The report of Konoha's victory over Hanzo reached the village early the next morning, delivered by a ninja hawk directly to the Hokage's office.
"Hahaha, Sarutobi, it seems your students have grown beyond anyone's expectations!" Homura Mitokado said with a pleased smile, sitting alongside Koharu Utatane.
"Yes, defeating Hanzo of the Hidden Rain… They're already formidable enough to stand on their own." Koharu agreed, nodding in approval.
Hiruzen smiled humbly, clearly pleased. "They've worked hard to reach this level. I just guided them. Their achievements are their own."
The news of the Sannin's victory spread quickly through Konoha. In no time, the village was buzzing with pride, and Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade became heroes in the eyes of the villagers and aspiring young ninjas.
---
Meanwhile, out on the battlefield in the Land of Rain, the trio had set up a small camp under a natural rock shelter, taking a moment to rest and warm themselves around a fire.
"It really happened," Jiraiya muttered, breaking off a piece of the ration biscuit in his hand and staring into the flames. "We actually won. The village won."
Tsunade, who was leaning comfortably against Orochimaru's lap, chuckled softly, still in disbelief herself. "Honestly… it feels surreal. We actually defeated Hanzo, the legendary 'Salamander' of the Hidden Rain? The guy they call a demigod?"
Jiraiya nodded. "Yeah… hard to wrap my head around it. He's practically a living legend."
He fell silent, clearly lost in thought. Even during the battle, he had felt overwhelmed by Hanzo's power, and yet here they were, alive and victorious. The feeling was unreal.
Orochimaru, however, remained unbothered. "It's just Hanzo. Is there really a need to make such a fuss?"
Jiraiya's head snapped up, and he looked at Orochimaru, indignant. "Just Hanzo? Do you even understand who he is? People revere him, Orochimaru! To be able to fight him is considered an honor. And to defeat him…"
"...and yet you won," Orochimaru cut in, brushing off Jiraiya's dramatics with a dismissive tone.
Jiraiya blinked, taken aback, but then he sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. We won." He hesitated, then looked at Orochimaru. "Though, if we're being honest… most of the credit probably goes to you, Orochimaru."
The three of them had survived the poison only because of Tsunade's antidote, which had specifically targeted Hanzo's venom and allowed them to develop a temporary immunity. But the battle itself? That had been largely thanks to Orochimaru's quick thinking, the deadly Kusanagi sword, and his eerie black snake.
Without Orochimaru's contributions, the outcome might have been very different.
"Don't put all the credit on me," Orochimaru said with a rare smile. "This was a team effort."
Tsunade, still resting against him, gave a warm smile as well. "That's right. The three of us make a good team."
Jiraiya groaned, feeling a pang as he looked at the two. Seeing the woman he cared for so comfortable with someone else, especially someone as closed-off as Orochimaru… it hurt, more than he wanted to admit.
"Yeah, yeah… you two are a team. I guess I'm just the third wheel," Jiraiya muttered with a half-hearted laugh.
"Haha, Jiraiya, you're so dramatic," Tsunade said, sitting up and about to tease him further, when suddenly she stopped, her eyes narrowing toward the shadows.
"Who's there?"
A small, hesitant voice answered. "Um… can you spare us some food?"
From the shadows, a young boy with orange hair emerged, eyeing the ration biscuit in Jiraiya's hand hungrily. He looked frail, his face smudged with dirt, and his clothes torn from wandering. Behind him, two other children stepped out, a girl with blue hair and a boy with long red hair that partially obscured his face.
Jiraiya's eyes softened as he looked at them. "Kids? Where are your parents?"
The boy with orange hair, Yahiko, looked down, sadness darkening his face. "They… they were killed in the war."
Hearing this, Tsunade muttered, "War orphans… how tragic."
Jiraiya, moved by the children's plight, handed over his ration biscuit. "Here, take this. You must be starving."
The three children eagerly accepted the food, their eyes lighting up with gratitude. However, Orochimaru's gaze lingered on the red-haired boy, Nagato. His sharp, golden eyes focused on the faint glimpse of lavender ripples partially hidden by Nagato's hair.
The Rinnegan.
So it was true. The eyes that once belonged to the Sage of Six Paths had been passed down to this child.
Orochimaru's mind whirred with thoughts. Here was the Rinnegan, right in front of him, an unimaginable opportunity to study the legendary dojutsu. With such power, he could uncover secrets that no one else could.
Without hesitation, Orochimaru drew a kunai from his pouch, his intention clear.
"Orochimaru, what are you doing?" Jiraiya asked, alarmed, noticing the gleam of the blade.
Orochimaru's expression remained cold. "I'm killing them."
"What?!" Jiraiya's face filled with shock and anger. "Wait! They're just kids!"
Seeing the kunai in Orochimaru's hand, the three children backed away, fear evident in their eyes. Yahiko, the bravest of the three, stood in front of the others and asked, "Why? Why would you kill us? We're just kids… we don't pose any threat to you!"
Orochimaru replied, his voice unfeeling, "They're war orphans, Jiraiya. They won't survive out here on their own. If we don't kill them, they'll die slowly of starvation or be killed by others. I'm just… saving them the suffering."
Jiraiya stepped between Orochimaru and the children, his expression fierce. "Even if that's true, it's not our place to make that decision. They're just kids! Show some humanity, Orochimaru!"
"Humanity?" Orochimaru muttered, almost to himself, his eyes narrowing. Did he even have that left in him?
He could see the logic in Jiraiya's words, yet his mind kept drifting back to the Rinnegan. His curiosity was like a fire that couldn't be quenched, burning him with the need to understand these legendary eyes. But then again… killing children, even if for his research, seemed… beneath him.
With a sigh, Orochimaru slipped the kunai back into his pouch.