Chapter 252: Letting Go
"Kabuto, you're always so boring. Your poorly timed honesty really irritates me," Orochimaru said coldly, unimpressed by Kabuto's deadpan sarcasm. "Even without Kotoamatsukami, do you really think Danzo would have trouble dealing with you? Or have you gotten that strong?"
"N-not at all," Kabuto stammered with a nervous smile, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. "With all the pawns and decoys we have, it wouldn't be hard to escape using the Dead Soul Technique."
"Is that so?" Orochimaru didn't pursue the topic further. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Danzo and his subordinates, who had gradually shaken off the restraints of his trap. "I don't care about your little secrets, but you'd better do your job properly. Next time you act without my permission… think carefully about the consequences."
"Yes, understood." Kabuto exhaled in relief, grateful that Orochimaru had dropped the issue.
"Danzo's going all out… What in the world did he discover that made him so desperate?"
Kabuto chuckled dryly and said, "With Orochimaru-sama's shrewdness, how could Danzo possibly discover something you overlooked? Perhaps there's something else at play…"
"Konoha's ANBU aren't competent enough to get past my sensors… So you may be right—it must be something else."
Orochimaru fell into thought, recalling Danzo's cryptic words from earlier: 'I don't understand, the village, miracles, wisdom, dedication…' A realization struck him.
"Ah… so that's it!"
Orochimaru laughed at himself.
"I overthought it."
"You figured it out, Orochimaru-sama? Did we overlook something valuable after all?"
"No. Danzo needs me. He's just using harsh methods to express it. This reminds me of years ago, when he was on the verge of physical collapse, coiled up in a dank underground lair like a wounded hyena, begging for my help."
Orochimaru sneered at the memory. "He must've encountered some major problem in the village he couldn't solve—and decided I was the key."
Kabuto frowned. "But… in Konoha? What could possibly exist that Danzo couldn't get? Even Tsunade couldn't stop him if he really wanted something."
"Physical objects? Sure, he could take them, just like he did with those Sharingan from the Uchiha Clan. But intangible things? You can't steal those. Reading someone's mind doesn't equal inheriting their wisdom."
"Wisdom…? I see. So that's why he mentioned 'dedication' and 'miracles' from the start," Kabuto said, suddenly enlightened.
"There's something he believes only I can understand. That must mean it's more valuable than even Hashirama's cells. Now I'm really curious…"
"But then why didn't he just use Kotoamatsukami to control the person with that knowledge? Why come to you instead?"
"Because he probably thought using it on me was more worthwhile. That's the only explanation."
"Fair point." Kabuto glanced at Danzo, who was getting closer. "Still, this kind of desperation might be something we can exploit…"
"Don't underestimate Danzo. He has a Sharingan—regular tricks won't fool him."
"Of course not," Kabuto said. "But remember, Orochimaru-sama… before your latest body transfer, you had backup clone bodies, didn't you? What if we used one to pose as your real body? Wouldn't that be convincing enough?"
"You've really thought this through, haven't you?" Orochimaru's smile turned chilling. Suddenly, a snake slithered out from his sleeve and wrapped itself around Kabuto's neck, its hissing tongue flicking inches from Kabuto's eyes.
"I don't recall ever giving you permission to use my clone bodies. Have you gotten so bold that you think you can act behind my back? Are you asking to die?"
Those discarded clone bodies were considered failures by Orochimaru and no longer useful to him. But the thought that Kabuto had been secretly collecting them left a bitter taste in his mouth. If someone discovered the weaknesses of his original body through these failed experiments, it could spell disaster.
Kabuto didn't dare move. In the face of Orochimaru's rage, he didn't even try to defend himself—only waited, trembling, for judgment.
After a tense silence, Orochimaru finally loosened the serpent's grip. Kabuto collapsed to his knees atop Manda's head, coughing violently.
"Go ahead with your plan," Orochimaru said. "Just pray that you pull it off beautifully enough to please me. Otherwise… you'll wish you were dead. That is, if you're lucky enough to still be alive afterward."
With Danzo closing in, Orochimaru sighed impatiently.
"Hurry up. And don't act so pitiful—I still need to meet an old friend. I expect results by the time I return."
…
Deep within the dense forest, Orochimaru ran swiftly through the treetops. The sounds of battle had long since faded behind him. No sensor-nin, no matter how skilled, could track him here. Eventually, he stopped atop a towering tree and looked over his shoulder.
"Well? Aren't you going to come out? I'm leaving otherwise."
A figure emerged from the shadows—Jiraiya, his long white hair disheveled, his clothes dusty from travel.
"You're still as unpleasant as ever, Orochimaru," he said with a weary smile. "You've changed a lot…"
"Here to drag me back to the village again?"
Jiraiya shook his head.
"No. Those days are long gone. There's no going back."
"Then what? Come to avenge that old fool Sarutobi?"
Jiraiya's eyes darkened.
"His death… both Tsunade and I were devastated. But it was his choice. I couldn't stop him. Still… that doesn't mean I approve of what you've become. The once-brilliant prodigy… reduced to a snake obsessed with the Sharingan. You've forgotten what you once stood for."
"You really don't understand this world at all, Jiraiya," Orochimaru snapped. "Let me tell you—if it's the Sharingan, then everything is worth it."
He raised his voice, his tone growing feverish and manic.
"Twisting morality, abandoning restraint, trampling on all the values of humanity… you're becoming the very kind of person you used to hate," Jiraiya said, sorrow etched in his voice. "Maybe… only death will free you from your delusions."
To be continued...
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