Jiraiya had imagined many things about his future disciple—power, glory, heroism. But the idea that his student might change the entire world? That thought alone made him grin like an idiot.
Still, something bothered him.
The Great Toad Sage's prophecy…
White Snake…
And the way Fukasaku and Shima nearly choked when he mentioned it…
Could that White Snake really be… Orochimaru?
The more Jiraiya thought about it, the more tangled his brain became. Orochimaru had indeed changed Konoha drastically. He'd even founded the now-famous White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Corporation, a massive multinational corporation with customers in every major nation. They didn't involve themselves in wars, remained strictly neutral, and took in displaced people—like survivors from Uzushiogakure and the Chinoike clan.
A benevolent snake?
A world-changing snake?
His imagination spun uselessly.
"Never mind—thinking hurts," Jiraiya grumbled, giving his head a shake as if ejecting the prophecy from his skull.
He straightened up, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and gave a final nod to Hiruzen, Orochimaru, and Tsunade.
It was time for him to officially begin his journey.
---
Hokage Building
"A prophecy, huh…" Hiruzen exhaled softly as he watched Jiraiya prepare to leave. In the old man's eyes flashed faint images of a white-haired boy with too much energy, a boy who used to run through the Academy corridors yelling about heroism.
Ten years passed in the blink of an eye.
"Go," Hiruzen finally said, "but travel undercover. Don't parade around with your Konoha forehead protector shining like a beacon. You'll just attract unnecessary trouble."
"Teacher, I'm not an idiot!" Jiraiya protested. "I know how dangerous it is. Tsunade and Orochimaru got ambushed, didn't they?"
Hiruzen inhaled deeply.
You're not stupid? Really?
But he swallowed the comment. Comparisons were unfair—Orochimaru was simply far too brilliant. Jiraiya's brain worked… just not in linear fashion.
Hiruzen cleared his throat and tossed him a small pouch.
"What's this?" Jiraiya opened the pouch and froze. "Rebirth pills? The life-saving miracle medicine? Teacher Hiruzen… you're giving these to me?!"
For once, he actually looked touched.
Hiruzen puffed out his chest proudly. "Of course. Who do you think I am?"
Jiraiya nodded vigorously.
"When severely injured, eat one of those. And I mean severely. Do not pop one because you stubbed your toe, understand?"
Jiraiya winced. He 100% would have done that.
"Got it! I'll say goodbye to Tsunade and Orochimaru, then head out!"
He bounded away like an overexcited child.
Hiruzen sighed again as he watched his student leave.
Emotionally and logically, he didn't want Jiraiya to obsess over the prophecy. But every person has their own path, and this was Jiraiya's.
---
Outside Konoha — Farewell Scene
"You're really going to wander around the world?" Orochimaru leaned against a tree, arms crossed casually, watching Jiraiya adjust his backpack.
"Do you still remember what I told you?" he added.
"What? You say so many things. My brain can't hold all that." Jiraiya waved him off, pretending to forget deliberately.
Orochimaru clicked his tongue. Transparent as ever.
"The Great Toad Sage's prophecy speaks only of possibilities," Orochimaru said. "Don't twist your life to fit a prediction. If you force yourself to become the person in the prophecy, then your life is no longer yours. It belongs to the prophecy."
Jiraiya swallowed.
Orochimaru was annoyingly good at cutting straight to the truth.
Still, there was one thing he had to say.
"Orochimaru… the prophecy mentioned the White Snake. You might be the White Snake of destiny."
"The White Snake? Impossible."
Orochimaru rejected it instantly. He didn't believe in the Great Toad Sage's prophecies at all. To him, the old sage was just that—an old sage. One who interpreted events however he pleased.
If anything, Orochimaru believed the Great Sage nudged people rather than predicted them.
A glorified fortune-telling amphibian.
Jiraiya panicked. "I'm serious! The Great Toad Sage said my disciples and the White Snake will change the ninja world! Orochimaru, you have to believe—!"
"What do you want me to believe?!"
A voice thundered from behind them. Tsunade stomped forward, fists clenched so tightly her knuckles cracked.
Her first assumption?
Jiraiya was making a love confession.
