The rare moment of relaxation on New Year's Eve was shattered by the sudden eruption of a distress signal. Every support squad lurking within the Land of Rain tensed instantly, pivoting their trajectory toward the source.
"Can you two keep up? If not, don't push yourselves—just prioritize your own safety."
Before departing, the Aburame captain looked toward Tatsuma and Minato. He was inclined to leave them behind; a forced march like this meant they would have to engage in combat immediately upon arrival. If the boys exhausted themselves just getting there, they would be more of a liability than an asset.
Remaining here, given their sensory prowess, would at least guarantee their survival. But the moment the question was asked, both boys shook their heads firmly. After all... it was their masters who had called for help.
Seeing their resolve, the captain didn't waste time arguing. In a rescue mission, every second was bought with blood.
The squad abandoned all pretense of stealth. With so many of them moving at once, they were bound to be spotted regardless; better to save time and arrive as fast as possible.
The shinobi wove a series of hand signs in unison, ignited their Body Flicker Technique, and blurred into motion behind the captain. The Aburame leader held a device resembling a specialized tracker, eyes fixed on the pulsing blip on the crude screen as he made minute adjustments to their course.
Tatsuma and Minato strained every fiber of their being to stay in formation. Along the way, they merged with several other hidden squads.
As night bled into dawn, Tatsuma used every spare moment to pulse his chakra. He could sense massive clusters of energy gathering in the distance. The support force was already transitioning into a combat-ready state, prepared to strike the moment they made contact.
Inside a damp cavern, Tsunade worked frantically to stabilize Jiraiya, who had been wounded again during the pursuit.
This was the grim reality of the battlefield: those already injured were the most likely to be hit again, and the most likely to die because of it.
The cave shuddered violently. The entire mountain was under siege by Iwagakure ninja. A relentless barrage of Earth Style ninjutsu hammered the rock, and inside, Orochimaru's eyes grew darker with every tremor.
"Give it up, Tsunade."
Finally, a cold, raspy voice cut through the sound of shifting stone. Orochimaru looked at Tsunade, who refused to pull her hands away from Jiraiya's chest. "Iwa's assault will break this mountain sooner or later. If we want to escape, we cannot afford a single moment of hesitation. You and I must leave. Now."
"And Jiraiya!" Tsunade snapped.
Orochimaru thinned his lips. "It is impossible to escape with Jiraiya in this condition."
"That's why I'm healing him!"
"Tsunade, this is war. We cannot let personal feelings lower the probability."
"The probability of what?"
Tsunade turned her head, glaring at him. Orochimaru looked at her tear-streaked, frantic face and stated flatly: "The probability of survival. The probability of mission success. Given our current situation, if we want to live... one person can't make it, two people might, but three people... we all die."
As Orochimaru's expression grew increasingly clinical, Tsunade's anxiety turned into genuine shock. She knew Orochimaru was more detached than most, but this? This was their teammate. Their friend.
Under Tsunade's piercing gaze, Orochimaru finally looked away. "Continue your treatment then. I will handle the killing of Jiraiya. I will be the one to kill our teammate. Once there is no one left to save, perhaps you'll be willing to leave."
With that, Orochimaru drew a kunai and began to approach. Tsunade turned back to Jiraiya, the teal light of her medical ninjutsu flaring with desperate intensity. As Orochimaru reached her shoulder and raised the blade toward the semi-conscious Jiraiya, Tsunade's voice went deathly cold.
"If you do this, I will kill you."
RUMBLE!
The cave shook with renewed violence. Cracks spiderwebbed across the ceiling, allowing slivers of morning light to pierce the gloom. Orochimaru took a deep breath. "Then let's see who's faster."
At that exact moment, Jiraiya's right hand—which had been limp and motionless—suddenly twitched. Slowly, painfully, he raised two fingers in a weak peace sign toward Orochimaru.
Tsunade choked back a sob. "Even now, Jiraiya still trusts you. Facing that trust... can you really do it?"
"...Pointless."
Orochimaru grit his teeth, his resolve wavering. Seeing that he still intended to strike, Tsunade stopped hiding the truth. "Orochimaru, I've already sent the signal. Reinforcements are almost here."
"You called for help? When... No! Do you have any idea what that means?!"
Orochimaru's composure broke, replaced by a flash of fury. "Do you want to turn Konoha into the enemy of the entire world?! Rain and Earth will declare war on us! If we fail even once—just once—the Hidden Cloud, who are waiting in the wings, and the Hidden Mist, whose intentions we can't even fathom, will strike! All this... for one Jiraiya?!"
Tsunade didn't stop. Even though the Mystical Palm was of limited use for internal trauma, she refused to let go. After a moment of silence, she replied:
"Then we just won't fail. Not even once."
Seeing her stubbornness, Orochimaru roared, "Can you guarantee that?! Even if you can, can you guarantee that more people won't die because of this?! You are being... incredibly selfish!"
"I'm selfish?"
