"Nah, is this really Orochimaru with such a pitiful look?"
The two were still locked in a tense stare when a female voice rang out.
"Shup!"
Orochimaru and Jiraiya both slightly turned their heads toward the source of the sound.
There, a familiar figure approached—Tsunade, wearing loose green ninja clothes, her steps rhythmic and purposeful.
Noticing their gazes, Tsunade stopped and stood on a large rock, crossing her arms over her chest, returning their looks with a calm yet composed expression.
"Hmph! Never thought you'd show up too, Tsunade!"
Orochimaru sneered coldly, his yellow eyes flashing with gloom. He hadn't expected to run into Jiraiya today, much less seeing Tsunade again after all these years.
"Tsunade, what are you doing here?"
Jiraiya frowned. He knew about Tsunade's hemophobia, which rendered her practically useless during battles, especially against an enemy like Orochimaru who was well aware of it.
"What? Do both of you also underestimate me just because I'm one of the legendary Sannin?"
Tsunade sounded slightly annoyed. Though she understood Jiraiya meant well, her dominant personality made her respond directly.
"No way, absolutely not!"
Jiraiya grinned, not even worrying about an ambush from Orochimaru, lazily scratching his head.
Orochimaru indeed didn't attack yet. His gaze swept between the two, maintaining his usual icy composure.
"So now it's two against one?" Orochimaru straightened his posture, unfazed by Tsunade's arrival.
He was still confident about taking on just Tsunade alone.
Of course, assuming no additional help would arrive.
"Jiraiya, The Third has come as well. He's fighting Saitama over there. Let's finish off this slimy snake quickly and go check it out!"
Jumping down, Tsunade strode toward Jiraiya, her expression gradually turning serious. Her green robe flared slightly as she moved forward.
"Hehehe..."
Orochimaru tensed his body. When he heard that The Third was fighting Saitama, his heart tightened even more.
As The Third's apprentice, he knew exactly how powerful the mentor was.
Though time and experience had changed The Third to some extent, his combat prowess remained formidable.
Even now, Orochimaru doubted whether he could guarantee a decisive victory over The Third.
"I wonder how Saitama is doing..."
Orochimaru's eyes flickered while thinking about countermeasures. While Saitama was strong, The Third's battle experience surpassed even the amount of rice balls Saitama had eaten—there was no telling who might win.
Though he'd never faced Saitama directly, he was quite familiar with the man, and inexplicably felt confident that Saitama could withstand The Third, especially since he had mastered Sage Art.
"The Third has come as well..." Jiraiya looked at Orochimaru, visibly surprised.
"Orochimaru, nowhere left for you to run this time!"
Switching tones, Jiraiya said to Orochimaru, smiling broadly.
Now alongside Tsunade forming a pincer formation around Orochimaru, they intended to make sure he wouldn't escape.
This was a perfect opportunity to capture Orochimaru. All they needed to do was hold him off until the Third arrived; once that happened, everything would become much easier.
From beginning to end, Jiraiya and Tsunade had never imagined that the Third would fail in battle against Saitama.
"Ugh..."
After Saitama stepped away, a groan rang out from the spot where Hizashi Hyuga had been standing before. The pain in that sound carried a trace of determination.
"Thud!"
The sound of a stone hitting the ground, followed by a burst of dust, finally revealing a hunched figure.
"Cough... cough!"
Hizashi Hyuga held his chest, where a hole as narrow as half a finger's width pierced through. Blood slowly oozed from it.
Had it not been for his Byakugan spotting the trajectory of Saitama's jutsu at the last moment and a slight dodge of his body, that spear of lightning might have directly pierced through his heart and taken his life.
Staggering, Hizashi approached the crater created by the explosion. His gaze first fell upon several comrades, finding them already lying in pools of blood, lifeless. His Byakugan dimmed.
Such an enemy was truly terrifying! Their strength wasn't just overwhelming—it was merciless. No matter the rank, every blow was a killing strike.
However, Hizashi knew this wasn't the time for mourning.
His eyes shifted toward the deep pit below, locking onto a battered figure lying inside.
"The Third..."
Even though completely unrecognizable, he could still identify this broken corpse as the former Hokage of Konoha.
