From the stands, Hiruzen Sarutobi watched Jiraiya and Orochimaru's battle closely. He knew Jiraiya had spent who knew how long preparing to beat Orochimaru. Although Orochimaru was his favorite student, he cared about Jiraiya too, so he was genuinely curious whether Jiraiya could win.
When he saw Jiraiya use shuriken to conceal his movements, then create three shadow clones to surround Orochimaru and unleash Fire Release together, Hiruzen Sarutobi marveled inwardly. The usually impulsive boy had learned to use tactics, and he executed them quite well.
"You taught him that Fire Release, didn't you, Hiruzen?" asked the woman beside Hiruzen Sarutobi, Utatane Koharu, as she watched Jiraiya's technique.
"Yes. His natural chakra affinity happens to be fire, so I taught him Fire Release," Hiruzen Sarutobi said. "Although I can use all five chakra natures, Fire Release and Earth Release are still my strongest."
"They are your clan's inherited techniques, after all," Utatane Koharu said. Aside from the Uchiha Clan, the Sarutobi Clan to which Hiruzen Sarutobi belonged was the clan most skilled in Fire Release in Konoha Ninja Village.
Watching the flames engulf Orochimaru completely, Utatane Koharu said, "That boy really doesn't hold back. Aren't you worried Orochimaru might slip up and get caught?"
"Don't worry. En would stop it immediately if that happened. He's closer and can see things more clearly than we can," Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a smile.
Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi had said, when Jiraiya's Fire Release ran out of steam and he had to stop, all that remained was a nearly unrecognizable charred remnant. But it was not Orochimaru's corpse—it was a piece of wood.
Jiraiya immediately leaped backward, and someone burst out of the ground in front of him. It was Orochimaru, his hand seals already complete. The scattered soil instantly writhed as though