Again.
To Orochimaru.
Death flashed before his eyes.
Tsunade marched like a goddess of destruction, and Jiraiya instantly dove behind Orochimaru for cover.
"S-Speak calmly! Let's solve this peacefully, okay?" he squeaked.
"Calmly?" Tsunade's chakra leaked like an angry volcano, cracking the ground beneath her. "Tell me—are you confessing to Orochimaru again?! Give it up! Orochimaru will never fall for you!"
"WHAT?!"
Even Orochimaru froze. How… did he become the center of this melodrama?
When did he get dragged into a love triangle?
"Confess?! I don't even—! Tsunade, listen!" Jiraiya puffed up in outrage. "I've moved on! I'm not chasing you anymore! In fact—" He struck a ridiculous macho pose. "Lord Jiraiya prefers mature older women! Big sisters with curves in all the right—ACK!"
He didn't finish.
Tsunade's punch landed with enough force to send him spiraling into the sky like a human firework.
"WooaAAAaAH—!"
Orochimaru watched his teammate fly. He normally kept a cold demeanor, but this time—
Pfft.
He burst into laughter.
Jiraiya's mid-air pose, limbs flailing like a lost chicken, was just too much.
A moment later—
THUD!
Jiraiya crashed into the ground nearby, face buried, rear sticking comically up. His entire body twitched.
"Hmph! That should straighten him out," Tsunade said proudly.
Orochimaru nearly doubled over laughing.
Time seemed to rewind, just for a moment—back to when they were young genin training under the sun, arguing and bickering like children. A flood of nostalgia washed over him.
Jiraiya groaned and sat up. He spotted Orochimaru laughing and couldn't help grinning sheepishly.
Then he glared at Tsunade. "Is this why you thought I wanted to travel the world?"
Tsunade coughed awkwardly. "Well… you're unpredictable. Who knows what you're thinking?"
"I'm thinking… ow." Jiraiya touched the new bump on his chin. "You punch like a demon."
"Anyway," Tsunade said with a flick of her hair, "good luck."
"That's it? That's your heartfelt goodbye?" Jiraiya stared, betrayed.
"Well, once you leave, no one will fight me for Orochimaru's cooking anymore. It's a win-win!" Tsunade grinned triumphantly.
Jiraiya suddenly reconsidered going on a journey. This felt too cruel.
Orochimaru stepped forward.
"Jiraiya… if you run into trouble, you can ask for help from the White Snake Pharmaceutical Company. I still have authority there. But remember—my company will not participate in any wars."
He gave Jiraiya a pointed look.
"I'm not stupid!" Jiraiya declared proudly.
To Orochimaru, he looked extremely stupid.
Jiraiya suddenly received two more pouches—one of rebirth pills, the other soldier stimulant pills.
"Use them wisely," Orochimaru said.
Then Tsunade pushed forward her own gift—a medical emergency kit, freshly developed but not yet popular in Konoha.
"You better not embarrass us," she warned. "We're all students of Teacher Hiruzen."
Jiraiya clutched the gifts tightly. His eyes turned red, his voice choked.
"You guys… you're so annoying… Just like Teacher Hiruzen!"
He turned away so they wouldn't see his expression.
"Goodbye."
He began walking.
"YOU CALLED ME NAGGY?!" Tsunade exploded. "GET BACK HERE AND RETURN MY KIT!"
"Nope! Mine now!" Jiraiya bolted like a man fleeing for his life.
---
Konoha Gate
"Hey! You didn't register before leaving!" the gate guards shouted helplessly as Jiraiya and Tsunade sprinted past them like a pair of lunatics.
Orochimaru approached calmly.
"My apologies for the trouble," he said politely.
The guards nearly melted.
"Lord Orochimaru, please, don't apologize!"
"You're so respectful! Not like those proud clan heirs!"
Their admiration poured out like a fountain. Orochimaru blinked, confused. He had merely done something basic.
He filled out the forms for both Jiraiya and Tsunade.
Tsunade returned triumphantly, holding a single white hair between her fingers.
"You caught him?" Orochimaru asked.
"Of course!" she huffed, blowing dramatically on the hair.
