Information in the shinobi world usually travels slowly. But sometimes, it spreads with terrifying speed.
Take Tsunade's capture, for instance. Only a few hours had passed, yet the major powers had already caught wind of it.
"Tsunade… was captured!?"
Hiruzen frowned deeply as he examined the intelligence before him.
He turned and asked, "Where did this information come from? Can we confirm it?"
The kneeling ANBU in front of him replied respectfully,
"Reporting to Hokage-sama, the source is Orochimaru. We haven't verified its authenticity yet."
"That guy Orochimaru…" Hiruzen furrowed his brow further, his finger tapping lightly on the desk.
"What do we do, Sarutobi? Should we send reinforcements?"
Two Hokage advisors—Koharu and Homura—voiced their concerns from beside him.
Hiruzen fell into silence.
His thoughts wandered to the past—
How he had suppressed the Senju clan, leading to their near extinction...
How Tsunade had refused to return to the village after Nawaki's death…
And how, if Tsunade were rescued, her status and power would guarantee her return—and most likely, she'd be chosen as the Fifth Hokage.
If she returned, what chance would his son have?
With Asuma's limited qualifications and strength, there was no way he could compete against Tsunade. He wouldn't even be fit to tie her sandals.
Hiruzen retracted his hand and spoke coldly:
"We can't confirm if this information is accurate. Orochimaru's a known S-rank rogue ninja. Why should we trust anything he says?"
Homura frowned.
"Still, Sarutobi… this is Tsunade we're talking about. She and Orochimaru were once teammates."
Koharu nodded.
"She's our teacher's granddaughter. And the Senju clan is almost extinct… we can't afford to lose her too."
But Hiruzen's eyes grew darker.
If Tsunade returns…
Then all his secret plans would collapse.
He growled, "Don't forget what Orochimaru did. He's a traitor. Are you suggesting we risk our shinobi's lives for unverified information from him?"
Homura and Koharu were momentarily speechless.
They couldn't understand why Hiruzen was reacting this way.
In the end, they chalked it up to the emotional scars left by Orochimaru's betrayal.
Elsewhere, in a tavern deep in the Land of Fire…
Jiraiya, who was surrounded by two women, blinked at the talking toad in front of him.
"Orochimaru contacted me? What for?"
The toad replied, "I don't know. But he said Tsunade was captured… by someone named Menma."
Jiraiya wasn't surprised that Orochimaru could contact him.
He knew that snake had always been obsessed with forbidden techniques—even ones involving tracking and summoning through blood.
But the moment he heard the message—
Jiraiya exploded from his chair, eyes locked on the toad.
"Tsunade was captured!?"
"Yeah," the toad nodded. Then it opened its mouth and spat out a vial of blood.
"Orochimaru said to give you this. Said you'd know what to do with it."
Jiraiya took the vial, expression grim.
The toad, its mission complete, turned to leave but muttered,
"Don't let that guy summon me again. I hate him. Looks too much like a damn snake."
"I get it. Thanks," Jiraiya nodded solemnly.
Poof!
The toad vanished in a puff of smoke.
Left alone with the blood, Jiraiya's expression flickered between rage and uncertainty. But in the end, he made up his mind.
He dipped his thumb in the blood and slammed it into the floor.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" (Summoning Technique)
BOOM!
A blast of white smoke erupted.
A massive purple serpent slithered out of the smoke, glaring down at Jiraiya.
"Why the hell are you summoning me? Where's that bastard Orochimaru!?"
Jiraiya glared back just as fiercely.
"How would I know where he is!?"
Before the snake could retort, its expression suddenly changed.
It opened its mouth wide in rage.
"Orochimaru, you bastard—how dare you come crawling out of me!?"
Sure enough, from the serpent's gaping maw, a slimy, mucus-covered figure emerged—none other than Orochimaru.
Licking his lips with a serpentine tongue, Orochimaru chuckled darkly.
"Fufufu… don't be mad. I needed a shortcut. I'll repay you with 100 sacrifices."
The serpent growled, "Make it 200, or I'll eat you whole."
"Fine."
Orochimaru didn't argue.
Jiraiya, watching this revolting scene unfold, felt sick.
He knew what those 'sacrifices' were—human lives.
If not for Tsunade's safety, he would've attacked right then and there.
"Orochimaru… is this true? Did someone really capture Tsunade?"
His voice trembled with fury.
"Of course." Orochimaru smirked.
"Regardless of our history, Tsunade was once my teammate. I've been… keeping tabs on her."
"You mean spying."
Jiraiya shot back without hesitation.
"Call it what you like." Orochimaru didn't care.
"But according to my intel, she was taken by an S-rank rogue ninja named Menma, somewhere in the Land of Lightning."
He licked his lips again, voice thick with malice.
"And guess what—he wasn't alone. There was a young Uchiha girl with him. They interrogated Tsunade for hours."
"When she emerged… she was in tatters."
Jiraiya's face turned purple with rage.
The woman he'd always loved…
He couldn't even imagine what they might have done to her.
"Where are those bastards!?" he roared, chakra flaring.
He knew now—this wasn't one of Orochimaru's tricks.
If it were, the snake wouldn't have dared appear before him.
"They're headed to Kumogakure," Orochimaru said with a sly grin.
"If you move quickly, you might just get her back."
"Then what are we waiting for!?"
Jiraiya slammed his hand to the ground.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Gamabunta!"
BOOM!
A massive toad wielding a short blade appeared in front of him.
The toad squinted at the giant serpent nearby.
"Jiraiya. Are we squashing this snake?"
Jiraiya leapt onto Gamabunta's head.
"No time for that. Follow that snake! We're going to Kumogakure—to save Tsunade!"
Gamabunta: "???"
(End of Chapter)
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