Then one of the two, Minato or Araki, would have to be tied to a tree.
Given that Araki and Kushina have a decent relationship, if Araki were to be tied up, it might cause Kushina with him, so...
Jiraiya's true target is Minato!
He originally intended to tie Minato to the wooden stake. Minato, who had already used the Flying Thunder God Technique repeatedly, was severely depleted of his physical strength due to the intense exertion, and would inevitably be hungry, which might trigger some struggle.
but...
Things have come to this point.
Jiraiya understood as well.
Even if the bell has already been snatched, these three little guys have already passed the test. Even if they hadn't passed, given the humility they showed before the battle, they wouldn't easily abandon any of their companions.
That's enough!
This was the point that Jiraiya cared about most!
On his way to the Land of Rain for the Second Shinobi World War, he once came to the brink of death. At that time, he could smell the scent of death and even wondered if he was going to die there.
However, it was precisely because of Tsunade's unwavering support and her insistence on saving him that he was able to hold on until reinforcements arrived.
He laughed it off without saying anything afterward, but he always kept it in mind. When training the ninja team, what he valued more was not their strength, but the bond that these people formed together.
"At the very beginning, I said that only two people could get the bell, and only those who got the bell could pass the test. This in itself is a test, because there are only two possible outcomes for you!"
Jiraiya simply held up two fingers and waved them in front of the three of them.
"First one, you all pass!"
"Secondly, you're all eliminated!"
"There's no such thing as two people passing and one being eliminated. It's about whether you'd trust your teammates in extreme situations!"
"You did a great job, I'm very satisfied, and I'm proud of you!"
Jiraiya's smile grew even brighter, and his gaze towards Araki and the other two became more amiable. Since going to the Land of Rain, he had gained a completely different understanding of taking on disciples. He suddenly realized that the bond between master and disciple was a very special one, and that it could even be passed down through the transmission of Ninjutsu.
However, teaching people from other villages is ultimately different from training people from Konoha itself.
He knew very well that Nagato and the other two hated Konoha from the bottom of their hearts; they were children of an opposing force.
So after returning, he hoped to find disciples in the village who shared his ideals and to once again wholeheartedly serve as a teacher.
"So that's how it is..." Minato suddenly realized.
"Doesn't that mean..." Kushina's face lit up with intense joy, and she turned to look at Araki, saying with a smile, " Araki, you shouldn't be medical-nin for now!"
"Hmm." Araki nodded. After the battle just now, he had become somewhat interested in battles between ninjas, which was a change from his previous thoughts. After all, as strength increases, some ideas that he didn't have before will emerge.
"Very good!"
Kushina jumped up excitedly, celebrating this moment, which was exactly what she had been looking forward to.
All the current outcomes are the best possible result for her.
Over the next period of time, Jiraiya treated the three to something to eat, which helped them become more familiar with each other.
In Jiraiya's words...
Getting to know each other is the process of becoming familiar.
This will effectively build better bonds.
The meal lasted a long time, Jiraiya got drunk, reeking of alcohol, and staggered straight to the hot spring resort. He claimed that he was going to gather material for his creative work and told the three of them to rest well, as the ninja missions would officially begin in three days, starting with D-Rank Mission.
After Jiraiya left, the three did not separate. Araki went home with Kushina, while Minato, unlike usual, did not follow behind, but had a legitimate reason to leave together.
Not long after.
The three of them then arrived at Araki's residence.
After passing through the Minato.
Araki looked towards Kushina.
"Go back now, I need to go and cultivate," Araki said in a deep voice.
"Still need to train?" Kushina's eyes widened. It was completely dark now, and she knew very well that Araki was a training fanatic, but he had just finished the assessment. Wasn't he pushing himself too hard?
"Yes, cultivation is like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you fall behind. Every moment of slackening is a desecration of the long-standing perseverance you've maintained," Araki said earnestly.
"Okay, okay..."
Kushina looked helpless. She knew she couldn't win an argument with Araki, so she simply stopped talking. She was indeed exhausted. The whole day had taken a toll on her, both physically and mentally.
