Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 419 "Orochimaru is dead"

Chapter 419 "Orochimaru is dead"

A ninja's body is an extremely important treasure, concealing countless secrets. Therefore, in the Land of Fire, ninja corpses are generally handed over to Konoha for disposal—this is an undisputed rule. Letting the Daimyo see the corpse is considered disrespectful, so Konoha's guards naturally took away Kakuzu's body and did their best to cover up the traces of the battle. When the Daimyo finished his prayers and emerged, all he could see was a large section of forest in a certain direction that was empty, the remaining trees forming a perfect semicircle, demonstrating the terrifying range and destructive power of the ninjutsu.

The daimyo glanced at it twice and left as if he didn't care. The successive Hokage of Konoha were all elites in the ninja world; this commotion wasn't enough to give him much thought. The nobility's discipline of ninjas had lasted for centuries. As long as ninjas had physical needs, they would remain attached to their villages and nations. After all, these people had specialized in combat for generations, long forgetting about production and manufacturing. And if one day they wanted to pick it up again… then they would only have to face the raging storms once more.

This probing ended in a crushing defeat for Akatsuki, but Konoha had no time to worry about how Akatsuki reacted; they were more concerned with something else.

"Kobayashi said you had a nosebleed?" Jiraiya grabbed Naruto the moment he had a free moment.

“...I was faking it.” Naruto answered instantly, his expression flawless.

"what?"

Naruto naturally began his analysis, "Usually it's Granny Tsunade who reports to the Daimyo, right? But the advisory group seems to have connections with the Daimyo, so it's obvious how they'll report on my situation. In that case, let's create some contrast, show weakness, and let the Daimyo suspect them."

Jiraiya ultimately lacked political acumen; otherwise, he wouldn't have spent so many years traveling the world. Although he didn't fully grasp the cause and effect, he understood that this was a scheme to sabotage the advisory group. Those three were indeed quite unethical; even under Tsunade's control, they never stopped obstructing certain policies and engaged in shady dealings behind the scenes. Being targeted by Naruto in every way was truly their own fault.

But... "Was it really an act?"

"Otherwise what? I've never been sick in my life, how could I suddenly get a nosebleed?" Naruto had grown a lot taller by now, and when he stood up straight, he could already pat Jiraiya's shoulder. He patted his master and said, "Don't scare yourself. Look, Kakashi-sensei has never doubted me."

However, it might have been too early to say that, because Kakashi was the next to take a break. He came up and first praised Naruto before asking the same question.

"Mr. Kobayashi said you had a nosebleed?"

In short, Kakashi is harder to fool than Jiraiya because he was deeply involved in many of the Hokage's decisions and knows Tsunade's attitude towards those three people. At least for now, she doesn't intend to break ties with them. However, don't underestimate Naruto's extra decades of life; he's much harder to predict than before. Kakashi didn't immediately conclude that there was something wrong with his body, only mentioning Sakura's request again at the end.

After completing this mission, he should immediately go to Konoha Hospital for a full medical checkup; he should have done this a long time ago. However, what always prevents Naruto from getting a checkup is not himself, but the relentless missions.

Orochimaru is dead.

Their report had barely reached the Hokage when Tsunade dropped this bombshell.

"Rumor has it that Sasuke killed Orochimaru, and someone has already witnessed Sasuke in the Land of Fire. This news... is probably true."

Tsunade and Jiraiya's expressions were quite complex. Although Orochimaru had long since defected, he was, after all, a comrade who had gone through the Fourth Shinobi World War with them. Their feelings towards this "comrade" were quite complicated, because they had all watched Orochimaru go astray. They were both over fifty years old, and even though they were no longer comrades, hearing the news of his death suddenly filled them with a myriad of emotions.

Moreover, it was Sasuke who killed Orochimaru; the hunter died at the hands of the prey—what a dramatic ending...

Naruto, who was previously preoccupied with the thought that "Orochimaru is dead and Sasuke will be back soon," didn't notice these details. Now, having already known the news, Naruto sensed the heavy atmosphere and quickly changed the subject.

"Is Sasuke's appearance in the Land of Fire a sign that he's preparing to return?"

Tsunade quickly composed herself and said, "No, judging from the time the message came, if he wanted to come back, he should have already done so."

You mean...?

"He probably just happens to be looking for something in the Land of Fire."

Naruto had a sudden inspiration and exclaimed, "Is Itachi Uchiha also in the Land of Fire?!"

"He didn't go looking for Itachi alone, did he? After all, Itachi is an S-rank rogue ninja." Jiraiya frowned.

“I knew you would say that, which is why I decided to issue the same mission: to pursue the S-rank rogue ninja Uchiha Itachi.”

Neither Jiraiya nor Naruto objected to the decision, but Naruto had barely finished talking to Tsunade before Jiraiya invited her out for drinks. This private drinking session between the two was both a chance to catch up and a gesture of Jiraiya's own initiative.

Akatsuki's target is Jinchuriki, and they've already sent people to try and capture Naruto. They were able to avert this crisis because Naruto discovered them beforehand, giving them time to probe and deduce the enemy's abilities. Furthermore, the abilities of those two individuals are considered extraordinary even in the ninja world, which is why he is deeply concerned about the threat posed by Akatsuki.

An organization capable of suppressing so many monsters must have a leader who is incredibly dangerous. Yet, so far, besides knowing that Akatsuki's headquarters are likely in Amegakure, they haven't obtained any further information. If the enemy suddenly attacks at this time... can they really protect Naruto?

The crisis for the immortal duo had barely passed when Itachi appeared in the Land of Fire, and their target was obvious. Kisame Hoshigaki and Itachi Uchiha were their old rivals, and with the intelligence gap not too large, victory was highly probable. But what would happen after they defeated them? Akatsuki had few members left, and they would soon face the true mastermind.

Jiraiya could have thought of these things, so how could Tsunade not understand them? But the order was delayed, which shows that she still cared about her old friend and didn't want Jiraiya to do something that would cost him his life. What difference was there between that and jumping straight into a trap?

However, if no one does it, Naruto and Konoha will be in danger.