"Can you hold those rudimentary defensive fortifications to the north?"
Orochimaru looked at Jiraiya as he asked.
"Even if we can't, we still have to hold them! Countless Konoha Ninja fought and died to defend that ground! If you give it up today, Kumogakure will be able to attack us tomorrow!"
"That's exactly what I want—for them to come at us."
Orochimaru gave a faint, confident smile.
Jiraiya was somewhat dumbfounded.
"Jiraiya, do you trust me?"
"Of course I trust you, but..."
"Then listen to me. Let Kumogakure fight their battle, and we'll fight ours!"
Jiraiya looked into Orochimaru's eyes and ultimately chose to trust the companion who had been by his side since childhood.
He trusted the bond between himself and Orochimaru, and he trusted that Orochimaru would not deceive him over something like this.
"Orochimaru, don't play with fire."
"But only fire can burn away the enemy."
Jiraiya stood silently by the door for a moment, then broke into a grin.
"Well, since you're so smart, Orochimaru, you must already have a plan. In that case, I just need to obediently do as you say."
Orochimaru looked at Jiraiya, pulled a book from his pocket, and handed it to him. Its title read, On Protracted Warfare.
"Read more books, read more newspapers, peek into bathhouses less, and think more about what's in this book. Then you'll understand why I'm fighting this way."
"I heard Lord Orochimaru executed a group of corrupt command personnel! I heard they were all thrown to Darin to be fed to it."
"What's Darin?"
"No idea. It's probably one of Lord Orochimaru's Summoning Beasts!"
"But why is Lord Orochimaru giving up the defensive line ahead?"
"Yeah! Members of our squad died there!"
Asuma and his two companions walked down the road. Hearing