"Everyone, it seems that I won't be able to fight alongside you for a while. The village has ordered me to return immediately for a special mission."
"Are you going back alone?" Jiraiya, who hadn't gotten much of a peek at the scroll, immediately leaned over for a better look.
Sure enough, Orochimaru had been summoned back to the village for some secret mission. And it was just him-no one else was involved.
"Since it's a special mission, it must be important for the village. You'd better pack up and leave as soon as possible," Nara Hideitsu advised.
They all knew better than to ask about the details of a secret mission. Orochimaru himself didn't even know what was waiting for him back at the village.
"Well then, I'll take my leave, seniors," Orochimaru said politely, nodding toward Hideitsu and Sakumo before getting up to leave.
Jiraiya, ever curious, caught up to him as he walked out.
"Orochimaru, how about I come with you?" He asked sneakily.
"Suit yourself. As long as you're not afraid of the old man scolding you or Tsunade beating you up, go right ahead," Orochimaru replied without looking back.
"..."
Damn it.
"Forget I said anything!" Jiraiya grumbled, flipping Orochimaru the finger in frustration.
Not that it mattered-Orochimaru didn't even bother to acknowledge the gesture, which only added to Jiraiya's sense of defeat.
"Make sure to keep an eye on Nawaki for me," Orochimaru added as he left.
"Yeah, yeah! Take care of your own student! I'm not doing it!" Jiraiya shouted after him.
Jiraiya felt completely unappreciated. Why did Orochimaru get to go back to the village while he was stuck out here? Why wasn't he assigned to a special mission too?
This was definitely favoritism from the old man. He was being targeted, for sure.
Despite his complaints, Jiraiya knew he couldn't just abandon Nawaki.
"Jiraiya, where's sensei?" A voice called out.
"Don't ask me. Your sensei ditched you, went back to the village for a mission, and left me here to babysit," Jiraiya replied, his expression sour.
"This is definitely favoritism! Why does he get to do a special mission, and I don't?"
He hadn't been back to the village in a long time, and the thought of it made him want to take a break and "gather some material." The battlefield was nothing but fighting and scheming, and it was getting old.
It had been so long since his last visit to the village, and he wondered if they'd taken down the roof of the bathhouse by now.
Maybe the windows in the women's hot springs had been reinforced with thicker wood. He'd love to check on that...