Inside the cave, Tsunade's angry rebuke echoed loudly. However, Uchiha Shirou, who was treating Jiraiya, lowered his head under her scolding, his emotions unreadable.
"Captain Tsunade, I—"
Before he could finish, a rumbling sound of the mountain shaking interrupted him.
"Not good! The Iwa-nin are here!"
Orochimaru's expression changed instantly, and he moved toward the cave entrance. Outside, the figures of nearly a hundred Iwa-nin appeared, densely packed.
"The target is in the cave, and there's also an additional chakra signature," reported one of the Iwa-nin's sensory ninjas, locating Tsunade and the others while also detecting Uchiha Shirou's chakra.
"Forget the others! Everyone, use jutsu to bombard the mountain and bury the Konoha ninja!"
The leading Iwa-nin jonin shouted coldly, commanding the group to attack.
Earth Release: Rock Gun Technique!
One by one, the Iwa-nin formed hand seals. With loud cries, they began spitting small stones from their mouths. These stones grew larger in midair, transforming into massive boulders of various sizes depending on the chakra output.
Some boulders were the size of millstones, while others were as large as small houses, crashing down thunderously in waves of attacks. This C-rank jutsu, though simple, became devastating under the combined assault of the Iwa-nin, like a torrential rain of cannon fire.
Inside the cave, the shaking grew more intense, the walls on the verge of collapse.
"The Iwa-nin's Earth Release will eventually destroy this mountain. If we want to escape, we must act now without hesitation!"
Orochimaru said coldly upon returning after scouting the situation outside.
"If we move now, before the main force of the Iwa-nin arrives, there's still a chance to break through."
Tsunade, who was restoring her chakra, frowned deeply at Orochimaru's tone and shouted, "What about Jiraiya?"
Her words made Orochimaru's expression harden, but his eyes soon gleamed coldly as he rasped, "It's impossible to escape while carrying Jiraiya. But maybe Shirou-kun here can break through with us."
The dim cave highlighted the stark contrast: Orochimaru, prepared to abandon Jiraiya to ensure their survival, and Uchiha Shirou, risking everything to save them. Yet for a ninja, such decisions are rarely about right or wrong.
"During wartime, Tsunade, we cannot let personal feelings jeopardize our survival probability!"
Orochimaru argued, his voice cold but betraying his inner struggle.
Tsunade's face twisted in anger.
"Probability? What probability?!"
"Our probability of survival!"
Orochimaru declared, glancing at Shirou, who was focused on healing Jiraiya.
"With just the two of us, plus Shirou-kun, we might manage to break through. But if we carry Jiraiya, we'll all be annihilated!"
The harsh truth echoed in the cave, making Tsunade's pupils contract.
Ninjas, by nature, faced cruel choices. Orochimaru raised a kunai, his voice unwavering.
"If there's no objection, I'll send Jiraiya on his way."
Tsunade's eyes widened in shock as Orochimaru moved.
"If you take one more step, I'll kill you."
Tsunade's determined gaze stopped Orochimaru. Yet in the next instant, a cold kunai was pressed against her neck, stunning both her and Orochimaru.
But at that moment, Shirou's calm voice rang out.
"Captain Tsunade, as a leader, you must understand the meaning of sacrifice. In this regard, I believe Orochimaru-sama surpasses you," Shirou said, his voice calm as his actions contradicted everyone's expectations.
"Interesting. Shirou-kun seems more composed than you, Tsunade," Orochimaru chuckled darkly, though the pain in his voice was evident. A ninja had to make sacrifices.
"You little—!"
Tsunade glared at Shirou in disbelief, anger boiling within her.
But Shirou interrupted his next words freezing Orochimaru mid-action.
"However, the one who must be sacrificed may not necessarily be Jiraiya-sama."
His composed tone caught both Tsunade and Orochimaru off guard. Even the weakened Jiraiya, leaning against the rocks, barely opened his eyes to see his companions seemingly debating his fate.
"In his current state, Jiraiya-sama's injuries have been temporarily stabilized. Before coming here, I hypnotically controlled several hawks a hundred kilometers away in the forest. These hawks can carry a person across the border, avoiding detection by sensory ninjas since they aren't summoning beasts."
Shirou's reasoning offered a glimmer of hope. Tsunade's anger faded into thoughtfulness, while Orochimaru's sharp gaze flickered with understanding.
"Good. If Jiraiya is worth saving, then we still face one problem—who will hold off the Iwa-nin?"
Orochimaru asked, his golden eyes locking onto Shirou.
Shirou smiled faintly and slowly opened his robe, revealing rows of explosive tags underneath.
"I can summon Katsuyu to impersonate Captain Tsunade. The Iwa-nin would naturally target her first."
In his calm voice lay a decision to sacrifice himself for their escape. Orochimaru laughed hoarsely, a hint of regret in his tone.
As the cave trembled again, Tsunade's pupils contracted at the sight of Shirou's explosive tags.
"Shirou!"
So, this was his idea of sacrifice—staying behind to hold off the enemy, granting them a chance to escape.
"Don't move, Captain Tsunade," Shirou warned, his kunai steady. Tsunade's disbelief turned to complex emotions, anger warring with sorrow.
"Ninjas must remain calm, Captain," Shirou said, his voice steady.
Orochimaru watched the scene unfold, eventually lowering his kunai with a resigned shake of his head.
"What a pity, Shirou-kun. It seems your flame ends here."
For Orochimaru, practicality outweighed sentiment. Jiraiya, his close companion, was the priority.
"If Shirou-kun can hold off the Iwa-nin for one minute, we have a chance to escape with Jiraiya," Orochimaru concluded coldly.
Sacrifices were a ninja's reality. In the choice between Jiraiya and Shirou, Orochimaru and Tsunade faced their inner battles.