Chapter 695: Misunderstanding

Chapter 695: Misunderstanding

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Peter and Jiraiya walked down a dark, narrow hall. It had been a minute since they entered the bunker. The dim lighting cast long shadows on the walls, and the silence was only broken by their footsteps echoing softly.

As they walked deeper into the base, Jiraiya began to notice more and more similarities to the other bunkers his former teammate had used.

Trailing behind Peter, Jiraiya couldn't help but chat nervously. "So, what happens if Orochimaru is the person you're looking for?"

"Then it's very likely that he'll die today..." Peter replied.

"..." Jiraiya didn't know what to think about that.

As they ventured deeper into the bunker, Jiraiya's mind raced. He felt conflicted, memories of his past with Orochimaru resurfacing. He remembered the good times: their days in the academy, training together as Genin, and their missions as part of Team Hiruzen.

But he also remembered the bad: Orochimaru's betrayal, his attempt to kill their sensei, the Third Hokage, and the horrific human experiments he conducted on Konoha citizens.

But despite everything, Jiraiya couldn't forget the young Orochimaru he had once called a friend. The genius boy who pushed him to be better, the teammate who had his back during their missions, and the person he had shared so many experiences with.

With these thoughts weighing heavily on his mind, Jiraiya started trying to convince Peter not to kill Orochimaru. "You know, Peter," he began, his voice almost pleading, "Orochimaru may have done terrible things, but there was a time when he was good. He was a great shinobi, someone who cared about the village. Maybe... maybe there's still some good left in him. Maybe we can reason with him, bring him back."

Peter listened silently, his expression unreadable. He knew there was a high likelihood he would have to kill Orochimaru, no matter what Jiraiya said.

Of course, this depended on whether Orochimaru was truly the person he was searching for. Regardless, Peter allowed Jiraiya to continue, fully aware of the conflicting emotions his companion was grappling with.

Jiraiya continued, his words becoming more earnest. "I know it sounds naive, but if there's a chance, even a small one, that we can save him, shouldn't we try? Killing him would only end any possibility of redemption. And if you saw the Orochimaru I knew, the one who was once a friend, you'd understand why—"

As Jiraiya was talking, Peter suddenly stopped walking, staring into the darkness ahead. Jiraiya, not expecting him to stop, bumped into Peter before taking a step to the side and glancing at him. "What's going on? What are you looking at?" He followed Peter's gaze into the dark hall ahead.

Seconds later, the sound of heels clicking along the hard floor echoed through the corridor, growing closer and closer. Two figures emerged from the shadows.

At first, Jiraiya tensed, preparing to fight. But then his eyes widened in shock as he recognized Tsunade, another one of his wayward teammates, with her faithful student, Shizune, trailing behind her.

"Ts-Tsunade?" Jiraiya stammered, bewildered. "What are you doing here?" Though he was surprised, he couldn't deny the relief and happiness he felt at seeing her.

Tsunade frowned, her eyes narrowing. "I could ask you the same thing, Jiraiya. Why are you here?"

As she spoke, realization dawned on Jiraiya. His eyes widened as it hit him—Tsunade was the person Peter was looking for. Without thinking, he jumped in front of her, screaming, "Run, Tsunade!"

Acting on instinct, Jiraiya unleashed a powerful fire jutsu, spitting flames from his mouth like a dragon. The hall filled with a roaring fire, consuming Peter, who stood unbothered, his figure engulfed in the inferno.

Tsunade's eyes widened in shock and confusion, as she was caught off guard by Jiraiya's sudden attack. Shizune stepped back, ready to defend her mentor if necessary.

Seeing that Tsunade wasn't trying to run away, Jiraiya yelled, "Tsunade, go! Your life is in danger!"

Tsunade frowned, her confusion deepening. "What are you talking about, Jiraiya? Why would my life be in danger?"

As they spoke, the flames began to die down, revealing Peter, untouched and unbothered by the heat. The flames seemed to have bent away from him, as if unwilling to make contact.

