When the ground collapses, remember: don't panic. Stay clear of the danger zone. Avoid the collapse from spreading. Protect your own life.
Rumble…
Because of Uchiha Itachi's utterly explosive actions, the underground base—once sealed tight in its vacuum—had finally begun to fall apart. The collapse thundered through the cavern, deafening and final. Rubble crumbled. Stone cracked. Earth sank.
Jiraiya and Orochimaru stood side by side, watching the destruction unfold before them. Neither said a word.
There really wasn't anything to say.
What kind of master doesn't take responsibility for their disciple? Deep down, Jiraiya wanted to praise Itachi. Well done, kid. But standing next to him was Orochimaru—furious, unhinged, and unpredictable.
Yeah. Maybe now wasn't the time.
"Ho… ho ho ho…"
Orochimaru laughed. It was a dry, eerie sound that dragged out from his throat as he staggered to the edge of the ruin. His voice blurred between a self-mutter and a scornful accusation.
"You fools. Do you even know what it is you've destroyed…"
"…Orochimaru," Jiraiya said, his voice steady. He stepped forward, shielding Itachi slightly behind him, and laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Come back to Konoha with me."
Orochimaru's snake eyes flicked toward Jiraiya. For a brief moment, the fury dimmed, replaced by something heavier—grief, maybe. But it vanished in a blink.
The truth was clear: his underground sanctuary was lost. Irreparable. The years he spent rebuilding it, salvaging research, hiding from the world… gone. No point in clinging to what couldn't be undone.
So he shifted his gaze.
To the one standing beside Jiraiya.
That small boy. That blank expression. That maddening calm.
"Jiraiya, what you're saying is… laughable." Orochimaru's voice slithered. He gestured lightly with both hands, tone lazy and theatrical. "The path I seek… is one he could never accept. Return? To what? To die?"
"The old man misses you," Jiraiya tried again. His voice dropped just slightly. Less shinobi. More friend.
Orochimaru didn't react.
Jiraiya hesitated. "I saw Tsunade."
Silence.
Tsunade, of all people, had given up on nearly everything. Her life, her home, even her dreams. The woman who once gambled everything on hope now only gambled with dice. Wine. Sleep. She didn't care about the village—as long as it didn't burn, she wouldn't lift a hand.
Even spending half a day with her had been exhausting. She brushed off everything. She even waved off Jiraiya's heartfelt rambling.
But hearing her name, just maybe, might still touch a nerve in Orochimaru.
"Hahahaha! Jiraiya!"
Orochimaru's laugh came suddenly, jagged and abrupt. He interrupted without even looking at him.
"We've long walked different paths. There's no need to dig up those pitiful memories."
Jiraiya lowered his head. "…Yeah."
Their bond with Tsunade wasn't simple. Not a love triangle. Just years of tangled faith, heartbreak, unspoken respect. Once upon a time, she trusted Orochimaru more than anyone in Konoha—even more than Nawaki, her own brother.
And Orochimaru, for all his darkness, had never let her down back then.
Strong. Gifted. Brilliant. Wealthy. Obedient. Almost too perfect.
The only flaw: he didn't believe in love.
Jiraiya didn't push it. That topic was dead.
Orochimaru's expression cooled.
He looked up. Assessed the damage. The dust was still falling from the ceiling.
Then his voice cut the air like a blade.
"Leave Uchiha Itachi."
He said it casually. But there was hunger behind it.
"Let me have him… and I'll let you and those little children walk away unharmed."
The sharp glint in his eyes revealed his thoughts. For years, he had eyed talent. Hunted it. Especially children.
But this time, it wasn't the usual idle curiosity. This time, it was desperation.
Tonight had shown him a new kind of specimen. And now, he needed it.
Beiyuan's feathers puffed up instantly. His claws dug into the ground as he emitted a harsh, angry "Gaah!"
Why did everyone want a piece of his kid? No matter where they went, someone tried to lay hands on Itachi. What was wrong with the world?
Orochimaru took a single step closer, voice low: "He's extraordinary…"
"Stop spewing garbage, Orochimaru!" Jiraiya's expression hardened. "If that's how it is… then it looks like we'll be fighting tonight."
Orochimaru smiled faintly. "The moment I saw Uchiha Itachi, that was already decided."
Jiraiya clenched his jaw. He had hoped—really hoped—Orochimaru would name a condition, offer some absurd trade, maybe even bluff.
He was ready to compromise.
He was not ready for Orochimaru to fixate on his disciple.
Funny. Back when they pressured Orochimaru to accept a student, he kept rejecting all the promising boys. He said he preferred a "pretty girl." He was picky, finicky, impossible to please.
Now look at him. Staring like a starving beast at a quiet, beautiful little boy.
Jiraiya felt his stomach turn.
Itachi blinked and looked up. "Teacher Jiraiya… are you okay?"
"…Yeah." Jiraiya sighed. His shoulders sagged a little. He glanced toward the children gathered nearby. They looked frightened, pale, and lost.
Quietly, he said, "If you get the chance, take them and run. If you can't manage that… at least save yourself."
"I can help fight," Itachi insisted. He touched the ninja protector on his forehead with pride. "Even if I can't win, I won't run away!"
"If there's no way, then I'll create one!"
The Uchiha clan's blood pulsed strong in his veins. Since awakening the three-tomoe Sharingan, he hadn't once been pushed to the edge. And he believed—he knew—he could hold his own.
Jiraiya shook his head firmly. "No. Once I'm in combat with Orochimaru, I won't be able to protect you."
"You're not just my student. You're my subordinate. And right now, I'm giving you a direct order."
A battle between two of the Sannin wasn't something anyone could interrupt, not even a genius.
"Gah!"
Beiyuan scoffed.
Looked down on, again.
You think we'll just fly away while you two destroy the world? The crow glared at Jiraiya. Did he really think they were that soft?
No one here knew what Beiyuan had done tonight. Not Jiraiya. Not even Itachi. The number of times he'd saved the kid was already past ten. It was time someone else stepped in.
"It's alright, Beiyuan," Itachi whispered, calming him with a pat.
Then he turned to Jiraiya. "I will obey your command."
"Good." Jiraiya smiled faintly, brushing the boy's hair once. "But if you must—if there's no other option—run."
"Yes!"
Hearing his answer, Jiraiya gave a small nod. There was no winning move left. He could only stall. He had never truly faced Orochimaru before—not like this.
In their old scuffles, he always got outclassed. Even when he thought he had the edge, Orochimaru crushed his techniques like paper.
Tsunade was always the one who cleaned up afterward.
But Jiraiya wasn't empty-handed. In the last few years, he'd trained. He'd returned to Mount Myoboku. He had a few new techniques.
If he could get one opening—just one—he might have a chance.
Itachi took several steps back, organizing the kids into a defensive line. "Everyone! Stay close! Move!"
Orochimaru's eyes tracked him. That watchful gaze didn't blink. He licked his lips.
"Thank you, Jiraiya," he said softly. "You've brought me a most precious gift."
"But if you want to take them away…" Orochimaru raised a hand.
"…you'll have to take them all."
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A massive ripple of chakra surged.
With a roar, a monstrous purple serpent erupted from the dust, slamming its coiled body into the broken ground. The earth trembled again. Rocks tumbled. Screams rang out.
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed.
"No more tests."
"Let's settle this—once and for all."