Movie King and Baldy

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle...

White smoke curled through the air as the originally fierce ninjutsu assault instantly crumbled and scattered into nothing.

And that wasn't all!

The bottle of transparent liquid Orochimaru had thrown seemed to possess exceptional adhesive properties. Even as Jiraiya's hair rapidly shrank back to normal, most of the liquid was still absorbed into it.

"What kind of ninjutsu is this?! There are no traces of Chakra usage at all!"

Jiraiya's eyes widened. Inside, he screamed, This doesn't conform to Nindo! But before he could seriously consider the issue, he discovered that his waist-length white hair had all turned into charred black ash.

Whoosh...

A breeze swept past.

What a freshly made bald head!

Jiraiya instinctively touched his head, then his face.

Smooth and gleaming with oil, it felt wonderful...

He had become bald—a bald man without even eyebrows!

From a distance, he looked like a peeled egg. If Wang Yan had to rate him, the silly-cute appearance might even earn him a few extra points.

"A hair-based offensive ninjutsu that isn't particularly afraid of fire. You had some ideas, but the porosity of hair and its cellular nature give this ninjutsu countless weaknesses. It's extremely easy to counter."

A sinister smile showed on Orochimaru's face, his tone like that of a ghost from the depths of hell. "That was merely a little Intensified Thioacetic Acid mixed with Manda Serum. I went easy on you..."

That was indeed true. Other than the psychological blow of becoming bald, Jiraiya had not suffered the slightest injury.

If Orochimaru had used another solution instead, Jiraiya might have become the Naruto World's Deadpool—Acid Face.

"Damn it! Then Hair Needle Senbon, Needle Jizo... none of those characteristic ninjutsu can be used anymore! More importantly, my handsome and dashing appearance has turned into this! Unforgivable!"

Bald Jiraiya's fury soared to the heavens as he finally displayed the strength worthy of one of the Three Ninja.

The entire battle between the two unfolded beneath Wang Yan's gaze. The connection between Lord Main God and Reincarnators was simply that unreasonable. Don't say they were less than ten thousand miles apart—even if they were separated by countless planes and endless worlds, Wang Yan could still see what the Reincarnators were doing.

Workers had no rights...

Wang Yan would not let the Reincarnators know that. He would even take the initiative to raise the banner of protecting Reincarnators' rights, using it to squeeze every last bit of labor from them.

As a former native, powerless Earthling, Lord Main God watched Orochimaru and Jiraiya's love-hate struggle with great relish. Unfortunately, the actual battle was incredibly dull, practically identical to an RPG turn-based game.

Jiraiya activated Sage Mode.

Orochimaru used Taunt: This counts as Sage Mode? I happen to have some relevant research materials on hand. Want me to tell you what true Sage Mode is?

Jiraiya launched an attack. The attack was ineffective and failed to break through the defense. Jiraiya touched his bald head, his fury soaring. Action Points +1. He summoned Gamabunta and, together with Sage Fukasaku and Sage Shima, launched a Quadruple Attack—Rasengan: Starry Sky!

Orochimaru unleashed the Scientific Summoning Technique: Nine-Headed Dragon Gate: Taros Construct, neutralizing the opponent's attack.

Their fight was roughly like that. Jiraiya used every trick he had, even thinking outside the box and employing many ninjutsu that had previously existed only as concepts.

Unfortunately, his sudden burst in battle did not bring him victory.

Jiraiya sprawled limply on the ground, utterly exhausted. He could not squeeze out enough Chakra for even a Body Flicker Technique.

There was some fear in his eyes, but also a trace of persistence and determination. "What exactly do you want? Are you going to kill me?"

The other man could kill him, but he would never obtain any of Konoha's secrets from him.

"...Kill you?"

The smile on Orochimaru's face twisted somewhat. "Why would I kill you? Wouldn't it be better to let you live long enough to see Konoha destroyed?"

"And besides... I really don't understand why so many people favor those laughably idiotic works of yours. Is it because they want to find, in this chaotic age, some illusory sanctuary of peace concocted by a fool, and use it to heal and comfort their hearts?"

