Jiraiya's insistence that Shinichi and the others, who had rushed to the Land of Hot Water, take a few days to rest and recover their condition, was sincere. No one understood Orochimaru better than he did, and even elite Konoha ninja like Shinichi's team needed to be cautious when facing Orochimaru.
When the village's safety was threatened, Jiraiya was undoubtedly firmly on the side of the village, and he genuinely intended to help Shinichi's team track down Orochimaru.
After a brief two-day rest, the revitalized Shinichi and his comrades sought out Jiraiya again. This time, Jiraiya didn't hesitate. He actively led them toward the Land of Grass. Unlike the depressed mood Jiraiya displayed when they first met a few days ago, during this journey to the Land of Grass with Shinichi's team, Jiraiya had clearly returned to his normal, cheerful self.
"Hey, brats, what are you planning to do after you find Orochimaru?"
"Capture him alive? Interrogate him for information?"
"Don't take offense, but even with me, capturing Orochimaru alive with our current team configuration is probably impossible."
"Killing him... that has some possibility."
The sky was heavily overcast, looking like a storm was brewing. After several days of travel, Jiraiya and Shinichi's team successfully entered the Land of Grass. They were currently rushing across a vast prairie. Perhaps feeling that they were getting closer to Orochimaru's secret base, Jiraiya wanted to probe Hyūga Shinichi's true intentions.
During the short time they had spent together, Jiraiya had already figured out who the true leader of this squad was. Although he was surprised that Minato would entrust such an important mission to someone as young as Shinichi, the thought of Hyūga Shinichi's strength made him feel relieved. The world of ninja was like this: there would always be prodigies who defied age and experience.
"Capturing him alive is naturally the optimal solution, but if we can't capture him, then we can only try to cooperate with Orochimaru."
"Although Orochimaru is a Konoha missing-nin, fundamentally, he shouldn't harbor any deep hatred for Konoha."
Hyūga Shinichi speculated on Orochimaru's psychological state, speaking in a low voice. Though he said this on the surface, Shinichi knew that Orochimaru must hold some resentment towards Konoha and the Third Hokage.
After all, he was the Third Hokage's favorite student, and the mission to research Hashirama's cells was originally entrusted to him by the Third Hokage. He worked hard for his master, yet when the Third Hokage stepped down, he chose to support Minato Namikaze as the new Hokage instead of him, the "Sannin."
No matter how valid the Third Hokage's reasons were, and no matter how outstanding or accomplished Minato Namikaze was, from Orochimaru's perspective, he probably couldn't understand it. In terms of ability, Orochimaru felt he didn't lose to Minato by much.
In terms of achievements, he was a vital force for the village from the beginning of the war, active on various battlefields. In terms of loyalty, he was the Third Hokage's disciple, fighting for the village on multiple fronts, not to mention taking on the mission to research Hashirama's cells.
By all accounts, he, Orochimaru, was a strong contender for Hokage. To be defeated in the "Hokage race" by a youngster like Minato still left Orochimaru somewhat resentful. Although his true ambitions lay elsewhere, some things he might not want, but if others reached out to claim them, it still made him unhappy.
In the future, Orochimaru's attack on Konoha was partly to obtain the Sharingan, but more so it was directed at the Third Hokage... to call it revenge isn't quite accurate.
Rather, as a student, Orochimaru didn't want to see his master, the one called the "Professor," rot away in the position of Hokage. Orochimaru personally killed Hiruzen Sarutobi, but at the same time, he solidified Hiruzen Sarutobi's glory in the hearts of all Konoha people.
Hyūga Shinichi's assessment of people had moved beyond the simple dichotomy of "good" and "evil." To survive in the ninja world, the most crucial thing was not to be constrained by the so-called "good" and "evil."
Orochimaru's actions were undoubtedly "evil," the purest kind of "evil," but his evil had not impacted Shinichi personally, so Shinichi didn't need to play the role of a moral guardian to eliminate this "evil." On the contrary, to ensure that he and his clan could better survive in this world, even such a person could be a partner!
Even a protagonist as morally upright as Uzumaki Naruto could tolerate Orochimaru's continued existence in the world and even take his cloned son back to the village to care for him.
This meant that the future Naruto had the vision of a Hokage, and his judgment of people was no longer based solely on "good" and "evil," but on "useful" and "useless." If all Hokages were like the Second Hokage, constantly ranting about "evil Uchiha" and thus dividing the Uchiha clan, Konoha would never be united or strong.