It was hard to believe that such a mighty warrior had actually been killed by the enemy.
"Huff! Huff!"
He didn't immediately descend into the crater to recover the Third's body. Instead, covering his wound, he moved toward the Medical Ninja.
Because of the explosion, the Third's remains would be hard to keep whole. Since death had already occurred, now was not the time to focus on such matters.
The immediate priority was sending this intelligence back to the village and seeing how the Fourth would respond.
Moreover, his own wounds required treatment.
Although sealing the chakra points around the injury with acupuncture slowed the bleeding, without assistance from Medical Ninjutsu, the bleeding continued.
Enduring the pain, he kept his waist bent and walked forward in haste.
"This is having some effect. Continue stimulating him with Electric Shock to keep the patient conscious."
A medical ninja instructed subordinates.
Green glowing light shimmered from her palms while beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
"Understood!"
The ninja beside her nodded. A flicker of electric arcs sparked from her fingertips before she pressed them firmly onto the chest of the injured ninja lying on the ground.
With such severe injuries, he was on the brink of shock and possibly death. Continuous Electric Shock was needed to keep his heart beating and him conscious.
"Lord Hizashi! What happened to you?"
"Quickly, someone! Lord Hizashi is injured!"
Another round of chaotic commotion erupted. The medics who had just treated a few casualties rushed into action once again.
"Boom!"
A seemingly delicate fist smashed into Orochimaru's face, instantly distorting his features as his body flew like a cannonball, crashing against the nearby stone wall.
"Boom!"
Orochimaru was engulfed in dust and smoke, motionless for quite some time.
"Ugh..."
Jiraiya stared at Tsunade, who still maintained her punching posture, suddenly feeling a chill down his spine.
Orochimaru's body was strange—it felt just like an indestructible piece of rubber. Previously, every attack Jiraiya had launched seemed to "slide off" upon contact with Orochimaru's skin, most of the force getting neutralized.
But Tsunade, known as the "Superhumanly Strong," truly lived up to her name!
Jiraiya could clearly sense that punch had landed solidly on Orochimaru this time.
Although it might not immediately incapacitate him, this was undoubtedly a good start.
"Hehe... you're still as violent as ever, but it's meaningless!"
Orochimaru's raspy voice came from behind the stone wall, reaching Tsunade and Jiraiya's ears.
"Click click click!"
Orochimaru appeared unfazed. Though a red mark now adorned his left cheek and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, his tone remained relaxed.
"I hope you'll still feel this brave later!"
Tsunade scoffed coldly and clenched her right fist again.
"Boom!"
Another explosion echoed from afar, causing all three fighters to hesitate momentarily.
They halted mid-move, automatically turning toward the source of the blast.
However, the distance was too great; they couldn't see anything useful, only watching the slowly rising clouds of smoke from the explosion.
"What..."
Jiraiya furrowed his brows, unease growing inside him.
Repeated explosions made him sense that things were beginning to get complicated.
"Whoosh!"
In that moment of distraction, Orochimaru darted forward, appearing suddenly before Jiraiya. He thrust out his right hand, and countless tiny snakes erupted from his sleeve, slithering toward Jiraiya.
[Ninjutsu - Needle Jizo]
Remaining calm, Jiraiya let his hair erupt violently, shooting out countless white needles that pierced through the flashy little snakes.
"Da!"
He waved his right hand again, and the Kusanagi Sword slid from his sleeve into his grip. Taking advantage of the moment, he slashed at Jiraiya's neck.
"Die!"
Tsunade shouted. As Orochimaru advanced, she quickly chased after him, launching another punch.
"That damn woman!"
Orochimaru pulled his sword back, his foot stomping on the ground as he dodged Tsunade's attack, leaping sideways.
"Boom!"
The punch smashed into the ground, instantly shattering everything within a five-meter range around the impact point. Countless fragments of stone shot flying into the air.
Missing her target, Tsunade prepared to continue the chase when Jiraiya moved faster, grabbing Orochimaru's left arm directly and throwing a punch. Yet again, though, Orochimaru slipped away like a snake.
"Slap!"
Orochimaru kicked Jiraiya hard in the shoulder, prompting Jiraiya to release his grip naturally.
