Whoosh! Two pairs of eyes simultaneously turned toward the source of the sound. The two men, who had just been locked in a tense confrontation with blades drawn, suddenly seemed to reach an unspoken consensus—to deal with this outsider together.
Saitama stood atop a tree branch, his face hidden behind a smooth wooden mask he had just crafted using [Wood Release] to conceal his features.
For now, he didn't want more people knowing that he was still alive. It was too soon. Not yet the right time.
Jiraiya kept a wary eye on Orochimaru's movements while observing the figure standing calmly on the branch.
"Who are you?" Jiraiya narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone clearly unfriendly.
He wasn't foolish, though. He knew that anyone capable of approaching them so closely without either noticing must be someone formidable.
"Hello there, esteemed seniors!" Saitama spread his hands outward casually, feigning relaxation.
In truth, every muscle in his body was tense. Only now did he realize how reckless his actions had been.
Although Orochimaru and Jiraiya had known each other for many years, they had always maintained a fragile relationship. Whatever issues existed between them were strictly their own affair.
If a third party showed up at a moment like this, their natural reaction would be to temporarily unite.
Orochimaru's serpentine pupils narrowed thoughtfully. This sudden stranger, though hiding his appearance—even altering his voice—felt familiar somehow. His sixth sense told him he definitely knew this person, possibly very well.
A faint smile curved his lips. He was reminded once again how deeply this world still concealed its mysteries, all waiting for him to unravel. Even beside him existed people whose motives remained obscure.
"If you'd prefer to leave now, I can hold off Jiraiya for a bit. Otherwise, I'll step aside immediately."
Saitama signaled to Orochimaru, while several chakra signatures approached from a distance.
Obviously drawn here by the earlier battle between Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
"Oh?" Orochimaru glanced sideways at Jiraiya and suddenly pushed off with his foot, creating some space.
Jiraiya, hearing those words, felt a chill run through him, stepping back instinctively as well.
"Though I don't know who you are, you're genuinely intriguing!"
As he spoke, Orochimaru lifted his leg, readying himself to retreat—placing trust in the masked figure's ability to hold off Jiraiya.
"Orochimaru, don't run!" Seeing Orochimaru attempt to flee, Jiraiya ignored the figure standing on the branch and charged directly toward him.
Shuuu! The branches rustled as Saitama disappeared from sight.
Saitama blocked the path between Orochimaru and Jiraiya while Orochimaru continued running away without even glancing back.
The approaching chakra signals grew stronger nearby. Although he was one of the Sannin, he wasn't invincible. Retreating safely made the most sense.
As for this mysterious newcomer, Orochimaru chose—for now—to place his trust.
"Out of my way!" Jiraiya glared at the figure interrupting his charge, surprised by the speed but showing no hesitation in attacking.
[Rasengan]
A swirling blue sphere formed in Jiraiya's right palm before racing straight toward Saitama.
Crackle!
Buzzing with electric energy, Saitama showed no fear and charged straight in.
A Rasengan formed in his right hand as well, but its chakra glowed with a darker hue.
Boom! Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. He hadn't expected Saitama to know this move at all. While surprised, he began speculating about Saitama's true identity.
The two Rasengans crashed together. They were equal for a second, then exploded, sending shockwaves flying in every direction.
Saitama staggered slightly backward, retreating several steps.
Indeed, the counterfeit version still fell short compared to the original.
He thought to himself — a technique like [Rasengan] wasn't something a reincarnated person like him would ignore. So he'd been practicing it all along.
"Who exactly are you!" Jiraiya demanded in a low voice, questioning Saitama.
Before coming here, Saitama had specifically changed out of that flashy coat to avoid unnecessary trouble, taking back the black robe inherited from Madara Uchiha.
During the fight with Jiraiya, he hadn't even used the Sharingan.
Jiraiya's muscular frame heaved as his gaze shifted to behind Saitama.