Reality proved this; the period of the Second Hokage's leadership was also one of Konoha's weakest, demonstrated by his death at the hands of Kumogakure's missing-nin while out to sign a peace treaty. No matter how brilliant the Second Hokage's performance was during the Fourth Great Ninja War, the fact that Konoha began to decline after the First Hokage was undeniable.
Although Hyūga Shinichi's vision had not yet reached the level of a "Hokage," looking at things from the perspective of the future Hyūga Clan Head, Orochimaru was a "flexible" individual to him. Unlike Danzō, who favored internal strife and depletion, Orochimaru had value, while Danzō did not.
From Hyūga Shinichi's words, Jiraiya could somewhat glean Shinichi's attitude toward Orochimaru. Hearing that Shinichi was not focused on killing Orochimaru, Jiraiya was honestly a little relieved.
Everyone present was an elite, and their traveling speed was swift.
Overcast clouds covered the sky. Although it was noon, the sky was as dark as dusk. Suddenly, tiny raindrops began to fall from the sky, making a light rustling sound on the vast prairie, blurring everyone's vision slightly.
Hyūga Shinichi used his Byakugan to scan his surroundings. This gloomy weather also caught Shinichi's attention. He slowed his pace to carefully sense this light rain.
"Shinichi, what's wrong?"
"We're almost at Orochimaru's base. Are you tired?"
Jiraiya noticed Shinichi slowing down and moved to his side to ask.
"No, I was just overthinking."
"We're almost there? Let's speed up then."
Shinichi was being overly cautious. This rain was entirely natural, but Shinichi had mistakenly thought it was a sensory jutsu by some ninja. It couldn't be helped; ever since Shinichi learned that Orochimaru was a member of the Akatsuki organization, he had been guarding against potential enemies.
The Rain Tiger at Will Technique —Nagato's sensory jutsu—had left a deep impression on Shinichi's mind, making him vigilant and causing him to check whenever he encountered rain while traveling. Having let Kakuzu escape, Shinichi knew he was likely on Obito's radar. To avoid stepping into any traps set by the enemy, being cautious was always the safe bet.
Shinichi didn't detect anything unusual about the rain, and the group's traveling speed increased again. Soon, in the view of Shinichi's Byakugan, a subterranean palace appeared beneath the soil layer of the plain ahead. If his guess was correct, that palace must be Orochimaru's secret base.
The moment Shinichi spotted the palace, Jiraiya, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped and told the group:
"The base is just a few kilometers from here."
"Keep your movements quiet."
As he spoke, Jiraiya channeled chakra to his feet, leaped forward, and raced toward the front. His movements left no trace on the grassland, nor did they make much sound. His figure quickly disappeared into the distance.
Shinichi and the others exchanged glances, quickly suppressed their presence, and followed Jiraiya's lead.
As they got closer, Shinichi's scrutiny of the distant subterranean palace became more detailed. The palace was massive and occupied.
There were people inside. Orochimaru's chakra was powerful and strange; multiple body modifications had made his chakra unique, and at this time, since he had not yet performed the Living Corpse Reincarnation, his chakra signature was quite distinctive.
Shinichi could clearly see Orochimaru in the central area of the palace, sitting at a desk, studying a scroll, and making notes. Hmm... truly a "diligent" ninja.
Just as Shinichi was carefully observing the personnel configuration inside the palace, an entrance almost hidden beneath the grassland appeared in their line of sight.
"Trap!"
At that moment, Shisui and Kakashi cried out in unison, pulling Shinichi's attention back to the foreground. Concurrently, on the patch of grass that Might Guy had just leaped past, exploding tags suddenly detonated.
"Boom!!"
A massive explosion echoed across the empty prairie. The resulting shockwave sent Guy, who hadn't run far, tumbling into a face-plant on the ground. The explosion seemed to have triggered a cursed seal previously set by Orochimaru.
A massive summoning pattern suddenly appeared in front of the group. As thick white smoke rose, a terrifying three-headed giant snake materialized before them, blocking their path.
"Hiss-hiss-hiss—"
The three snake heads swayed gently in the air, flicking their tongues while a strong, pungent odor permeated the air. Along with the appearance of the three-headed giant snake, a pink smoke screen rapidly spread outwards from beneath its body. The smoke screen touched the vibrant green grass, immediately corroding the lively grass into a pile of black sludge.
