Looking at the excited Orochimaru, Ye Feng hesitated over whether to tell him his earlier conjecture about souls. Orochimaru was riding high right now, and bringing it up would dampen his spirits.
Just then, Ye Feng also sensed that a group had arrived at Orochimaru's doorstep, but they had not forced their way inside. Orochimaru's reputation far surpassed what it had once been; even the Anbu dared not barge in at will.
"You deal with the people outside. I'll head out first!"
No sooner had Ye Feng spoken than he vanished.
Orochimaru naturally understood what Ye Feng meant. There was no way such a commotion would fail to alert the people in the village!
When Orochimaru opened the door, the first thing he saw was Minato Namikaze wearing a wry smile, with Tsunade and Jiraiya standing behind him.
Before Minato Namikaze could ask anything, Jiraiya called out:
"Orochimaru, what are you up to this time? You're not researching something forbidden again, are you? I'm warning you, don't mess around, or I'll be the first to come after you!"
At Jiraiya's warning, Orochimaru broke into a rare grin and said with a touch of humblebragging:
"It's nothing much. I just happened to make a little more progress in my strength, and that caused all this commotion!"
Everyone present looked surprised at his words, especially Jiraiya, whose mouth hung wide open, unable to believe it.
Orochimaru and Jiraiya had bickered for half their lives. Seeing Jiraiya at a loss now left Orochimaru immensely satisfied, even happier than his own advancement had made him.
Orochimaru had already possessed the strength to overpower the Third Kazekage. During the Third Shinobi World War, he had even held off several shinobi approaching Kage level, demonstrating extraordinary strength. Now that he had advanced another step, didn't that