Orochimaru nodded approvingly. "Six seconds. Not bad."
Tsunade smirked.
Then her expression softened slightly.
"Do you think that idiot Jiraiya will be okay?"
Orochimaru looked at the gate where his teammate vanished.
"He'll be fine," Orochimaru said quietly. "He's Jiraiya, after all."
Judging from how Tsunade had proudly tugged at her hair earlier, Orochimaru could tell she wasn't actually too worried about Jiraiya. Still, he could only groan inwardly at her stubbornness.
"After all," Tsunade said, frowning at the horizon, "we don't even know if these prophecies from the Great Toad Sage are true or false. Isn't it too risky to embark on a journey based purely on something so uncertain?"
She turned her head and looked directly at Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru, what are you thinking?"
"I think the Great Toad Sage's prophecy is something we can treat as a reference," Orochimaru replied calmly, "but it should never be trusted completely."
To him, prophecies were unreliable. The "original Naruto story" he remembered was full of people and events he had neither met nor seen. This world was real—far more real than any story—and the original timeline could not be followed blindly.
Tsunade snorted. "Look at Jiraiya. He believes in that prophecy wholeheartedly. That idiot!"
"Whether he believes in it or not is his own business. We cannot control that," Orochimaru replied with a shrug.
As they walked across the quiet field outside Rain Country, Orochimaru's thoughts drifted. There were no Uzumaki survivors here—he was certain of that. Most of the surviving Uzumaki had fled to the Land of Waves, where they had later encountered other refugees.
Given the current state of the Rain Country—peaceful, prosperous, and stable—Konan and Yahiko's parents lived safely in White Snake Town and White Snake Central Town. With the absence of war, they would never become orphans like in the original timeline.
But even if Nagato did not possess the Rinnegan…
There could be Shortgate, Backgate, Sidelane-Gate—countless potential bearers.
All Uchiha Madara really needed was a suitable "vessel" capable of containing the Rinnegan. Perhaps a surviving Uzumaki had escaped somewhere else entirely.
Nothing could be said for sure.
Orochimaru also refused to believe that he was the reason the Rain Country had changed so drastically. It was Hanzo's decisive policies that transformed the nation into the wealthy, stable state it was today. Orochimaru had simply taken advantage of the circumstances.
If Hanzo had never visited the Land of Waves, he would never have established the battery processing plants or transportation hubs that became the backbone of Rain's economic rise. Without those decisions, Rain would still be the same war-torn land it once was.
"So this is what you call a man's stubbornness?" Tsunade teased, glancing at Orochimaru's hand. "Such unnecessary insistence."
She slowly reached for his hand—her expression subtle, almost hesitant. Just as her fingers were about to touch his—
"Brother Orochimaru!!"
A small figure rushed in and clung tightly to Orochimaru's leg.
Tsunade froze.
I… I almost did it!
Her gaze shifted between Nawaki—hugging Orochimaru's leg like a koala—and her own hand, which had been seconds away from holding his.
---
Chapter 144 — Madara Uchiha Wants to Live Longer
Meanwhile, in the Land of Waves, at the White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Company, the medical chamber was filled with the scent of fresh herbs.
Lan Duo, now entering her second growth spurt, stood naked before Si. She blushed intensely.
"Miss Si… how is my body recovering?"
Si inspected her clinically—cold, professional, detached—as if the beautiful girl before her were simply a medical specimen. She pressed the muscles of Lan Duo's arm, then checked the texture of her back.
"No issues," Si replied flatly.
"The scars are really gone…" Lan Duo murmured, her purple eyes shining. "Does this mean I can stop the medicine now?"
"Continue the treatment," Si said. "Once the itching in your bones disappears, you can stop the oral medicine. The topical treatment will continue for about a month."
Lan Duo's face brightened with joy. She quickly dressed and asked shyly, "Miss Si… would you like to have a meal with me?"
"I have an important experiment coming up next time," Si said, gently patting her head. Then she exited the room.
Ashu was waiting at the door with a briefcase. "Miss Si, here are the blood samples you requested from the Chinoike clan. Is that enough?"
