How Could You Carve Lord Orochimaru's Face into a Wall?!

"Looks like this really is Orochimaru's underground laboratory."

In the forest, Jiraiya crouched on a dense tree branch, gazing out at everything in the distance.

Then he turned to Kitagawa Gen beside him and said with a smile,

"See? We found it without a hitch. Don't make that face."

"Heh."

Kitagawa Gen forced a laugh with a long face and said nothing. Jiraiya with intelligence was invincible, but Jiraiya without enough intelligence was prone to getting himself killed.

Just like when he had recklessly charged into Rain Country, the moment Kitagawa Gen gave him a hint, he had followed him straight here. Even Kitagawa Gen's attempts to dissuade him had been useless.

To be fair, the two of them really did not have much of a problem tailing people. If it had been anyone else, they probably would not have noticed them.

Unfortunately, Kitagawa Gen had seen an orange-haired guy among the people they were following.

"If nothing unexpected happens, that guy should be Jugo, and he also has the ability to communicate with animals."

Kitagawa Gen knew they had probably been exposed. He just had no idea how to explain something like that.

After thinking it over, all he could say was,

"Anyway, I don't think this is going that smoothly. We should be more careful. For example, it might be better if you sent a toad to follow them."

"Tch, you don't understand Orochimaru at all."

Jiraiya shook his head and spoke somewhat gloomily.

"Snakes and toads are natural enemies. If I used a toad to follow them, Orochimaru would definitely notice immediately."

No wonder the mission was called brothers stabbing me twice. You two really were ready to take a knife for each other.

"All right, enough of that."

Jiraiya did not want to keep digging into it either. He turned his head and stared ahead as he said,

"Since we found it, we'll look for a chance to get inside. We—hm?!"

Before he could finish, Jiraiya's expression suddenly changed, because he sensed a powerful burst of Chakra.

He looked up and saw that the ground not far away had already shattered into countless grains of sand, surging toward them like a tide!

"A mudslide of this strength..."

Seeing this, how could Jiraiya not know what had happened? He cursed Kitagawa Gen as a jinx in his heart and immediately entered battle mode.

"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"

Boom—

With the roar of Chakra, a huge earthen wall blocked the way in front of them!

"I was wondering why it felt like I'd smelled something unpleasant. So it was you, Jiraiya."

Just then, a hoarse voice came from above the earthen wall.

They looked up and saw Orochimaru, dressed in a pale yellow top, looking down at them from above.

His long hair danced in the wind, but his gaze was anything but friendly.

He was truly sick of Jiraiya. Ever since he left Konoha, this guy had been tracking him nonstop.

Every day, he shouted about bonds and said things like he was going to bring him back to Konoha. This situation had truly become unbearable.

Recently, he had heard that this guy had returned to Konoha, which had made him think he could finally have some peace for a while. He had not expected Jiraiya to show up at his door in the blink of an eye.

"So you really are here."

The moment Jiraiya saw Orochimaru, his expression immediately turned serious.

Although he was puzzled about how he had been exposed, he had to change his strategy now.

"Orochimaru, come back to Konoha with me."

"."

Orochimaru had just been thinking about it when Jiraiya blurted that out again. While it troubled him, he could not help but sneer.

"How are you still so naive? Konoha is no longer the Konoha we once knew. It has long since rotted and withered. Why would I return to a hopeless place like that?"

"Even a rotten great tree can sprout new buds. Those buds will let the great tree regain its vitality."

Jiraiya gave not an inch as he stared at Orochimaru and said,

"Orochimaru, this time, I'm definitely taking you back!"

"I see..."

Orochimaru sighed. In the next instant, he attacked without the slightest hesitation.

"Then we'll have to see whether you have the ability."

Almost instantly, countless venomous snakes surged out from all around, madly tearing toward Jiraiya and Kitagawa Gen.

"Be careful. Find a chance to retreat. I'll get as much intelligence as I can."

Jiraiya also formed hand seals rapidly, but he did not forget to remind Kitagawa Gen.

"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"

Surging flames swept over the venomous snakes attacking from all sides, and for a moment, the smell of charred meat filled the air.

Using the firelight, Jiraiya leaped straight toward Orochimaru, and the two instantly began fighting atop the earthen wall.

Kitagawa Gen also took the opportunity to pull back, but at that moment, two figures blocked his path.

"Kimimaro, Jugo."

Looking at the two before him, especially when he noticed the killing intent filling Kimimaro's cold face, while Jugo's expression was not looking good either, he immediately understood what had happened. As he gathered Chakra, he suddenly laughed.

"I should thank you two for leading the way. Otherwise, we still wouldn't have known how to find Orochimaru's location."

"."

Kitagawa Gen's one sentence directly struck the two of them silent. Kimimaro in particular was overflowing with killing intent at this moment.

He raised his hand, and a bone spike emerged from his palm, pointing straight at Kitagawa Gen.

"You will..."

Before his words had even fallen, he had already rushed toward Kitagawa Gen.

"...die today!"

He had originally thought the two he had brought back were just insignificant bandits or wandering ninja. He had never expected that he would bring such enormous trouble to Orochimaru.

He was the kind of person who could give his life for Orochimaru. How could he possibly endure this?

"How impulsive. In that case..."

Kitagawa Gen flashed backward, opening up a little distance. At the same time, he did not even form seals and simply clasped his hands together.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Hum—

In an instant, a huge fireball howled toward Kimimaro like a meteor!

The power of Kitagawa Gen's techniques was directly tied to his Chakra.

This made him just like Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju—even if he casually used the simplest technique, it could still produce an effect unimaginable to ordinary people.

"Careful!"

Jugo was startled when he saw such a huge fireball. Red mottled markings immediately appeared on his body, covering half his face, and a natural aura also emerged from him.

In a flash, he charged directly in front of Kimimaro, his arm turning into a shield as he blocked ahead of him!

Boom—

A piercing roar shook the ears, and scorching heat kept reverberating. Kitagawa Gen's fireball was actually forcibly blocked by Jugo!

Whoosh—

Kimimaro said nothing more. Right now, all he could think about was making up for his mistake. He leaped up, passing through the layers of heat waves, and pounced straight at Kitagawa Gen again.

But just as Kimimaro was about to rush in front of Kitagawa Gen, Kitagawa Gen suddenly smiled. At the same time, he clasped his hands together.

"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"

With Chakra poured in, an earthen wall rose from the ground and forcibly blocked Kimimaro.

"Hmph!"

Kimimaro snorted coldly. It was only an Earth Flow Wall. He could absolutely try to pierce it with his bone spike!

However, just as he was about to strike, his pupils abruptly dilated. His entire body froze in that instant, and he did not dare make a move at all.

Because he could clearly see that on that earthen wall, there was actually a portrait of Orochimaru!

And the position of the portrait had been adjusted so that if he stabbed down, he would absolutely pierce straight through Orochimaru's head!

"Damn it."

At this moment, Kimimaro was truly caught between shock and rage. Yet right then, he suddenly heard the crack of lightning.

In the next instant, a sheet of purple light pierced straight through the Earth Flow Wall and charged fiercely toward his chest.