Chapter 92: In That Case, I Won't Hold Back!
"Orochimaru?"
No one knew how long the silence lasted, but suddenly, Jiraiya raised his voice.
"You're actually here!"
"…"
Orochimaru stared silently at Jiraiya, feeling incredibly irritated.
He just couldn't understand—why was Jiraiya like a damn housefly? Always showing up at the worst times, in the worst places?
This meeting with Tsunade had been a spontaneous decision, meant to stall Danzo a bit longer. He hadn't told a soul.
So how the hell did Jiraiya still manage to bump into him?
"Fourth Raikage?"
Kakashi was already on high alert the moment he saw Orochimaru. He still remembered the chilling paralysis that struck him during Orochimaru's defection years ago—just one glance, and he couldn't even move.
But he wasn't that same kid anymore. Plus, with Jiraiya here, he didn't need to worry as much.
That said… another dangerous presence caught his attention.
"Why is that guy kneeling on the ground?"
Kitagawa Gen's mind was buzzing. He had anticipated Orochimaru showing up—his system and 'radar' had both warned him—but the Fourth Raikage? That was completely unexpected.
"Did they just rob the Land of Cedar's (Sugi) secret technique, get smacked by the Nokizaru clan, and now they're begging Tsunade for help?"
As the self-proclaimed "info guy," it didn't take him long to piece things together. Kakashi leaned over and whispered:
"Be on alert. If the Raikage is here too, they probably need Tsunade for something urgent."
"Hmph."
The Fourth Raikage snorted, still trying to make sense of the chaos in front of him.
"Jiraiya, Kakashi, some kid… Orochimaru, and Tsunade?"
Was this some kind of Konoha alumni reunion?
No, wait—Orochimaru defected. And Tsunade's been away from the village for years. What the hell was going on?
The Raikage couldn't figure it out, but he was done asking questions. He decided to just observe for now.
"Orochimaru, just the person I needed to see."
Jiraiya was uneasy with the situation, but still—he had found Tsunade, and now even bumped into Orochimaru. This might be the best shot he'd get.
"You—"
"Save it."
Orochimaru cut him off mid-sentence, already guessing what Jiraiya was about to say—something naïve like "come back to the village."
"Why are you always so damn idealistic?" Orochimaru's voice was sharp. "And why is it always so damn irritating?"
"No matter what you say, there are things I have to do!"
Jiraiya wasn't backing down. He stared Orochimaru down with serious eyes.
Danzo's investigation had led to Orochimaru, and Orochimaru was part of that mysterious organization. Running into him now was just too perfect to ignore.
"Then let's see if you're strong enough to stop me…"
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed like a predator's. Without warning, he raised his hand.
"Ninjutsu: Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Dozens of venomous snakes shot from his sleeves, lunging straight at Jiraiya.
But Jiraiya had already anticipated the attack—his hair instantly extended to shield him.
"Ninjutsu: Needle Jizo!"
The snakes crashed into his hardened hair, failing to break through. In the same motion, Jiraiya formed a new hand sign, his spiked hair lashing toward Orochimaru like blades.
Orochimaru dodged with a sidestep, grabbing Kimimaro and leaping out of the building. He knew there was no avoiding this fight now, and such a cramped room wasn't going to cut it.
"You all stay here—I'll deal with Orochimaru. Keep your eyes on those others, too!"
With that warning, Jiraiya darted out after Orochimaru.
Outside the tavern, explosions and tremors shook the air.
"What's going on?!"
"What happened?!"
The nearby residents erupted in panic as the sounds of battle echoed through the streets.
"Get out of here!"
"There's trouble—run!"
Even without looking, Kitagawa Gen and the others could tell the entire district had been thrown into chaos. Civilian spaces were no place for ninja battles.
Even the tavern owner bailed, not daring to charge anyone a single coin. He bolted along with the fleeing crowd.
"Tsunade-sama…"
Kakashi turned to the dazed Sannin beside him, anxious.
"Aren't you going to step in?"
"Step in?"
Tsunade seemed sobered up now. She glanced at Kakashi, then looked outside, and finally shook her head.
"This is their business. I'm not getting involved."
"But… Orochimaru—"
"I said, it's their problem."
Tsunade had no intention of listening to Kakashi.
Orochimaru hadn't enacted any "Destruction of Konoha" plans, hadn't killed Hiruzen Sarutobi, and hadn't used Edo Tensei to traumatize her either.
So while she didn't like Orochimaru, she wasn't at the point of fighting him on sight.
And with Jiraiya showing up to make a scene, she had even less reason to interfere.
"Still… Orochimaru showing up here—could it be…"
Tsunade's expression turned complicated. She thought of that pale-haired kid beside Orochimaru earlier.