"Since Orochimaru has already left, I think there's no need for me to stay either. Don't you agree, Jiraiya?"
Testing cautiously, Saitama took a step back and surprisingly noticed Jiraiya made no move.
Swish! Electrifying his legs, Saitama prepared to escape.
His sensory perception told him that Orochimaru's chakra signature had already vanished.
During the time he'd kept Jiraiya occupied, Orochimaru had disappeared completely.
Originally, Saitama had just wanted to witness an interesting show. Assisting Orochimaru had merely been an impulsive decision.
[Wild Lion's Mane Technique!] Jiraiya shouted, his eyes flaring wide open. He formed ninja seals across his chest while forcefully stomping both feet on the ground.
This opponent gave him a strangely familiar feeling, so he was determined to capture him.
Before the words finished echoing, his hair came alive behind him, becoming both nimble and firm.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh! The white strands twisted into a dense web, wrapping around Saitama. In an instant, the retreating Saitama was trapped by Jiraiya's technique.
"Let me finally see who you really are!" Crouching low, Jiraiya manipulated his chakra continuously, making the hair increasingly rigid.
Snap! Cracks seemed to appear on Saitama's body, while visible fractures started forming across his face.
"What!?" Shock coursed through Jiraiya, immediately loosening the hair restraints binding Saitama.
The restrained figure had slowly turned into a wooden decoy, already pressed to the point of showing fine cracks due to his jutsu.
"How is that possible!?" Jiraiya momentarily lost focus. As one of Konoha's Three Legendary Sannin, there was no way he wouldn't recognize this technique.
The mysterious person had clearly just used the [Wood Release Clone]!
Looking around, Jiraiya found that the enigmatic figure had vanished from his perception.
Shua shua shua!
"Jiraiya-sama, what happened?" Several Anbu ninja arrived beside him, puzzled as they stared at the wooden decoy on the ground.
"This is!?"
An ANBU ninja took a deep breath. As the highest-ranking unit in Konoha, they naturally knew how to assess situations.
"Jiraiya, did he get away?" Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived as well, his voice carrying a hint of weakness.
"Hey old man, come check it out!" Jiraiya nodded while beckoning the Third over.
Upon hearing that Orochimaru had escaped, realization flickered across Hiruzen's eyes. He moved forward to stand beside Jiraiya.
He hadn't been faking earlier—he'd genuinely fallen victim to Orochimaru's poison, leaving his body still weak right now.
"This... this is [Wood Release]?" The Third walked up next to Jiraiya. Since he hadn't been standing where Jiraiya was before, he hadn't noticed this detail until now, and immediately called out in surprise.
"Is this... something Orochimaru created?" The Third looked astonished. While he knew about Orochimaru's secret research into forbidden techniques, he hadn't expected Orochimaru would actually succeed?
"No, it was another mysterious figure. I couldn't stop him!"
Jiraiya frowned slightly, his eyes revealing deep thoughts.
The Third fixed his gaze on the Wood Release remains as well, sinking into contemplation.
He knew Danzo had been collaborating with Orochimaru, working on some projects together.
And his old comrade Danzo had implicitly approved many things, including one youth who could wield [Wood Release].
However, that youth should still be under Danzo's control, lacking the capability to escape from Jiraiya. Could this possibly be that youth?
The Third felt a headache coming on, apparently worsened by the lingering poison effects that started clouding his mind.
"Let's go back first. Issue a wanted notice, announcing Orochimaru as a rogue ninja. The reason will be massacring fellow village ninjas!"
The Third patted Jiraiya's shoulder. Though he might have forgiven Orochimaru personally, his actions couldn't be overlooked.
"Old man, the battle with Mist is basically wrapping up. I've made up my mind to keep chasing Orochimaru. I want to bring him back!"
Jiraiya paused briefly before speaking to the Third.
Hiruzen was momentarily taken aback, his aged face showing signs of melancholy.
"Let's talk after we get back first!"
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