"Orochimaru, if you dare to take a step further...... If you dare to move......"

"I ...... Definitely going to kill you! ”

When this familiar but slightly unfamiliar decisive female voice came into his ears, the action that Orochimaru was originally preparing to start suddenly stiffened in place.

Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Senju Tsunade...... These three future legends, the Konoha Sannin himself, are all under the command of the three generations of Hokage Ape Flying Sun. So that since childhood, these three people have been close partners in practicing and playing together. So much so that the three of them, in addition to the tacit cooperation of advancing and retreating freely, can be regarded as knowing the personalities of the other two well.

It is precisely because of this that after listening to the cold warning from Tsunade, Orochimaru was able to instantly judge that the other party was definitely not joking with his pretense......

It is true that after a long period of treatment, Tsunade, who is already physically and mentally exhausted, will definitely not be his opponent......

But first of all, once he shows that half of his score is not good for Jiraiya, he knows that he can't properly protect Jiraiya's Tsunade in the current state of chakra, and he will definitely immediately interrupt the treatment of medical ninjutsu. And with that unparalleled strange power, the moment Orochimaru attacked Jiraiya, he paid the same level of price as Jiraiya!

Secondly, Orochimaru's original intention was to be able to survive and retain enough spare strength to continue to complete the mission...... It's not to quarrel with Tsunade in this critical juncture where you may die at any time, and consume each other's combat ability in vain, and then let the Iwa ninja who are waiting outside pick up a big bargain for no reason!

In addition, as Orochimaru said before, the reason why he tried so hard to convince Tsunade that he even decided to cut off Jiraiya's life with his own hands forced Tsunade to make a decision. It's because of the threat of the group of rock ninjas who have already surrounded the hills outside and are always eyeing them. And whether it is chakra reserves or mental state, it can be regarded as a sluggish and embarrassing situation that is not optimistic. No matter how subtle and varied the ninjutsu Orochimaru mastered, if he wanted to stand out from the encirclement alone, it was obviously already a fool's dream!

In other words, in this critical moment of isolation, if Orochimaru wants to get a glimmer of life from it. Then, getting Tsunade's sincere help and support, and the two of them joining forces to break through together, is the best choice, and it is also the only possibility that Orochimaru can think of!

Because of these concerns, Orochimaru has even revealed the idea of abandoning Jiraiya, and is ready to kill him with one blow...... But in the face of Tsunade's sharp warnings, and the obvious outcome of losing both sides and losing more than worth the loss, Orochimaru had to stop his march.

Of course, pausing does not mean that Orochimaru approves of Tsunade's plan to wait for death because he is too merciful and weak, and is tantamount to waiting for Jiraiya's suicide plan to be buried. So much so that Orochimaru squinted and frowned, and while facing Tsunade angrily, his feet stood still as if they had taken root and sprouted, showing no sign of backing down.

At the same time, Tsunade also noticed Orochimaru's subtle movements, so that although he was on the surface, he was still wholeheartedly treating Jiraiya's injuries. But in secret, he quietly tightened the seemingly slender arm muscles to ensure that at the moment when Orochimaru still chose to assassinate Jiraiya, he could give Orochimaru a swift, fierce and powerful punch "return gift"!

In this case, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Senju Tsunade...... These three should have been partners in the same class who were advancing and retreating hand in hand, but in this increasingly crumbling cave, a three-legged confrontation posture gradually emerged.

……

"Whew...... Call...... Belch...... Call...... Whew......"

As time passed, the confrontational relationship between Tsunade and Orochimaru, who had different thoughts, was not eased because of this. On the contrary, because they clarified their positions to each other and did not give an inch, the atmosphere that shrouded the three of them was in a state of silence and tension for a long time. So much so that in the cave where rock chips fell from time to time, in addition to the continuous and deafening roar due to the never-ending offensive of the rock ninjas from the outside. All that was left was Jiraiya, who was unconscious due to a coma, didn't know how dangerous his situation was, and was driven by instinct, his nose fluttered, and he was constantly gasping weakly.

"Whew...... Ha, Zilai, you are really a little strong man who can't be killed. According to the current situation, you will not be able to die for a while...... It's so nice to have a ...... since you come."

It was also at this time, under continuous treatment, it is estimated that Jiraiya's injury has gradually stabilized. In other words, at least for a short time, there is no need to worry about the injury getting worse, and you will die completely. So that Tsunade, who has been worried about the safety of his life, finally breathed a long sigh of relief. Immediately took advantage of the situation to be slightly distracted, and after noticing the strong killing intent of the person behind him that had never dispersed. The corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise slightly, and he sneered and mocked with a little contempt. And in this way, the deadlock that has been enveloping silence for a long time will be broken.

