"Wait a moment!"
After hearing Victor's words, Jiraiya immediately protested, "Although Orochimaru is injured, he's still one of the legendary Sannin, not to mention Kabuto Yakushi beside him, whose strength isn't weaker than that of an elite jonin."
"It's irresponsible of you to let a little girl pursue them alone."
However, neither Victor nor Krul paid any attention to Jiraiya's concerns.
The latter even cast a contemptuous look at him before vanishing from sight in an instant.
"Body Flicker Technique? No, that's not right!"
Jiraiya was thoroughly shocked.
That little girl had moved so quickly just now that he hadn't even seen her departure clearly!
It seemed he had indeed underestimated their capabilities.
Boom boom boom...
Soon, continuous explosions echoed from the distance, accompanied by flying sand and rocks, billowing smoke and dust.
From time to time, brilliant sword lights flashed through the air, destroying everything in their path with overwhelming force!
A few moments later, Krul emerged from the dense forest, dragging two twisted and battered figures behind her.
Although both men had bruised faces, swollen features, and torn clothing, one could still vaguely recognize the outlines of Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi beneath the damage.
"..."
The scene before him left Jiraiya completely dumbfounded.
This cute little girl who appeared so delicate had actually captured both Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi?!
Krul unceremoniously dropped the two defeated enemies in front of Jiraiya before returning to Victor's side.
"Well done."
Victor raised his hand and gently patted Krul's head in approval.
At this moment, Tsunade seemed to have recovered from her hemophobia.
She glanced at Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi, who had been beaten beyond recognition.
Somehow, she didn't feel the usual fear that blood typically induced.
Instead, there was even a hint of satisfaction in her heart!
"Tsunade, are you alright?"
Seeing that the crisis had been resolved, Jiraiya quickly stepped forward with obvious concern, "Are you injured anywhere?"
"You're asking even though you already know the answer." Tsunade glared at Jiraiya, then changed the subject, "Tell me, what do you want from me? And what's this about the old man's death?"
Jiraiya sighed deeply and recounted everything that had transpired during the Chunin Exams.
"The reason I came to find you this time is actually because I want you to return to the village and inherit the title of Fifth Hokage."
"Forget it. I won't go back to be Hokage."
Tsunade rejected Jiraiya's request without even a moment's consideration.
Hokage?
She wouldn't take that position even if she were starving!
"But at the moment, there's no one more suitable than you."
Jiraiya suddenly became anxious.
If Tsunade didn't return to inherit the position of Hokage, then the responsibility would fall to him.
He was even more reluctant to become Hokage than Tsunade herself.
After all, he had more important pursuits and couldn't remain confined to the village forever.
"Aren't you qualified?!" Tsunade was so furious her lungs were about to explode.
This guy didn't want to be Hokage, so he was trying to push the responsibility onto others!
Fortunately, he was her former teammate, otherwise she would have kicked him clear across the continent!
Jiraiya laughed awkwardly, "Ahem, you know, with my personality, I'm not suitable to be Hokage."
"And I am?"
Among the three Sannin, one was a perverted researcher, one was a compulsive gambler, and one was a wandering pervert. Which one could be considered normal?
All this talk of "suitable" was just an excuse. This guy simply wanted to continue searching for his prophesied child of destiny.
If she hadn't joined the chat group, Tsunade might have considered the position and supported him silently.
But now that she had joined the chat group, that prophecy nonsense could go straight to hell.
If the world really faced destruction, she could handle it herself!
Even if she couldn't manage alone, couldn't she ask the group members for assistance?
"But, "
"Listen, if you keep spouting nonsense, I'll finish you with one punch!"
Seeing that Jiraiya still wanted to persuade her, Tsunade raised her fist threateningly.
"Gulp~"
Recalling Tsunade's devastating attack on Orochimaru earlier, Jiraiya couldn't help but swallow nervously, finally abandoning his attempts at persuasion.
It seemed this matter would require long-term consideration.
But it didn't matter, he could take his time. He believed he could eventually convince Tsunade to return to the village!
After all, no one loved Konoha more than Tsunade!
Jiraiya changed the subject, "By the way, are these two your friends?"
Jiraiya looked at Victor and Krul with obvious curiosity.
He was particularly envious of Victor's otherworldly handsomeness.
Could this guy be Tsunade's boyfriend?
Thinking of this possibility, a flash of loneliness crossed Jiraiya's eyes.
Tsunade didn't notice the brief shadow that passed over Jiraiya's expression.
"They are my friends."
Just friends?
Jiraiya had his doubts, but didn't press the matter further.
"If you have nothing else to discuss, you should head back now. We have other matters to attend to."
"Uh, understood."
He really did need to return quickly.
After all, with Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi in custody, there shouldn't be any more immediate trouble.
In the end, Jiraiya departed with mixed feelings, dragging the defeated pair behind him.
"How do you plan to begin the resurrection experiment? Do you need any assistance from me?" Tsunade asked Victor.
Her face still appeared somewhat haggard, but she couldn't hide the anticipation gleaming in her eyes.
Victor shook his head. "Before the resurrection experiment can begin, we need to travel to the Land of Rain to obtain a pair of eyes."
"What eyes?"
"The Rinnegan!"
The Rinnegan?
In an instant, Tsunade's thoughts returned to the Land of Rain from many years ago.
"Can the Rinnegan truly bring the dead back to life?"
Victor nodded confidently. "Of course, they are the legendary Sage's Eyes, after all."
Tsunade fell silent.
She felt somewhat conflicted at the thought of having to take someone else's eyes in order to revive her loved ones.
What made it even more difficult was that the owner was Jiraiya's disciple, which made the prospect even more troubling.
Victor naturally noticed Tsunade's moral struggle, so he offered reassurance, "Don't worry, the Rinnegan don't belong to him anyway."
"Moreover, if the Rinnegan remain implanted in him, they'll continue draining his life force. If you think about it from another perspective, I'm actually saving him by removing them."
After all, he wasn't a complete villain.
It wasn't as if he planned to steal Uzumaki Nagato's eyes without compensation. He could simply provide the man with a healing pill in exchange when the time came.
Hearing this explanation, Tsunade felt considerably better about the situation.
Not long afterward, they arrived in the Land of Rain.
The Land of Rain earned its name because precipitation fell throughout most of the year.
Sunlight rarely penetrated the perpetual cloud cover, leaving the weather consistently gloomy and oppressive.
The atmosphere created a distinctly depressing feeling.
Victor disliked this sensation intensely. He raised his hand and swung his sword toward the heavens.
An invisible blade of sword energy shot upward with tremendous speed, splitting the cloud layer cleanly in two and revealing the brilliant azure sky beyond!
"Much better."
Victor sheathed his weapon and continued forward with his companions.
At the same time, within the tower of Amegakure Village.
A man sitting in a wheelchair, his frame resembling little more than a living skeleton, suddenly opened his eyes with an expression of surprise and gravity.
Seeing this reaction, the short-haired woman nearby couldn't help but inquire, "Nagato, what's wrong?"
Uzumaki Nagato pointed toward the window and spoke in a deep voice, "Look at the sky."
Hearing this, Konan gazed out the window, and a flash of astonishment crossed her features, "How is this possible? The sky is actually clear?"
Having lived in the Land of Rain for so many years, she had never witnessed such a brilliant blue sky!
Uzumaki Nagato shook his head slightly. "No, to be more precise, someone split the clouds apart."
"What?!"