Orochimaru! Don't run! I have something to say to you!
Ahead, Orochimaru's expression twisted as Jiraiya's voice chased after him, loud and unrelenting. He didn't even think of stopping—instead, he quickened his pace. That stubborn fool would not let go, not here in Konoha's own territory.
But Jiraiya could never simply watch Orochimaru escape.
"Orochimaru! Just listen! If you're willing to come back, the old man would be glad to welcome you!"
For the first time, Orochimaru halted in his tracks.
Jiraiya froze in surprise. Never, in all the countless times he had pursued him, had Orochimaru ever stopped. This had to be a trap. Jiraiya knew his old teammate's nature too well. Orochimaru would not simply "change his mind."
Arms folded, tongue flicking across his cheek, Orochimaru sneered as Jiraiya approached. "Jiraiya, before you flap that mouth of yours, you'd best understand the situation. Otherwise, you'll only make yourself look like a fool."
Jiraiya clenched his fists. "What do you mean? Don't tell me… You have no intention of returning to the village? I'll vouch for you! The old man won't make things hard for you!"
Orochimaru's laughter grew louder, more derisive. "Do you know what just happened before you arrived? I nearly killed that 'old man.' You think your word is enough to make the Hokage take me back?"
"I…"
"Heh… Jiraiya, we don't walk the same path. I seek the essence of all jutsu, the truth of immortality. I won't live like some wild grass, cut down whenever someone pleases."
"Orochimaru! Stop clinging to empty things! Cherish what you have right now. We're not young anymore. Why can't we just sit down, like before? Missions together, laughing, bickering—why can't it be like that again?"
But Orochimaru shook his head slowly. "Naïve as ever. Do you really think Tsunade and I left just because of Danzo's little schemes? Ask yourself—why would Danzo dare move against us in the first place?"
Jiraiya's eyes widened.
Orochimaru's smile deepened. "That's your problem, Jiraiya. You believe everyone thinks like you do. But we are different. You, me, Tsunade—we're three lives, three paths. They will never be on the same road."
Jiraiya gritted his teeth, resolve burning. "No! I won't let you stay alone in the dark. I'll drag you back to the village if I have to—Tsunade too! Whether by force or even at the cost of my own life, I've decided. I won't give up on you."
For just a heartbeat… Orochimaru felt something stir. The warmth of old bonds. For a fleeting instant, the snake almost faltered.
But snakes are cold-blooded. Warmth passes quickly; the chill remains eternal. Orochimaru's eyes hardened once more. "Fool. I can't tell if you're stubborn or just simple-minded. Either way, I will never return to that rotting village. Farewell, Jiraiya."
"Don't you dare leave!"
Jiraiya struck. His hands clasped together, hair lengthening into sharp white tendrils that lashed out like venomous serpents.
But Orochimaru was the true serpent. From his sleeves erupted dozens of snakes, fangs bared, hissing.
"Idiot!"
The white hair was seized mid-strike, constricted by the real snakes. Compared to Orochimaru's summoned vipers, Jiraiya's hair attack lacked bite.
With a growl, Jiraiya yanked his hair back, severed strands whipping in the air. Drawing a kunai, he charged forward, slashing. Blade flashed, severing snake heads one after another.
Orochimaru sneered, shaking his sleeve, discarding the twitching bodies. Without their heads, the serpents were useless.
"I told you—I won't let you leave!"
Jiraiya hurled his kunai, racing after it. His hands blurred through seals. Chakra swelled.
"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Flames roared, surging past the kunai, engulfing it. A wave of searing fire coiled like a serpent, striking Orochimaru head-on.
The blaze clung to him like maggots to bone, consuming him until his body charred black.
But Jiraiya's face only grew grim. He knew better.
A crack split the ground beneath him. A pale hand shot up, clamping around his ankle, dragging him down.
"Damn it—Headhunter Jutsu!"
The "burned" Orochimaru was nothing but an empty shell. The real one had already slithered underground, waiting for his chance.
With a violent tug, Jiraiya was yanked waist-deep into the earth. Orochimaru leapt free of the soil, standing above him, eyes gleaming with cruelty.
"Fool. Stop chasing me. Or I won't be able to resist killing you."
Killing intent poured out of him, suffocating, thick with the weight of countless lives taken.
Jiraiya bared his teeth, trying to brute force his way out—but too late. Orochimaru's body shimmered like wax in flame, melting, collapsing into mud.
It was just another shell.
Jiraiya clawed himself free of the dirt, coughing, frustration heavy on his face. He stared in the direction Orochimaru had vanished, his voice low, bitter.
One after another… why does everyone say that? I'm Jiraiya of the Sannin… the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku… So why am I always the fool?