You should know, the Scroll of Seals is in the Hokage's office; Orochimaru might have been able to view it.
But taking it out of the Hokage's office is difficult; carrying it out of Konoha is even harder.
Danzō's maneuvering must have been involved.
But Danzō would never have expected Orochimaru to take the Scroll of Seals, follow Lucian, and defect outright.
Otherwise, Danzō would spit out eight catties of blood in one go.
Looking at Tsunade in Kushina's arms, Lucian couldn't help asking, "This woman…"
"Lord Lucian, Tsunade is the First Hokage's granddaughter, the Third Hokage's disciple, and a medical-ninjutsu master who can offer you some small help."
"Please rest assured, I guarantee Tsunade has never been touched by a man."
The elite jōnin Dan who tried to harass Tsunade was killed three months ago.
Orochimaru thought this but did not say it, since Lucian did not know who Dan was.
"..."
Wow, that's the original-style Orochimaru.
No—exactly the kind of man I had in mind.
Seeing Kushina's stunned look and the odd glint in her eyes, Lucian could only say a few calm words.
"Well done."
As a man, one must dare to face his own heart.
Power, fame, wealth, strength, beauties—eternal pursuits of men.
Then Lucian found it odd: of those five words, Orochimaru seemed to pursue… none of them.
No.
In the future, the Snake Uncle coveted the Sharingan—wasn't that a desire for power.
"I know what you seek. Take the Land of Rain, and I will grant it."
"Yes, Lord Lucian!"
...
The matter just now had not yet spread.
Jiraiya, sprinting through the Land of Fire, stopped; his eyes were utterly vacant.
"Why, why…"
Jiraiya muttered like a madman; the cost of growth was too great.
Unlike Tsunade, who in childhood had the First Hokage to dote on her and was the princess in Konoha's heart; unlike Orochimaru, who at least was raised by his parents,
Jiraiya had been unwanted—a lonely orphan.
His happiest day was team assignment after graduation: he had a teacher, comrades, and countless people who cared.
In his heart were Orochimaru, Tsunade, Sarutobi, and Konoha.
He was willing to give everything for them, even his life.
But in one day he lost two of the most important people, a pain that made him want to die.
"Who?"
"…Jiraiya."
A Konoha ANBU captain spotted Jiraiya and was startled to find him there.
Seeing Jiraiya so broken, as if he'd lost his soul, the ANBU had many questions.
He hurriedly said, "Have you seen Orochimaru? He defected!"
"Orochimaru… defected?"
Jiraiya's lifeless eyes grew dimmer; he didn't even ask why.
The ANBU captain sighed. "Who knows the reason. Yesterday Orochimaru stole the Scroll of Seals, killed several shinobi, and left the village. The enraged Third immediately declared him a rogue ninja."
Jiraiya: "…"
So that's how it was.
Orochimaru had prepared long ago—no wonder his words had sounded so strange.
Knowing he'd become a rogue ninja, he helped face Hanzō before Konoha's pursuit arrived.
"Orochimaru…"
Jiraiya suddenly laughed, baffling the ANBU.
"No!"
Suddenly Jiraiya's expression turned solemn.
He and Orochimaru had been companions for over ten years; he knew him very well.
Though cold, he was truly good to his comrades.
For a person to change still takes time—how could so much change happen in merely three months?
Especially since even after defecting he immediately helped them.
Even if he betrayed them, he spared a life to keep Lucian from acting.
Jiraiya's train of thought seemed to… tilt.
"Could it be!"
Jiraiya's eyes suddenly widened.
"Could Orochimaru have done it on purpose? Purposefully defected and 'betrayed' to go undercover at Lucian's side and obtain intel?"
"Hiss… taking the lead, venturing alone into the tiger's den, to help Konoha find a way to deal with the Great Demon King Lucian."
The more he thought, the more plausible it seemed, and Jiraiya grew excited.
"Yes… a hero."
"Lucian's monstrous growth defies reason; compared to that, Kumo, Suna, Iwa, and Kiri are all unimportant."
"Yes, that's it."
Jiraiya truly deserved to be called the future eccentric of the shinobi world.
His train of thought was downright bizarre.
It wasn't Jiraiya's fault; he truly didn't understand what Orochimaru wanted at his core.
So he filled in the blanks: undercover work, secret agent, unsung hero—and pinned them all on Orochimaru.
After all, it was a possibility.
But Jiraiya, like a drowning man clutching a straw, chose to believe amidst overwhelming sorrow.
Under the ANBU's stupefied gaze, Jiraiya suddenly burst into loud sobs.
"Waaah—Orochimaru, I misunderstood—you should curse me—I'm too stupid—waaah…"
"Orochimaru, wait for me!"
"I can't let a man suffer alone—I will too!"
"…"