Jiraiya didn't end up staying in Amegakure but instead chose to remain in Sound Vilge. It was surprising, yet Orochimaru understood why.

  It wasn't just because Nagato might be the Child of Prophecy, but also due to the complicated bond between the three of them. When they were younger, Jiraiya harbored a crush on Tsunade. But now, seeing her and Orochimaru together, he would inevitably feel awkward if he were constantly around them. Orochimaru and Tsunade might not mind, but Jiraiya would likely feel out of pce.

  So, in his own way, Jiraiya chose to distance himself.

  Tsunade, too, understood Jiraiya's reasons. She didn't try to persuade him otherwise because, in truth, it wasn't her pce to do so. Jiraiya's feelings for her weren't exactly a secret, and though she had rejected him multiple times, he had never truly let go. What more could she say?

  Sometimes, no matter how deeply you care for someone, if the feeling isn't mutual, there's nothing that can be done. Some might win over others through persistence, but when a better option exists, why settle? This was Jiraiya's struggle to bear, not hers.

  A few days ter, in the afternoon...

  Konoha Vilge, Hokage's Office

  Orochimaru and Tsunade returned to report on their mission and expin their prolonged absence. Naturally, they kept the details of Sound Vilge under wraps. While withholding information from superiors might be seen as disloyal, Orochimaru had never seen himself as bound by strict loyalty to Konoha's authority. And as for Tsunade? She'd never been one to follow rules for the sake of it. Influenced by Orochimaru, she didn't feel the need to disclose everything either.

  After hearing their report, including Jiraiya's decision to stay behind, Hiruzen nodded thoughtfully.

  "Since the war has indeed calmed down, if Jiraiya has made his choice, let him be."

  "Understood," they replied.

  Hiruzen took a deep drag on his pipe, blowing a smoke ring into the air. "You two have come a long way. Take some time to rest."

  "Yes, Sensei," Orochimaru and Tsunade replied, bowing before leaving the office. As they walked out, Hiruzen's gaze lingered on Orochimaru, lost in thought.

  As they returned to the vilge, Orochimaru noticed a shift in the way people looked at them. The vilgers' eyes were filled with admiration and respect. Upon asking around, he learned that the title of "Sannin" had spread throughout Konoha.

  It seemed Hanzo of the Samander, who had named them the "Legendary Sannin," had unwittingly given them a huge boost in reputation.

  Outside the Hokage's office, Tsunade turned to Orochimaru with a smile. "Want to come over to my pce?"

  Now that their retionship had deepened, there was a warmth and familiarity between them that hadn't been there before. As Jiraiya once said, only after true connection could they really be considered a couple.

  Seeing Orochimaru hesitate, Tsunade took his arm pyfully. "Come on. You've got nothing waiting for you at home. Besides, it'll be good for you to visit Nawaki."

  "Nawaki? Right, of course. Let's go."

  Orochimaru didn't object. The idea of returning to an empty home had little appeal.

  As they walked, a thought struck Orochimaru, maybe this emptiness was part of the reason his alternate self in another timeline had eventually betrayed Konoha. He'd lost his parents at a young age and cked any true bonds in the vilge. For someone like that, it wouldn't be hard to turn against the pce he had no real attachment to, especially if influenced by someone like Danzo.

  Tsunade's home was in the Senju compound, located in Konoha Vilge. It wasn't his first time visiting, but it had been a long time since he'd been here. He recalled how lively the compound used to be, bustling with members of the Senju cn. But now…

  Aside from Tsunade's house and the quarters of Uzumaki Mito, most of the buildings were empty or occupied by ordinary vilgers. The Senju were no longer a thriving cn.

  Even Tsunade's house carried an air of loneliness, the silence almost oppressive.

  "Big sister! Orochimaru Sensei! You're back!" A young boy's voice broke the stillness as Nawaki came running over with a bright smile.

  ---

  Orochimaru's return to the vilge might have seemed uneventful on the surface, but several people had taken notice—particurly Danzo and the Uchiha cn.

  It made sense that Danzo would be interested; he still had ambitions to regain influence in Konoha and saw Orochimaru as a potential ally. But the Uchiha cn's attention was intriguing. They were keen to understand Orochimaru's position and his retionship with Hiruzen. If possible, they wanted to leverage his influence to ease the pressure they faced from Konoha's leadership.

  The Uchiha were one of the founding cns of Konoha, yet they had been pushed into the shadows within their own vilge. Understandably, they were restless and looking for any advantage.

  Orochimaru, for his part, also had an interest in the Uchiha cn. It wasn't just idle curiosity; it was about power. Specifically, the power of their eyes.

  In the past, he hadn't considered the importance of ocur power. He had been content with his own abilities. But after bringing Nagato back, he found himself drawn to the potential of the Rinnegan, the legendary eyes that Nagato possessed, though still dormant. To harness the full power of the Rinnegan, Orochimaru knew he would need a considerable amount of spiritual energy and physical preparation.

  In short, if he wanted to fully awaken and control the Rinnegan, he'd need to obtain Uchiha genetic material to cultivate his own Sharingan and, eventually, fuse it into a pair of Mangekyo.

  "Orochimaru, is something wrong with the food? Why aren't you eating?" Tsunade's voice cut through his thoughts.

  "No, no, I was just… thinking about something," Orochimaru replied, snapping back to reality. He picked up the bowl of soup she had made and took a sip.

  A strange taste hit his tongue immediately, and he barely managed to swallow before turning to the side and coughing.

  "What… what is this?"

  "Hahaha!" Nawaki burst out ughing, cpping his hands. "Sensei, you're so brave, actually eating my sister's cooking!"