Chapter 34: The Decision and the Plan
Seeing Jiraiya's excitement, Tenchi held up a hand to stop Tōka from speaking.
"Under normal circumstances, when a mission changes like this, abandoning it or retreating is indeed the wisest choice. Tsunade, Orochimaru, your decision is the correct and safe one."
"However," he continued, "this time, you are with me. For me, a mission of this level is very simple. I am confident I can complete it while still protecting all of you. I hope you will choose to continue. This is not just an experience; it's a chance to greatly improve your real combat skills." He looked at them, his expression serious. It would be a real failure if they gave up after he said all that.
"This..." Orochimaru, who had initially been against continuing, now felt conflicted. Tenchi's words made sense, but was it worth gambling with his life? Even if Tenchi was strong, who could guarantee their safety in the heat of battle?
"Alright, I agree to continue," Tsunade said, cutting through the hesitation. She didn't overthink it. If Tenchi was confident, she trusted him. She knew about his feats—single-handedly killing hundreds of Cloud ninja. His strength was undeniable.
Seeing Orochimaru still wavering, Tenchi shook his head slightly. It was a shame. Orochimaru was overly cautious.
"A ninja who retreats at the first sign of difficulty... I believe that even with great talent, his achievements will be limited. If a person lacks that basic courage, he might as well go home and farm. Let's go." With that final, pointed remark, Tenchi turned and walked away with Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Tōka, leaving Orochimaru standing alone in silence.
After they had walked a fair distance, the others spoke up.
Jiraiya: "Are we really not waiting for Orochimaru?"
Tsunade: "Brother Tenchi, what you said might have been too harsh on him."
Tōka: "Mr. Ninja, are we sure about leaving that Orochimaru behind?"
Hearing all three at once, Tenchi smiled. "I believe in Orochimaru. He will make the right choice. A ninja like him won't let his journey end here." He looked up at the sky as he spoke.
"I hope you're right," Tsunade and Jiraiya said in unison. Orochimaru was their teammate, after all. Truly leaving him behind didn't feel right.
Just as they walked a bit further, a voice called out from behind them.
"Tsunade! Jiraiya! Wait for me!"
"Huh? That's Orochimaru!" Jiraiya said, turning around.
Orochimaru ran to catch up, stopping directly in front of Tenchi. "Teammate Tenchi," he said, his voice firm. "You were right. A ninja should not shrink back from difficulty. I want to go with you. I, Orochimaru, will not let my path end here!"
A smile touched the corner of Tenchi's mouth. "Welcome back to the team, Orochimaru." He gave Orochimaru a firm pat on the shoulder.
"Hahaha! We're together again!" Jiraiya yelled, throwing an arm around Orochimaru. "Who cares about some stupid ninja from the Land of Rice? As long as we're together, they're no match for us!"
"Idiot," Orochimaru said, giving Jiraiya a flat look. But beneath the surface, he felt a warmth in his chest. Jiraiya had a place in his heart.
"Jiraiya is right for once," Tsunade added, not arguing this time. "As long as we work together, nothing can stop us."
The three looked at each other and shared a genuine laugh.
Watching them, Tōka felt a surge of relief. He had definitely hired the right team.
"Good. Now that we're all together," Tenchi began, "let's go over the ninjutsu each of you knows. I need to understand your skills to make a plan."
"Me! Me! Me first!" Jiraiya said, raising his hand impatiently. "I can use Fire Style! Fire Style: Flame Bomb!"
"I know Wind Style and Fire Style ninjutsu," Orochimaru stated proudly. "And I created my own technique: Hidden Shadow Snake Hand." His overall skill was already at the Chunin level, and he had every right to be proud.
"As for me..." Tsunade said, a little embarrassed. "My taijutsu is okay, and I know a little medical ninjutsu." She really wasn't skilled in offensive ninjutsu; close-quarters combat was her forte.
After listening, Tenchi had a clear picture in his mind.
"Alright. Orochimaru, you're excellent. Knowing two nature transformations and creating your own jutsu at your age is the mark of a true genius. Tsunade, while you don't use elemental ninjutsu, your strong taijutsu and medical skills make you our most important support. You'll be our logistical guarantee." He gave them both his clear approval.
"Brother Tenchi," Tsunade asked, confused, "you don't think I'm useless because I don't know attack ninjutsu?"
"Why would you think that?" Tenchi replied, gently patting her head. "In my opinion, you are the most crucial member of the team. If you focus on medical ninjutsu, I believe you can become a truly great kunoichi."
"But... isn't attacking more important on the battlefield?" Tsunade asked, her face blushing slightly from the head pat.
"Attack is important, but it depends on the person. What suits you best is what's most important. In the future, I suggest you focus entirely on taijutsu and medical ninjutsu. Trying to force yourself to learn offensive ninjutsu will only hold you back." Tenchi knew that the Tsunade of the original story was unsuited for ninjutsu but was a prodigy in medical arts.
"Okay... I understand. I'll focus on that from now on," Tsunade said, feeling that his advice was right. If she wasn't good at ninjutsu, she should play to her strengths.
"Brother Tenchi! What about me? You haven't said anything about me yet!" Jiraiya asked anxiously, seeing that he'd been left out.
"You?" Tenchi looked Jiraiya up and down, then delivered his verdict: "Average."
"Jiraiya, you're just ordinary. I don't see anything special about you compared to a standard genin. Average talent, average ninjutsu, average looks... a proper, all-around average guy."
Jiraiya froze on the spot, utterly petrified. "A-A-Average? I'm so... ordinary? Brother Tenchi, you must be seeing it wrong! How can I be ordinary with this handsome face?"
"Hahaha!" Tsunade and Orochimaru burst out laughing at Jiraiya's dramatic, wounded reaction.
"Although you are relatively ordinary," Tenchi continued, "you'll do fine as a frontline fighter, a 'meat shield.' For this mission, Orochimaru and Jiraiya will handle direct combat. Tsunade will be support and logistics. I will oversee everything and provide backup." He laid out the plan before they even reached the Land of Rice.
With the plan set, they started walking again.
The comment about being a "meat shield" seemed to have genuinely hurt Jiraiya. For the rest of the journey, the usually talkative boy was completely silent.
Tsunade and Orochimaru noticed his unusual quietness and realized he might have been truly discouraged.
Seeing Jiraiya so dejected, Tenchi thought for a moment and made a decision.
"Jiraiya," he said, slinging an arm around the boy's shoulders. "Do you want to learn a new ninjutsu from me?"
"I... I do," Jiraiya admitted. "But I already have a teacher." He thought of Hiruzen and shook his head.
"Listen, kid, a teacher isn't the only one who can teach you ninjutsu. I'm not going to be your master; I'm not much older than you. That would make me feel old." Tenchi ruffled Jiraiya's hair.
"Well... Brother Tenchi, what kind of ninjutsu can you teach me?" Jiraiya asked, his excitement returning. He was right. A teacher wasn't the only source of knowledge.
"The ninjutsu I'm going to teach you isn't simple," Tenchi said proudly. "It requires no hand seals. You can perform it with one hand. It's incredibly powerful. If you master it and use it correctly, you could even take down a Jōnin."