vncnus Chapter 165 is coming.
Chapter 165 is coming.
In the dense forest at the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Iron, a white-haired, unkempt man with an incredulous expression—Jiraiya—stopped Orochimaru, who exuded a chilling aura.
Jiraiya, the wandering ninja, immediately began investigating Orochimaru's whereabouts after learning of the warrant issued by Konoha for Orochimaru's betrayal. After several days of arduous effort, he finally intercepted Orochimaru here.
At this moment, Jiraiya was filled with doubt and confusion. His biggest concern was: why would Orochimaru betray Konoha? In his memory, although Orochimaru was somewhat cold-hearted, his feelings for Konoha were no less than his own, so why would he so easily choose to betray him?
Now, the fact that this person, who was originally a strong contender to become the next Hokage of Konoha after Minato Namikaze, had actually fled was something Jiraiya couldn't accept. Therefore, he desperately wanted to confront Orochimaru in person and find out what had happened.
Looking at Jiraiya's bewildered expression, Orochimaru felt a surge of helplessness. He felt that his childhood friend seemed to be stuck in the past, completely oblivious to the changes in the world around him.
Orochimaru knew that a deep rift existed between them, a rift that didn't stem from personal feelings, but from differing understandings of the essence of things. At this moment, he suddenly realized that he had never truly entered Jiraiya's inner world, and that Jiraiya, in turn, had failed to understand his pursuits and ambitions.
Faced with this situation, Orochimaru instantly lost the desire to continue communicating with Jiraiya. Perhaps, preserving Jiraiya's last vestige of innocence was the best choice. So, in his hoarse yet magnetic voice, he slowly said, "I have found my own path, but Konoha is nothing more than a cage imprisoning my freedom! Therefore, I have decided to leave. Is there any doubt about this?"
Orochimaru didn't explain much about what had happened in Konoha, especially regarding Hiruzen Sarutobi's actions. He believed that one day, Jiraiya would understand, through his own experiences and insights, that Konoha was no longer the place full of ideals and beliefs it once was.
Upon hearing Orochimaru's words, Jiraiya trembled as if struck by lightning, his face filled with a complex expression of disbelief and anger. He stared wide-eyed at the man before him, who had once fought alongside him and was as close as a brother, unable to comprehend why Orochimaru would say such a thing.
Jiraiya felt a pang of pain in his heart. He had never imagined that Orochimaru would harbor such thoughts of betraying Konoha. They had faced countless life-or-death trials together, protecting the village and its people. In Jiraiya's eyes, Orochimaru was not only a comrade-in-arms but also a close friend, someone he could entrust his future to!
However, facing Orochimaru's cold and resolute face, Jiraiya knew that everything had changed. But he still firmly believed that no matter what mistakes Orochimaru had made, as long as he returned to Konoha, there would always be a chance for redemption. So, he gritted his teeth and secretly made up his mind: even at a great cost, he would bring Orochimaru back.
"Orochimaru, no matter what you become, I will still consider you a comrade. But today, I cannot stand by and watch you go astray! Even if it takes all my strength, even if I have to tie you up, I will bring you back to Konoha! I believe the village will give you a chance to reform, even if it means imprisoning you forever." Jiraiya said righteously, his voice trembling slightly with emotion.
His gaze was firm and sharp, as if it could pierce through Orochimaru's soul. At this moment, he was no longer the jovial ninja he usually was, but a warrior bearing a mission and defending justice.
Looking at Jiraiya's expression, Orochimaru felt a sense of helplessness. He knew very well that nothing good ever came of running into this guy. Clearly, Jiraiya was completely unaware of the complex situation in Konoha, practically clueless. Given the current state of affairs, even if Jiraiya did return to Konoha, he would likely struggle to escape the suspicion and vigilance of his Hokage teacher, let alone stay in the village. Taking Orochimaru back with him was simply a pipe dream.
"Oh? Judging from what you're saying, you've really improved a lot over the years! The infamous 'bottom-of-the-class' Jiraiya! Do you really think you can kidnap me back to Konoha all by yourself? Hahahaha... That's hilarious!" Orochimaru said with a mocking expression.
Jiraiya remained fixed on Orochimaru with unwavering determination, as if trying to see right through him, completely unaffected by Orochimaru's words. At this moment, he had only one thought in his mind—how to defeat Orochimaru and bring this traitor back to the village.
