Chapter 215 - Sudden Upheaval
But if Jiraiya were the type to listen to Orochimaru, he wouldn't be Jiraiya.
Besides, Jiraiya felt that after years of wandering and cultivation, he was no longer the same man as before. Now, he was the Sage Jiraiya.
Through his years of journeying and training, Jiraiya had fully mastered Sage Mode. He no longer needed long prep times—he could summon Fukasaku and Shima directly and enter Sage Mode on the spot. Even if he couldn't defeat Nagato, he was confident he could at least escape.
And if he could win, then he bore the responsibility to atone for the mistakes of his past. After all, he was the great Jiraiya the Gallant!
Orochimaru, watching Jiraiya's increasingly sparkling eyes, already knew exactly what was happening—he was fantasizing again.
Sigh…
Orochimaru felt a twinge of helplessness. This idiot was always like this—never thinking things through, always acting on emotion and pride. But what good did that do?
People only have one life. Once it's gone, it's all over. Why take the suicidal path when they could just steamroll the enemy?
But then again, this was the Jiraiya he knew.
With that, Orochimaru made up his mind: he'd have Kazane knock Jiraiya out later. If he refused to listen to reason, then reason no longer applied. For those who don't understand words, sometimes fists speak louder.
It was for Jiraiya's own good—Orochimaru was sure he'd understand once he woke up.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya suddenly felt a chill crawl down his spine. He shivered without knowing why, but the feeling passed quickly, and he didn't think much of it.
With the matter decided, Orochimaru no longer tried to stop him. He turned to Hiruzen and Fugaku and said, "Then for now, we'll put the plan to attack Akatsuki on hold. Let Konoha host this Five Kage Summit. The location will be right here in the village."
Hiruzen raised a practical concern, "Will they even dare come here?"
It was a valid question. Right now, the world feared Akatsuki like a natural disaster—but nobody had forgotten that the first to seize a nation was Konoha.
Would the other Kage dare to step into the lion's den?
Hiruzen wasn't the only one doubting. Even Fugaku had his reservations. Only Orochimaru remained certain.
"They'll come. They have no choice."
---
After the meeting, Orochimaru found Kazane and informed him about Jiraiya's reckless plan. Based on experience, he also predicted where Jiraiya was most likely to go next.
Using Observation Haki, Kazane scanned the area—and sure enough, Orochimaru was still the one who understood Jiraiya best.
Kazane traced Jiraiya's movements and vanished in an instant. When he reappeared, he stood atop a pavilion, overlooking a familiar scene below—Jiraiya, perched on a rooftop, had lifted a tile and was peeking down into the hot springs with suspicious enthusiasm.
So focused was Jiraiya on his research that he didn't even sense Kazane's arrival.
A mischievous grin tugged at the corner of Kazane's lips.
When inspiration struck, Kazane never hesitated. He gently flicked a finger. A razor-thin slash of wind chakra merged seamlessly into the surrounding breeze. Silently, it split once, then again and again—doubling exponentially until hundreds of microscopic blades flowed with the wind.
The blades slipped past Jiraiya undetected and sliced cleanly beneath him.
At first, the roof tiles beneath him remained unchanged. But as Jiraiya adjusted his position ever so slightly, the tiles around his feet disintegrated into powder.
Without warning, the pervy sage dropped straight through the hole.
A loud splash echoed from below, followed by a chorus of terrified screams.
Satisfied, Kazane vanished from the rooftop, reappearing on the street to wait—silently counting.
One, two, three… nine.
Just as Kazane counted to nine, the tightly shut doors of the hot springs exploded outward. Soaked and filthy, Jiraiya came sprinting out, pursued by a storm of flying wooden tubs and a barrage of soap bars—products of Hiruko's latest invention.
Kazane smiled, feeling no guilt at all.
After all, he was helping the villagers catch a pervert, wasn't he?
Without pause, Kazane activated Lightning Release Chakra Mode. In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind Jiraiya and struck the back of his neck with a precise chop. Jiraiya crumpled instantly, and Kazane vanished again, taking him away between a flying basin and a bar of soap.
---
Beyond the Shinobi World — In Orbit
Five massive spacecraft had silently entered the planet's atmosphere. From their vantage point, they looked down upon the shinobi continent and its tethered moon.
As the ships settled into stable orbit, lights flickered to life across their hulls. Hatches hissed open, releasing plumes of white vapor into the vacuum of space.
One by one, enormous hands reached out and gripped the sides of the stasis pods.
In moments, warriors standing three to four meters tall began climbing out—alien soldiers, fully armed.
It took less than fifteen minutes for all the warriors aboard the five ships to awaken.
At the center of the formation sat the flagship—a command vessel. Inside, a mysterious figure who had once ruled from a throne now stood awake. He stepped to the front window and gazed down at the continent below.
After about two minutes, an alien dressed like a researcher approached, holding a scanning device. He read the data aloud:
"Commander Baal, this is the planet that emitted the immortality signal. It's a rare, flat-earth celestial body. Our scans confirm that most life forms here are carbon-based. Oxygen levels are at 21%, and microbial content is within acceptable limits. It's safe to descend."
Hearing the report, the figure—Commander Baal—nodded in satisfaction.
He had originally planned to annihilate the planet with a Star-Destroyer Cannon if it turned out to be non-oxygenated or lacked carbon-based life. Fortunately, this planet wasn't a waste of time.
With hope, he thought: Perhaps their method of immortality could enhance ours.
Across the universe, it wasn't just humanity seeking immortality. Every sentient race longed for eternal life.
Orochimaru's method involved the mystical—soul-based reincarnation through chakra. But these alien warriors pursued immortality through genetic engineering.
The mystical route was incredibly rare. Most species in the universe relied on refining their DNA to prolong life spans. But that path required compatible biology—chakra wasn't universal, and many species lacked the energy to harness it.
These four-armed, clearly battle-hardened warriors belonged to the infamous Four-Armed Skydweller Clan, a race feared throughout the galaxy.
They were the vanguard of Otto, the ruler of a vast galactic empire—elite soldiers who existed solely to crush their enemies.
And Baal, this commander, was one of Otto's five generals—a war god whose campaigns had razed countless civilizations. His hands had extinguished the light of entire races.
Now, his gaze was fixed on the shinobi world.