"I asked for samples, not blood donations. This much is unnecessary," Si said, taking the case.
Li Gu waited anxiously by the hall, eyes filled with concern. "Miss Si… how is my sister?"
"She's fine," Si answered. "Just continue giving her the medicine."
Noticing the young man's relief, Si smirked. "If you care about her so much, why do you always treat her so awkwardly?"
Li Gu lowered his head. "Lan Duo fell into a boiling hot spring years ago… it was my fault. If I had protected her better, she wouldn't have—"
"She heard you," Si said, nodding toward Lan Duo, who was glaring at her brother from afar.
Leaving them, Si walked toward the president's office, only to bump into Kakuzu, who was carrying a stack of documents.
"Kakuzu. How are you feeling?" Si asked casually. She could sense he was slowly absorbing natural energy, and even the nutrients from his meals were being converted through the Zero-Tails-enhanced vascular tentacles in his body.
"I feel… great," Kakuzu answered, though he looked annoyed. Orochimaru—Si—never stopped checking on his condition. Did she not trust her own research?
In reality, Orochimaru simply wanted more data. He was certain the Zero-Tails cells could be implanted into others someday.
"Good. Do a physical examination later and send me the data," Si said impatiently. Without waiting for a reply, she stepped into a silver car and headed to the island-laboratory.
---
At the Island Laboratory
Uchiha Madara lay comfortably on a recliner atop a bright red sports car, enjoying the sun. He had already abandoned the idea of using the "power of creation." At this rate, he might not even awaken the Rinnegan before dying.
"You're slow," Madara called as Si's silver car descended from the sky. "Making an old man wait this long is unacceptable."
"Old fossil," Si snapped as she stepped out, flipping him off. "I don't have time to chat with someone who already has one foot in the grave. If you're bored, why not build your own coffin ahead of time? Save me the trouble of paying for one later."
Respect for the elderly?
Affection for the young?
Si had neither.
Madara chuckled without anger. "That girl named Lan Duo… how are you treating her? I've heard some things about the Chinoike clan."
"Treating her? What's there to treat?" Si replied bluntly. "The Chinoike clan was escorted into Hell Valley by the Daimyō of the Land of Lightning. The Uchiha clan just took the money and did the job. What's wrong with that?"
Madara sat up. "Do you think the Uchiha were in the wrong?"
"There is no 'right' or 'wrong' there," Si said. "The Uchiha were mercenaries. They protected whoever paid them. Why would I judge that? Are you senile?"
Madara's eyebrow twitched. Kara Zetsu, hiding underground, was silently screaming. Why did Madara willingly come here just to be insulted by this woman? Did he enjoy being scolded by strong, violent young women?
But Madara had a purpose.
Si's capabilities were extraordinary—bordering on monstrous. If anyone could prolong his life through Hashirama's cells, it would be her.
He needed to build a working relationship with her before revealing his identity. If he tried using a cursed seal on her, she would likely retaliate with the terrifying chakra explosives she specialized in.
Si was the type of person whose vengeance transcended generations. Anger her, and not even one's ancestors' graves would be safe.
Madara understood that perfectly.
---
Orochimaru's New Discovery
After teaching a sealing lesson at the Academy, Orochimaru returned to the lab exhausted. He collected the blood samples from the Chinoike clan and began analysis.
The Ketsuryugan's ability to manipulate water and shape it into biological forms was not about literal water manipulation—it was about using blood as a medium for a special chakra that could contaminate and control.
Just like Sharingan required emotional stimulation to awaken, Ketsuryugan also needed a powerful emotional trigger. Once awakened, it produced a unique chakra that allowed the user to contaminate another person's blood… and even turn them into living time-bombs.
Contamination…
Orochimaru's golden eyes lit up.
What if the Chinoike ability to contaminate blood could be modified to contaminate chakra?
That would solve the greatest weakness of the Chakra Poison—the slow spread.
If contamination and propagation happened simultaneously, then anyone infected would lose all ability to mold chakra instantly.
A perfect crippling weapon.
The realization hit him like a thunderbolt.
Mio walked over. "Do you need Chinoike cells cultured?"
