Chapter 103: Joining Forces Again After Many Years
"It's been a long time, Jiraiya."
Orochimaru greeted with a faint smile.
Jiraiya dropped down from the tree, landing before his old teammate. His eyes swept over Orochimaru's new attire: a black cloak patterned with red clouds, and a straw hat with wind chimes hanging from its brim. Finally, his gaze settled on Orochimaru's forehead protector—the Konoha symbol slashed through—and his expression grew heavy.
"Long time no see, Orochimaru."
Jiraiya wanted to say more, but the words caught in his throat. Originally, he had intended to drag Orochimaru back to the village the moment he found him. But now, seeing the cloak of the Akatsuki draped over him, Jiraiya's determination wavered.
Orochimaru, noticing his silence, gave a sly smile. "Did you come to bring me back to the village?"
"You already know," Jiraiya replied gravely.
"About the old man's death?" Orochimaru said indifferently. He scratched at his fingernails and chuckled. "That Uchiha Fugaku actually dared to assassinate the Third Hokage… That surprised even me. I didn't think he had the guts to launch a coup, let alone succeed."
In Orochimaru's mind, Fugaku had always been a weakling, and the Uchiha Clan destined to be devoured sooner or later by Hiruzen and Danzō. But by the time he next heard of them, Fugaku had already succeeded in his coup and seized the title of Fifth Hokage.
When Orochimaru learned of his teacher's assassination, he felt little sadness. In truth, another thought stirred within him—one most would consider blasphemous.
The old man had lived long enough. Once a great hero, but in the end, reduced to a senile fool clinging to power…
Orochimaru had once considered granting his teacher a dignified end himself. But someone else had beaten him to it. And in a way, he was relieved—he had no desire to bear the title of "master-killer."
Jiraiya's heart sank at Orochimaru's indifference. He hadn't held much hope, but hearing this tone confirmed it. Hiruzen Sarutobi had expelled Orochimaru from the village after uncovering his human experiments, yet he had still shown mercy—cornering him, then deliberately letting him escape when execution was within reach.
Orochimaru had experimented on villagers, children, even the offspring of noble families. By all rights, he should have been executed many times over. And yet, the Third had spared him.
To Jiraiya, that meant Orochimaru owed their teacher his life. That was why Jiraiya had left Tsunade and come looking for him.
After a moment of silence, Jiraiya finally asked, "Don't you want to go back and take a look?"
"Alright," Orochimaru answered with surprising ease, a faint smile curving his lips.
Jiraiya blinked in surprise. He had expected outright refusal. For a moment, joy stirred in his chest. "Good! Then let's leave immediately!"
He was desperate to see the truth with his own eyes. Had the Uchiha merely spread false rumors to mask a bloody takeover, or had Fugaku truly become Hokage without disrupting the village's peace?
But Orochimaru's smile lingered, his golden pupils narrowing. "No rush. If I return with you, it comes with conditions."
Rumors spoke of Fugaku Uchiha wielding the Mangekyō Sharingan. Orochimaru was fascinated by such bloodline powers. If he couldn't yet claim the eyes of the Akatsuki's leader, then perhaps Fugaku's Mangekyō would suffice.
"Conditions?" Jiraiya frowned.
Orochimaru's tongue flicked across his lips, his eyes gleaming. "I want you to help me take down a certain individual."
He gestured toward the forest.
Confusion flickered across Jiraiya's face. He lowered his voice. "What's going on? Isn't he your comrade? I heard you joined the Akatsuki. Why do you want to kill him?"
"I just can't stand him," Orochimaru replied casually. Then his tone hardened. "So, will you help? If not, don't expect me to return to Konoha with you."
Jiraiya hesitated. He had already gathered some intelligence on the Akatsuki—a mercenary group that profited from war, instigating conflicts in small nations to monopolize missions. None of its members were good people.
If killing one of them could rid the world of a menace, he had no objections.
Finally, Jiraiya nodded. "Alright. I'll help."
Orochimaru's thin smile widened, his hoarse voice laced with cold amusement.
"Excellent. Then let's begin right away. It's been a long time since we joined forces, Jiraiya… You haven't forgotten how, have you?"
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