CH 13: Where Legends Bleed

The sky was growing dark as Kushina sprinted through the forest. Branches and leaves whipped at her face and her wild red hair fluttered behind her like a flame. The scent of blood and damp earth still lingered in the air—remnants of a battle that had recently occurred in the area. She sharpened her senses, stopping suddenly when she sensed a familiar chakra not far ahead.

"...Kakashi?"

She slowed her steps, moving through a gap in the rocks toward a small cave hidden behind thick undergrowth. As she entered, the evening sunlight illuminated two young figures within.

Kakashi, a silver-haired teenager with a pale face, leaned against the stone wall. His body was covered in wounds, his clothes tattered, and his breath shallow. Beside him sat a purple-haired girl with scrapes on her arms and face, her eyes watching the cave entrance with caution.

But when they saw who had arrived, the tension melted away. Kakashi sighed in relief. "Kushina-san…"

Kushina scanned their condition quickly, her expression shifting from alert to concerned. "You both… look like you've just returned from hell."

Kakashi only gave a small shrug. "More or less."

Kushina's gaze sharpened. "Orochimaru. Where did he go?"

The purple-haired girl—whom Kushina recognized as a young ANBU member named Yugao—opened her mouth to speak, but Kakashi answered first. His voice was low and controlled, but laced with restrained frustration.

"When we found him, it was like… he was waiting. As if he already knew we were coming."

"He spoke?" Kushina asked quickly.

"A little," Kakashi replied, lowering his gaze. "About experiments. About how Konoha wasted his potential. I struck first—but he didn't even take it seriously. It felt like… he was playing."

He clenched his fists. "I used every jutsu I had, but he didn't even break a sweat. When he got bored… he went after Yugao. I couldn't stop him."

Yugao lowered her head in silence, ashamed, but Kushina saw no weakness in the girl's eyes—only the determination of a true shinobi.

"We would've died… if Jiraiya-sama hadn't arrived just in time," Kakashi continued. "Orochimaru fought with him briefly, then fled. Jiraiya gave chase, but his direction changed. He's heading… to the Land of Rice Fields."

Kushina didn't respond immediately. She simply stood there and closed her eyes. The night wind drifted into the cave, bringing with it the scent of blood and damp mist from outside.

The Land of Rice…? Is he really fleeing there? Or is that part of the show too?

She opened her eyes—sharp and different from before.

"Thank you, Kakashi. You've done enough." Her voice was soft.

Kakashi looked like he wanted to say something more but stayed silent. He only nodded.

Kushina formed a hand seal. "Kagebunshin no Jutsu."

In an instant, two shadow clones appeared. One knelt beside Kakashi and Yugao, pulling out a medical pouch and tending to their wounds with practiced hands. The other stood guard at the mouth of the cave.

Meanwhile, the real Kushina took a deep breath. Her eyes turned toward the direction of the borderlands.

Even as she listened to their explanation, Kushina knew—this chase was merely a formality.

If Hiruzen Sarutobi—still in his prime—truly wanted to stop Orochimaru, he wouldn't need more than thirty minutes to do so.

Besides, Kushina thought, Orochimaru likely didn't yet possess too many forbidden jutsu. Even if he did, he hadn't mastered them.

"I'll go," she said flatly. "Take care of them. Let no one enter—except Jiraiya."

Kushina turned and walked out of the cave, merging once more with the night wind and the shadows of the forest. Her eyes narrowed toward the horizon—toward where Orochimaru had vanished.

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Kushina's steps blurred into motion, trees whipping past like shadows. The wind slammed against her face, carrying the faint scent of scorched earth and fading chakra. She knew this direction—the place where two legends once stood side by side, and now stood opposed.

In her chest, a restless anxiety stirred.

"I know Orochimaru won't kill him… but still…" she bit her lower lip.

She knew Orochimaru—cold, calculating, yet still human. Even now, severed from Konoha, from Jiraiya, from the past… that emotion hadn't fully died.

Their battle—no matter how fierce—wouldn't end in death. Only wounds. And escape.

The rustling of leaves and snapping twigs suddenly ceased. Kushina stopped. Before her lay a devastated clearing—shattered ground, torn trees, and a shallow crater still steaming from recent chakra blasts.

At the center, a lone figure lay sprawled. Alone.

His white hair was matted with dust, his forehead protector cracked, and his body slumped as if all will to fight had left him. But there was no blood. Only dust… and silence.

Kushina stepped closer, her breath caught in her throat. She stood before the man, leaned down slightly, and spoke with the gentlest voice she could muster:

"Master Jiraiya…"

The body stirred. Jiraiya opened his eyes—red, slightly teary—and looked toward the voice.

"Ah… Kushina…"

A forced smile appeared on his face, cracked like a mask too fragile to hide his inner pain.

"So you came too… Hahaha… I should say 'leave, this place isn't for you'… but what's the point…"

Kushina didn't reply. She simply sat beside him, her eyes soft, gazing at her husband's teacher—who looked older than she remembered.

"Master Jiraiya, let's go home," she said at last. No pressure. Just sincerity.

Jiraiya looked up at the sky. A breeze stirred the dust from his hair. He laughed quietly, then fell silent for a moment before a raspy voice escaped his throat.

"…Kushina, tell me… am I a loser?"

Kushina remained still, listening.

"For years I chased Tsunade… always rejected. Orochimaru, my friend since genin… chose his own path and laughed at me. Said I was stupid, naïve, weak. And today… he proved all of it."

A bitter laugh escaped him. His gaze was hollow, fixed on the sky that offered no answer.

"Tell me… am I really the idiot he says I am?"

Kushina turned slowly, meeting Jiraiya's gaze. She saw exhaustion, disappointment, and wounds no salve could heal. But beyond that, she saw… strength.

"Master Jiraiya… you are who you are," she said firmly.

Jiraiya blinked, surprised.

"Why care about what others say? To me, you are a great ninja. One who stands in the middle of a storm when everyone else retreats. There's no doubt about that."

Jiraiya froze. His eyes widened for a moment, then softened.

"…Do you truly believe that?"

Kushina nodded. "With all my heart."

Silence hung between them—then suddenly, laughter. Jiraiya burst into laughter, coughing from the pain but unable to stop.

"Hahaha! Oh, man… I didn't expect your standards to be so high… hahaha!"

Kushina smiled softly. "That's not standards. That's truth."

Jiraiya exhaled deeply, as if a weight had lifted from his soul. His worn face looked lighter… more alive.

"Then… help me up, Kushina. I think I'm too old to be lying in the mud any longer."

Kushina reached out and gently pulled him to his feet. "Master Jiraiya… I believe your ninja way deserves recognition. Don't doubt yourself over one battle."

Jiraiya patted her shoulder, his smile tired but genuine.

"Ah, you're right… no ninja can keep living if they start doubting themselves…"

This Jiraiya… is the true hero. The Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku.