After the infamous 'One Thousand Years of Death,' Orochimaru personally treated the burns on Jiraiya's left arm as he remained half-slumped in a chair.
"Speaking of the boy, Naruto… what are your plans?" Orochimaru finally broached the topic that would shape the future.
"Forgive my bluntness, but the gap between him and young Sasuke has grown too vast. It cannot be bridged by effort or guidance alone."
Jiraiya's expression dimmed, his own confusion evident.
Orochimaru laid it out. "Two paths. Don't tell Naruto the truth. Or tell him."
"If you choose silence, two sub-paths remain."
"First, you can return as if nothing happened. Let him continue at his current pace, chasing Sasuke, growing naturally."
"Second, be more thorough. Fake your death—by Sasuke's hand. The reason… you understand."
"That won't do!" Jiraiya shot back. "Spurring a child's growth through deceit is not what a parent or teacher does! That boy has already lost too much. I won't strip away the one thing he still has—my trust in him!"
"But the future is cruel," Orochimaru countered, his voice smooth. "History has proven it. Naruto's ninja way alone could not save the shinobi world from a god."
"The future is the future. Naruto is Naruto. Don't lump them together, you bastard!"
"You're tensing your muscles. I cannot suture the wound like this."
"…Tch."
Jiraiya relaxed his arm, his face turning serious. "That future from before… it wasn't something anyone's ninja way could change. Naruto's way itself wasn't wrong. We lost because of insufficient intel. We didn't understand the enemy, so we had no proper countermeasures!"
Orochimaru tied off the bandage, washing the blood from his hands. "So. You choose the second path. Telling Naruto the truth."
"Yeah," Jiraiya affirmed. "Deliberately hiding things, using information asymmetry to steer someone down a predetermined path… that's a writing trope. Used to heighten drama and conflict in stories. But reality isn't a novel. We have healthier methods!"
"That Ōtsutsuki named Shibai… he awakens in thirty years, right? Pessimistically, we only have thirty years. Optimistically? We have a full thirty years! If we can unite everyone, consolidate all the resources and channels of the shinobi world, and face the external threat as one… we'll find a way!"
"That is… exceptionally difficult," Orochimaru mused. "Arrogant, even. Another form of Infinite Tsukuyomi in its own way."
"Expecting the result you want by doing nothing—that is true arrogance!"
A divergence in ideals, then.
Orochimaru chuckled. "Well. Let's table the grand philosophical debate for now. The immediate issue is Naruto. If you decide to tell him, be prepared. True resolve only comes from personal experience. Without it, even knowing the future remains mere knowledge. It never ascends to the level of awakening. Even if you force yourself to act, the gears will never quite mesh."
"But… the only ones who've personally experienced that future are Sasuke, and you, through your… unique methods. Are you saying no one else can truly act, even if they know?"
"Not at all," Orochimaru smiled. "Awakening is comprehension. Comprehension can be sudden or gradual. But a person needs something grounded in their present reality to motivate change."
"Take Kabuto. His drive stems from his devotion to me. Karin's, from her love for Sasuke. Itachi's, from his love for his brother…"
"But all three share one critical prerequisite: absolute faith in the future we've presented. And that… is the hardest part."
"My own sudden comprehension was only possible because that awakening was bestowed upon me… by my future self. Once I cleared that highest hurdle, I could act as I do now."
"Jiraiya… can you deny it? Even now, deep down, you harbor a sliver of doubt about me."
"Certainly, if you tell Naruto everything, he will believe you wholeheartedly out of admiration. He will gradually change, like Kabuto and the others. But can you escape your own inner interrogation? Can you gamble your disciple's entire life on a future you yourself aren't fully convinced of? If you could… you wouldn't be the Jiraiya I know."
"…Haah."
Jiraiya let out a long, heavy sigh.
"…As long as our hearts face the light, we'll find a way. I'll… withhold the truth from Naruto for now. Withholding is better than deceiving. And in the time we have, I'll guide his training with even greater focus…"
Orochimaru's smile returned. "Ah, yes. About your left arm… I transplanted Hashirama's cells into it."
"…You what?!"
Jiraiya glared. "Something that huge, and you didn't tell me beforehand?!"
"You would have refused, wouldn't you? Consider this my willful indulgence."
Jiraiya pressed his right hand against the bandaged arm, a wry, defeated grin forming. "Damn it… you really got me."
"Now then," Orochimaru said, his tone shifting to business. "As a reference for Naruto's upcoming training… let me show you young Sasuke's regimen."
They arrived at a secluded valley.
At its base stood Sasuke. On the surrounding cliffs, eight high platforms held a clone each.
"Shadow Clones sparring with the original?" Jiraiya observed, a hint of pride creeping in. "Not to boast, but Naruto's current training uses over a thousand."
"Those aren't Shadow Clones," Orochimaru corrected. "They're Wood Clones. Know why?"
Shing! Shing! Shing!
The eight Wood Clones simultaneously activated their Susano'o—skeletal, muscle-fiber forms. They drew back massive bows, arrows aimed directly at the lone figure in the valley's heart.
And Sasuke… the real Sasuke… tied a black cloth over his eyes.
"HEY! THAT'S TOO RECKLESS!!!"
Jiraiya lunged forward to stop it, but Orochimaru's hand clamped down on his shoulder.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Eight colossal arrows fired as one.
Sasuke's hands flew through a single seal.
Wood Release: All-Embracing Hands Technique!
Crunch! Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!
Sixteen giant wooden hands erupted from the earth around him. They moved in pairs, clapping together with thunderous force, catching each of the eight arrows squarely between their palms.
Jiraiya froze mid-crouch, breath caught in his throat.
Orochimaru removed his hand from Jiraiya's shoulder.
"This… is the weight of the future. Do you feel it now, even a little?"
…
Land of Whirlpools, Underground Archives.
Kabuto finished organizing the scrolls stored in the chamber.
"With these… if I study them diligently, perhaps I can be of greater use to Lord Orochimaru and Sasuke…"
He didn't sense the shadow rising behind him.
It grinned, a maw of malice. A hand pierced through his chest from behind.
Thud. Thud.
The scrolls he held tumbled to the floor. Darkness began to spread across Kabuto's body.
He gasped, horrified. "You… Black Zetsu…?!"
Black Zetsu—"Oho~ Finally caught you, you little jumping flea. Now, let me have a good look through you… and see the truth behind Sasuke's sudden power!"
Yin-Yang Release: Heart Link!
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