Jiraiya fell silent after hearing Orochimaru's words.
If everything in life went smoothly—
How could a person ever grow?
If he had won Tsunade's heart, watched Naruto become Hokage, and brought Orochimaru back—
That version of Jiraiya would not be the same as the one sitting here now. He would have changed.
And that Jiraiya would never have infiltrated Amegakure, risking his life to deliver crucial intelligence.
Because…
He would have been unwilling.
Unwilling to lose that life. Unwilling to let a version of himself who had already filled his regrets simply die like that.
"Didn't expect the future you to be this talkative."
"You're becoming less and less like yourself."
Jiraiya wiped the moisture from the corner of his eye and smiled faintly.
"But it sounds like everything eventually returned to peace."
"So what's your plan now?"
Orochimaru replied calmly, "I've already obtained power and immortality."
"If I'm to go further…"
"Then I will create life."
Jiraiya's eyelid twitched violently.
He knew Orochimaru's personality all too well.
A certified madman.
Create life?
Surely he wasn't planning to give birth himself?
To experience motherhood firsthand?
Hmm…
Honestly, it sounded possible.
"Don't overthink it."
"Creating life isn't difficult. I have no interest in doing it the primitive way. I'll use science."
"That's the only way to produce a perfect lifeform."
"And that life will carry all my aspirations—born with a flawless Sage Mode."
"He will live in the sunlight, guided by his own will."
Orochimaru waved a hand dismissively as he explained.
To a fanatic of scientific research—
Only science and technology were the primary productive forces.
Otherwise…
To artificially create a being born with Sage Mode, without relying on later training—
That would be pure fantasy.
"Did you succeed?" Jiraiya asked, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
"Of course."
Orochimaru smiled and handed him a photograph.
In it stood Orochimaru beside a blue-and-white-haired boy.
The boy resembled him—amber eyes, pale skin, slender build, dressed in blue and white garments.
"His name is Mitsuki," Orochimaru said softly.
"He's now teammates with Naruto's son."
"Can't believe Naruto has a son already…"
Jiraiya sighed and returned the photo.
After that, the two talked for a long time.
From studying ninjutsu together, to carrying out missions.
From becoming the legendary Sannin of Konoha, to walking separate paths.
During this time, Rem brought Orochimaru a bottle of Erguotou.
Just then—
Out of the corner of his eye, Orochimaru noticed Ron beckoning a wolf over to the bar.
"This flashlight can only shrink things right now."
"Can you add enlargement—and perhaps partial resizing?"
Ron handed the shrinking flashlight to Gray Wolf.
"No problem."
"Should take about half an hour."
"And here's the longevity pill you asked me to refine last time. I've eliminated all side effects."
Gray Wolf accepted the flashlight and handed Ron a black pill.
The longevity pill had been obtained from Yuan Tiangang a few days earlier.
Because the ingredients were extremely difficult to find, it had taken Gray Wolf several extra days to complete.
"Good work."
Ron smiled. "Drinks are on me this month."
"You're too kind, Boss. I'll get started."
Grinning, Gray Wolf trotted back to his table and began modifying the flashlight.
After the previous incident with Bald Qiang, Aizen didn't dare complain. He simply followed instructions, fetching tools as ordered.
At the bar—
When Orochimaru heard the words "longevity pill," he froze.
He had spent his entire life pursuing immortality.
And now someone could achieve it with a pill?
"May I examine it?" he asked quietly.
"Of course."
Ron handed it over with a smile.
Orochimaru examined it carefully.
It appeared to be nothing more than a blend of ordinary herbs.
And this granted immortality?
It defied logic. Completely defied logic.
If he had laboratory instruments here, he would dissect its entire composition.
"Don't look so shocked."
"In this tavern, the impossible is simply normal."
"Look at the wolf behind you."
Jiraiya took a sip of sake and chuckled.
Orochimaru turned instinctively.
Gray Wolf was holding a chainsaw in one hand and a pickaxe in the other, aggressively dismantling and reassembling the flashlight.
He conducted repeated tests as he worked.
When he aimed it at a wine glass and pressed the button—
The glass instantly shrank.
Pressing it again—
The glass expanded dozens of times larger.
"How is that possible?"
Orochimaru's pupils contracted sharply, awe creeping into his voice.
"That's the magic of this tavern."
"It gathers the strongest warriors, scientists, and inventors from countless worlds."
Jiraiya grinned.
In all their years together—
Whether mastering forbidden techniques or facing deadly missions—
Orochimaru had always remained composed.
This expression of astonishment—
Even Jiraiya had never seen before.
"How fascinating…"
Orochimaru closed his eyes briefly, sensing the presence of everyone in the tavern.
His eyes lit up.
Indeed…
Not a single person here was ordinary.
At that moment, Yuan Tiangang spoke softly.
"Does pursuing eternal life truly hold meaning?"
Orochimaru glanced at the masked man and smiled faintly.
"And in your eyes, what is the meaning of life?"
"Is it not meaningless as well?"
"If meaning exists, it only does so when life is eternal."
"Life has no meaning because death is inevitable."
"But if certain deaths contribute value toward humanity's pursuit of immortality—"
"Then those deaths gain meaning."
To Orochimaru—
Only by achieving immortality could he use endless time to uncover every truth he wished to know.
Yuan Tiangang shook his head.
"When you have lived five hundred years… a thousand years…"
"When no one remains qualified to converse with you, no one capable of understanding you—"
"You will realize."
"Living can also become unbearably dull. Exhausting."
Orochimaru countered calmly,
"I have witnessed too many deaths. I know how fragile life is."
"When it took me a month to master a single forbidden technique, I realized my limited lifespan was insufficient to learn all ninjutsu."
"So…"
"When I broke free from the constraints of time and achieved immortality—"
"Sharingan, Mangekyō…"
"They would all become nothing more than passing sights along the way."
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