Orochimaru's strength was not to be underestimated.
During the Third Great Ninja War, he had assassinated the Eight-Tails' Jinchūriki, B, and led Konoha's forces to victory against Sunagakure in the Battle of Kikyo Pass, making him one of the most powerful figures in the ninja world.
But even with such strength, he was gradually falling behind in the seamless staff techniques of the Third Hokage.
Looking at the still-vigorous Third Hokage, Orochimaru's eyes were filled with dread. He had known his teacher was strong, but he hadn't expected him to be this powerful.
Without any preparation, he couldn't possibly defeat the Third Hokage.
Using the Orochi Substitution Jutsu to evade a heavy blow, Orochimaru retreated several dozen meters. His hands formed seals and slammed into the ground, causing the once soft grass to transform into hundreds of poisonous snakes that surged toward the Third Hokage.
The Third Hokage lightly tapped his toes and leapt into the air. His chest expanded as he growled, "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb!"
In an instant, the ground turned into a sea of flames, completely engulfing the swarm of poisonous snakes.
Seeing this, beads of sweat appeared on Orochimaru's forehead. He hadn't left Konoha immediately because he wanted to test his teacher's strength, but now the situation was spiraling out of control.
If he didn't use his full strength, he might really die here.
As for surrendering to the Third Hokage, the thought crossed Orochimaru's mind, but his heart no longer belonged to Konoha. He would leave eventually, one day.
Even if he surrendered now to save his life, he would be imprisoned in the village, losing his freedom.
Rather than sacrificing his freedom to stay in a dull village like Konoha, he decided it was better to take the risk and defeat the Third Hokage. He was also interested in studying the Sarutobi clan's bloodline.
Closing in on the Third Hokage, Orochimaru transformed his body into a giant snake and lunged.
The Third Hokage stood his ground without dodging, and said calmly, "Orochimaru, do you really have no intention of staying in the village?"
Orochimaru didn't answer. He had already circled behind the Third Hokage. All he needed was to inject his venom into the Hokage's body, and he would win this battle.
However, just as Orochimaru was about to attack, a flash of white light burst forth on the snake's head, detonating directly on Orochimaru's body.
As the dust settled, a bloodied Orochimaru slithered into the forest. He didn't dare stay any longer.
At some point, the Third Hokage had placed several explosive tags on Orochimaru and disrupted his sensory abilities with genjutsu.
It was only after realizing this that Orochimaru understood the gap between him and his teacher.
Not only was the Third Hokage significantly stronger than him, but his battle experience was also far superior. If the Third Hokage hadn't held back, Orochimaru might have already died.
Watching Orochimaru retreat, the Third Hokage stopped and chose not to pursue.
The battle had taken a great toll on him. It had been a long time since he had fought so fiercely.
If he recklessly chased after Orochimaru, there was a chance he might get countered and killed.
After calming his breathing, the Third Hokage sighed in relief. "I didn't expect Orochimaru to have grown this strong. If I hadn't prepared in advance, I might not have been his match."
Enma, who was by his side, said flatly, "Hiruzen, wasn't it because you were holding back? If you hadn't been aiming to capture him alive, you would have had many chances to kill him."
Hearing this, the Third Hokage fell silent.
Enma was right—he had indeed held back during the fight.
Seeing through Hiruzen's thoughts, Enma sighed lightly, "I know you can't bring yourself to kill your student, but old friend, I have a feeling that one day you'll regret your actions today."
The Third Hokage responded with a complex expression, "Maybe... but I really couldn't do it. Letting Orochimaru leave Konoha might be for the best…"
After speaking, the Third Hokage looked at Enma, who remained silent.
Though Enma was the Third Hokage's summoned beast, he had also watched Orochimaru and the others grow up. He understood the Hokage's feelings and didn't want to see Orochimaru's blood on his hands.
A few minutes later, Danzo and several Konoha jōnin finally arrived.
Seeing the devastated land, they all looked toward the Third Hokage. Judging by the scene, it seemed like the Third Hokage had won the battle.
But what about Orochimaru?
The Third Hokage sighed deeply and said with a complicated expression, "Just now, Orochimaru wounded me and defected!"
The jōnin were shocked, disbelief written on their faces.
With the border conflict having just ceased and peace talks in a crucial phase, one of the Sannin, Orochimaru, had wounded the Third Hokage and defected. This was not good news for Konoha.
At that moment, the Third Hokage, full of regret, declared, "Due to the danger posed by Orochimaru, I will designate him as an S-rank missing-nin. Every Konoha ninja will have the duty to capture him."
"Yes, Lord Hokage!"
The jōnin all nodded in agreement, but in their hearts, they knew capturing Orochimaru wouldn't be easy. Was there anyone other than the Five Kage who could even contend with him?
Danzo glared at the Third Hokage, committing the event to memory.
He didn't believe that the Third Hokage lacked the ability to kill Orochimaru. He must have let him go out of sentimentality.
The Third Hokage wasn't just indecisive; he was also too soft on the ninja around him. If it were him, he would never have let Orochimaru go.
However, just because the Third Hokage wouldn't act didn't mean Danzo wouldn't.
He needed to capture or even eliminate Orochimaru. Orochimaru knew too many of his secrets and was an extremely unstable factor.
...
Meanwhile...
After running for over ten kilometers, Orochimaru slithered into a cave and began healing his injuries.
The wounds on his body were severe, and it would take at least a month to recover. During that month, he would have to deal with Konoha's pursuit.
Although his teacher had held back during their fight, that didn't mean the subsequent chase would be lenient.
His former partner, Danzo, would also undoubtedly try to hunt him down.
During this month, he could only muster the strength of an average jōnin, making it difficult to shake off Konoha's pursuit.
Perhaps, he would have to head to Ryūchi Cave for a while.
But Ryūchi Cave was different from the other two great sage regions. It was a world where only the strong survived, with snakes devouring one another. Losers would become the victors' prey.
Thinking this over, Orochimaru abandoned the idea of going to Ryūchi Cave and instead turned his gaze northward—toward Amegakure.