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Rustle, rustle—
With each wave of attacks from the Iwagakure forces outside the cave, the massive rocky mountain shook violently, causing dust and small debris to constantly fall inside the cave where Tsunade and the others were hiding.
In this tense environment, Jiraiya, already severely injured, couldn't help but cough heavily despite receiving healing from Tsunade, his expression showing immense pain.
Seeing this, Tsunade's pretty face grew more serious, her eyes filled with worry. She focused all her attention on the healing technique in her hands and spoke sternly.
"You idiot, do you think I agreed to come back to the village and help you with this mission just for this? Is this all a ninja can endure in your eyes?"
"Did you hear me, you fool? Hang in there! Dying here would be too much. Didn't you say you would bring back Sōsuke with your own hands?"
Tsunade's voice was stern, but there was a hint of an almost imperceptible softness in her expression. If Jiraiya were to die in front of her, she might not be able to accept it. How could this fool just die like that? After making so many promises...
At this moment, Jiraiya, leaning against the stone wall with a pale face, managed to force a smile.
Cough, cough.
He raised a trembling hand, gently resting it on Tsunade's shoulder, and with a low, strained voice, he said:
"Don't worry."
"No matter what... I'll bring that guy back. This... is my promise!"
Even though Jiraiya's eyes were closed, his face weary and covered in dust, the determination in his words was unmistakable.
Tsunade stared at him, then lowered her head and silently continued healing him.
Only a few drops of crystalline liquid fell to the ground, and in the trembling cave, a faint whisper seemed to echo.
"Thank you."
Whether Jiraiya, lying there receiving healing, heard her or not, his tired face showed a hint of determination, and a satisfied smile curved his lips.
Nearby, Orochimaru observed the scene, his eyes flickering with thoughts that were difficult to discern.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The brief moment of peace inside the cave was quickly interrupted by the sound of rock collapses.
Hearing the sound, Orochimaru's expression grew grim, his snake-like eyes narrowing as he looked outside the cave.
"The tunnels at the ten o'clock and four o'clock directions have already collapsed. It seems Iwagakure has surrounded the entire mountain. We might soon have to face nearly a hundred Iwagakure shinobi."
Orochimaru's voice was hoarse as he spoke.
After he finished, he looked at Tsunade with a serious expression and asked:
"Tsunade, to what extent can Jiraiya recover in his current condition?"
Before she could respond, Jiraiya struggled to stand up, supporting himself against the wall. His face was pale, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat, but he forced a grin.
"Don't worry. I can handle these injuries."
Tsunade glared at him angrily and shouted:
"Are you kidding? Your body can't handle any movement right now. Do you think these injuries are..."
She was interrupted by Orochimaru, who fixed his snake-like eyes on Jiraiya and asked in a deep voice:
"Jiraiya, are you sure you can handle the upcoming battle? You must understand that your answer determines whether we can break out of here!"
The two of them locked eyes, and Jiraiya didn't act as carefree as usual. His breath was heavy, and he replied with a serious tone.
"Don't worry. I know my own body. I won't hold you back in the upcoming fight."
Orochimaru saw the determination in Jiraiya's eyes and didn't question further. Instead, he said in a low voice:
"Then prepare for battle. Staying here will only delay death. Our only chance of survival is to fight our way out."
Tsunade's face darkened at Orochimaru's words. She spoke in a low voice.
"But you know that Jiraiya's body can't..."
Once again, she was interrupted. Orochimaru looked her straight in the eye and said hoarsely:
"Tsunade, whether we are the 'Three Legendary Ninjas' or 'Three Great Forces,' if we don't trust our comrades, this team means nothing. Since Jiraiya says he's ready, the only thing you can do is trust him."
Hearing Orochimaru's words, Tsunade turned to look at Jiraiya. Jiraiya nodded with a pale face, forcing a light-hearted tone.
"Don't worry. Lord Jiraiya isn't going to die that easily."
Tsunade's face was full of concern, but she didn't continue to argue because she knew that no matter what she said, it wouldn't make a difference to Jiraiya right now.
"I understand, but stay close to me. I'll make sure you recover as quickly as possible."
Tsunade stared at Jiraiya and said in a firm tone. Jiraiya could only smile wryly and nod slightly.
Boom—
At that moment, another nearby cave collapsed, causing the three inside to tense up. Orochimaru's hoarse voice echoed in the cave.
"Get ready. We're leaving this place."
Having only rested briefly, the three had no choice but to take the greatest risk and leave the cave, choosing to fight their way through the Iwagakure forces.
Meanwhile, on the same battlefield, a group of nearly a hundred shinobi had already been reduced to a field of corpses.
The thick stench of blood lingered in the air, even the desolate cold wind couldn't disperse it.
A stream of bright red blood slowly gathered into a pool, and standing in the middle of it was a young figure with red hair, calmly sorting through the bodies.
His black and white robe was stained with blood, like crimson plum blossoms dotting his clothes.
Even as he stood among the piles of corpses, his gaze remained calm, not at all fitting for a child of his age.
As he scanned the bodies, he muttered softly to himself.
"I really liked this outfit... but it's dirty again. I suppose I should make a puppet that's harder to touch."
Not far from where he stood, a shinobi was kneeling, his face filled with terror and disbelief.
In front of him stood two tall figures, who seemed to pay no attention to him. One of them spoke softly.
"So these were the Konoha forces sent to support Tsunade. It seems she's in quite a predicament."
The speaker had a calm, slight smile on his face, his deep eyes showing that nothing could truly disturb him.
The man beside him, a young man with pale eyes, responded respectfully.
"Are you not going to see them? According to Konoha's intelligence, it seems those three are in quite a bit of trouble."
The tall figure's eyes flickered as he thought about it, then nodded with a light smile.
"If Iwagakure is pursuing them so intensely, they must have some important information. Perhaps my existence has already been exposed to them."
"But it doesn't matter. Let's go. Let's pay a visit to our old comrades."