Time ticked by, second after second.
At first, Seimei thought that since both Orochimaru and Jiraiya had left the village, the fight would break out soon.
But to his surprise, over two hours passed… and still no clash.
Even more shocking—Seimei had been tailing them for the entire two hours, nonstop running.
Along the way, he spotted traces of ANBU shinobi too.
Unfortunately, they didn't last long and eventually lost track of the two Sannin.
Seimei, taking advantage of the opportunity, began to sense their intentions.
Perhaps it was pride—as one of the Legendary Three—that made them refuse to fight in front of others. Or maybe they simply didn't want to risk exposing sensitive intel.
Whatever the reason, both Orochimaru and Jiraiya had shaken off all pursuers with uncanny synchronicity.
Now, besides Seimei, no one else was following them.
Gazing into the forest ahead, Seimei felt it deep in his gut—the final showdown was about to begin. That forest was going to be their battlefield.
And he was right.
Not long after the two entered the woods, a loud explosion echoed through the air.
To a battle-hardened shinobi like Seimei, the sound was unmistakable—it was a detonation from an explosive tag.
He halted in place, paused briefly, and then activated a very practical jutsu:
Doton: Dochū Eigyo no Jutsu – Earth Style: Hiding Like a Mole Technique!
One of the first jutsu he ever mastered and leveled to perfection, it allowed him to burrow underground and, using chakra as a conduit, observe movements on the surface.
It was like a fish in water, silently watching the world above through the surface.
This jutsu was built for stealth and surveillance. No better time to use it than now.
The earth beneath him softened, and Seimei sank underground, swimming like a silent fish toward the heart of the forest…
…while keeping an eye on everything above.
That first explosion was like a starting gun. Soon after, more explosions erupted in rapid succession.
Most were explosive tags, but some were definitely ninjutsu—especially Katon techniques, judging by the sheer heat and noise.
After cautiously advancing a bit further, Seimei finally caught sight of Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
They stood in a scorched clearing, about ten meters apart, both breathing heavily, staring each other down.
Even from underground, Seimei could feel the suffocating tension in the air.
Seconds passed. Then minutes.
Finally, Jiraiya broke the silence.
"Orochimaru… are you really going to betray the village?"
His tone was serious, laced with disappointment.
Orochimaru didn't answer. He just let out a low, mocking chuckle.
Unwilling to give up, Jiraiya pressed again.
"Can you at least tell me why you did it… all those things?"
Orochimaru knew exactly what he was referring to. He didn't want to answer, but… maybe this would be the last time he'd see his old friend.
Well… at least for a long while.
So he sighed and said,
"Jiraiya, do you remember that night?"
"…Which one?"
"The night we drove back the enemy. You, me, and Tsunade—sitting around a campfire, talking about our dreams."
Jiraiya paused, then smiled.
"Oh, that night. Yeah, I remember. Why?"
"That night, you asked me what my dream was. I couldn't answer."
Orochimaru's voice was calm.
Jiraiya nodded.
"Yeah… I think you said something like you wanted to master all the jutsu and become stronger, but you didn't really have a 'dream'."
"Exactly. I'm surprised you remember so clearly."
As he said this, Orochimaru's expression softened slightly.
But in the next moment, his voice turned feverish.
"Back then, I had no dream. But now I do."
Before Jiraiya could ask, he continued:
"I want to learn every jutsu in the world. To understand their principles… and from that knowledge, discover the path to immortality."
"…Immortality," Jiraiya murmured.
Then he shook his head.
"So that's why you toy with lives like they're nothing?"
"'Toy with'?" Orochimaru smirked. "No… not toy. I'm giving them purpose."
"In this world, most people live pointless, meaningless lives. They waste their potential."
"So rather than let them rot, I let them become part of something greater—my experiments. A stepping stone to immortality. That is their honor."
Jiraiya fell silent, stunned by how casually Orochimaru uttered such cold words.
Looking into his friend's crazed eyes, Jiraiya knew: words wouldn't work.
> "If that's how it is… then there's only one way left."
He had made a promise to Minato—and more importantly, to himself.
He couldn't let Orochimaru spiral any further down this path.
Sensing Jiraiya's resolve shift, Orochimaru grew serious too.
He habitually licked his lips with his long tongue and spoke in a calm, yet excited tone:
"Jiraiya… I don't think we've ever truly fought before, have we?"
"Well then… show me what you've got!"
As he spoke, Orochimaru hurled a shuriken, then quickly formed hand seals, unleashing an A-rank jutsu:
Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu – Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!
Suddenly, a hailstorm of shuriken appeared out of thin air, raining down on Jiraiya.
Seeing the familiar technique, Jiraiya smiled slightly and vanished in a blur, dodging every single shuriken with grace.
In the same motion, he threw three kunai—aimed directly at Orochimaru's throat, heart, and lower abdomen.
Orochimaru's golden, slit-like pupils narrowed.
In an instant, his body twisted like a boneless snake, bending into an S-shape to dodge Jiraiya's precise counter.
As Jiraiya rushed in, Orochimaru didn't hesitate. He formed seals again and, just as Jiraiya got within striking distance, he unleashed:
Fūton: Daitoppa! – Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!
Whoooosh—
A violent gust blasted forward.
The air felt like a wall. Razor-sharp wind blades tore toward Jiraiya.
"Can't block this head-on!"
Jiraiya instantly made a decision and used Kawarimi no Jutsu—the Substitution Technique.
A log popped into existence just in time, taking the full brunt of the wind blades.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya reappeared at Orochimaru's side, his leg spinning into a powerful kick:
Konoha Senpū! – Leaf Whirlwind!
BOOM!
A dull thud rang out.
Orochimaru raised his right arm, blocking the kick with full force.
For a moment, time stood still.
The two—one attacking, one defending—froze mid-motion like statues, locked in a deadly standoff.