chsdbacks Chapter 61: Like oil being cooked over a raging fire, lanterns and decorations are hung high.
Chapter 61: Like oil being cooked over a raging fire, lanterns and decorations are hung high.
"Manda, Gamabunta, Katsuyu... Exclusive Summoning Beast Plush Toys of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha! Brand New, Limited Edition!"
"Not 998, not 888, just order today and take it home immediately!"
"Masks, tools, and souvenirs personally used by Lord Orochimaru! Don't miss out!"
The streets, once shrouded in the shadow of war, are now bustling with unprecedented activity.
The blazing fire and brightly lit decorations everywhere reflect a longing for peace.
A vibrant scene of life, where all things flourish, unfolds vividly before our eyes.
On the street outside the hospital, Tsunade frowned slightly, her expression a mixture of speechlessness, confusion, and above all, awkwardness.
Looking at the almost exaggeratedly chaotic scene on the street, she couldn't help but say, "What on earth is Orochimaru up to? We hear his name everywhere, and we've all been dragged into this."
"Isn't this better?"
Jiraiya, standing to the side, laughed heartily, appearing remarkably relaxed.
He pointed to a small stall in the distance displaying the summoning beast dolls of the Three Ninjas, which was already packed with people. The queue stretched around several corners, and the end of the line was almost out of sight.
"Look over there, the summoning beast plushies of the Three Legendary Sannin are almost sold out. Especially the items related to Orochimaru, they're ridiculously popular."
Tsunade followed his hand and looked in that direction.
On the streets, as long as a stall displays signs such as "Konoha's Three Legendary Sannin," "Orochimaru's Style," or "Used by Orochimaru," a large crowd will immediately gather around it.
Villagers who were just passing by to watch the excitement couldn't help but stop and join the queue.
In their eyes, Orochimaru was the one who could save Konoha and turn the tide.
In that case, everything Orochimaru used, everyone he met, and everything about him naturally became associated with labels like "reliable," "powerful," and "trustworthy."
That's just how people are; they always have an inescapable tendency to conform.
Once one or two people start grabbing for it, others will subconsciously feel that the item must be valuable.
Once someone starts queuing, more people will feel that if they don't join in, they'll be missing out on something incredible.
Even those residents who were originally afraid of Orochimaru would be swept away by the atmosphere and choose to join the crowd.
This almost exaggeratedly prosperous scene before him was exactly what Jiraiya wanted to see.
"Orochimaru really made a name for himself this time."
Jiraiya walked side by side with Tsunade, his hands behind his head, nodding occasionally to the enthusiastic residents around him. He exuded an unusual sense of ease and comfort.
"As a result, the two of us have become quite well-known in the village."
Tsunade, who was walking ahead, just snorted coldly when she heard this.
"Hmph, I don't want that kind of attention."
She crossed her arms, her gaze sweeping over the overly enthusiastic stalls on the street, her brows furrowing even more.
"You can't possibly be unaware of what Orochimaru is thinking, can you? Isn't it too late for him to only now be vying for the Fourth Hokage position?"
Tsunade did not quite understand.
Before this battle on the edge of the cliff, Orochimaru's reputation in the village was practically nonexistent.
In contrast, Minato Namikaze was already a rising star known to every household in Konoha.
In terms of strength, battle achievements, and reputation, Minato has surpassed the vast majority of people.
In her view, the position of the Fourth Hokage was almost a foregone conclusion after Minato Namikaze single-handedly defeated the Kumogakure AB brothers.
As for the three legendary Sannin of Konoha, one of them talked about being the "Child of Prophecy" all day long, while the other spent almost all his time in the laboratory, not caring about anything that didn't concern him.
As for herself, she had long been considering leaving the village. If it weren't for the series of changes that had occurred recently, she probably would have left with Jingyin long ago.
Under these circumstances, the influence of the three legendary ninjas in the village was visibly declining.
But now, Orochimaru, taking advantage of this success, has suddenly started to "market" the reputation of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha, attempting to squeeze back into the competition for the Fourth Hokage.
By any measure, it seems like we were a step too late.
"I really don't know what he's thinking..."
Tsunade rubbed her temples, feeling somewhat irritated.
She turned to look at Jiraiya, who was still immersed in the lively atmosphere, as if she had suddenly lost interest in continuing the discussion.
"Never mind that. I need to give the old man the report on this white monster."
"Hey... wait for me."
Jiraiya then quickly bid farewell to the residents surrounding him, turning back to wave to them before leaving.
Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Hyuga Aoran, who was standing in front of a small stall outside the Hyuga clan's territory in the distance.
Although she was a little confused as to why she was standing there in a daze, she still followed Tsunade's steps.
Meanwhile, Hinata Seiran, standing in front of the pancake stall, felt a little awkward.
"Egg-filled pancakes, apple-filled pancakes, bamboo rat meat-filled pancakes..."
It's truly unexpected that such an extraordinary person would be found on this commercial street outside the Hyuga clan's territory.
Eggs, apples...
If he remembers correctly, these two things are Orochimaru's favorite foods.
As for bamboo rats...
Is it because snakes like to eat it?
"Young man, you're from the Hyuga clan, aren't you?"
The stall owner had noticed the young man with white eyes long ago.
With her long, flowing hair and extraordinary demeanor, you could tell she was no ordinary person just by looking at her.
More importantly, he's been standing here looking at the menu for ages.
What does this tell us?
This shows they're interested in their own signature dishes!
If this young man were recommended to the Hyuga clan, wouldn't his stall be set for life?
The boss became more and more excited as he thought about it, and even his voice became more enthusiastic.
"After looking at it for so long, are you interested in the pancake I specially made?"
"Flavors like egg and apple are Lord Orochimaru's favorites; I've done my research!"
"Would you like to try some?"
"..."
Hinata Seiran's lips twitched slightly, but he ultimately declined the boss's offer.
He was just curious and wanted to see when so many strange stalls had appeared on the commercial street outside the Hyuga clan's territory.
But when he discovered that almost all of these stalls had signs for "Orochimaru" or "Konoha's Three Legendary Sannin," he gradually understood.
It turns out that Orochimaru was behind the marketing.
And judging from the looks of it, the marketing campaign was exceptionally successful.
"I didn't expect Orochimaru to take my casual mention of it so seriously..."
Before the army returned to Konoha, Hyuga Aoran mentioned something.
Compared to Minato Namikaze, Orochimaru's image in the eyes of ordinary people is ultimately much worse.
Even though both of them came from humble backgrounds, they were both incredibly powerful.
However, the gentle and kind-hearted Minato Namikaze was naturally more easily accepted than the sinister Orochimaru.
His advice was to get Orochimaru accepted by the common people.
Therefore, Orochimaru chose the most direct way, bringing his name back into the sight of everyone in Konoha.
Moreover, this move seems...
The results were surprisingly good.