Chapter 132: Orochimaru's View on Life and Death
"Big shots really are showing up one after another."
Li Jie Xuan curled his lips into a faint smile, secretly gripping a chakra recovery potion in his palm. Ten jonin were already troublesome enough—add Chiyo and the Second Kazekage on top of that…
Just as Li Jie Xuan was preparing to risk his life to break through, a fiery red bamboo hat appeared at the far end of the canyon.
"Hey, Shamon, don't you think it's a bit shameful for so many of you to gang up on a single child?" Senju Tobirama said with a faint smile as he slowly walked over from the distance. Behind him, more than a dozen Konoha ANBU swarmed in…
"Captain, we're late!"
Konoha's reinforcements had arrived, and in an instant, the situation completely reversed!
"Senju Tobirama… So you really didn't die!"
Shamon's expression darkened. Clearly, he hadn't expected the Gold and Silver Brothers to fail. What a pair of useless fools.
"Thanks to you, Shamon!" Senju Tobirama sneered with a nod. "I'll settle that matter with you properly someday—but on the battlefield."
Hearing this, Shamon hesitated.
Although they were within Sand's territory and had the advantage in numbers, when it came to high-level combat power…
He knew very well that he was no match for Senju Tobirama, known as the fastest shinobi in the ninja world. In fact, he wasn't even confident he could defeat Li Jie Xuan. After weighing the pros and cons…
"Fine, Hokage. We'll meet again on the battlefield!"
"But Reto's revenge!"
Chiyo, standing nearby, was somewhat unwilling. The man who killed her husband was right in front of her—who could understand the pain of being unable to avenge him?
"There will be a chance, Sister-in-law Chiyo." Shamon frowned. "For the future of the Sand, I ask you to endure for now!"
Chiyo's gaze dimmed. Once a person is gone, the tea grows cold…
"Where are my mom and dad?" Orochimaru rushed forward, eyes red as he demanded, "Give them back to me!"
There was silence for a long moment…
Chiyo shook her head apologetically. "I'm sorry, child. Your parents have long since died. They died right here in this canyon…"
"Dead?"
Orochimaru stood frozen in place, lost and at a loss. Even after the Sand shinobi left, he still hadn't come back to his senses.
When everyone had departed and the ice and snow gradually melted, Orochimaru, still kneeling where he was, murmured, "Lord Jie Xuan… Is life always this fragile?"
Hearing this, Li Jie Xuan was stunned for a moment. In the original story, Orochimaru had once asked the Third Hokage a similar question. The Third had given him the Hokage's answer—grass and trees burn to ash, yet from the ashes new branches will surely grow…
To be honest, the Third didn't understand how to teach according to one's nature!
Words like that might work on Jiraiya, but saying them to Orochimaru would only make him abandon Konoha even faster. Because he understood that Konoha and his path were heading in opposite directions!
Humans are fragile creatures!
"People are very fragile beings. Perhaps just a single accident is enough to end a life," Li Jie Xuan said, gazing into the distance. "What's even more tragic is that after death, a person's ashes are nothing more than ordinary ash—maybe useful as fertilizer."
Orochimaru trembled in fear, his eyes hollow as he shook his head. "If one day, Lord Jie Xuan, you die too—what then?"
At those words, Li Jie Xuan smiled and nodded. "As shinobi, perhaps we might even develop a secret technique of immortality."
"A secret technique of immortality?"
A bright light burst into Orochimaru's eyes. "Does something like that really exist in this world?"
"Many have failed!"
Li Jie Xuan smiled and nodded. "But perhaps it can succeed. However, all of that will require you to explore it yourself, won't it?"
As he spoke, Li Jie Xuan handed the young Orochimaru the scroll of the immortality technique from Orochimaru's previous training. "This is for you. I hope you can create a true immortality technique!"
Giving him back his own thing as a gift—even with skin as thick as Li Jie Xuan's, he couldn't help but blush slightly. Taking the scroll, Orochimaru stared at it wide-eyed, as if starving for it…
Standing on his shoulders, perhaps Orochimaru really might achieve success.
(Show your support and read more chapters on my Patreon: [email protected]/psychopet. Thank you for your support!)