"Looks like ...... We're in a three-legged stalemate. ”

After suddenly hearing the voice of the person in front of him, his attention always stayed on Jiraiya, and he tried to find the best time to make a move, and he couldn't help but be slightly stunned. Immediately due to homeopathic distraction, it was discovered that after a long treatment process, the chakra reserves in Tsunade's body had been reduced by a notch again......

In other words, if you continue to wait in vain, not to mention the danger of being buried alive in the cave that collapsed under the burden, just Tsunade, who is about to completely lose his combat effectiveness, is enough to cut off the possibility of Orochimaru and Tsunade joining forces to break through the blockade of the Iwa Shinobi and successfully escape from this huge encirclement!

“…… Hmph, what nonsense are you talking about? Tsunade...... No matter how you look at it, it is already obvious who is in control between me and you......"

Thinking of this, Orochimaru could no longer wait in silence. So much so that his eyes narrowed slightly, and while responding coldly without giving an inch, he began to raise the kunai that he had held firmly in his hand to the back slightly, reserving a thrust space that was enough to form a lethality. Immediately, while secretly accumulating strength, he planned to take advantage of Tsunade's short-term weakness caused by the excessive consumption of chakra, and directly take the life of Jiraiya, a burden, and force Tsunade to immediately follow him to break out and leave!

"It's been so long, Tsunade, it's almost time for you to recognize reality...... Since he has also ...... Well? ”

Just as Orochimaru was about to distract Tsunade with words in order to find a suitable moment to strike. has been forcibly cured by Tsunade's medical ninjutsu to continue his life.,Only to survive and not die there.,So much so that Orochimaru has long been regarded as a dead man's Jiraiya.。 But at this critical moment when the infighting was about to break out, he made an unexpected move.

"Whew...... Whew......"

In the midst of the difficult and faint constant breathing, the eyes that were closed tightly were opened, although there were signs of opening because the consciousness had not yet fully awakened. But before the words in Orochimaru's mouth were finished, perhaps because he heard Orochimaru calling his name, he was driven by instinct, constantly trembling, and slowly raised his right arm with difficulty. And in front of Orochimaru, gradually erect the index and middle fingers. Immediately, the corners of his mouth rose slightly, and he smiled in the direction where Orochimaru was standing, smiling and making an optimistic gesture of "yes".

And this gesture is obviously not unfamiliar to Orochimaru, who has lived with Jiraiya and Tsunade since he was a child - that is, whenever Jiraiya feels proud, he will deliberately show off and make the usual gesture to Orochimaru.

In other words, even Jiraiya was in a situation where his consciousness was not yet fully awake, so that he couldn't hear exactly what Orochimaru and Tsunade were saying. It's just that Orochimaru mentions his name, and he senses the gentle chakra that is always infused into him. So that in order to make the two of them feel at ease and relaxed,And try to show off to people as usual.,Trying to make an instinctive response! is even more out of his absolute trust in Orochimaru, so that Zilai also directly chose to ignore the rich cold killing intent that shrouded him!

"This gesture is ......! That...... That idiot, is he ......"

When Jiraiya slowly raised his hand with difficulty, he originally thought that the other party had heard the words he was preparing to disadvantage of him, and was going to attack him preemptively, and he was engrossed in staring at Orochimaru's every move. In the end, when he saw that Jiraiya was actually grinning at himself, he was not afraid of the strong killing intent around him, and compared it to a customary and familiar gesture. made the big snake pill, who was originally going to do it directly, couldn't help but tremble suddenly. And because he realized a certain possibility behind this gesture, the killing intent that permeated Orochimaru's body suddenly stopped retracting a little. So much so that even the kunai, which was originally cast like copper and iron, and was firmly held in his hand, almost slipped to the ground.

"He ...... I've always trusted you from the bottom of my heart, Orochimaru. ”

Maybe he noticed the short moment of hesitation that Orochimaru revealed, or maybe he understood what Jiraiya wanted to express from Jiraiya's movements, just like Orochimaru. The frown that made Tsunade frown eased a little in front of Jiraiya's usual grin. He turned his head slightly, and in his beautiful eyes, he continued to speak to Orochimaru in a sonorous and powerful manner.

"And it's an unbelievably strong trust...... It's enough to make you unbearable to do it to Jiraiya! ”

“…… Tsk......"

In front of Tsunade's unhesitating words, Orochimaru felt extremely unhappy as if the true thoughts in his heart had been exposed. Then the murderous aura suddenly decreased, and his brows became more and more furrowed, revealing a look that was so complicated that it was difficult to describe. While he was afraid that he would echo the words of the person in front of him, he clenched his teeth. Later, it was to convince himself not to let himself hesitate so much anymore, which led to the softening of the heart that had finally hardened. It was also to urge the person in front of him to follow him away—or rather, because his own mind was guessed by Tsunade, so that he reluctantly retorted—and waved the kunai in his hand again, making it look like he was about to stab Jiraiya, and at the same time, he mocked coldly and unceremoniously.

