"I remembered everything Sensei said."
Tsunade said nothing and set down her chopsticks as well.
Orochimaru continued eating at an unhurried pace, but his ears had clearly perked up.
Jiraiya looked at the charcoal fire, his tone much heavier than usual:
"I used to think that once we graduated from the Ninja Academy and learned a few ninjutsu, we could go out and make our way in the world.
But after going out this time, I realized we were still far from ready."
He paused, then continued:
"That Wisker—I fought him for ages and couldn't hurt him at all.
If Big Brother Gamabunta hadn't held him off, if Lord Hokage hadn't arrived..."
For once, Tsunade did not snap back at him. Instead, she nodded.
"Same for me.
I thought that with Monstrous Strength and the Yin Seal, I could go wherever I wanted.
And what happened? I was pinned to an altar and couldn't even move."
She lowered her head to look at her hand. That hand had once shattered a Chunin's bones, yet before a true powerhouse, it had been nothing.
"Strength..."
She murmured, "It's still not enough."
Orochimaru set down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"It's normal for it not to be enough.
How long has it even been since we graduated?
Those powerful people have trained for decades. How are we supposed to compare?"
His tone remained calm, but something more had appeared in his eyes.
"But precisely because it isn't enough, we have to train."
Jiraiya looked at him. "How do you plan to train?"
Orochimaru fell silent for several seconds before slowly speaking.
"Summoning beasts."
Jiraiya and Tsunade looked at him at the same time.
Orochimaru continued:
"This battle made me realize something—sometimes, one person's strength is limited.
Jiraiya has his