Inside the Forest of Death.
Three people stood in a triangle formation. Jiraiya scratched his head, looking confused.
"Why did you two have to bring me all the way out here instead of talking in the village?" Jiraiya looked at Tsunade and Orochimaru, frowning.
Earlier, he had tried asking Tsunade out for a drink, but she was so overwhelmed with work that she punched him straight into the hospital.
"You're planning to leave the village soon, aren't you, Jiraiya?" Orochimaru, dressed in the Hokage robes, spoke with certainty.
Even though he hadn't had much contact with Jiraiya lately, a sudden gut feeling had compelled him to call him out.
"Hahaha, Orochimaru, you're already the Hokage now. Minato and Kushina both have their own missions, and Tsunade has finally pulled herself together. So naturally, I should go do what I'm meant to do."
Jiraiya first ran his hand through his white hair, then stood with his hands on his hips and laughed loudly. He seemed to already know what Orochimaru and Tsunade wanted to say. After laughing, he spoke again on his own.
"Of course, I know the war isn't completely over yet. But you, Orochimaru, and Tsunade… you don't need me anymore. It's not like I'm leaving right away. I'll stay in the village a little longer.
At least until Naruto is born, right?"
"Good," Orochimaru replied. He had no intention of trying to force Jiraiya to stay. After all, they had grown up together and survived countless wars. He understood Jiraiya's stubborn nature better than anyone.
You could call it unwavering will—or say that he was just a fool, betting everything on a vague, uncertain future.
Even though the Great Toad Sage's prophecy from Mount Myōboku might really be true, Orochimaru, at this moment, would rather believe in the future he carved out for himself.
It was his resistance against the inevitable fate of death that made him obsessed with immortality.
It was precisely because he had seen a more dazzling world and more beautiful scenery during that time that he became even more determined to continue on the path he had chosen.
He thought Jiraiya had lost his mind.
And in Jiraiya's eyes, maybe he looked the same.
So Orochimaru couldn't be bothered to try to snap Jiraiya back to his senses.
As long as the shinobi world could achieve stability, Jiraiya would naturally come to see the truth and obediently return.
Orochimaru didn't really care about or seek peace for the shinobi world, but if peace and stability were good for his research environment, then he wouldn't oppose it either.
And if his research happened to lead to peace in the shinobi world, then that side effect wouldn't be so bad.
"What's this? Tsunade, you look like you don't want me to leave. Could it be you'll miss me?" Jiraiya suddenly leaned in close to Tsunade, wearing a pervy grin and speaking in a greasy tone.
"Get away from me." Tsunade shoved Jiraiya's face away with one fierce palm.
The force was so strong his face got squished, and he stumbled back several steps before falling flat on the ground in a ridiculous heap.
"I just wanted to strengthen you a bit before you left. The shinobi world is still dangerous—you better not die quietly somewhere out there." Tsunade turned her head away with a huff as she spoke.
She and Orochimaru had both managed to temporarily master the Hōgyoku Mode. All that was left was slow refinement and further development.
According to what Kagetsu and Orochimaru had agreed on, once they could maintain the Hōgyoku Mode for long periods stably, it would be time to move on to the next stage of power training.
That would be forging a personalized ninja tool that matched and complemented their Hōgyoku Mode and abilities.
Just like how Shisui's own Mangekyō Sharingan, fused with the God Tree and his soul, was crafted into a spiritual weapon that remained in a constant state of release—
Following Kagetsu's suggestion, Orochimaru and Tsunade turned their attention to the sacred lands of their respective summoning beasts.
Tsunade, who had already grasped the basics of the Sage Mode of the Shikkotsu Forest and was now entering the next phase of steady training, had already discussed things with the Great Slug Sage within the forest.
Among the Three Great Sage Lands, the Great Slug Sage was known as the most approachable and gentle.
Its long lifespan had made it more open to new and curious experiences, often greeting them with interest and even anticipation.
In response to Tsunade's request, the Slug Sage did not refuse.
Not only did it allow her to freely collect any and all materials from the Shikkotsu Forest, but it also split off a portion of its own power and gave it to her—raising the potential limit of her spirit weapon.
As for Orochimaru, who had trained in the Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode but had yet to fully master it, his process would have to be delayed for a bit. Updates are released by novel(ꜰ)ire.net
However, once he learned what materials Tsunade had acquired for her weapon, he wasn't about to settle for less. Naturally, he set his sights on the White Snake Sage.
He wanted to obtain the White Snake Sage's scales—preferably the reverse scale, a part considered to be of utmost importance.
But unlike the Slug Sage, the White Snake Sage was no pushover.
Though it appeared as a kind old woman in its human form, it was actually the most temperamental and dangerous among the Three Great Sages.
To acquire its reverse scale—or more precisely, to earn its cooperation—would not be something that could be achieved with mere words.
It would almost certainly require a significant exchange of benefits, and perhaps even a battle to prove one's strength.
But what kind of reward could a shinobi offer that would tempt even the Ryūchi Cave?
So Orochimaru wasn't in a hurry to forge his own spiritual weapon. As Hokage, his chances of stepping onto the battlefield in the future had significantly decreased.
"Enhance my strength?" Jiraiya, who had already reached the peak of his ninja career, was a bit surprised.
Everyone knew that once a ninja reached their peak, they had basically hit the ceiling of their talent and potential.
If their strength didn't decline with time and physical deterioration, that was already considered fortunate. Hoping for rapid growth like during the development stage was nothing but wishful thinking.
Sure, there were quite a few jutsu in the ninja world that could produce similar effects, but without exception, those were forbidden techniques that came with heavy side effects.
Jiraiya had no intention of learning those forbidden jutsu—nor did he want to undergo any of Orochimaru's so-called technical modifications.
"You're trying to give me some kind of body modification? I refuse!" Jiraiya's hair instantly stood on end and wrapped around his body in layers like a porcupine, clearly showing his resistance.
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