The next day, on the ruins of Orochimaru's base, no one would come to clean up the aftermath of the battle.
Jiraiya crouched in front of a section of ground that had clearly collapsed downward, its edges molten. His long white hair hung down, and his brows were tightly furrowed.
He extended two fingers, pinched a bit of charred soil, brought it to his nose to sniff, and then licked it extremely quickly with his tongue (Fukasaku the Sage: "Little Jiraiya! That's dirty!"), before spitting it out with a "Pei."
"No mistake, there are traces left by Amaterasu here, as well as the putrid smell of snake bodily fluids and molted tissue, mixed with the pungent scent of some high-concentration culture medium."
Jiraiya stood up, clapped his hands, and his expression turned solemn.
"That guy Orochimaru had a sizable hideout here, and it's been wiped out."
Shima the Sage crouched on his shoulder, her small toad face scrunched up.
"Pa, there are also several other residual Chakra signatures; they're very chaotic and intense."
Fukasaku nodded and hopped to the edge of the collapse, carefully observing the traces of overturned soil and shattered rocks.
"The battle was intense but ended quickly. It was fought underground, and it seems they didn't continue after the ground collapsed."
Jiraiya rubbed his chin.
"Regardless, that guy Orochimaru definitely isn't dead. Let's keep looking." Jiraiya scanned the dense forest surrounding them.
He looked deeper into the forest, where the mountains began to steepen and the mist grew thicker.
Fukasaku and Shima nodded simultaneously and hopped onto Jiraiya's shoulders. Jiraiya's figure quickly vanished into the depths of the woods, tracking in that general direction.
Hyuga Clan Compound, Hinata's small courtyard.
The sunlight was just right. Hinata sat cross-legged under the veranda with a book spread out before her, but she clearly wasn't reading it. She was focused on a... bowl in her hands.
Inside the bowl was neither tea nor medicine, but a mass of crystal-clear, slightly trembling, pale-golden gelatinous substance emitting a sweet fragrance.
This was a "Spirit Fruit Jelly" she had specially prepared for Little White using several kinds of flowers and fruits containing mild Spiritual Energy, along with a bit of honey and some leftovers from refining the "Clear Heart and Bright Eye Ointment" last night.
Little White was coiled in a small bamboo basket with a soft cushion next to her legs.
Hanabi had given her the basket as a gift, intended for Hinata to carry things and fruit; it was very delicately woven.
Now it served perfectly as a nest for Little White.
Little White raised its small head, its vertical pupils fixed on the jade bowl. Its pink tongue flicked in and out rapidly, making faint "hissing" sounds, while the tip of its tail tapped the cushion rhythmically—a little look of being impatient yet trying hard to maintain "decorum."
"Don't worry, it's still a bit hot."
Hinata used a long, thin jade spoon to scoop up a small piece of jelly and gently shook it in the air to cool it down. The jelly quivered in the spoon, reflecting the sunlight and looking exceptionally enticing.
Little White immediately stretched its neck even further, its head moving side to side with the spoon, its eyes not blinking once.
Feeling the temperature was about right, Hinata brought the spoon to Little White's mouth.
Little White immediately leaned in, cautiously touched it with its tongue, then opened its mouth and took a big gulp, rolling the jelly into its mouth.
It narrowed its eyes, its small head swaying slightly as if savoring the taste, then gave a happy "hiss." The rhythm of its tail tapping quickened; it clearly liked it very much.
"Eat slowly, no one is going to take it from you." A hint of a smile flashed in Hinata's eyes as she scooped another spoonful.
This time, Little White didn't wait for her to hand it over; it straightened its upper body slightly and proactively leaned in. After eating, it rubbed its head against Hinata's wrist as if wanting more.
The bowl of jelly was soon empty. Little White coiled back into the basket contentedly, its body bulging slightly in one spot. It basked lazily in the sun, occasionally flicking its tongue, looking quite satisfied.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the trees, dancing on its milky-white scales with faint silver patterns, making it look exceptionally lustrous and cute.
Hinata put away the bowl and spoon, wiped her hands with a clean cloth, and then extended a finger to gently stroke Little White's head.
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