"It won't hurt," Orochimaru replied. "It may be useful"
The sun shone brightly over green, rolling wheat fields. Children ran through the crops with carefree laughter.
Jiraiya stopped walking.
He looked around slowly, stunned.
Is this… really the Rain Country?
For a moment, he wondered if he had somehow wandered back into the Land of Fire
The towering mountains stretched endlessly before him—unyielding, jagged peaks forming the legendary Rain Mountain Range. Jiraiya had heard rumors about the drastic changes that had occurred in this region, but seeing the mountains with his own eyes was a completely different experience. Their sheer scale and unbroken formation made them look less like a natural landscape and more like a divine creation deliberately placed to divide the Land of Rain from the Land of Rivers.
If the mountain range itself was already this astonishing, then what unimaginable force could have reshaped Rain Mountain into this vast range overnight? The thought unsettled him. Was such a transformation even possible through ninjutsu?
Jiraiya couldn't help but think of an old legend.
Could this really be the work of the Sage of Six Paths?
The idea seemed absurd—yet the evidence stood before him in stone.
As he continued his journey, Jiraiya entered White Snake Hub Town, and the contrast stunned him. Smooth, paved roads stretched in clean lines, small trucks shuttled between marketplaces, and pedestrians walked along neatly built sidewalks. The prosperity felt almost surreal compared to the chaotic reputation the Land of Rain once had.
From White Serpent Central Town to White Serpent Electric Town, the land bustled with development, technology, and industry. Yet when Jiraiya traveled beyond these towns, everything changed. The prosperous scenery gave way to desolation—a barren land scarred by decades of conflict.
Locals informed him that this region had served as the primary battlefield for clashes between the major ninja nations. The people of the Land of Rain rarely ventured here, knowing it was the graveyard of countless shinobi.
Jiraiya knelt, picking up a worn kunai from the ground. Deep scratches carved across its surface told the story of a desperate life-or-death struggle. Here, he found remnants of shinobi from every great nation: broken armor plates from Iwagakure, shattered forehead protectors from Konoha, Sunagakure, Kusagakure—even the iron masks of samurai from the Iron Country. Smaller nations' insignias lay scattered among them.
The soil seemed stained with layers of old blood. Before him was a battlefield that looked like a different world entirely—one where time, peace, and civilization had no place.
Jiraiya sighed. In the Land of Rain, peace and war existed side by side, separated only by a few miles of land.
---
Land of Waves – Mangrove Forest
The gentle sound of waves echoed through the mangroves. Uzumaki Chigusa, wearing a flowing white dress and a straw hat, stepped barefoot into the clear, shallow water. Her red hair fluttered as she pressed her snow-white toes onto a crab's claw poking out of the sand. The crab clamped its claw repeatedly, trying in vain to pinch her.
Chigusa glanced back with a playful smile at Orochimaru, who sat atop the massive Chimera Insect King.
"How did someone as busy as you find time to visit the Land of Waves?" she teased.
Then she corrected herself, "No—how did you find time to visit me?"
"I made you a promise, didn't I?" Orochimaru replied, pulling a folded manuscript from his sleeve.
It was the draft of his new book.
Orochimaru had recently snuck off to secretly watch the film adaptation of his first book. To his surprise—and faint horror—the screenwriter had taken his educational, boss-fighting adventure novel and transformed it into a romance story that captivated thousands of young readers.
He hadn't expected his pen name Miya to become so popular either. The warm reception of the novel genuinely shocked him.
Wait… did I accidentally write a romance novel?
Impossible! I wrote a manual on forbidden techniques!
SPLASH.
Orochimaru snapped back to reality, watching as Chigusa flicked a crab through the air using only her toes.
The Chimera Insect King lifted its claws, caught the crab neatly, and gulped it down. The creature then lifted its massive claw again, twisting it as though trying to convey some kind of dramatic expression.
"My collection from Uzushiogakure… such a shame it was lost," Chigusa sighed, reading through Orochimaru's pages.
"If dear Mr. Miya wishes, I could—"
"Don't even think about it," Orochimaru said sharply. He was not about to rewrite dozens of lost draft books from scratch.
