, at that moment, Tsunade suddenly gathered chakra in her hand and struck Jiraiya without warning.

"Tsunade?!" Jiraiya barely reacted in time, avoiding a fatal hit, but the strike pierced his chest, immediately staining his clothes with blood.

"You..." Jiraiya staggered back, clutching his chest in disbelief.

"Sis?!" Nawaki was equally shocked, staring at Tsunade in confusion, unable to comprehend why she had attacked Jiraiya.

"Hey! It's me!"

"I'll be taking your body now!"

Tsunade's figure slowly transformed, revealing White Zetsu's true form. The real Tsunade was nowhere to be found.

"Impossible! How did you mimic my sister's chakra so perfectly?!" Nawaki's pupils shrank in shock. He tried to form a hand seal, but White Zetsu swiftly grabbed his throat.

"Damn it!" Jiraiya groaned, clutching his wound and preparing to counterattack, but the other White Zetsu extended multiple vines, restraining him.

"Let's deal with you first, Legendary Sannin!"

White Zetsu smirked and fired three wooden spikes at Jiraiya, aiming to finish him off.

Just then, a cold chuckle echoed from the doorway.

"Hehe, Jiraiya, you look pathetic."

Orochimaru's hoarse voice resonated through the room as three snakes shot out from his sleeves, intercepting the wooden spikes. A larger mass of snakes surged toward White Zetsu, forcing him to release Nawaki and evade.

"Master!" Nawaki looked at Orochimaru in relief, shouting excitedly.

"Heh heh, Raiden called me here—it seems he has a good sense of timing."

"But why is my experimental material running around here?"

End of Chapter