Naruto: Reborn as Orochimaru

Chapter 163: Kato Dan

"Will this really keep me safer?"

Tsunade looked at the grass-green potion in her hand, her curiosity piqued by Orochimaru's words. This vial was different from the potions she'd seen him create before.

"Is it as miraculous as you say?" she teased, a faint smile on her lips.

She didn't know exactly what this potion did, but she could feel Orochimaru's genuine concern. There was something special in his gesture that stirred a warmth in her, a feeling she couldn't quite put into words.

"You'll see once you try it," Orochimaru replied with a casual wave of his hand, his voice low and slightly raspy. "But use it only after you reach the front line."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, amused by the mysterious tone he was using. "Is it even more precious than that dark green strengthening potion you made before?"

Orochimaru had always been a genius in re

With a final wave, she said goodbye. "See you both later."

"Goodbye, Tsunade," Orochimaru replied, watching as she turned and joined the marching line of shinobi.

With a single command, Tsunade led her team forward, a mix of combatants and medics moving swiftly toward the distant front line. Orochimaru stayed back, watching her retreating figure until it disappeared over the horizon.

Just as he was about to turn and head back home with Nawaki, something caught his eye a group of shinobi preparing for deployment. Among them, he noticed a familiar yet unexpected face.

A young man with silver hair falling loosely over his shoulders, wearing a Konoha uniform and a jonin vest, was adjusting his ninja tools while his teammates bid farewell to their families.

Kato Dan?

The man fit the description perfectly. In the original timeline, Kato Dan was Tsunade's lover, an ambitious shinobi who also dreamed of becoming Hokage. He'd met Tsunade after Nawaki's death, and his life had ended prematurely in the same war. But now…

Dan seemed to sense Orochimaru's gaze and looked up, meeting his eyes with a polite smile.

Orochimaru nodded in acknowledgment. Though Kato Dan was well-known in Konoha, Orochimaru had no personal connection to him. He had neither the desire nor the need to get involved.

However, it appeared that Dan thought differently. Smiling, he walked over to Orochimaru.

"Lord Orochimaru, it's an honor."

"You know me?" Orochimaru asked, raising an eyebrow.

Dan chuckled. "Everyone in Konoha knows you. You're one of the legendary Sannin. It'd be hard not to know you."

Orochimaru nodded, understanding. Being one of the Sannin was like being a celebrity. Plenty of people recognized him, even if he had no idea who they were.

"Well, I have things to take care of at home. Excuse me."

Dan was a powerful jonin in his own right, but Orochimaru had little interest in him.

"Let's go, Nawaki. Time to head back."

"Yes, sensei—uh, or should I call you brother-in-law? Wait, that doesn't sound right…" Nawaki stammered, looking genuinely confused.

"Call me whatever you want," Orochimaru said with a shrug.

"Alright, sensei. But… when can I go to the battlefield?"

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