Jiraiya and the Snake Join Forces

"Hm? All taken care of?"

"All taken care of."

Xuanhui ran over to Orochimaru's side and wiped the fine sweat from his forehead.

In just one short hour, he had killed people, set fires, stolen treasure, and traveled back and forth. He was starting to feel a little tired.

"How were the gains?"

"Not bad. We'll weigh it when we get back, but I reckon there should at least be enough money to put up the building."

"You brat, you know a thing or two about economics too?"

"Only a little. We really need to find an expert in that field... I haven't heard of any famous accountants in Konoha!"

"Why not find someone from the Nara Clan? Don't you have one-quarter Nara blood flowing through your veins?"

"It'd be great if they were willing to come. Every one of them is pretty smart, but if we asked them, they'd definitely say—

'What a pain. I don't want to go!'

Something like that."

"That's true. Everyone in the Nara Clan is afraid of trouble..."

Xuanhui and Orochimaru chatted idly about trivial matters in the Hidden Leaf Village.

Jiraiya lay atop the last carriage, staring blankly at the sky.

He wanted to pick up a pen and write something, but his thoughts had scattered into the breeze. Green leaves raced alongside them, swaying before his eyes.

The harmonious atmosphere continued for quite some time, until the sunlight no longer scorched the earth.

There was about an hour left before sunset.

"Kennabi Bridge is up ahead. Follow the road for another ten kilometers, and we'll reach the border between the villages."

"Looks like we won't arrive until dark."

"Yeah... Wait a minute!"

Orochimaru suddenly sensed something and stared gravely toward the bridgehead.

"Enemies!"

Jiraiya appeared behind the two of them. Clearly, he had sensed it too...

A sinister chakra!

Just then, three shuriken tore through the air from ahead, flying straight at the three men's faces.

"Move!"

Xuanhui shouted, but Orochimaru and Jiraiya had already leaped away.

"What's going on?!"

Seeing the three make such a huge movement, Chiya Yuichi in the convoy could not help but grow tense as well.

The reins were pulled tight, and the merchant caravan immediately came to a halt.

Before everyone's fixed gazes, a ninja stepped into view—his face covered by a black mask, countless flying threads coiling around his body, his dark green pupils glinting with an eerie light.

His footsteps were light, yet unusually loud, as if he deliberately wanted everyone to hear them.

"Konoha ninja... Leave your heads behind!"

Damn! Isn't that Kakuzu?

You bastard! How the hell did I provoke you? Why am I running into you here...

Wait...

An economics expert... Isn't this guy one?

"Teacher Orochimaru, Lord Jiraiya, I'll keep it short.

The enemy is Kakuzu, a rogue ninja from the Hidden Waterfall Village. His specialty is the secret technique Earth Grudge Fear. He has five hearts, each with a different chakra nature. Each thread clone corresponds to one heart—remember, there are five!

Those black threads can extend. Every heart gives him one life, which means he has five lives. This guy is old—he's from the era of the First Hokage. Be careful!"

Xuanhui spoke with the fastest speed and clearest articulation of his life.

He quickly laid out all the information on Kakuzu, then swiftly retreated to the front of the merchant caravan.

From Jiraiya and Orochimaru's perspective, Xuanhui had rattled off a pile of intelligence before retreating to the rear of the battlefield.

They had no idea where the brat had gotten that information, but... it saved them a lot of trouble!

From Kakuzu's perspective, that little brat seemed to be talking to this Orochimaru and the one beside him... Jiraiya, was it? If he remembered correctly, Jiraiya's bounty was quite high too.

In any case, the two of them were muttering something.

Kakuzu instinctively became wary. He raised an arm, and the threads sealing the crack in it snapped apart with a bang.

However, Xuanhui had spoken far too quickly and concisely. Before Kakuzu could even make a move, Xuanhui had already fallen back to the second line.

Kakuzu could only shift targets. His fist shot toward Jiraiya in an instant, trailing elegant black threads behind it.

Jiraiya leaped up immediately, forming hand seals with both hands in midair.

"Wild Lion's Mane Technique!"

The white braid behind him grew wildly like a vine, its speed matching Kakuzu's threads.

"It's not just your hair that can extend!"

The white hair tangled with Kakuzu's arm.

Kakuzu did not hesitate and chose to retract his arm. Naturally, Jiraiya would not give him the chance. His hair bound Kakuzu's arm, creating the perfect opening for Orochimaru to strike!

Orochimaru raised one hand, his palm aimed directly at Kakuzu.

At the same time, Kakuzu's back suddenly bulged, as though something was about to burst free.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"

A mask burst from Kakuzu's back and spat out a fierce gale, colliding violently in midair with the wind blast sweeping toward it from Orochimaru.

Xuanhui stood atop a carriage. When he opened his eyes again, tomoe emerged in his pupils alongside a blood-red glow.

Xuanhui looked toward Kakuzu and saw two masks emerging from his back!

The other masked creature aimed straight at Jiraiya.

"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"

A sharp bolt of lightning split through the air like scattered blossoms, surging densely toward Jiraiya.

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

A wall of earth rose from the ground, standing between the two men. Violent currents battered the stone wall continuously, buying Jiraiya time to evade.

"Orochimaru!"

"Summoning Technique!" ×2

A cloud of smoke erupted, then dispersed with the wind.

When Kakuzu could see clearly again, two gigantic beasts like small mountains—a red-skinned toad with a pipe in its mouth and a purple-skinned snake with small horns on its head—were looking down at him!

"Summoning beasts?"

Kakuzu's brows furrowed slightly. He tore off his combat uniform, revealing a body covered in scars and threads.

With a shudder of his body, two more masked monsters made of black threads emerged from within him.

"Konoha ninja... Your bounties aren't low. I'll be collecting them today!"

After Gamabunta and Manda appeared, they first shot each other disdainful glances, then looked together toward the unknown creatures ahead.

"Jiraiya, didn't I tell you snakes are what I hate most?"

"Tch! Keep talking nonsense, and I'll eat you afterward, believe it or not..."

Kakuzu had already assumed his full battle stance, while their side was still bickering among themselves.

Jiraiya stomped lightly on Gamabunta's back, while Orochimaru shot Manda a fierce glare.

"Bunta, help me hold off that monster in front."

"Manda, see those masked monsters? Kill one, and I'll give you ten jin of raw meat."

"Ten jin of raw meat? Orochimaru, you take me for—"

"If you won't go, get back. I'll summon another snake."

"Fine... You win!"

(Xuanhui had once suggested to Orochimaru that arrogant summoning beasts like Manda were mostly very proud, and that they needed to be properly threatened and disciplined before they would listen.)

(Orochimaru took the advice to heart. From that day onward, Manda never dared straighten his back in front of Orochimaru again.)