"Jiraiya, what are you doing?!" Tsunade shouted, trying to make sense of the situation. "Didn't you come here with him?" She gestures to Peter, not seeing him as a threat.

"Princess, you need to listen to me!"

As the two began to argue among themselves, Peter just stood there, staring forward. He was truthfully a little shell-shocked.

Peter had watched Naruto before, but no character had made an impression on him like Tsunade. In fact, it was her character that had given him his very first erection. And on that day he realized that girls might not be so bad, no longer seeing them as cootie-riddled germs.

Orochimaru's expression grew serious as he weighed Peter's ultimatum. "..."

Confused, Tsunade asked, "What's happening? What the hell is a Death's successor?"

Orochimaru smirked and pointed at Peter, expertly changing the subject. "He's the one I warned you about. He's not from our universe."

Tsunade turned to Peter, silently asking if it was true. Peter nodded, shrugging. "He's right. I'm not from around here." Then he looked at Orochimaru. "But how did you know I was here in the first place? Did he warn you?"

"Did who warn him?" Jiraiya's voice cut through the tension, and everyone turned to see him standing beside Shizune, his face swollen from Peter's powerful slap.

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. "That's not important. What's important is that we need to work together to kill him." He pointed at Peter.

Jiraiya frowned. "Why? Just do what he said and he won't kill you."

Orochimaru's smirk grew. "Because, Jiraiya, he's a threat to us all. You heard him. He's here to kill me, but who's to say he won't come after you next? Or Tsunade?"

Tsunade crossed her arms, skeptical. "And why should we believe anything you say, Orochimaru? You've lied to us countless times before..."

Orochimaru's expression turned serious. "This isn't just about me. This is about protecting our world. He's an outsider with unknown intentions and abilities. Do you really trust him more than you trust me?"

Peter sighed, shaking his head. "You're really laying it on thick, aren't you?"

Ignoring Peter, Orochimaru continued, his voice urgent. "Think about it, Tsunade, Jiraiya. We need to put our differences aside and fight together. For the sake of our world."

Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged uncertain glances. "..."

Peter sighed. "Hurry up and make your decisions. I need to be back in Konoha by the morning. If you're going to help Orochimaru, decide now. But it doesn't matter. With or without your help, Orochimaru will die."

The confidence and calm demeanor of Peter seemed to piss off Tsunade. She felt like she was being looked down on. "!"

Originally, she hadn't planned on helping Orochimaru, as she didn't expect to be fighting anyone when she came here. But now, she felt the itch to pound Peter's face into the ground.

Stepping up beside Orochimaru, Tsunade said, "I'll help, but you have to pay my debts as you promised."

Seeing this, Jiraiya freaked out. "Tsunade, take it back! Get away from Orochimaru! You don't understand how strong Peter is!"

"Humph..." Tsunade looked away, her arms crossed under her breasts, unmoving.

Orochimaru smiled, chuckling darkly as he turned to Jiraiya. "I don't think she's going to change her mind. But if you want to protect your precious princess, then stand with us. It's been so long since the legendary Sannin fought together, hasn't it?"

With an extreme amount of reluctance, Jiraiya stepped up beside Tsunade, only joining to protect her. "I don't like this," he muttered, his eyes fixed on Peter. "But if it means keeping Tsunade safe, I'll do it."

Peter watched the trio, unfazed. "Alright then," he said, his tone calm but resolute as his gaze locked onto Orochimaru. "Just to be clear, you're refusing my kind offer, right?"

Orochimaru started to speak, "Yes—"

Before the snake sannin could say anything else, Peter appeared in front of him in an instant, moving far faster than Orochimaru could see or react to. Peter raised his leg and delivered a powerful Spartan kick square to Orochimaru's face, launching him backward as a small shockwave from the impact filled the hall.

"?!" Jiraiya and Tsunade's eyes widened in shock, their minds barely processing Peter's sudden and brutal attack. They hadn't even noticed Peter's movement until they heard the sickening sound of Orochimaru's nose breaking.

A/N: 2172 words :)

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