The boy looked fine, but Tsunade's trained medical eye had caught the truth instantly:
"Heartbeat irregular… body extremely weak… but powerful chakra—definitely unnatural. He's surviving on meds alone."
She shook her head. Another one come to beg for healing, clearly.
She turned her gaze to Kakashi.
"So… what exactly do you want from me?"
"Tsunade-sama, we're here to bring you back."
Kakashi answered in a low voice. Gen nodded beside him.
"Yes, Tsunade-sama. Mostly because Kakashi-sensei ends up hospitalized for ten days every time he goes on a mission. The Hokage is extremely unhappy with the state of Konoha's medical system, so…"
"…"
Kakashi suddenly froze and glanced awkwardly at Gen.
Fortunately, the Fourth Raikage spoke up then.
"I don't care what reasons you have. But I got here first. I won't take much of her time."
"Tch… never thought I'd see so many big shots show up in one day."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. She hadn't expected an ordinary day to devolve into such ridiculous chaos.
"The Raikage, that idiot Jiraiya, and now even Orochimaru… You people really know how to make things interesting. But tell me something—what makes you so sure I'll go with any of you?"
"Because whether you agree or not, I'll make you say yes—even if I have to use force!"
The Fourth Raikage's tone was cold and resolute.
His words instantly put Kakashi on edge, while Tsunade's brow arched again.
"Use force?" she said, amused. "You really think you know who you're talking to?"
"Oh, I know," the Raikage replied, his eyes narrowing. He rolled his neck, and in the next instant, his entire body moved.
"Then I won't be holding back."
The Raikage wasn't in the mood to waste time. He hadn't expected this much trouble just trying to find Tsunade. The booms coming from outside clearly meant Jiraiya and Orochimaru were already locked in combat—delaying now would only make things worse.
Best to just take Tsunade by force and sort out the rest later.
"Watch out!"
Kakashi's eyes widened. He quickly moved to intercept, while Tsunade's chakra flared to life as she frowned and prepared to fight back.
Buzz—
But before either of them could act, a figure suddenly stepped between them.
Boom—!
A crackling burst of purple lightning erupted, followed by an ear-splitting explosion as the entire tavern collapsed in an instant, shrouded in thick smoke and flying debris.
Whoosh—
Multiple figures shot out of the dust cloud. The Raikage stopped, staring curiously at the teenager who had just blocked him.
"Purple lightning… That's rare. But the intensity—it's impressive."
As a master of Lightning Release, the Raikage had a sharp sense for chakra. He could immediately tell this was no ordinary jutsu. The boy's purple lightning had formed a defensive barrier strong enough to block his strike—hasty as it may have been.
"Konoha's really scraping the bottom of the barrel, huh? Sending a kid like you to face me?"
Despite the wariness he felt, the Raikage's pride as a Kage kept his tone haughty.
"Why don't you get Kakashi over here instead? You're way out of your league."
"Or maybe," the boy replied calmly, "Kakashi-sensei thinks I'm more than enough to handle you."
Without another word, Kitagawa Gen launched forward.
The Fourth Raikage was a rare Lightning Release powerhouse—he had even fought the Yellow Flash in the past. Gen wasn't about to miss this opportunity. Besides, with his current abilities, he could always escape if things turned south.
And right now, no one in the world could rival his escape skills.
"Hmph. If you're so eager to die—"
The Raikage snorted and charged forward. A blue surge of chakra burst around him like a storm, as he met Gen head-on.
BOOM—
Blue and purple chakra-cloaked figures collided, unleashing a thunderous impact and a shockwave visible to the naked eye.
Crack—
The buildings around them split and crumbled under the force of their clash. Deep fractures split the earth beneath their feet, spider-webbing outward in every direction.
"Not bad…"
The Raikage narrowed his eyes. He had to admit—this kid wasn't ordinary. That purple lightning, his speed, his strength—none of it was what he expected.
But instead of worry, it only made him more eager.
"A shame, really," the Raikage said, his voice low. "A kid like you… crossing paths with me."
As he spoke, the Raikage's chakra surged again, his entire body now fully cloaked in crackling blue lightning. His presence intensified, becoming even more oppressive.
"Well then—I won't hold back!"
"Funny," Gen replied, nodding slowly. "I was just about to say the same."
His aura changed.
A streak of red eye-shadow appeared beneath his eyes, and in that moment, his irises turned white.
Even the Raikage froze briefly in confusion.
What's going on with this kid's eyes…? That chakra… what is this?
Before he could fully grasp the answer, Gen's voice rang out again:
"Then I won't hold back!"