Chapter 110

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"STOP, NARUTO!!" Jiraiya shouted, arriving and landing with a jump near him.

Naruto frowned, confused, not understanding why Jiraiya was stopping him.

"What do you want? As you can see, I'm busy eliminating a Rogue Ninja from the Bingo Book. Orochimaru, S-Rank."

Naruto said it as if he didn't know Orochimaru had once been Jiraiya's best friend.

Jiraiya swallowed hard, looking at Orochimaru's state, worried, though also furious.

He wasn't angry at Naruto, but at himself and at Orochimaru.

He was furious for having ignored the signs, for having allowed Orochimaru to commit atrocities for so long, right under his nose.

Furious for having let him escape.

Furious because, even now, part of him still wished to save him.

Furious for abandoning them... for not thinking about their feelings... for not thinking about how he and Tsunade would feel upon discovering his actions.

Furious because that same friend had murdered their teacher.

And even though, deep down, he knew he deserved it... that didn't justify it.

"I agree with you. Orochimaru deserves to die." Jiraiya took a step toward him.

Naruto frowned as he saw him approaching.

He could see his intentions as clear as water.

If Jiraiya thought he could stop him, he was very wrong.

Orochimaru was already a dead man.

"Orochimaru must be taken alive to the village to answer for his crimes."

Naruto scoffed, amused.

Orochimaru remained silent, looking at Jiraiya as his last ray of hope.

"Normally, a Rogue Ninja in the Bingo Book must be killed as soon as their location is known..." said Jiraiya. "But if there's a chance to make him answer for his actions before justice, death isn't necessary."

Naruto slowly lowered his hand. Jiraiya sighed. So did Orochimaru.

"Why don't you say it clearly, Jiraiya?" Naruto didn't even bother referring to him as Pervy Sage, like he usually did, out of habit. "Your old friend is in trouble, and you want to help him, even though you know that once he sets foot in the village, his fate will be execution."

Jiraiya frowned and clenched his fists tightly.

"You have a faint hope that somehow, Orochimaru will find a way to escape along the way or when we reach the village, before the trial, so you won't have to see him die," Naruto continued speaking.

Deep down, Jiraiya knew Naruto was right. He couldn't deny it, even though he tried with all his strength.

His words were painfully true.

Tsunade stepped forward.

"Jiraiya..." she said softly, her voice barely a whisper. "Orochimaru is a lost cause, we both know that." Tsunade looked at Orochimaru, her gaze filled with regret. "He's not going to change. You know that better than anyone."

It was then that Orochimaru, still with a face distorted by pain, decided to intervene.

"I'll redeem myself, I swear..." he murmured. "I'll leave the experiments behind... I won't hurt any more innocents..."

Naruto silenced him with a kick to the stomach. Orochimaru vomited blood.

"Stay silent," he ordered.

Jiraiya swallowed hard. His heart pounded furiously. He turned around, unable to look Orochimaru in the eye.

Orochimaru, seeing this, looked at him in desperation.

His last ray of hope gradually began to fade.

"No! Jiraiya, don't abandon me! Save me! Don't let him kill me! I don't want to die! I can still change!"

Blood dripped from Jiraiya's clenched fists. His body trembled.

Tsunade closed her eyes, unable to bear the pleas of someone who was once her friend.

"Tsunade..." Jiraiya murmured through gritted teeth. "Stop me... before I do something stupid that I'll regret."

She looked at him in surprise.

Jiraiya could barely restrain himself from intervening to help Orochimaru.

When she stepped closer, she understood immediately.

Jiraiya was crying silently. Tears streamed down his face. He didn't try to hide them. The pain was too much. Snot hung from his nose. He could barely stand.

And when he took a step... Tsunade reacted. She pinned him to the ground, holding him tightly.

Jiraiya's head was slammed against the ground forcefully, his arms held by Tsunade.

She understood him. She understood better than anyone what Jiraiya was feeling.

That's why she stopped him.

"I always knew you were the most sentimental of the three, old man..." Tsunade murmured.

"I-I'm only fifty..." Jiraiya managed to say through tears.

She ignored him and looked up at Naruto, nodding firmly.

That was enough of a signal for Naruto. He quickly resumed what he had been doing before they interrupted him.

"If you still have a heart, Orochimaru..." Naruto said sternly. "Stop talking, for Jiraiya's sake."

Naruto knew that if Orochimaru kept talking, begging, it would only cause Jiraiya more pain.

Orochimaru looked at Jiraiya's situation before looking back at Naruto.

Surprisingly, he remained silent, closing his eyes, lying on the ground.

Naruto focused on his Chakra circulatory system, specifically on eight particular points, similar to gates.

Naruto found the First Gate, known as the Gate of Opening, located in the left hemisphere of the brain.

By activating the first of the Eight Inner Gates, Naruto removed his mental inhibitions.

This allowed him to use 100% of his muscle strength instead of the usual 20%.

But Naruto didn't stop there.

The Second Gate, the Gate of Healing, was found in the left hemisphere of the brain.

This had the additional effect of revitalizing the body, allowing him to quickly recover from physical exhaustion.

Naruto also activated the Third Gate, the Gate of Life, located in the spinal cord.

His skin visibly reddened as this gate opened.

As an added effect, his pupils disappeared, his hair stood on end, and all the veins in his body became pronounced.

A faint green aura began to emanate from his body.

Naruto could have stopped there, but he went further, wanting to test his limits with the Eight Inner Gates.

The Fourth Gate, the Gate of Pain, was found in the spinal cord.

This gate considerably increased his strength and speed.

The faint green aura surrounding his body also became more intense.

It was then that Naruto opened the Fifth Gate, the Gate of Limit, located in the abdomen.

The faint green aura that surrounded his body was no longer faint, now resembling uncontrolled flames, shining brightly.

Naruto decided to stop there upon realizing he didn't feel any pain or discomfort in his body.

He believed he could open up to the Seventh Gate without any problem.

Although he didn't know if opening the Eighth Gate was safe, considering the Gate of Death had that name for a reason.

Maybe not even he would survive.

But he didn't focus on that.

Naruto raised his fist. His physical strength was already overwhelming to anyone. The physical strength of all the members of the chat group he had brought back to life had also been added to his...

If you add the Eight Inner Gates on top of that...

Naruto's fist descended swiftly.

His fist ignited mid-descent.

And when it struck... Orochimaru vanished.

Nothing remained but a bloodstain.

The entire ground trembled violently, shaking as if the entire planet were being stirred.

Tsunade could barely stay on her feet. And when it all ended, she released Jiraiya.

He got up without saying a word, walking silently, not looking back.

Tsunade silently watched Jiraiya's back as he walked away, carrying a pain only she understood.

Only then did she know that, sooner or later, she would have to talk to him.

But before that...

Tsunade turned around and looked at Naruto Uzumaki.

Naruto said nothing about the bet, nor did he mention the pendant. He knew it wasn't the time.

He wasn't a monster who didn't understand human emotions. He wasn't a monster. He wasn't Johan Liebert.

"You did well, kid..." Tsunade murmured, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You did the right thing."

That was all she said, signaling to Shizune to leave with her.

She hadn't forgotten the bet, but right now, Jiraiya needed her.

He needed her as a friend.

Jiraiya needed a friend more than ever.

And she would be there for him.