"Disperse!!"
Jiraiya knew Orochimaru too well. The moment he saw the giant snake being summoned, he held his breath and quickly retreated, not forgetting to warn everyone present. Guy, who had triggered the trap, hadn't even had time to react to what was happening before the smoke screen from beneath the snake rushed toward him.
Just as it looked like Guy would be engulfed by the poisonous smoke, Kakashi's support arrived in time: "Wind Release: Breakthrough!"
A simple Wind Release jutsu immediately helped Guy dispel the toxic mist that was closing in. Although Kakashi's chakra nature wasn't perfectly suited to Wind Release and couldn't unleash its full power, it was more than enough to act as a "fan." After completing the jutsu, Kakashi landed next to Guy, helped him up, and then quickly retreated, putting distance between them and the three-headed giant snake.
A short distance away, the giant snake coiled its body, subtly guarding the entrance to the palace behind it. Its three pairs of eyes stared intently at Jiraiya and the others. The swaying of its body inspired fear, and its dense scales shimmered with a metallic sheen under the rain.
Kakashi casually drew a kunai from his pouch and threw it directly at the giant snake's head. However, the giant snake didn't seem to make any dodging movement; it merely lowered its head, and the moment the kunai touched its scales, it was deflected with a clang, leaving no mark on the snake's body whatsoever.
"...." Seeing this, Kakashi was speechless. He understood that conventional means probably wouldn't scratch this snake. And this was just the "gatekeeper" of Orochimaru's secret laboratory.
Kakashi judged that ordinary Chūnin-level attacks likely wouldn't be able to harm the snake in the slightest. Most ninja wouldn't even be able to get past this snake guardian, let alone break into Orochimaru's secret base.
Shisui and Kakashi both looked thoughtful as they faced the snake guard; their jutsus were not well-suited for dealing with this kind of creature. Kakashi did have the Lightning Cutter, which should be able to penetrate the giant snake's defenses, but the snake was surrounded by toxic mist, making it difficult to approach.
Might Guy was in a similar predicament. Without activating the Eight Gates Released Formation, it would be too difficult to inflict damage on such a thick-skinned giant creature with pure physical strength. He was fine against other ninja, but against this kind of behemoth...
However, Guy was unafraid of the toxic mist surrounding the snake. He flexed his arms, ready to activate the Eight Gates and force a breakthrough. Just as he was about to move, Hyūga Shinichi suddenly appeared beside Guy, grabbing his shoulder and halting him in a low voice:
"Wait, you don't need to open the Eight Gates for this."
"Jiraiya-sama isn't just here to watch. A summoning beast of this caliber is no threat."
As he spoke, Shinichi smiled and looked toward Jiraiya. Jiraiya had been fighting alongside and against Orochimaru for so many years, so it was most fitting for him to take action.
"Sending this old man to do your bidding doesn't hurt your conscience?"
"Well, it's normal for you brats to struggle. After all, not everyone has the skill of Jiraiya-sama."
Jiraiya quickly formed hand signs as he spoke. Then, to the slightly astonished gazes of Kakashi and Shisui, he clapped his hands together. As Jiraiya let out a low shout, the grassland beneath the three-headed giant snake instantly turned into a patch of crimson swamp.
Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!
A technique of such immense scale requires the user to possess not only a massive amount of chakra but also a chakra nature compatible with the jutsu's attribute. In fact, throughout the entire ninja world, there were very few ninja capable of unleashing an Earth Release jutsu of this magnitude.
The swamp, over a hundred meters in diameter, completely enveloped the entire snake. Although the giant snake looked majestic and terrifying, ordinary summoned beasts were not very intelligent, behaving like common wild beasts. The more the giant snake struggled, the faster it sank into the swamp. In moments, half of its body had disappeared into the muck.
However, at that point, the snake's sinking momentum also stalled.
"Hmm?!"
"Is the depth not enough?"
Jiraiya himself was a bit surprised, but his hand signs quickly changed.
Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!
As the dragon-like flames surged out, the three-headed giant snake was engulfed by the heat and vanished in a puff of white smoke, disappearing from the scene.
The scorching fire illuminated the faces of Kakashi, Shisui, and the others. Watching Jiraiya unleash such a terrifyingly powerful Fire Release jutsu, the two looked at Jiraiya's retreating figure with even more admiration.
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