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Hearing Tsunade's words, Jiraiya's face darkened, and he thought weakly to himself,
"This wasn't my doing!"
Seeing the two of them bickering, Orochimaru, who was standing nearby, glanced at them lightly before slowly shifting his gaze to Nawaki, who was standing in the distance with an awkward smile on his face.
His deep, snake-like eyes flickered with an inexplicable light as he spoke in a hoarse voice,
"Do you really think Nawaki is still the same Nawaki as before?"
Hearing his words, the expressions of the two behind him changed almost imperceptibly!
After a moment, Tsunade's beautiful face turned cold as she stared at Orochimaru and said sharply,
"Orochimaru, what do you mean by that!?"
Orochimaru, unfazed by the coldness in Tsunade's tone, glanced at her lightly and said in a hoarse voice,
"Do you really believe that boy has escaped Aizen's control, Tsunade?"
As he spoke, his snake-like eyes glowed with an eerie light, and he continued softly,
"Or do you truly believe that Aizen is dead?"
Hearing this, Tsunade's face immediately turned icy, her sharp gaze locking with Orochimaru's cold stare!
However, after a short while, her cold expression could no longer hold. The chilling aura around her dissipated completely, replaced by a look of deep sorrow and helplessness.
"Do you think he's still alive...?"
Tsunade's words seemed to be directed at Orochimaru, but they also felt like a murmur to herself.
Hearing her, Orochimaru's snake-like eyes flickered, and he said in a hoarse voice,
"Hmph... I don't believe that guy would die so easily... or rather, I don't think such a death would befall someone like him."
Tsunade's expression remained dark, but a mocking smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she said,
"Are you saying you're like him!? Is this some kind of resonance between you ambitious types?"
Orochimaru didn't react to Tsunade's mocking tone. Instead, a glint of light flashed in his eyes as he said with a hint of amusement,
"You can think of it that way..."
Hearing this, Tsunade's sorrowful expression suddenly turned to anger. Her face flushed red as she struggled to contain her rage, and she shouted,
"What kind of joke are you trying to pull, Orochimaru!? Listen to me, that guy is dead! In front of everyone's eyes, Aizen Sōsuke, the greatest enemy of the ninja world, has been completely eradicated!"
"Don't spout your ridiculous nonsense to me anymore!"
With that, Tsunade turned around angrily and stormed off.
Seeing this, Jiraiya quickly stood up, reaching out helplessly as he opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words. In the end, he could only watch her leave.
"Boom!"
At that moment, a thunderclap suddenly echoed across the sky.
Unnoticed by anyone, the sky had gradually darkened, with dense clouds gathering overhead, creating a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.
Orochimaru slowly withdrew his gaze from the gloomy sky and calmly observed the scene before him, saying softly,
"You don't believe it either, do you, Jiraiya?"
Hearing this, Jiraiya's expression turned slightly somber.
He took a few steps forward, letting the damp breeze brush against his face as his white hair swayed gently. His eyes, filled with complexity, gazed at the ongoing reconstruction of Konoha Village.
At this moment, there was none of his usual playfulness in his eyes. Instead, they were calm and composed, though a bitter smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he said in a complicated tone,
"Whether I believe it or not, what difference does it make, Orochimaru...? That guy is now the enemy of the entire ninja world..."
As he spoke, Jiraiya paused for a moment, then slowly raised his head to look at the overcast sky, his expression filled with complexity.
"If he's alive... I can only stand against him as I did before... and stop everything he does..."
As he said this, his eyes dimmed slightly.
His hands clenched tightly, the veins on the back of his hands standing out as he said in a hoarse voice,
"And if he's really dead... what can I, as his so-called friend, do for him now...? Aside from some silent mourning... what else can I do for him...?"
After speaking, his hands clenched even tighter, and he slowly walked forward.
His head was lowered, making it impossible to see the expression on his face.
Drip... drip...
As Jiraiya's heavy, hoarse words faded away, the dense rain began to fall from the overcast sky.
The rain fell densely, quickly soaking the clothes of both Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
Orochimaru stood quietly in the rain, his calm eyes watching Jiraiya's figure gradually disappear into the curtain of rain. His snake-like eyes flickered slightly, as if lost in thought.
At that moment, he glanced lightly at Nawaki, who was using Wood Release to create large shelters for the villagers to take cover from the rain.
After watching for a while, he slowly turned his gaze to the newly rebuilt Konoha Village.
His pale face was expressionless as he observed the scene for a moment, then turned and walked away.
Amidst the fine rain, a hoarse murmur seemed to drift through the air.
"This place... is no longer suitable for me..."
Drip... drip...
In a ravaged forest, the fine rain seemed to wash away the dust, restoring the lush greenery of the trees.
However, on a large tree branch, Jiraiya sat quietly.
His head was slightly lowered, and there was an indescribable sense of loneliness about him.
The dense rain had long since soaked his clothes, but he seemed completely indifferent to it.
For the past few days, he had come to this spot every day, never returning home, just sitting here in silence.
If one looked closely, they would notice that from this high branch, one could see through the gaps in the leaves to a vast, empty expanse of ruins in the distance.
Even in the dense rain, the center of that open area was still clearly visible—a massive black flame burning relentlessly.
At this moment, despite the heavy rain, a team of Konoha ninjas tasked with sealing the flame were doing their utmost to contain the unending black fire.
Jiraiya sat there quietly, watching from afar.
His face was unreadable, and it was unclear whether he was monitoring the black flame or reminiscing about the person who had vanished from this place...
All that could be seen was the rain dripping continuously from his chin.
His mouth was open wide, but his throat seemed to be choked, trembling in the rain without making a sound.
It was as if he was silently saying... I'm sorry...
The light rain fell on the ancient courtyard.
Ripples continuously spread across the surface of the lake, and the fine rain enveloped everything, carrying a cool, sorrowful feeling that seemed to seep into everyone's hearts.
In the courtyard by the small lake, on the wooden porch, faint sobs could be heard.
"Why... why did you really have to die... you bastard! Weren't you supposed to be amazing? Where's your confidence, your pride!? You idiot, why did you really have to die!?"
Tsunade's beautiful figure looked fragile and weak as she leaned helplessly against a pillar, her body trembling uncontrollably.
Her face was already streaked with tears, her eyes red, and her small, pale hands clenched tightly, veins bulging.
As if she could no longer control her crying, her voice was hoarse and choked with sobs.
"Why... why did you have to make enemies with the entire ninja world... Aizen... Sōsuke!!"
At this moment, Tsunade was like a weeping child, using the rain as a cover to hide in a quiet corner, silently enduring her pain.
In her pale hands, a faded, crumpled piece of paper was tightly gripped, as if she never wanted to let it go...