"Boring! I...... I'm ......! ”

However, at this moment, a mutation suddenly occurred......

"Boom ——!"

Before Orochimaru finished his rebuttal, a deafening roar came out, and the stone that had been used by the three of them to seal the only entrance and exit of the cave in advance was finally broken by an external force. So much so that at the same time as the sudden shock wave hit, the slightly dazzling sunlight was also instantly poured into this dim cave, dispelling the darkness that shrouded the three of them into nothingness!

"Hey, it's still late, has someone attacked you......"

Being surrounded by the rock ninjas for a long time made Orochimaru regard this external force that broke through the blockade of the cave as a signal for the enemy's invasion for the first time. So much so that although the eyes that gradually adapted to the dark environment, they were illuminated by this sudden white light, and it was difficult to open them in a short time. But while muttering to himself in his heart, he followed the weak breath of life to guide the way, and did not hesitate to take action!

"Well, you can't hesitate any longer......!"

"Tsk......! Still planning to get your hands dirty? Orochimaru, this bastard...... How could you succeed——! ”

At the same time, Tsunade, who had already focused his attention firmly on Orochimaru's body, had no time to distinguish whether this external force was friend or foe after sensing Orochimaru's movements. Instead, just like Orochimaru did, the huge dust that swept with it due to the collapse of the rock blocking the exit instantly engulfed the three figures in an instant. Without hesitation, he stood up straight, followed the guidance of Orochimaru's breath, and greeted him without hesitation!

……

"Hahaha! You're here! ”

"Hey, hey! Self-lai! Tsunade! Orochimaru! Are you all right? ”

"Uh-huh——! Looks like you're all right! That's great! ”

"It's a little late, but the reinforcements have arrived, so you can relax for a while! We'll take care of the rest! ”

After a while, the "intruder" personnel, who were under strong light, so that they were somewhat blurred, found the figures of three people in the cave. Suddenly, in the excitement of surprise, he called out for joy. And although the shouting was noisy and chaotic, it could vaguely make people recognize an exciting fact - that is, it was not the rock ninjas who had been surrounding and chasing them who had been chasing them first, but the belated reinforcements of the Konoha Ninja Village!

At this time, the smoke that filled the cave and engulfed all the figures of the three began to quickly dissipate. The three people facing each other appeared, creating a strange scene.

Bending down, he tries to assassinate and take Jiraiya's life.

With his body as a shield, he stood between Orochimaru and Jiraiya without retreating.

and still unconscious, but always trembling, firmly holding the gesture of optimism and trust. Even the relaxed smile on his face has never faded in the slightest......

Of course, if you look closely, it is not difficult to find some abnormalities in it......

Although Orochimaru has been saying from beginning to end that Jiraiya is also a burden, and he needs to abandon it immediately, even at the expense of breaking with Tsunade, trying to take Jiraiya's life with his own hands to force Tsunade to make a decision...... However, in the "dangerous" moment when the blockade of this cave was forcibly broken, Orochimaru subconsciously believed that it was a signal for the invasion of the enemies of Iwain Village. The sharp kunai that Orochimaru was holding in his hand stopped abruptly in front of Jiraiya's smile.

In addition, although Tsunade immediately sensed Orochimaru's movements at the same time, he got up and tried to intercept and stop it. But out of the words he said earlier, and the trust in the depth of the bond between Jiraiya and Orochimaru...... Tsunade, who seemed to be blocking Orochimaru's movements, didn't raise his hand at all! So much so that in that thrilling moment, in fact, he allowed Orochimaru's kunai to stab directly from his side, and was able to attack Jiraiya's face door without any hindrance!

In other words, at this critical moment when there was obviously no resistance, so that as long as Orochimaru wanted to, he could easily take Jiraiya's life...... Orochimaru still hesitated, which led to Jiraiya being able to survive the previous raid unscathed.

In other words......

Rao is Orochimaru believes that he has already made a ruthless decision, and he can carry it out without hesitation. But when you really need to implement it yourself and take the life of the person in front of you with your own hands. The body's instinctive reaction is nothing more than emphasizing the truth to Orochimaru over and over again......

That was when Orochimaru found out that Rao Shiraiya was in the midst of the terrifying killing intent emitted by Orochimaru, and really launched an offensive against Jiraiya...... Jiraiya's trust in Orochimaru has not shrunk for a moment!

And just as Tsunade bluntly revealed the truth......

In the face of this unreserved trust, Rao is the cold-blooded heart of the Great Snake Pill, and it is absolutely impossible to really be ruthless...... So much so that not to mention taking Jiraiya's life with his own hands, even Jiraiya's skin, Orochimaru couldn't bear to cut it in the slightest!

There is no doubt about it - the first unknown civil strife between the three of them. With Jiraiya's unwavering and absolute trust in his companions, he won the final victory!

(End of chapter)