"You're right… let those collections sink into history like Uzushiogakure… sniff, sniff…"
Chigusa covered half her face with the manuscript, letting out exaggerated sobbing sounds—complete with dramatic "hic-hic" effects.
"Who cries out loud with 'hic-hic'?!"
Unable to tolerate it, Orochimaru practically shouted.
"Yes!" Chigusa suddenly pulled the manuscript down, revealing a pair of bright red, theatrically sparkling eyes. If dramatic crying could earn Oscars, she would win every year.
"Chigusa—you're a terrible adult! It's been years and you still haven't changed at all!"
Realizing Chigusa wasn't truly upset, Orochimaru finally relaxed.
"My, thank you for the compliment," she said sweetly, squinting her red eyes with mischief.
"I wasn't complimenting you!"
Before he could say another word, Chigusa suddenly lunged at him.
Her straw hat flew upward and landed perfectly on the Chimera Insect King's enormous claw. The creature tilted the hat, adjusted its angle, and somehow produced an expression of smug sophistication.
Orochimaru stared in disbelief as his giant insect familiar admired itself.
"…I'll buy you a real toy," he muttered, patting the creature on the head.
Chigusa pouted. "Popular author Mr. Miya would never refuse a fan's humble request…"
"Ow!" she yelped as Orochimaru lightly raised a fist in warning.
"How did you pick up these bad habits from Naino? You've become so violent!"
"And you conveniently forget how you used to criticize my books?" Orochimaru glared.
Chigusa placed a hand dramatically on her chest. "My criticism comes from a place of literary appreciation!"
Sure it does… Orochimaru thought helplessly. She clearly enjoyed teasing him.
A white snake extended from Orochimaru's sleeve, snatched the straw hat off the Chimera Insect King, and returned it to Orochimaru, who placed it firmly back onto Chigusa's head.
The Chimera Insect King looked heartbroken at the loss of its toy.
Orochimaru looked back toward Chigusa. "I need to return soon. Keep monitoring the Chinoike Clan. Their Ketsuryugan awakens through strong emotional stimulation—less likely to produce extremists than the Uchiha, but still possible."
Chigusa nodded reluctantly.
"Oh? That's all you have to say?" She looked down at her dress, clearly fishing for a reaction.
"It suits you well," Orochimaru said finally, noticing her intention.
Chigusa smiled triumphantly. "You still have good taste."
"If you're discovered, just say I asked you to observe the clan," Orochimaru warned. "Some things are my responsibility—don't take everything onto yourself."
Chigusa stepped forward and hugged him gently.
"Orochimaru… kind people don't make good ninja."
"Kind? Me?" Orochimaru froze, stunned.
He was too surprised to react before she let him go.
---
Land of Fire – Konoha
Thanks to Tsunade's improvements, portable medical kits had become commonplace in Konoha. Every shinobi now carried one on missions, stocked with compact tools and medicines for emergency treatment.
At the Senju residence, Tsunade rummaged through her grandfather's old storage room. Various relics—gambling paraphernalia, old scroll seals, forgotten trinkets—were stacked in dusty piles.
While searching, she uncovered a rotting wooden box. Its surface was so worn that the writing on it was nearly unreadable.
Lightning Release: Lightning Sensory!
She channeled chakra into her nerves, sharpening her reflexes, then opened the box cautiously. Inside lay an old scroll, its material unlike any used today.
Could this be a forbidden technique of the Senju Clan?
To her surprise, the scroll contained not jutsu—but a map.
The marked location wasn't far from Konoha; it was once a battlefield between the Senju and Uchiha clans.
"A buried treasure, maybe?" Tsunade's eyes sparkled.
She rushed into the kitchen, where Orochimaru was cooking. "Orochimaru! Let's go treasure hunting!"
"Treas— What are you, six years old?" Orochimaru muttered, glancing at her as she leaned dramatically through the doorway.
Tsunade thrust the map toward him. "It's real! My grandfather must've left this!"
Orochimaru examined the scroll closely. "This material… I saw similar scrolls in Uzushiogakure's library. It's at least a hundred years old."
"See? We might find something valuable!"
Orochimaru sighed.
If she's happy, that's good enough