Catching Snakes
Land of Snow, Hidden Snow Village ~
"Chief, is this really necessary? I'm just visiting a friend in Hidden Snow Village. Have you ever seen a spy make such a big fuss? Besides, given the friendship between Konoha and Snow Hidden, it's not a big deal for me, as a member of Konoha, to come to Hidden Snow Village for a visit, is it? After all, so many members of the Uchiha Clan have come."
Looking at the cold and aloof Natsu Hyuga before him, Jiraiya was secretly astonished. Was this girl's strength really that terrifying? Even in Sage Mode, he probably wouldn't be a match for her.
When did Uchiha Gen find such a powerful subordinate? I've never heard of him in the Ninja World. Is he a native of the Land of Snow?
"Hmph, after all, you are Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin. How can you be compared to the elder of the Uchiha Clan? It's not that Hidden Snow Village doesn't welcome outsiders. The reason I stopped you is not because I suspect you of being a spy, but because your infamous reputation for peeping into the women's bathhouse is known Ninja World. In order to protect the women of Hidden Snow Village, is there anything wrong with Hidden Snow Village banning someone like you from entering the country?"
I had heard a lot about Jiraiya's bad reputation back in Konoha. He used to have that bastard Third Hokage protecting him in Konoha, but I would never allow such a scoundrel to exist on my own turf.
"Huh? It's because of that? I was just gathering information, and I wouldn't do that in Hidden Snow Village. I promise, I'm only here to see Orochimaru."
You're not worried about being a spy, but worried about being spied on? How much do you underestimate my intelligence-gathering abilities Jiraiya the Toad Sage?
"That's none of my business, but you can't enter Hidden Snow Village. I'm keeping an eye on you~" As she said this, Xia's eyes flashed with a terrifying power as she stared intently at Jiraiya.
"Uh... if I don't want to go in, I don't want to go in. At worst, I'll have Toad send a message to Orochimaru to come out and see me."
This guy seems to specialize in Dōjutsu, and appears to be another powerful member of the Uchiha Clan or Hyuga Clan. But are there any other Ninja World with such powerful Dōjutsu besides the Uchiha Clan and Hyuga Clan?
"Summoning Technique - Bang!"
As Jiraiya activated his hand seal, a plume of white smoke rose up.
"Croak~ Lord Jiraiya? What brings you here to summon me? Do you have some snacks for me? That's great~" A tiny Toad, no bigger than a palm, looked at Jiraiya with hopeful eyes.
"Um, we can talk about snacks later. First, help me contact Orochimaru. He's in this village right here. Please, Blue Toad." Looking at Natsu Hyuga, who wasn't paying much attention to him, Jiraiya knew that his actions were still within acceptable limits.
"Huh? Contact Orochimaru? No way! I'm so small, you want me, a frog, to contact Orochimaru? He's a contractor from Ryūchi Cave. If I go, forget about getting any snacks in the future, I'll probably become snacks for those snakes myself." Thinking of the terror of the snakes in Ryūchi Cave, Blue Toad's body.
"Orochimaru wouldn't bother a little Toad like you who's not even an adult yet. Please, Blue Toad, do me this favor, and I'll provide you with all the snacks for the next six months."
Blue Toad is probably the most susceptible to temptation among all the little Toad, so sending a message to Orochimaru shouldn't be too dangerous for him.
"Huh? Half a year? How many little green worms would that be? I'll take the job." Upon hearing that such a huge sum of money was coming in, Blue Toad no longer cared about the danger and jumped over Jiraiya headed into the village.
"I advise you not to have too much hope. Orochimaru will never go back to Konoha with you. He has everything he wants in our Hidden Snow Village now. Whether it's research equipment or human experimentation, we can meet his needs. But if he goes back to Konoha, not only will he not have these things to support his research, but the reputation of killing the Third Hokage alone will be enough for him to suffer."
Natsu Hyuga knew perfectly well the purpose of Jiraiya's trip, since Tsunade had already given prior notice.
"Hahaha, things are all possible with human effort. As one of Orochimaru's only remaining friends, I must find out the truth about his affairs." After my investigation over this period of time, all the signs indicate that Orochimaru was just a scapegoat pushed to the forefront, and the person who killed the old man was definitely someone else.
"Whatever, Orochimaru is not going to go with you anyway." Is this what they call bonds? What a troublesome thing. Luckily, I've been in the Hyuga Branch Family since I was a child, so I've never had the chance to team up with outsiders for missions.
Hidden Snow Village, Research Center
"Orochimaru- sensei, there's a talking Toad outside who specifically wants to see you. It says Jiraiya waiting for you outside the village." After Orochimaru's training over the past few years, Kaguya Mika has become one of the top research talents in the base. As the only member of the Orochimaru Kaguya Corps, Mika's strength has far surpassed that of the timid Yukina, who is the leader of the group.
"Jiraiya? That idiot is as naive as ever. Mika, keep an eye on the rest of the research. There are plenty of White Zetsu Clone in the base, so you can proceed with your work without worry. I'm going out for a bit." Some things are bound to happen, and some things must be cut off. I can't let Jiraiya get involved any longer.
"Yes, Orochimaru- sensei!" I never expected that the legendary old lecher would actually find his way to Hidden Snow Village. Luckily, Lord Xia didn't let him in, otherwise I'd have to be careful when I go to the hot springs in the future. I really don't know how a cold-blooded powerhouse like Orochimaru could have a teammate like Jiraiya.
Hidden Snow Village, main gate~
Swish~
In a Body Flicker Technique, a cold-blooded man dressed in blue robes with a large twisted rope around his waist appeared before Jiraiya and his companion.
"Jiraiya, long time no see! I didn't expect you to find this place. Just say what's up, I'm in a hurry to get back and study Wood Release." Natsu Hyuga is here too? Thank Jiraiya didn't get into a fight with her.
"Orochimaru, you didn't do what the old man did, did you? With your strength, it's impossible for you to do something like that without alerting anyone." As long as Orochimaru is exonerated, with Tsunade's power as the Fifth Hokage, she might be able to bring Orochimaru back to the village.
"So this is what you came for? Jiraiya ~ You idiot, still as naive as ever. I did kill Teacher Sarutobi. You should have heard about my research on Wood Release with Danzo. The old man stole the results of Wood Release, which caused Danzo against him, and I became the victim of their conflict. I was the one who put in the effort, I was the one who did the research, and in the end, the results went to those two old bastards, and they even wanted me to take the blame for human experimentation. There's no such thing as a free lunch. So I decided to go all the way and send those two old geezers to meet the previous Hokage. That's the whole story."