At this point, Orochimaru's expression gradually calmed, but his tone became increasingly vicious. "Yes, you have to die. But before you do, I'll make sure your reputation is utterly ruined. I'll manipulate public opinion and fabricate evidence, turning you into a plagiarist who stole someone else's writing! Well? Do you like the ending I've arranged for you?"

Hearing this, the utterly restrained Jiraiya shuddered. He looked at Orochimaru as though he were a severely deranged psychiatric patient. "Wait! What grudge do we even have? Come to think of it, I'm the one who was nearly beaten to death back then, right? Why do you hate me so much?"

What kind of grudge was this? Orochimaru actually wanted to ruin his reputation before killing him!

Jiraiya felt wronged beyond measure.

"Heh heh... That stupid woman Tsunade actually turned a blind eye to the outstanding me, yet fell for the nonexistent talent of an idiot like you. Do you remember that time, years ago, when Tsunade caught you peeping at the Women's Bathhouse? Broken ribs, fractures in both wrists, ruptures in several internal organs... While you were recovering, she actually cried and said that jealousy and rage had clouded her judgment, that she had hurt the man she loved, and that she was unworthy of being a ninja. Heh heh heh..."

The "truth" spilling from Orochimaru's mouth made Jiraiya feel as though the Tsunade he had known for the past few decades might have been a fake.

Senju Tsunade, one of the Three Ninja—Tsunade Hime, the strongest woman in the ninja world—liked him just as he liked her?

Something seemed a little off...

Jiraiya did not know whether he was excited or had aggravated his injuries, but he coughed up two mouthfuls of blood.

Yet his spirits rose higher and higher. He even performed beyond his usual level, finding a flaw in Orochimaru's words. "At that time, wasn't Tsunade with Dan Katō..."

Hearing Jiraiya's doubt, Orochimaru inwardly cursed.

Why did this good-for-nothing always try to be clever at exactly the wrong times?

Orochimaru was quick-witted, after all. With a blink, he casually offered a "reasonable" explanation. "Dan Katō was only a shield. Think carefully—did Dan Katō and you back then look somewhat alike? Also, don't forget Tsunade's surname."

Senju...

Jiraiya wore an expression of sudden realization, his eyes overflowing with happiness.

Although he had no idea what the hell Jiraiya had realized, Orochimaru's performance still had to continue.

He had not forgotten the mission he carried on his shoulders.

"Don't worry. I won't let you die alone and lonely."

"Before I kill you, I'll take out Tsunade first, then destroy Konoha."

Orochimaru snorted coldly. "And that Child of Prophecy you spent your entire life chasing—I've already found him. The bloodlines of the Uzumaki Clan and the Namikaze Clan, the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, the reincarnation of Asura Chakra, the light born from darkness—Namikaze Minato's... son, Naruto Uzumaki."

"The so-called Child of Prophecy is now nothing more than a Genin who has just graduated. I'll find him and kill him! I'll turn your entire life into a complete joke!"

No one understood Orochimaru's personality better than Jiraiya. The man would never make baseless claims, so the information about the Child of Prophecy had to be true.

Orochimaru's strength had advanced by leaps and bounds. He was bizarre and unfathomable, and no one in all of Konoha could stand against him.

Konoha would be destroyed. He himself would be utterly disgraced as the Literary Plagiarist. Even Tsunade, the other half of his dreams who had silently loved him as well, would die because of him.

The Child of Prophecy...

Naruto Uzumaki?

Minato's child—what had he done wrong? Why did Orochimaru want to kill him? Just to make him suffer?

Jiraiya struggled desperately to get up, squeezing out a trace of chakra from his withered cells with all his might, only for it to be scattered in an instant.

At last, he despaired.

At the darkest, bleakest moment of his life, a voice resounding like a great bell and chime echoed in Jiraiya's heart.

"Do you wish to possess enough power to protect, to bear, and to save?"

"Yes/No."

Jiraiya gave a miserable smile.

"Do you even need to ask?! Whoever can give me the power to defeat Orochimaru, even if it's the grim reaper, I'm willing to make a contract with him!"

"I choose..."

"Yes!"

If you like this book, please be sure to vote with Recommendation tickets!

Recommendation tickets are very important! So I'll say it three times!