"Hmm......"

Although you say so, you were the first to leave?

I couldn't help but sigh and said, "So, how is your illness?" ”

"I met someone...... He helped me heal me for many years, but I never got a cure. I thought you had told me about the Hyuga clan, so I decided to come to Konoha to try the last resort...... If it still doesn't work, then at least, I can see you again. ”

Mai looked at me, and her green eyes, which had been covered with thin ice, were now filled with a bright and gentle light, as if there had been no news for so many years, and it had never become a barrier between us.

She looked so expectant, expecting me to give her the same intimate feedback as I did back then.

It's like we've just been separated and met again.

But...... It's impossible to do that kind of thing.

Feelings between people can only grow in companionship.

No matter how deep the friendship is, if you can't see each other for a long time, it will be worn out day after day until it is gone.

Although I also find our memories of the past beautiful and nostalgic, it is difficult to give her the intimacy she wants.

I'd like to hear more from her than I want to get from her at the moment.

"Mai, can I ask you a few questions?"

"Of course!"

"You said you met a person who helped you treat your illness for so many years - that person, is it called Orochimaru?"

"Ah, yes." Mai Taketori's eyes widened slightly: "Brother Naruto knows? ”

I had a headache and said, "You're so old, just call me Naruto." ”

"That'...... Naruto-kun? ”

Seeing her stubborn use of honorifics, I can't force it to correct.

I tried to make my questioning sound less like an interrogation, "How did you get into Konoha?" ”

"Mr. Orochimaru has arranged a fake identity. I'll come here. ”

"Don't have any other tasks?"

"Yes." Mai Taketori's name for Orochimaru is different from that of Kishimaro in the original book - not a pious and respectful "adult", but a polite and polite "sir". "Orochimaru-san wants me to gather as much information as I can about Uchiha Sana."

…… Ah, is it still Uchiha?

"However, this mission has been aborted."

"Why?"

Mai Taketori shook her head, obviously not caring about the reason, just following orders.

She objectively stated the facts: "After the Uchiha Kite returned, Mr. Orochimaru said that there was no need to continue this mission. ”

Hey...... Could it be that the Great Snake Pill of this world was also glared at by the Uchiha Kite?

"So you're on standby right now?"

"Yes for the time being. Mr. Orochimaru said, "During this time, just let me do what I want to do. ”

"Did you mention to him about the Hyuga family?"

“…… Brought up. Mai Taketori wasn't sure if it was information that could be said at will, so she couldn't help but pause, but she still nodded, and said honestly: "I said, someone told me before that the Hyuga clan and the Taketori clan originated from the same ancestor, and maybe we can find a way in them." But Mr. Orochimaru said, 'Hinata...... It's not easy to reach them. I haven't mentioned it again. I think he thinks that the legend is too illusory, and it is too hopeless to verify it on the Hinata, so he gave up. I am not in a position to ask him to spend more time on me, after all, after all these years, if it weren't for him, maybe I would have died a long time ago. ”

“…… Don't say that. Over the years, he hasn't treated you for nothing, has he? Of course, you have also used your own strength to repay him for many missions. ”

Mai Taketori laughed and said, "That's right, Naruto-kun. ”

"And now, the Hyuga family has taken the initiative to come to you."

Speaking of which, I glanced at Hinata Hinata and couldn't help but feel a wave of wonder.

If the Hyuga clan were to unilaterally heal Taketori Mai, it was indeed unlikely to succeed, but now, they both had needs for each other.

Mai Taketori wants to find a cure for a genetic disease, and the genes of the Hyuga clan may be the last hope.

The Hyuga clan wants to find a way to make Hakumi go further, so studying the genes of Taketori Dance is also a clue.

This becomes a win-win cooperation.

According to this trend, if the research really goes well in the end and develops to the stage of human experiments, Taketori Mai will probably nod her head impatiently.

What can I say about a terminally ill person who does nothing more than want to live?

I nodded, and then asked, "...... Is there anything unusual about the squad you belong to? ”

"Anomaly?" Mai Taketori listened carefully to each of my questions, and then replied seriously, "If anything unusual, one of my teammates is a woman named 'Dou'. Mr. Orochimaru told me that although she was ostensibly a shinobi, she was actually a spy trained by Danzo, and Danzo put me in her team to let her spy on me. However, since Danzo's death, she seems to be free. ”

Is it just a group of people?

I repeatedly confirmed, "She has nothing to do with Orochimaru?" ”

Mai Taketori thought for a moment and said, "Mr. Orochimaru said that she is very talented, and he also tried to recruit the other party, but was refused. ”

"Refused?"

"Hmm. She said that her most important family was in Konoha, so she would not go anywhere. ”

“…… Family? ”

"It's her brother. Although there is no blood relationship, it seems that they grew up together, so there is no difference between them and their families. Danzou had threatened her with her brother's life before, but her brother seemed to be close to Konoha's Nine-Tails Pillar and was protected as a relative after being investigated by the Hokage. At that time, she was already in a state of semi-retirement. ”

I was stunned, and I couldn't help but feel a little complicated for a while.

Could it be that in this world, Sister Dou was really fanned by my butterfly, and the relationship between her and Orochimaru was completely wiped out? Also, I was actually used by Tuan Zang to threaten Sister Dou before??

It turns out that my life was in danger for a while? I didn't notice it at all!

Luckily, I didn't show any flaws at that time......

Moreover, it's probably because the genius of Tuanzang has seen too much, so he doesn't look down on me as a guy with mediocre qualifications, so he doesn't think about recruiting me into the "root".

Otherwise, according to his urine nature, I am afraid that in the end, I am afraid that if I and Sister Dou are not arranged to kill each other, then this story will change from a relaxed daily flow to a dark flow.

Terrible!

Alas, I have to be more grateful to Sister Dou in the future......

Thinking so, I continued to ask, "So how much do you know about the Konoha Collapse Plan?" ”

Hearing this, Mai Taketori looked at me and smiled admiringly, "Naruto-kun...... I really know everything. ”

"No, no, it's just another world's experience."

"Konoha Collapse Plan ......" But my explanation didn't seem to shake her over-esteem of me in the slightest, and Mai replied frankly: "At first, Orochimaru-san's order was answered by me inside Konoha and then waited for the signal. However, many things happened later - the traitor Akasa Scorpion of the Sand Hidden Village and the traitor Dida of the Iwakuin Village were captured, the Uchiha Kite returned, the Shimura Danzou died, and the remaining two members of the Three Ninja also appeared in Konoha...... The news that came from Mr. Orochimaru not long ago was that the plan was temporarily suspended. ”

Discontinue?

It's good to stop!

However, at that time, Orochimaru gave the reason for "destroying Konoha" because he wanted to use this matter to promote the "windmill".

According to normal logic, it is probably that he thinks that the current pattern of the ninja world needs to be re-planned.

If I use this as a starting point to speculate on his thoughts, I always feel that his suspension may not be a relinquishment.