Promise
Chapter XI: Promise
“If you are not going to help us then what are you here for, Orochimaru-teme?” Jiraiya glared at his best friend when Orochimaru did not bother to return his and Naruto’s enthusiasm at the idea of spending time together.
“Someone needs to keep an eye on you and to make sure that you are not going to get yourself killed.” His lack of enthusiasm upon seeing Naruto speaks to his greater disinterest in the bonds and growth that Jiraiya treasures the most.
“So, what are we going to do, dattebayo?” Naruto completely ignored the fact that Orochimaru is unhappy with him. If there’s anything he learned from his encounters with the young version of Snake Sannin, it is better to ignore him completely if the Snake summoner is not speaking to him directly.
His confusion about Jiraiya's attachment to Naruto is palpable because Orochimaru struggles to understand emotional bonds or attachments that aren't rooted in personal gain or ambition. On the other hand, Jiraiya is a complete opposite of Orochimaru because he sees a lot of potential in Naruto not only as a ninja but also as a friend even if the blond genin is the current Jinchūriki of Nine Tailed fox.
The more that the bond between Jiraiya and Naruto grows, Orochimaru feels like he’s been pushed aside or forgotten, especially when it was once him who shared those special moments with Jiraiya. Orochimaru used to be Jiraiya’s constant companion until Naruto came into the picture and suddenly the blonde genin has taken his place which stir up some feelings of jealousy and abandonment for the snake summoner.
“Snakes are scary, but toads are cool” Orochimaru heard the blond Jinchūriki say to Jiraiya.
“Whatever helps you sleep at night” Orochimaru has started to regret following Jiraiya. He should have gone to Tsunade’s house and spend more time with her, but he remembered that Sakura is currently with Hime, and this somehow angered him more. He feels as if even she replaces him with the likes of Haruno Sakura just like how Jiraiya prefers Naruto’s company now.
Before Jiraiya could mock Orochimaru and his snakes, a shadow has has appeared in front of him and Naruto. From where the young Snake Sannin stands, he can clearly see who these enemy is after. Jiraiya is a fool, but he is Orochimaru’s best friend. Hence, he will not let anyone to threaten him and more so to kill him. Orochimaru appeared in front of Jiraiya, kunai blocking the enemy’s attack against his best friend.
“Oro!” Surprised, Jiraiya shouted. He would have died if Maru did not block that deadly attack and as much as he hates to admit, he was glad that Orochimaru did save him.
“Run!” Panic blooms in both of Naruto and Jiraiya’s faces because it is rare for Orochimaru to look genuinely angry.
“Out of the way. You are not my target.” The enemy was surprised when Orochimaru protected the Toad Sage, but that did not hinder them from wanting to finish the mission given to them by their master. To eliminate Jiraiya of the Sannin will merit him more respect amongst his peers. He shifted his stance, edging away from the dangerous Snake Summoner and closing the gap between himself and his target.
Out of sheer panic from the idea of losing another important person to him, Orochimaru unconsciously sent distress signal to his summons. Despite his arrogance and selfishness, Manda was the first to answer to his call. After all, they all care for Orochimaru even if he has become more twisted as years passed by. Appearing to where his master is currently fighting a masked assassin while trying to protect a young version of Jiraiya.
Even though Tsunade wasn’t the best sensor ninja in Konoha, she could feel the unmistakable flare of Jiraiya and Orochimaru’s chakra. It was a strange, and unsettling sensation, one that tugged at her instincts which urges her to act. Despite the gaps in her memories, the bond she once shared with her teammates remained strong. Without thinking, she knew she had to check on them. Something was wrong.
“I am sorry to cut our bonding short, but I have to check on my teammates, Sakura. They could be handful at times.” Genuine regret laced her voice. She came to like Sakura Haruno because of their fondness for their boys and their interest in becoming the best medic nin of their generation.
“You don’t have to apologize, Princess. Even Naruto and Sasuke are handful too. If you want, I can accompany you to find your friends.” Sakura likes having Tsunade around not because she came from one of the founding clans of Konoha. Rather, she enjoys her company because some of their interests are the same.
On the other hand, Hiruzen resisted the urge to groan in frustration when a massive purple serpent materialized in one of Konoha’s training grounds. The appearance of Manda was troubling enough but the fact that Orochimaru had summoned him meant something was definitely wrong especially when his prodigal student was a child suffering from amnesia.
It didn’t take long for Tsunade and Sakura to track down the Senju Princess’ teammates. But to their surprise, they weren’t the only ones who had arrived. As they approached, Tsunade’s eyes locked on the scene before them and immediately saw a massive, ominous snake coiling around Orochimaru, Naruto, and Jiraiya. Tsunade couldn’t recall ever seeing a serpent of such size. Sure, Orochimaru showed her different types of snakes before but never this huge. The purple serpent wasn’t just intimidating; it radiated anger, its scales shimmering with hostility. The very air around it seemed to vibrate with its rage.
“You dare to harm my summoner and his friends, filthy human. You reek of that person’s chakra, and I hate it. That man ruined my summoner, the heir to our nest siblings. I along with the rest of the snakes of Ryūchi Cave will never allow such blunder to unfold the second time.” Hostility lingers on Manda’s voice as he swore to protect his summoner even if it meant that he had to eat everyone in this awful village that ostracizes what their own.