"Fire Release: Toad Oil Flame Bullet!"
Jiraiya summoned a toad, then breathed fire while the toad spewed oil, forming a massive sea of flames.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
Facing the inferno, Itachi countered with his own Fire Release, showing no intention of activating his ocular jutsu again.
The crimson flames burned everything between them — trees, flowers, and grass all became fuel for the blaze.
"Itachi... are you truly my enemy?"
Jiraiya looked at the expressionless Uchiha Itachi and asked the question on his mind.
From the old man's vague hints, he'd suspected that someone had infiltrated the Akatsuki under orders. But who that person was, he never knew.
Now, looking boldly into Itachi's eyes and finding himself unharmed by genjutsu, Jiraiya's suspicions only deepened.
Itachi, too, gazed back at Jiraiya, recalling his intel.
"Jiraiya-sama, I am the one who annihilated the Uchiha clan — Uchiha Itachi!"
"I don't wish to fight you now. Please, hand over Orochimaru."
Seeing that Itachi made no hostile moves, Jiraiya relaxed slightly.
"Orochimaru, huh... We want to capture that guy too. But you guys are far too dangerous. If you entered Konoha, the risk would be immense. Have you seen Tsunade? She won't allow you to act freely."
Even as her teammate, Jiraiya couldn't help but feel awe for Tsunade's power.
He could only sigh in admiration —
The strength of Wood Release... truly terrifying!
The towering wooden giant she summoned had nearly swatted Deidara and the others out of the sky with a single swing.
Compared to that wooden behemoth, they were like mere toys.
Sasori stared at the giant before him, then glanced at the Third Kazekage puppet beside him, feeling even more dissatisfied.
Now, his greed for Tsunade's body only grew stronger — Wood Release was true strength; mere Iron Sand was nothing!
"Let's go!"
A voice rang out, followed by a transparent ripple flashing beside them. Upon seeing it, Sasori, Deidara, and Kisame immediately jumped in.
Standing atop her wooden construct, Tsunade sensed their disappearance in an instant. She brought her palm down toward Hidan below.
"Jiraiya-sama, I must take my leave!"
Through his Sharingan, Itachi saw the ripple as well. He spoke to Jiraiya briefly, then stepped back and vanished.
---
Inside Kamui Space.
Obito looked coldly at the people he had just rescued — and was clearly displeased.
"Merely one Orochimaru, and we dispatched the elite of our Akatsuki organization, yet we still failed to capture him. Is he that strong... or are we that useless?"
No one replied.
Although Orochimaru was undeniably skilled at escaping, in the end, it was their arrogance that caused this failure. They had underestimated him.
And today, Tsunade's Wood Release had dealt them several heavy slaps — shattering their pride.
"You're not Tobi. Who the hell are you?" Deidara demanded, staring at Obito.
"Who am I? Deidara, where did you find the courage to ask that?"
Obito sneered. In his eyes, this kid who played with clay posed no threat at all.
The only one he truly cared about was Uchiha Itachi.
Even if those Mangekyō Sharingan eyes were already near exhaustion...
If not for their distant blood relation, Obito would have long since dug out Itachi's Mangekyo for himself.
Don't ask how—he'd find a way. There's no guarding against a thief for a thousand days.
"So you really aren't Tobi..." Deidara muttered, disappointed.
"Whether I am or not — does it matter?"
Looking at Deidara, Obito's tone softened slightly.
"For me, a name is just a label. What we pursue is peace in the shinobi world. Before that, who I am, does it hold any meaning for you?"
"So that's what you think..."
Deidara clenched his fists, staring at Obito. For a moment, he truly wanted to blow him up. But in the end, he let it go.
"If that's how you see things, then we're not friends anymore."
---
Near the Konoha Battlefield.
Tsunade released the Wood Human Technique, and the towering wooden giant slowly dissolved into ordinary trees.
As for the rest, Tsunade paid no mind, instead turning her gaze to Jiraiya beside her.
"Why didn't you use Sage Mode? If you'd wanted to keep Itachi here, you could have done it."
Jiraiya gave a bitter smile.
"You overestimate me. Itachi has the Mangekyo, and my Sage Mode doesn't last long — I can only use it when absolutely necessary. Besides... I believe Itachi might be the spy the Third Hokage planted within the Akatsuki."
Tsunade: "???"
Was that the answer she wanted?
She'd been fighting four enemies at once while he was off playing mind games with Uchiha Itachi!
Unbelievable.
"Whatever his status is now, we still need to be careful of the Akatsuki from now on. That shinobi who controls space ability is truly terrifying. With that ability, he can freely enter Konoha without worrying about triggering the barriers!"
Even Konoha lacked a barrier that could sense spatial distortion. Against space-time jutsu, they were no better off than any other village.
"Let's capture Orochimaru quickly," Tsunade said coldly.
"Akatsuki's goal is the Three-Tails' power inside him. If we remove that, they won't come for us again anytime soon."
As he spoke, Jiraiya turned toward Konoha's gate — where a familiar figure was slowly approaching.
"You've got some nerve showing up here. Not afraid we'll kill you?"
"Jiraiya, Tsunade... it's been a long time."
Orochimaru ignored Tsunade's fury and Jiraiya's warning, stepping casually up to them.
"If you really want to kill me, you'll need to use the Reaper Death Seal. Ordinary methods won't work. It's a waste of time and energy."
When it came to keeping himself alive, no one in the shinobi world could claim second place to Orochimaru.
"You bastard! You lured those enemies to Konoha! Do you have any idea what would've happened if they'd made it inside?"
Tsunade's anger boiled over — she threw a punch straight at him.
*Boom!*
Orochimaru was sent flying, smashing through over a dozen thick trees before hitting the ground hard.
"If this helps you vent your anger... then I— ow!"
Before he could finish, Tsunade appeared in front of him and began pounding his face mercilessly.
Jiraiya winced, covering his eyes. He couldn't bear to watch his old teammates come to blows.
Yet... the corner of his mouth twitched into a faint smile.
"Hahaha..."
A mature man like him had learned to mask sorrow with a smile.
How painful this was...