Tsunade was already closing in with her next strike.
She stood right behind Jiraiya, their wordless understanding on full display.
"Boom!"
Another punch came flying—[Monster Strength Fist] slammed directly into Orochimaru, sending him soaring backward through the air with a whistling sound.
"Shrrrak!"
The Kusanagi Sword pierced the ground as Orochimaru half-squatted down, his chest caved in slightly.
"Hmph! Let's see how long this slimy snake can keep up his tough talk!"
Tsunade stepped forward in her wooden sandals, one foot landing with a "kacha" sound.
She and Jiraiya stood side by side, facing off against Orochimaru.
"There's something odd about Orochimaru's condition!"
Tsunade noticed his body and voiced her suspicions.
"Mm, must be that body modification he kept bragging about earlier! Taijutsu doesn't do much damage to him anymore—even your Monster Strength Fist."
Jiraiya whispered quietly. He'd been fighting Orochimaru for so long now that he had gathered more information.
"I got it!"
Tsunade pressed her lips together, saying nothing further.
"You holding up okay?"
Jiraiya glanced sideways slightly, watching Tsunade's profile, his tone serious.
"Not bad." Tsunade took a deep breath, steadying herself.
"Then I'll take point from here on. Don't overdo it."
Jiraiya was trying to protect Tsunade. Although Tsunade seemed unaffected by those last few moves, it was only because Orochimaru hadn't targeted her directly yet.
"Cough! Cough!"
Orochimaru bent over slightly, letting out a few dull coughing sounds.
Facing both Jiraiya and Tsunade together, he stood no chance of victory. Even alone, Jiraiya's strength clearly outmatched his. Now with Tsunade added to the mix, handling both of them was truly headache-inducing.
Orochimaru's mind continuously considered countermeasures. He'd already decided—he needed to leave immediately.
As for Saitama, who was fighting The Third, Orochimaru could only apologize. In times like these, personal survival always came first.
Besides, he had confidence in Saitama. Even if Saitama couldn't defeat The Third outright, he should still manage to escape.
"Hey now, looks like things are heating up over here!"
A crisp voice rang out, causing obvious emotional reactions among the three people present.
Jiraiya's reaction was strongest. His head snapped upward instantly toward the direction of the voice, spotting Saitama wearing only a damaged tight battle suit.
"Old man..."
Tsunade's expression also changed noticeably. She looked at Saitama standing atop the cliffside, speaking softly under her breath.
Orochimaru didn't speak. Since Saitama had made it here, The Third's situation became difficult to predict.
Possibly heavily injured? Or perhaps even killed?
Whatever the case, Saitama had shown up fully intact here. That meant The Third's condition definitely couldn't be good!
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, raising his estimation of Saitama again.
"Oh, The Third…"
Saitama didn't answer directly, but his tone said plenty.
Jiraiya's eyebrows furrowed as he struggled to believe the news.
Perhaps Saitama was just trying to shake their morale. Maybe The Third had merely been temporarily restrained somehow, allowing Saitama time to come over here.
Jiraiya emptied his mind and tried to remain calm and composed.
After all, he had never considered Saitama a ninja of the same level as The Third. Even in his old age, The Third was an extremely rare ninja throughout the entire Shinobi World.
No matter how strong Saitama was, his rise had only begun a few years ago. In Jiraiya's mind—and those like him—Saitama's might had yet to truly take shape, despite having previously defeated Kazekage.
"Orochimaru, you're being a bit slow!"
Looking at Orochimaru, Saitama spoke teasingly.
In Saitama's eyes, Orochimaru could've ended the fight a lot earlier if he wanted to. But due to some inexplicable attachment, Orochimaru kept dragging things out without giving it his full effort.
"I know. I'll finish this up right away and leave."
Orochimaru smiled faintly while gently rubbing the area where Tsunade had struck him.
The indentation on his body slowly returned to normal.
Saitama noticed this change in Orochimaru but didn't think much of it.
With some assistance from Saitama, Orochimaru's research into Hashirama's cells had gone far deeper than in his previous life.
Saitama suspected that after perfecting this research, Orochimaru had already started applying its results directly to his own body.
Hashirama's cells could enhance vitality—an ability closely aligned with Orochimaru's little goal of immortality.