Faced with Jiraiya's focused and resolute expression, Orochimaru's previously mocking smile gradually vanished. He knew that his former best friend was now determined to capture him and bring him to justice, and would not give up until he succeeded.
Jiraiya knew that further words were futile; he firmly believed that as long as he defeated the person before him, he would have enough time to change their mind. Therefore, without hesitation, he swiftly formed hand seals and then launched a fierce attack.
"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!" With a furious shout, a torrent of flames erupted like a cannonball, shooting straight towards Orochimaru. Wherever it passed, leaves and grass were burned to ashes by the intense heat, and billowing black smoke filled the air.
Faced with such a fierce attack, Orochimaru's lips curled up slightly, revealing a disdainful smile, but his eyes remained unusually calm and composed. He simply shifted his body slightly, effortlessly dodging the incoming fire-style ninjutsu, which was powerful enough to incinerate the heavens and destroy the earth, as if he were a ghost.
Immediately afterwards, Orochimaru made a graceful turn, his movements fluid and without the slightest hesitation. At the same time, he raised his arm and placed it across his chest, like an impregnable fortress, ready to meet the next wave of fierce attacks that would come like a storm.
Just then, Jiraiya, like a burning meteor, leaped up with lightning speed and instantly arrived behind Orochimaru. He used all his strength, unleashing a powerful and unparalleled whip kick with an extremely sharp wind, like an incomparably sharp battle axe, fiercely cleaving towards Orochimaru's defensive arm.
In an instant, the two powerful forces collided with a deafening roar. The shockwave from the impact swept around, creating a gust of wind and a huge wave. The two were then quickly thrown back, each taking several steps backward.
However, they gave each other no chance to breathe, and almost simultaneously, they charged at each other like lightning. The two figures clashed again, engaging in a breathtaking life-or-death struggle. Intense ninjutsu and taijutsu intertwined, rising and falling in a dazzling display, like fireworks.
The surrounding environment was horribly destroyed in the fierce battle, becoming unrecognizable. Trees were uprooted and scattered all over the ground; the ground was covered with dense cracks, spreading out like a spider web; huge craters were everywhere, like wounds torn apart the earth; and the deep and shallow trenches cut by wind-style ninjutsu were like shocking scars.
The battle between the two sides intensified, with a dazzling array of ninjutsu techniques displayed. Each collision generated a deafening roar, seemingly capable of destroying the entire world. The taijutsu clashes, with their speed as swift as the wind and strength as immense as Mount Tai, were truly breathtaking.
This extraordinary battle lasted all day, from sunrise to sunset, without ever stopping. Countless close calls arose, yet each time they were averted from disaster. Both sides gave their all, displaying their strength and skill without reservation.
In the end, Jiraiya was slightly outmatched, and was sent flying by Orochimaru's incredibly powerful whip kick. Like a kite with a broken string, he crashed heavily into the hard ground with a dull thud. In an instant, dust billowed, and a huge crater appeared. The severely injured Jiraiya was powerless to struggle to his feet from the crater.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru was also breathing heavily. Facing the formidable Jiraiya, this fierce battle had undoubtedly been a huge drain on him. Although neither of them had used their ultimate techniques to decide the outcome, they had both employed their most commonly used moves to the fullest extent. Orochimaru had fought with all his might, barely managing to defeat Jiraiya by a narrow margin.
When Orochimaru saw Jiraiya lying lifeless in the pit, seemingly unable to fight any longer, a faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared on his lips. Then, without hesitation, he turned and, with light, swift steps, vanished from the area like a ghost, as if he had never been there.
Lying helplessly in the pit, Jiraiya watched Orochimaru's figure disappear, his expression utterly desolate. Once again, he had watched his closest comrade leave Konoha, and Jiraiya was deeply saddened. Tsunade was gone, and now Orochimaru was gone; it seemed that all the renowned and powerful figures of Konoha were gradually vanishing from the village. It was either departure or death.
Even if Jiraiya was slow to react and naive in his thinking, he could sense that something was wrong with Konoha. But when facing his teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Jiraiya still believed that the latter could definitely bring order to Konoha.
Orochimaru moved with incredible speed, arriving at the address Hyuga Kanan had given him in just one day. However, upon arrival, he was somewhat bewildered. The place showed no signs of human activity, and there was absolutely no place that could accommodate people. Even Orochimaru's summoning beasts and sensory ninjutsu failed to detect anything.