After drawing blood, Genie Lamp returned Naruto to Jiraiya and logged out.
As young Naruto struggled to get away from Orochimaru's arms, he actually seemed a little reluctant.
This made Jiraiya feel very upset. He had raised Naruto from a baby, and the little guy's attitude was still like this.
Orochimaru faked a few laughs. To think that Naruto's place in his heart was higher than his own, who could he complain to?
With this thought, Jiraiya's gaze became extremely unfriendly, and Orochimaru's smile on his face seemed exceptionally glaring to him.
"..."
Taking a sip of tea, Orochimaru hid his smugness and said, "So many days have passed, how is your Senjutsu training? Can you enter Sage Mode on your own?"
Jiraiya shook his head and said, "It's not that simple. I'm still a little short."
Orochimaru raised his eyebrows. "It seems you've wasted a lot of time on this child."
Jiraiya frowned at these words. Although it was true, the word 'wasted' felt a bit too much from a personal point of view.
Just as he was about to speak out in protest, he saw Orochimaru close his eyes and focus his mind. Some eyeshadow-like lines appeared around his eyes, and his overall demeanor changed quite a bit.
Jiraiya was extremely surprised, and his voice rose eight octaves, "Sage Mode? You actually learned it?"
After Orochimaru returned from Ryuuchi Cave, he didn't talk much about Senjutsu. Jiraiya thought he had failed again. He didn't expect that he had already learned it, and his progress was even ahead of him. He could enter Sage Mode on his own.
On one hand, Jiraiya was happy for Orochimaru, but on the other hand, he was very depressed.
Whether it was Naruto or Senjutsu, this guy was here to provoke him today, wasn't he... This scoundrel!
"..."
Seeing Jiraiya's somewhat angry expression, Orochimaru grinned, revealing four sharp teeth.
Using Senjutsu to provoke Jiraiya?
Seeing him indulge in taking care of a child and neglecting his own training, Orochimaru did have this idea on a whim.
But this wasn't the main reason he came to find Jiraiya.
"I will be leaving the village for a while soon."
Orochimaru put the teacup on the table and said slowly, "I plan to bring Tsunade back."
"Soon?"
Jiraiya frowned.
Before thinking about why Orochimaru wanted to find Tsunade and whether he could bring Tsunade back, Jiraiya first considered the impact of Orochimaru's departure on the village.
"You should know that the village is currently putting pressure on Kumogakure and may need you to cooperate with the operation at any time..."
After a pause, Jiraiya said, "The old man won't let you leave."
Orochimaru knew that what Jiraiya said was true. Things were different now than in the past, and he couldn't leave the village without permission like last time.
Otherwise, it would be disregarding the interests of the village.
This was almost an insurmountable bottom line.
Within this line, he could do whatever he wanted, disrespecting Danzo to his left and confronting the two Hokage advisors to his right. The villagers and ninjas in the village wouldn't have any opinions about this, and would just see it as a power struggle among the higher-ups.
But during wars with other ninja villages, concepts like 'village' and 'compatriots' would be magnified limitlessly. If you didn't understand the big picture, didn't prioritize the overall situation, and didn't put the village's interests first, you weren't a compatriot.
If you weren't a compatriot, then regardless of being a 'Konoha Sannin', besides the word 'Konoha', you were just a powerful ninja.
The villagers' thoughts were very practical. If you couldn't protect them, even the most powerful ninja was just an outsider.
Being a village traitor also required skill.
For example, Danzo. Over the years, he had done many things stained with the blood of his compatriots through unscrupulous means, but he maintained the persona of "Who says only those in the light are heroes."
Therefore, even though many people had reservations about Danzo, there was no valid reason to dismantle his Root organization.
Another example is Hatake Sakumo, the opposite case. For personal reasons and feelings, he openly disregarded the village's interests, which led to a wave of rejection from the villagers and ninjas in the village.
Of course, some people might have taken the opportunity to stir up trouble, but in the end, it was the villagers who felt uneasy.
They weren't fools. In the ninja world, as ordinary people, they were well aware that they had no power to restrain a ninja, a strong ninja of Kage level strength.
But the villagers were not just individuals; they were part of the village. And it was from this perspective that they viewed Hatake Sakumo's actions, and anger naturally arose.
— If you harmed the village's interests for personal feelings today, who knows what you would do tomorrow.
Hatake Sakumo saved his comrades, which indeed showed his personal feelings, but it also violated the will of the village, so he suffered backlash.
The past serves as a lesson for the future. Orochimaru naturally would not ignore the valuable experience of his predecessors.
The longer he interacted with Genie Lamp, and the more he understood the word 'leek' (referring to someone easily exploited), the more he realized how precious his current status and influence in Konoha were, and he was naturally unwilling to give it up easily.
Therefore, even if it was just superficial effort, it still had to be put in.
"I naturally understand the old man's thoughts."
Orochimaru toyed with the teacup in his hand and smiled, "That's why I need you to help me persuade him."
"You want me to persuade the old man?"
Jiraiya raised his eyebrows. "Then what reason will you give me to convince me?"
He was not someone who disregarded the overall situation.
"It's very simple." Orochimaru licked his lips. "Even if Iwagakure and Kumogakure fight, given the old man's personality, he will only watch from the sidelines, letting the two villages exhaust their war potential. Konoha and Kumogakure will not fight."
"So, even if I am sent to the battlefield, my role would only be deterrence, and there are actually many alternative methods for this."
Jiraiya nodded, admitting that what Orochimaru said made a lot of sense, but it wasn't enough.
There were indeed many alternative methods, but having Orochimaru go would undoubtedly be the most effective one.
Orochimaru's Ninjutsu and combat style had a deterrent effect on enemies in ninja wars, one level higher than his own.
"On the other hand, the current situation developed to this point, fundamentally due to the Fourth Raikage being seriously injured."
A hint of playfulness appeared in Orochimaru's eyes. "And besides me, there is another person in the ninja world who can help him recover from this injury."
"Guess, will Kumogakure think of this way to break the deadlock?"
Jiraiya's expression changed, and his grip on Naruto faltered.
After a moment of silence, he said, "Tsunade, she knows what's important and won't go to treat the Fourth Raikage's injuries. Kumogakure may not have the courage."
"No, you haven't fought that big guy, you don't understand his temperament. For the sake of the village, he won't fear these risks."
Orochimaru grinned meaningfully. "Moreover, Tsunade may not necessarily refuse to treat the Fourth Raikage."
"Although she is not afraid of death, she is afraid of the people around her dying. Dan's niece—Kato Shizune, is her weakness."
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