"Are you going to continue, Jiraiya? Tsunade?"
Orochimaru took a couple steps forward. His wounds had completely healed, showing no trace of abnormality.
"Tsunade..."
Jiraiya hesitated. Saitama was already over there, but The Third still hadn't moved—it left him uneasy.
If Saitama truly had the strength to defeat The Third, then facing two opponents alone would be extremely difficult for him.
"I'm fine. I can keep going."
Tsunade was mid-sentence when her voice suddenly cut off—as if someone had clamped a hand over her throat like a startled dog.
"Drip!"
Orochimaru stood firm, directly raising his right hand to his mouth. He bit down hard on his finger. A drop of blood dripped out with a 'drip!' sound.
"Tsunade!"
Jiraiya saw what Orochimaru had done and heard Tsunade make an unusual sound. Instantly, he turned sideways to look.
He saw Tsunade staring at Orochimaru's hand—and at the blood on it and on the floor—with fear in her eyes.
She was trembling all over, her pupils widened, sweat forming lightly on her forehead, and her lips had turned pale.
"Thump!"
Saitama jumped down from above. Although his body was very weak, he did not show it. His expression remained calm, even subtly carrying a hint of killing intent.
"It looks like you still haven't gotten over your fear, Tsunade!"
"A ninja afraid of blood? Can she even call herself a ninja anymore?"
Orochimaru ignored his injured hand. His body had already stopped the bleeding naturally, and anyway, his goal was accomplished—he'd left Tsunade too terrified to fight.
Now they were at a two-on-one advantage. Jiraiya would likely consider retreating now.
"Tsunade, it's okay. Don't worry."
Jiraiya wore a bitter smile as his hand rested on Tsunade's shoulder, feeling her fearful reactions caused by Orochimaru's sudden attack.
"Yeah... I understand!"
Tsunade trembled all over, her voice filled with dread toward bloodshed.
"It seems like the two of you aren't planning to keep fighting..."
Orochimaru glanced at Saitama, noticing that his condition wasn't as good as it seemed, then said toward Jiraiya.
"Today, I will take you down—just as I've already said, Orochimaru!"
Jiraiya frowned, clearly unwilling.
"You're welcome to try!"
Orochimaru shrugged, eyes gleaming with amusement as he shifted his gaze back and forth between Tsunade and Jiraiya, his meaning already quite obvious.
"Damn it!"
Jiraiya tightened his face, knowing that in this situation, surviving alongside Tsunade against both Saitama and Orochimaru was already considered lucky.
"Do you want me to kill Jiraiya and Tsunade? You seem hesitant."
Saitama said to Orochimaru, his tone brimming with killing intent.
"Hehehe, no need for you to get involved. This is between me and Jiraiya. Not the right time yet. Besides…you're not yourself either."
Orochimaru looked at Saitama and licked his lips, rejecting Saitama's intention to intervene.
"Not smart to hang around here anymore."
Saitama nodded without insisting further on killing Jiraiya and Tsunade.
That was just a suggestion anyway—he might have wanted to act, but his body made it clear he could only threaten them with words.
"Alright!"
Orochimaru also agreed with Saitama.
"Jiraiya, Tsunade—we'll take our leave for now!"
"Next time we meet, let's settle it once and for all!"
Orochimaru raised his right hand, seemingly friendly in greeting.
[Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes]
At departure, Orochimaru lowered his posture, opening his mouth wide.
As chakra circulated, swarms of snakes poured from his mouth, turning instantly into an ocean of snakes sweeping toward Jiraiya and Tsunade.
Saitama's scalp prickled as he watched the snake swarm emerging from Orochimaru's mouth, immediately getting goosebumps.
"Tsk!"
He jumped back, putting some distance between himself and Orochimaru.
"Well then, see you later, Jiraiya!"
Orochimaru raised his head, eyes deep and fixed on Jiraiya for several seconds before finally turning away to follow Saitama's footsteps.
"What an outrage!"
Jiraiya pulled Tsunade behind him protectively.
[Fire Release - Great Yan Tama]
Irked, he glared at the two retreating figures, anger and helplessness flaring within him before he unleashed all his rage on the swarming snakes.
"Boom!"
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