"You should take care of yourself and not overwork yourself. I can't go on anymore, I'm going to sleep."
that's all.
Under Araki's watchful gaze.
Kushina returned to the house.
Araki looked up at the now pitch-black night sky, where a few stars shone, bringing a glimmer of light to the darkness.
"Hey-hey."
Araki grinned slightly, then turned and walked deeper into the forest. It was time to check out Orochimaru's base.
Although the Orochimaru incident was still recent and under investigation, and Anbu ninjas could appear in the forest at any time, he still wanted to go and check it out, trying his best not to be discovered by others along the way.
There's so much to investigate about Orochimaru's base!
For the past year and a half, he had been confined to a laboratory, never having been to any of the other rooms and having no idea what was inside.
Chapter 8 Orochimaru's Theory of Death
Araki walked through the midnight forest, which was much quieter than he had imagined, and he did not encounter any other Anbu Ninja along the way.
When Araki arrived at Orochimaru's base, there was still no movement; the forest was as quiet as if nothing had ever happened.
What happened?
A huge question mark popped into Araki's head; he couldn't understand this at all.
Logically speaking...
At the very least, Orochimaru, one of the Orochimaru of Konoha Sannin, and three Anbu Ninja who went there to investigate have disappeared.
This is definitely not a small matter!
Araki originally thought that such an incident would trigger a massive search by Konoha or the Anbu, resulting in Anbu Ninja frequently appearing in the forest at night. However, the actual situation was completely different from what he had imagined.
There's no one here.
It was as quiet as if nothing had happened.
Araki felt deeply puzzled by the fact that he had been able to reach Orochimaru's base so easily, as this was not the outcome he had expected.
"Could it be...?"
Suddenly, a thought popped into Araki's head that even he found absurd, a possibility he had never considered.
" The Third didn't even send anyone to investigate; they just suppressed the matter?"
Araki pursed his lips, his brows furrowing slightly. Even though he had long suspected that the Third would be incompetent and senile during his reign, he was still quite surprised to see the situation unfold before him.
but...
The actual situation was not quite the same as Araki's guess, but not too far off.
The Third did send people to investigate the matter, but the investigation was conducted secretly and not made public. When the three Anbu Directly Under the Hokage did not return, the Third already sensed that something had happened to them.
It's best not to let the villagers know about this.
After all, every member of the Anbu wears a mask.
If they die, all that's needed is to assign a new mask.
Thus, apart from the Anbu Directly Under the Hokage, no one else would know the truth.
The most fundamental reason why the Third did this was to minimize the impact of such a low-key approach, so as not to cause panic within the village or attract the attention of others who were watching him.
However, Araki is unaware of all of this at the moment.
At this very moment.
In the darkness of night.
Araki looked at the dense forest of old trees with their gnarled roots ahead, where there was a slightly raised area.
This was originally the entrance to Orochimaru's base, but it is now sealed off by a dense network of vines. Even those who previously knew about Orochimaru's base cannot enter through normal means.
This gave him a very natural barrier.
It could hinder the existence of others, including those who knew about Orochimaru's base, whom he was unaware of.
and...
Even if those people forcibly removed the vines blocking the door after finding this secret base and entered the base, he could determine whether someone had entered by simply checking whether the vines had been damaged each time he came.
So...
The vines planted by the Party at the door provided him with significant help.
He can see each time he comes whether anyone has been here while he was away.
Instantly.
After Araki confirmed these points...
He leaped into the air.
Like a cannonball, it shot straight toward the top of a tree, unleashing the full power of its legs at that moment.
With a leap, Araki landed firmly on a tree branch, then walked step by step toward the top of the tree.
Chakra was attached to his feet, allowing him to control his body and walk in a coordinated manner to the very top of the tree. Looking down from there, he could just see a dark tree hole.
This tree hollow was an entrance that Araki had created for himself to enter the base.
Araki fell straight down and jumped into the cave, landing precisely in the room he had created using the Deep Forest Emergence technique.
The first thing that caught my eye was Orochimaru's corpse.