After drawing the blood, the genie returned Naruto to Jiraiya and logged out himself.
When little Naruto left Orochimaru's arms, he struggled constantly, seemingly still reluctant to leave.
This made Jiraiya feel very frustrated. He had raised Naruto with his own hands, feeding him poop and pee, yet the little guy's attitude was only so-so.
Orochimaru put on a fake smile. His position in Naruto's heart was actually higher than his own. Who could he even complain to about this?
At this thought, Jiraiya's eyes became extremely unfriendly, and the smile on Orochimaru's face became particularly irritating in his eyes.
"..."
Taking a sip of tea, Orochimaru hid his smugness and said, "So many days have passed, how is your Senjutsu training? Can you enter Sage Mode on your own?"
Jiraiya shook his head and said, "It's not that simple. I'm still a little short."
Orochimaru raised his eyebrows. "It seems you've wasted a lot of time on this child."
Jiraiya frowned at these words. Although it was true, the word 'wasted' felt a bit too much from a personal point of view.
Just as he was about to speak out in protest, he saw Orochimaru close his eyes and focus his mind. Some eyeshadow-like lines appeared around his eyes, and his overall demeanor changed quite a bit.
Jiraiya was very surprised and raised his voice. "Sage Mode? You've actually learned it?"
After Orochimaru returned from Ryuuchi Cave, he hadn't talked much about Senjutsu. Jiraiya thought he had failed again, but he didn't expect that he had already learned it. Moreover, he was even ahead of him, entering Sage Mode on his own.
Jiraiya was happy for Orochimaru on one hand, but also very upset on the other.
Naruto, Senjutsu, was this guy here today specifically to provoke him? This jerk!
"..."
Orochimaru saw the somewhat exasperated look on Jiraiya's face and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
Using Senjutsu to provoke Jiraiya?
Seeing him indulge in taking care of a child and neglecting his own training, Orochimaru did have this idea on a whim.
But this wasn't the main reason he came to find Jiraiya.
"I will be leaving the village for a while soon."
Orochimaru put the teacup on the table and said slowly, "I plan to bring Tsunade back."
"Soon?"
Jiraiya frowned.
Before thinking about why Orochimaru wanted to find Tsunade and whether he could bring Tsunade back, Jiraiya first considered the impact of Orochimaru's departure on the village.
"You should know that the village is currently putting pressure on Kumogakure and may need you to cooperate with the operation at any time..."
After a pause, Jiraiya said, "The old man won't let you leave."
Orochimaru knew that what Jiraiya said was true. Things were different now than in the past, and he couldn't leave the village without permission like last time.
Otherwise, it would be disregarding the interests of the village.
This was almost a line that couldn't be crossed.
Within this line, he could run wild and not give face to Danzo or the two Hokage advisors. The villagers and ninja in the village wouldn't have any objections, and would only see it as an internal power struggle among the higher-ups.
But during battles with other ninja villages, concepts like 'village' and 'compatriots' would be magnified without limit.
If you didn't understand the big picture, didn't prioritize the overall situation, and didn't put the interests of the village first, you weren't a compatriot.
If you weren't a compatriot, then what was the 'Konoha Sannin'? Apart from the word Konoha, it was just a strong ninja.
The villagers' thoughts were very realistic. If you couldn't protect them, no matter how strong a ninja was, they were just an outsider.
Being a village traitor also required skill.
For example, Danzo. Over the years, he had unscrupulously done many things stained with the blood of his fellow villagers, but the image he maintained was 'Who says those standing in the light are the only heroes?'
Therefore, even though many people had a lot of criticism of Danzo, there was no legitimate reason to cut off his Root.
Another example was Hatake Sakumo, a negative example. For his own selfish reasons, he openly placed the interests of the village aside, which aroused a wave of denial from the villagers and ninja.
Of course, there may have been people who took the opportunity to fan the flames, but ultimately, the villagers felt uneasy.
They weren't fools. In the ninja world, as ordinary people, they knew very well that they didn't have the power to restrain a ninja, a strong person with the power of a Kage.
But the villagers weren't just individuals, they were part of the village. When they looked at Hatake Sakumo's actions from this perspective, anger naturally arose.
"Today, you damage the interests of the village for your own selfish reasons. Tomorrow, what will you do? I don't even want to think about it."
Hatake Sakumo saved his companions, which did show personal emotion, but it also violated the will of the village, so he suffered the backlash.
The lessons of the past were a guide for the future. Orochimaru wouldn't turn a blind eye to the advanced experience of his predecessors.
The longer he interacted with the genie, the deeper his understanding of the word 'leeks.' He understood how precious his current status and power was in Konoha and he naturally didn't want to give it up easily.
Therefore, even if it was just for show, he still had to do it.
"Of course I understand the old man's thoughts."
Orochimaru played with the teacup in his hand and smiled, "That's why I need you to help me persuade him."
"You want me to persuade the old man?"
Jiraiya raised his eyebrows. "Then what reason are you going to use to persuade me?"
He wasn't someone who disregarded the big picture either.
"It's very simple." Orochimaru licked his lips. "Even if Iwagakure Village and Kumogakure fight, the old man's nature is to watch from the sidelines, watching the two villages deplete their war potential. Konoha and Kumogakure can't fight."
"So, even if I have to go to the battlefield, it's just to serve as a deterrent, and there are many alternative methods for that."
Jiraiya nodded, admitting that what Orochimaru said made sense, but that alone wasn't enough.
There were indeed many alternative methods, but having Orochimaru go was undoubtedly the best one.
Orochimaru's ninjutsu and fighting style were a level more intimidating to the enemy than his own in a ninja war.
"On the other hand, the current situation has developed to this point because the Fourth Raikage was seriously injured."
Orochimaru's eyes revealed a hint of playfulness. "And this injury, besides me, there is another person in the ninja world who can help him recover."
"Guess, will Kumogakure think of this way to break the situation?"
Jiraiya's face changed and the movement of holding Naruto froze.
After a moment of silence, he said, "Tsunade knows what's important and won't go to heal the Fourth Raikage. Kumogakure may not have the courage either."
"No, you haven't fought that musclehead, you don't know his spirit. For the sake of the village, he won't be afraid of these risks."
Orochimaru grinned and said, "Moreover, Tsunade may not refuse to heal the Fourth Raikage."
"Although she's not afraid of death, she is afraid of the people around her dying. Dan's niece - Kato Shizune, is her weakness."
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