Faced with Orochimaru's silence, Jiraiya could hold back no longer and launched his ninjutsu first. [Ninpo: Wild Lion's Mane Technique!]
Instantly, Jiraiya's white hair shot out, growing rapidly and twisting into a lion's head shape as it surged toward Orochimaru.
[Many Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!]
Orochimaru summoned multiple giant serpents in an instant. Midair, they crashed into Jiraiya's hair, the impact ringing like clashing blades. Eventually, the attacks tangled midair, locking into a stalemate.
[Tsunade!] Jiraiya called sharply.
[Coming!]
As fellow members of the Sannin, Tsunade understood immediately. She sprang into the air and threw a heavy punch straight at Orochimaru's position.
*BOOM...*
The entire ground seemed struck by a meteor, collapsing into a crater nearly three meters deep. Meanwhile, the Orochimaru locked in combat with Jiraiya was now nothing more than an outer shell—shattering under Tsunade's blow. His real body had already been spat out from his mouth, narrowly dodging their combined attack.
[Substitution Jutsu]—Orochimaru's signature ultimate technique. He could use an external body as a substitute, ejecting his true form from his mouth without seals. Quick, convenient, and one of the best survival techniques ever devised.
Tsunade wasn't surprised in the least. Her voice dripped with killing intent: [Give it up, Orochimaru. I don't know how you escaped the old man's grasp, but I won't be holding back. If this keeps going, I'll kill you.]
Jiraiya added, [Don't forget—we're the Konoha Sannin.]
[The Sannin?] Orochimaru sneered. [In the end, everything cracks eventually. What can the Sannin do? They mean nothing to me anymore.]
[I knew it,] Tsunade said coldly. [I really hate you, Orochimaru. Guess there's no choice but to knock some sense into you and drag you back. Jiraiya, don't hold anything back.]
[Fine,] Jiraiya replied, his expression turning serious. Time to stop holding back.
Anya, after flying non-stop for ages, was finally nearing Konoha. *I guess I've been gone about two months,* he thought. Probably, my prison term is already up. He wondered if Tsunade had covered for him. Even if things were exposed, he figured the Third would just look the other way anyway. After all, the moment he walked out of the Maximum-Security Wing, the old man basically wanted to let him go free.
All the Third wanted was proof of Anya's loyalty. You can't prove that behind bars.
Anya perfectly understood the Third Hokage's concerns. That's why so far, he'd only killed Nocturne himself without touching Danzo behind him—it simply wasn't the right time yet.
Suddenly, a loud rumbling sound from below caught Anya's attention.
That sound?
Someone was fighting. Such massive energy meant a battle between powerful individuals. Strange—why so close to Konoha? Where were the Leaf ninja? Didn't anyone care?
Anya, driven by curiosity, guided the Hawk Puppet closer. At the center of the battlefield, a forest lay in ruins. In the middle stood three powerful ninja locked in fierce combat.
Upon closer look, weren't those the Sannin? Orochimaru was under attack—why? What had happened? Could it be that he betrayed the village earlier than expected?
Anya looked dazed. Although in the future the Serpent Master (better known as Orochimaru) would indeed betray Konoha, it shouldn't happen this soon; not even the Third War had begun yet. Had his presence caused a butterfly effect?
If there's one thing time-travelers hate, it's when things start veering off course. Therefore, aside from stealing the Scroll of Seals at the beginning, Anya mostly kept a low profile throughout his time in Konoha. Even when the Third pushed him forward in meetings, he joined the Anbu decisively—precisely to avoid standing out. It was a deliberate effort to remain unnoticed and prevent any deviation from the known events. Now it seemed the plot had already changed.
Oh well, change is change. After all, he didn't know much anyway. As long as he possessed power surpassing Madara Uchiha in the future, there would be nothing to fear—he'd already seen how it ends.
Orochimaru, trapped between two opponents, activated Soft Physique Modification. His modified body could freely extend or twist at any angle. Sword of Kusanagi swung wildly from his mouth, facing their pincer attack head-on without showing weakness.
That impenetrable swordplay captivated Anya above. So this was how you attacked! If faced with Orochimaru's tricky angles, how would he defend?
The terrifying Sword of Kusanagi was indestructible, varying in length and delivering extreme threat. However, being fellow members of the Sannin, the differences among them were slight. Though Orochimaru appeared to have the advantage, his room for movement had gradually narrowed.
At this rate, defeat was only a matter of time.
Orochimaru understood this clearly too. His serpentine pupils occasionally constricted as he contemplated breaking the deadlock.
Above, Anya also considered whether to intervene—and what consequences that might bring.
After deep thought, Anya made his decision—to intervene. Orochimaru couldn't be taken back to Konoha. If captured, Konoha's interrogation techniques would surely reveal everything he'd done. Once the Third Hokage discovered that the real occupant of the Maximum-Security Wing for over half a year had been a clone, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Moreover, for Anya himself, Orochimaru becoming a rogue ninja wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Being a missing-nin actually made communication easier later on compared to staying within Konoha. Besides, with Orochimaru's abilities, wherever he went he would certainly achieve something great. He was the perfect ally to back up.
Having decided, Anya began gathering momentum overhead. Then, using the diving force of his Hawk Puppet, he launched a powerful strike straight into the middle of the three combatants: [Sword Art: Draw Technique].
A brilliant jade-colored blade slashed down from the sky. In an instant, it carved through empty space, leaving a deep trench splitting the ground between the battling trio.
"Anya?"
All three exclaimed simultaneously, startled and recognizing his name.
Anya landed and stood with her back to Orochimaru, either intentionally or unintentionally blocking Tsunade and Jiraiya behind her. With a confused look on her face, she turned toward Tsunade and asked, "You're all ninjas from Konoha, so why are you attacking each other?"
Tsunade didn't have time to explain. She blurted out urgently, "You don't understand—move aside quickly!"
Orochimaru's smile widened. Without hesitation, he launched his ninjutsu: [Hidden Shadow Snake Hands].
Twisting serpentine arms coiled around Anya, pinning her down. Orochimaru held the Sword of Kusanagi in hand and pressed the blade against her neck. Then, he extended his tongue and slowly licked his lips before flashing a charming yet sinister grin. "Now that I have a hostage," he said, "I'd advise you not to make any rash moves. Wait until I reach a safe place, and I'll release him. But if you follow me…he dies."
With those words, Orochimaru carried off the captured Anya without looking back, fleeing into the distance…
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