Chapter 596: Orochimaru's Counter-Surveillance
Black Zetsu had once said that Takuya of Konoha was incredibly strong—at least on par with Madara before he obtained the Rinnegan.
If he could fight someone like that, at least it would make things a little more interesting.
If Black Zetsu knew what Madara was thinking right now, he'd probably want to strangle him.
Madara refused to personally retrieve the Rinnegan, found it too troublesome.
He dismissed the Third Raikage as too weak, not even worth the effort.
And now…
Now, he had set his sights on Konoha.
Why?
Because Takuya was strong enough to pique his interest.
Meanwhile, Takuya himself had no clue Madara wanted to 'dance' with him.
Right now, he was busy keeping a certain frustrated fool company over dinner.
"So, this was all your doing?"
"You set this whole thing up just to keep me out of it?"
Jiraiya sullenly downed his drink.
He had rushed back to Konoha the moment he got the message, barely stopping to rest on the way.
And when he finally arrived?
Absolutely nothing had happened.
Tsunade didn't even know about it.
And Minato—that little bastard had lied to him!
The supposed 'good-natured, honest' Minato had deceived his own teacher!
Unforgivable!
Jiraiya had immediately tried to track Minato down, but Minato, being no fool, had already fled in advance.
With no other option, Jiraiya had come looking for Takuya instead.
And Takuya, being Takuya, didn't even bother denying it.
"Yeah, it was me. I told Minato to lie to you. Any other questions?"
Jiraiya felt his soul leave his body.
Takuya calmly dipped a piece of tripe into the hot pot, nodding in satisfaction as he took a bite.
Between mouthfuls, he casually explained:
"Madara wants to activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi. To do that, he needs the Rinnegan to resurrect himself."
"I can't guarantee whether he'll send someone else to Kumogakure… or if he'll go himself."
"If he just sends a lackey, sure—go ahead, investigate, gather intel."
"But if Madara shows up personally?"
"Then the only thing left for Tsunade to do is retrieve your corpse. Is that what you want?"
Jiraiya choked on his drink.
Damn it—he makes too much sense!
Wait—what do you mean, retrieving my corpse?!
Couldn't he phrase it a little nicer?!
Jiraiya sputtered for a moment before finally muttering:
"So besides keeping me out of trouble, it's also because Kumogakure doesn't trust us, right?"
He wasn't a fool.
It wasn't that easy to deceive him.
He understood Takuya's reasoning—it just didn't sit well with him.
Until there was an overwhelming, undeniable external threat, the Five Great Villages would never truly unite.
And as much as it annoyed him, the truth was simple:
This was Kumogakure's problem.
If Konoha got involved, they'd just end up caught in the middle.
You already know the answer—why ask?
Takuya raised an eyebrow and poured himself another drink.
"Alright, quit acting like you got scammed out of your life savings. Here—this drink is my apology for deceiving you. And after dinner, I'll even treat you to a night of entertainment. Happy now?"
Jiraiya perked up.
"Wait—are you serious?"
The man who had been sulking just a second ago suddenly looked like a child who had just been promised unlimited candy.
Takuya sighed.
This damn old pervert… He's definitely going to die because of a woman someday.
He downed his drink in one go and massaged his temples.
"I'm serious."
"Three days. Everything is on me. You can enjoy yourself however you like, and I won't tattle to Tsunade. But after three days? You're on your own."
Jiraiya's eyes sparkled.
Three whole days?!
How many girls should I invite?!
"Three days is plenty!"
Paying for himself?
As if.
After three days, he'd simply pack up and leave. No expenses necessary.
Takuya gave him a knowing look.
You're hopeless.
At some point, Jiraiya finally snapped out of his daydream and turned to Takuya with an odd look.
"By the way, where's Orochimaru?"
"What's that snake up to now?"
Jiraiya figured it was best to change the subject—drooling like a complete degenerate wasn't exactly a good look.
Besides, if he kept acting like that, Takuya might just walk out.
And honestly?
Takuya was already considering it.
Fortunately, Jiraiya stopped just in time.
No one wanted to sit across from a drooling mess while eating.
"No idea."
Takuya leaned back.
"He's been pretty quiet since returning to the village. Rarely leaves. No clue what he's up to."
"As long as he's not stirring up trouble, I don't care. The Anbu are keeping an eye on him anyway."
Orochimaru knew he was being watched.
So, presumably, he wouldn't try anything too reckless.
Ever since Takuya had given him White Zetsu's corpse from Iwagakure, Orochimaru had barely left his lab.
"Let's just hope he stays put."
"Heh, whatever. Drink up! More sake—let's get another round! The great Toad Sage is drinking tonight!"
Takuya rolled his eyes.
You mean I'M paying.
Still, he humored Jiraiya for now.
After all, lying to him had been a bit underhanded.
It was only fair to make it up to him.
Once they had their fill, Takuya headed home to rest.
Jiraiya, on the other hand, made a beeline for the red-light district.
Three days of freedom!
He was determined to indulge in every luxury he had ever hesitated to try.
With someone else footing the bill?
He felt like a king.
Meanwhile, in a hidden underground lab…
Orochimaru was still experimenting on White Zetsu's corpse.
He had left the lab a few times—but the Anbu watching him had no clue.
Orochimaru was well aware of the surveillance.
He knew exactly who was watching him, and how many there were.
But tracking him?
Pathetic.
They were underestimating him.
Orochimaru had already slipped out multiple times—completely undetected.
And now?
Now, he had found something interesting.
His twisted smile widened.
White Zetsu's body contained traces of Hashirama Senju's cells.
After countless experiments and comparisons, he had confirmed it.
"If that's the case… then as a sacrificial material… hmm…"
Orochimaru's snake-like eyes gleamed.
He had originally abandoned the Edo Tensei technique.
But ever since escaping Madara's control…
He had started tinkering with it again.
And White Zetsu's body had just opened up new possibilities.
"Heh… interesting…"
Suddenly, he ripped something from his own body.
Three White Zetsu clones emerged, eyes wide with shock.
He had found them.
They never expected him to discover them—let alone extract them so easily.
Orochimaru's smirk widened.
"Got you."
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read the rest of the Chapter at Patreon com/ Emik01.
DO NOT FORGET POWER STONE AND CHATTING