Tsunade's hands trembled. In a way, Orochimaru was right. If the war escalated because of this rescue, the death toll would far exceed the loss of a single Jiraiya. To risk many for the sake of one could be called selfish. But... no. There were no 'buts.'
Tsunade's jaw set. "I will do everything in my power to keep people from dying."
"Kill Jiraiya now! Before the support unit arrives, cancel the signal and scrub their trail!"
Orochimaru stopped arguing philosophy. He knew Tsunade realized her "mistake," but he also knew her character would never allow her to change course. His only option was damage control before the situation spiraled.
He assumed Tsunade had sent the signal just now, after they were cornered. If it had only been thirty minutes, they might still be able to turn the unit back and hide Konoha's presence from the Rain scouts.
What he didn't know was that Tsunade had sent the signal the night before.
Orochimaru raised his kunai again, this time lunging with zero hesitation. He had to end Jiraiya quickly, drag Tsunade out, and abort the mission.
BOOM!!!
A massive explosion ripped through the side of the mountain, causing the cavern to finally collapse. The debris didn't stop Orochimaru's hand, but just as the kunai was inches from Jiraiya's throat, Tsunade spun around. She clamped her hand around his right wrist in a vice-like grip.
With her other hand, she seized his left arm. Orochimaru, hearing the thundering approach of footsteps, felt a wave of cold despair wash over him. It was over. They were too late.
"Jiraiya! Tsunade! Orochimaru!"
Hearing their names shouted by familiar voices, Orochimaru felt his heart skip a beat. Tsunade's face lit up with hope. Before Orochimaru could process the shift, more voices joined the chorus.
"Reinforcements have arrived!"
A series of Wind Style techniques swept through the cave, blowing away the choking dust and debris. Tsunade released Orochimaru's wrist and gave him a sharp shove, creating a few meters of distance between them.
As the dust settled, Orochimaru stood several paces away from his teammates. Though he still held a kunai, no one arriving would suspect he had intended to use it on his friend.
Tsunade shot Orochimaru a warning glare but said nothing. Both of them—and even the semi-conscious Jiraiya—understood that what had happened in this cave could never be spoken of.
Their conflicting decisions weren't a matter of "right vs. wrong." Orochimaru's choice to sacrifice one to save the many was a valid, pragmatic shinobi doctrine. Tsunade's choice to protect her comrade at any cost was the embodiment of the village's heart.
It was a clash between two different versions of "right," which is why neither would ever be able to convince the other.
Orochimaru turned toward the incoming ninja. "You arrived quickly," he said, his voice regaining its usual raspy calm.
An Inuzuka ninja nodded. "We received the signal last night and moved without rest. Come on, get out of there—this cave is about to come down!"
Hearing that the signal had been sent last night, Orochimaru realized the situation was beyond salvage. He gave a mechanical nod. Other ninjas rushed in, helping the incapacitated Jiraiya to his feet.
Stepping out of the mountain's shadow, Orochimaru saw the Iwa forces that had surrounded them being pushed back by a tide of Konoha shinobi. He even recognized several faces in the fray.
"Grandfather founded the Leaf to protect everyone," Tsunade said quietly to Orochimaru. "I will never act against his will."
Orochimaru didn't answer. He looked toward the battlefield, and Tsunade followed his gaze.
In an instant, the relief on her face vanished. There, in the thick of the fighting, she saw her student and Jiraiya's student.
Tatsuma's left shoulder was soaked in blood, his movements stiff and pained. He was clearly injured, yet he was still engaging Iwa ninjas.
"Those two..." Tsunade hissed, her heart in her throat. "Do they have no sense of danger?!"
"The First Lord was strong enough to protect everyone," Orochimaru said, his voice laced with self-mockery. "But we... we find ourselves being protected by the very people we were supposed to shield."
The Will of the First... it seemed there was no one left who could truly carry that weight.
In the distance, Tatsuma and Minato weren't feeling particularly philosophical. They had just seen that all three of their teachers were alive, and they were ecstatic.
Tatsuma turned his attention back to the Iwa ninjas in front of him. "You've managed to stay hidden in the Rain for a long time," he shouted, "but your luck ends today!"
He flicked his wrist, launching a shuriken. He wove a blur of signs, unleashing the technique he had practiced for months. A hundred shuriken manifested in the air, screaming toward the Iwa line.
"Minato!"
"Ninjutsu! Fire Style: Super Phoenix Sage Flower Light-Ring Fire-Dance Shuriken Falling-Strike, Form Two!"
Minato roared the name so loudly he had to hold his final seal for several extra seconds. He cupped his hand over his mouth and exhaled a massive torrent of flame and oil, igniting every single one of the shuriken clones.
Tatsuma's lip twitched at the ridiculous name. But, seeing Minato's expectant, high-energy gaze, he looked toward the Iwa ninjas being swallowed by the inferno and added his own enthusiastic shout:
"DIE!!!"
Minato nodded, satisfied, though he looked a little disappointed. Tatsuma's shout had the right spirit, but... it was a bit short for his taste.