The newly arrived guest was Orochimaru, from the world of Non-Flammable Materials.
One of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha.
A man possessing near-immortality.
He was a randomly invited customer of the tavern, not one belonging to the "pervert" category.
Although he and Jiraiya came from the same world—
What puzzled Ron was that the two of them were not from the same timeline.
That had never happened before.
At that moment—
After hearing Jiraiya's words, Orochimaru instantly understood.
This was…
Jiraiya from many years ago, before infiltrating Amegakure!
Orochimaru stepped forward slowly and reached out to pinch Jiraiya's cheek.
"Tsk—what are you doing?!" Jiraiya winced in pain.
"Just making sure you're not dead. I thought I was seeing things," Orochimaru replied with a faint smile.
"Then why didn't you pinch your own face?"
"Because it hurts."
"You—"
Jiraiya was about to flare up, but instead lowered his head and resumed drinking in silence.
This Orochimaru was… strange.
Not only did he look even more androgynous—
Even his behavior felt oddly different.
Almost… goofy. Like Jiraiya himself.
"Smile a little."
"Aren't you happy to see me? You weren't like this before."
Orochimaru nudged him lightly.
But Jiraiya ignored him, continuing to drink as if deep in thought.
"Are you going to keep ignoring me?"
"Otherwise…"
"I'll turn into a snake, tie you up, crawl into your mouth, and take over your body."
Orochimaru stuck out his long tongue, his neck stretching half a meter upward as he made a ridiculous face.
Seeing this—
Not only Jiraiya, but the surrounding patrons couldn't help but laugh.
He looked refined and elegant.
Who knew he was such a clown…
"Alright, alright."
"You're going to scare the children."
A bitter smile tugged at Jiraiya's lips as he let out a soft sigh.
"That's more like it~"
Orochimaru grinned and sat down, throwing an arm over Jiraiya's shoulder.
Just then—
The tavern door was pushed open once more.
Rayleigh walked in.
Though his complexion was slightly sallow, he carried himself with chest out and chin high.
It was obvious at a glance—
Last night, he had won by sheer number of rounds.
Sometimes men were like that.
If duration couldn't be satisfied, they would make up for it with frequency.
He took a seat at the bar and glanced at the unfamiliar face beside Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya, is this your wife?"
"She's quite pretty~"
"Could some of the plot in Icha Icha Paradise have been inspired by her?"
"Tsk tsk… stories truly come from life."
Jiraiya nearly choked.
He was about to explain when Orochimaru cut in first.
Pinching his throat into a soft, feminine tone, Orochimaru spoke sweetly:
"Old sir, you have sharp eyes."
"We've been married for many years~"
Jiraiya froze for a split second—
Then spat a mouthful of sake straight into Orochimaru's face.
"Pfft!"
Orochimaru calmly wiped the liquor away with his sleeve and smiled.
"You really weren't like this before."
Jiraiya frowned slightly.
"Who exactly are you? The Orochimaru I know isn't like this."
The Orochimaru in his memory was absolutely rational, cold by nature.
He would never joke like this.
Sensing the shift in tone, Orochimaru withdrew his arm and fell silent, considering how to respond.
Saying he was Orochimaru from years after Jiraiya's death was obviously inappropriate.
Claiming to be Orochimaru from Jiraiya's current timeline wouldn't align either.
After a moment of thought, Orochimaru spoke slowly.
"Whether I am myself or not… you should know that better than anyone."
"The old me wanted to become the wind that drove the windmill."
"But now…"
"I wish to experience the joy of waiting for the wind."
"I am still me—the Orochimaru you know. Time simply changes a person."
Jiraiya stared at him in disbelief.
That did not sound like something Orochimaru would ever say.
Wait a minute…
Suddenly, Jiraiya recalled that Ron had once hinted, in vague terms, that he would die in the future.
And when Orochimaru first walked in, he had said—
"You're still alive?"
If that was the case…
Could this Orochimaru be from the future?
It was a bold guess.
But it was the only explanation that made sense.
With that thought, Jiraiya's expression softened.
"You're from the future, aren't you?"
Orochimaru's heart sank slightly.
He fell silent.
It wasn't that he didn't want to answer.
He was afraid that once he did, Jiraiya would ask about his fate…
"Heh."
"I know what you're worried about. Don't."
"I won't ask what shouldn't be asked."
Jiraiya took a sip of sake and spoke calmly.
"What do you want to know?" Orochimaru asked quietly.
"Why have you changed so much?"
After a brief pause, Orochimaru answered:
"After your… many years later—after I was revived—I came to understand one truth."
"That is, to believe in the power of others."
"One person's strength is ultimately limited. Even with science, even with immortality, I cannot surpass individual limits alone."
"So I chose to believe in Sasuke. I gave him everything I could, wanting to see how far we could go together."
Madara was powerful, yet he sought to change the world alone—and was ultimately defeated by it.
Itachi was brilliant, yet he chose to bear the darkness alone—and pushed Sasuke into even deeper darkness.
After resurrection, after learning the whole truth—
Orochimaru finally understood the essence of the Will of Fire.
To believe in others.
"I see…"
"And Naruto?"
"Did he become Hokage in the end?"
Jiraiya asked with quiet curiosity.
"Mmm…"
"Yes."
"But before everything settled, even on the verge of becoming Hokage, he was still taking the Chūnin Exams."
Orochimaru rubbed his forehead helplessly.
"Hahahaha! That sounds like the brat."
Jiraiya burst into laughter and slapped Orochimaru's shoulder.
A tear quietly slid from the corner of his eye.
At least he now knew his friend had returned to Konoha.
Even if it was years later.
And his disciple had become Hokage.
Even if he could not witness it himself.
Still—
It filled a small part of the regret in his heart.
Orochimaru understood.
He could see the lingering regret in Jiraiya's eyes.
Softly, he said:
"The future and the past cannot be changed."
"Just like the three of us Sannin back then—most things never went as we wished."
"Life will never remain flawless and brilliant forever. There will always be deviations somewhere."
"The meaning of life is the same."
"It's like when you step outside and see a flower."
"And for me, for Naruto, for Tsunade—"
"We were fortunate enough to encounter you."
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