Salamander Hanzo dragged out his chain sickle!
Orochimaru's body immediately transformed into a swarm of snakes, disappearing from the spot. He couldn't guarantee a fight against Salamander Hanzo in this situation; Akihara Kagura was also inconvenient to assist him, and Jiraiya might even be thinking of taking him back!
I've seen enough of this show!
Jiraiya would definitely chat with Salamander Hanzo for a while, and Akihara Kagura would be by Jiraiya's side...
Now...
It's a chance for me to seize the Rinnegan!
At worst, I need to lure Nagato and Konan out!
By that time, Salamander Hanzo and the Rinnegan-wielding Nagato are sure to clash, resulting in both sides suffering. I could seize the opportunity to take the Rinnegan!
The Hidden Rain ninjas were fearfully evading the snake swarm, failing to notice a lone snake sneaking into the Akatsuki Hideout's cave!
Yet when this snake entered the cave, it spat out Orochimaru's body. Orochimaru beheld the abandoned Akatsuki Hideout...
Even...
The laboratory was completely cleaned out!
Clearly.
Only Red Sand Sasori in the whole Akatsuki would do such a thing.
Red Sand Sasori, Kakuzu, Nagato, and Konan had already escaped through the back escape route, leaving him all alone here?
"Those bastards..."
Orochimaru looked at the open escape door behind him, gritting his teeth in a curse.
If Akihara Kagura wasn't his spy, if Jiraiya didn't have a decent relationship with him, if he didn't have a strong survival ability...
He would be captured alive by those guys outside?
Orochimaru glanced at the escape door and could only follow their path in pursuit; he definitely didn't want to stay here and become Salamander Hanzo's target!
Outside the cave.
Jiraiya chatted with Salamander Hanzo for a few words.
A group of Rain Ninjas could no longer hold back, directly entering the Akatsuki Hideout to report that there were no enemies inside, only finding a paper-folded escape door.
"Did they escape?"
Jiraiya felt a sense of relief.
Because with Salamander Hanzo here, a battle with Nagato might ensue, and saving Konan and Nagato could get problematic.
Moreover...
There was another disciple hostile to them, Akihara Kagura.
"The leader of the Akatsuki..."
Akihara Kagura wanted to remind Salamander Hanzo.
"Kagura!"
Jiraiya quickly stopped Akihara Kagura, looking at Salamander Hanzo, and said, "This is my disciple. While the matter with the Akatsuki may not be over, it poses no threat to the Land of Rain..."
"Hmm, it seems a few stragglers escaped..."
Salamander Hanzo nodded slightly, announcing to his subordinates: "No matter, go tell everyone that the leader of the Akatsuki is dead. I will fulfill my promise to pardon everyone who was involved with the Akatsuki, even those who previously joined. They can return to The Hidden Rain Village, and I will not pursue their errors!"
Undeniably.
This order was quite generous.
Anyone had to admit that Salamander Hanzo's mind was rather magnanimous.
This leader of The Hidden Rain Village led his troops like he was on a tour, wiping out the Akatsuki effortlessly, declaring a proper burial for the leader of the Akatsuki, and pardoning all who had been associated with the Akatsuki.
After Salamander Hanzo announced the order, the Akatsuki Hideout's cave suddenly underwent a series of continuous explosions, completely destroying and burying the entire base!
"This is..."
Jiraiya was somewhat dumbfounded.
"It was indeed dangerous inside..."
Akihara Kagura squinted his eyes, looking at the vanished base.
"Someone laid explosive tags inside."
Salamander Hanzo, an old hand at using explosive tags, immediately realized the truth: "Those escaped stragglers wanted to trap us when we entered..."
"..."
Jiraiya was silent, unsure what to say.
"It's alright."
Salamander Hanzo maintained his magnanimity, loudly continuing: "My order still stands. We will only pursue the core members of the Akatsuki within the Land of Rain; the rest will still be pardoned, and they can even come here to pay respects to the Akatsuki's leader, Pain..."
"Yes, Lord Hanzo!"
"The civil war has finally ended!"
"From today onward..."
"We no longer need to worry about the village being invaded!"
All the Hidden Rain ninjas present knelt on the ground, releasing their joy like mad!
"Jiraiya-sensei."
Standing beside Jiraiya, Akihara Kagura frowned and asked, "The leader of the Akatsuki, Pain, is merely a controlled puppet. The real leader has escaped. Clearly, this war isn't over yet..."
"It will end."
Jiraiya murmured to himself, shaking his head, glancing at the Rain Ninjas digging graves to bury: "Nagato and Konan won't give up Yahiko's body. They will surely sneak back here..."
"Indeed..."
Akihara Kagura nodded.
This is why he manipulated Salamander Hanzo to bury Yahiko's body here.
After all...
The daytime crowd was just too large.
The audience at night should be smaller.
Salamander Hanzo left with his men.
This leader of The Hidden Rain Village, before leaving, specifically dismissed all the Rain Ninjas to ask Jiraiya why Yahiko, whom he and Shimura Danzo had killed, appeared here? Where was the red-haired Rinnegan child?
Clearly...
This leader of The Hidden Rain Village didn't act like a fool.
"I announced the end of the war to calm the people as soon as possible."
Before leaving, Salamander Hanzo looked deeply at Jiraiya: "Konoha youngster, that red-haired child with the Rinnegan is still alive, right? This Pain is a corpse he's controlling? Pass him a message for me, that what happened back then was due to my having to yield to Shimura Danzo. If he wants me to atone, I can commit suicide to apologize, as long as he doesn't restart the civil war or implicate those who followed me..."
"..."
As Salamander Hanzo finished and led his team away, Jiraiya found his feelings immensely complicated.
This guy and Danzo were responsible for Yahiko's death...
Knowing the truth about Pain, yet willing to conceal it for the peace of The Hidden Rain Village, even choosing to atone by suicide for the village's peace...
"Is this the Ninja Demigod?"
Next to him, Akihara Kagura seemed awed by Salamander Hanzo's broadmindedness as well.