Outside the doors of Orochimaru's laboratory, Jiraiya was pacing back and forth anxiously. Kakuzu and Jūzō sat on chairs by the entrance, passing the time in conversation.
Before long, Sasori of the Red Sand approached from a distance. Surveying the scene, he asked with a hint of curiosity, "What are you all doing? You're acting like someone's family member is in the middle of surgery."
Kakuzu spared a glance at Sasori. "Jūzō and I were originally going to sell Orochimaru's corpse, but Diarmuid told us to wait. He said he has some arrangements."
Jiraiya, unfamiliar with Sasori, didn't interject. He continued his restless pacing, looking exactly as Sasori described, like a worried relative waiting for news from the operating theater.
Sasori nodded before asking, "Where is Diarmuid? What happened to him?"
"Tree spirit transformation," Kakuzu deadpanned. "He successfully mastered Sage Mode, but it seems the Wood Release energy in his body suddenly awakened and caused some issues. He went in to have Orochimaru check him over."
"Sage Mode?" Sasori's eyes lit up. "He finally succeeded?"
"Mm," Kakuzu grunted in affirmation. "How did things go on your end?"
"It's finished. It's all Diarmuid's fault, really. It shouldn't have taken this long, but he tore Hanzo of the Salamander into so many pieces that it took me ages to stitch him back together," Sasori said with a faint smile.
Currently, Sasori could arguably be considered the second-highest combat power in the entire Yorozuya organization. His collection of Human Puppets now included the Third Kazekage, the Third Raikage, and the "Demigod" Hanzo of the Salamander. Combined with his own formidable skills, he possessed army-level strength, capable of toppling a nation single-handedly or holding his own against the elite forces of the Five Great Shinobi Nations.
Kakuzu looked at him with a trace of admiration. "A combat capacity like yours shouldn't go to waste. Why don't you go on missions with me from now on?"
"Aren't missions currently handled by the external Akatsuki organization? You're still planning to head out?" Sasori asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Idleness is a waste. Besides, there are high-difficulty, high-reward missions that those 'rotten sweet potatoes and stinking bird eggs' simply can't handle," Kakuzu replied calmly.
The conversation tapered off there. Any further would have delved into organizational secrets, and Jiraiya, who was still pacing nearby, was certainly not an "insider."
Just then, the laboratory doors slid open and Diarmuid stepped out. Sasori immediately noted his bizarre appearance and couldn't help but chuckle. "What exactly is your situation? Did you truly undergo a tree spirit transformation?"
"Hey! Can you all stop harping on that one point? Don't you get tired of it?" Diarmuid cursed irritably. "It's nothing serious, just a natural phenomenon. According to Orochimaru, it'll last about three days. After that, I'll return to normal and be able to wield the power of Wood Release."
"Senjutsu and Wood Release... you really are sprinting down the path of Konoha's 'God of Shinobi,' the First Hokage," Kakuzu remarked, clicking his tongue.
"I haven't reached the end yet..." Diarmuid muttered softly, offering no further explanation as to what "the end" meant.
Orochimaru stepped out behind him. Jiraiya, having finally composed himself, immediately stepped forward to block Orochimaru's path.
"Orochimaru, don't you owe me an explanation?" Jiraiya demanded.
Orochimaru frowned slightly at the man obstructing him. "An explanation for what? I don't recall owing you anything."
"Why did you suddenly join the Yorozuya? Why did you desert Konoha and murder members of the Uchiha Clan?" Jiraiya asked, his voice heavy.
"Are you lecturing me?" Orochimaru sneered. "I have no need to explain my actions to you. However, for the sake of our past..."
He paused for a heartbeat before continuing. "Konoha is no longer the village it once was. It disgusts me. In contrast, the Yorozuya pleases me; I have like-minded comrades here. So, I left. As for why I killed the Uchiha... for one, I have an interest in the Sharingan. As for the other... hehehe, you know the state of the village and the Uchiha better than anyone. I merely added fuel to the fire."
"But they were village shinobi! They were comrades! No matter what, you—" Jiraiya said angrily.
"Make no mistake, Jiraiya. They were comrades to you, but they are no longer comrades to me," Orochimaru said, his gaze turning cold.
Jiraiya was momentarily speechless. Looking at the Orochimaru before him, he felt an overwhelming sense of estrangement. Perhaps he had never truly understood him at all.
"What about me? What about me and Tsunade? Are we not comrades either?" Jiraiya suddenly questioned.
For a rare moment, a flash of hesitation appeared in Orochimaru's eyes, but it vanished instantly. He pushed past Jiraiya and walked away, whispering softly as he passed: "I am no longer a shinobi of Konoha, Jiraiya."
There was no doubt, that was his answer to Jiraiya.
A sharp pain pierced Jiraiya's heart. He turned, wanting to grab Orochimaru's arm, but Orochimaru suddenly added: "Stop being such a busybody, Jiraiya."
That sentence utterly shattered the last remnants of hope Jiraiya held for his old friend. His arms hung limply at his sides as he watched Orochimaru's retreating back.
Orochimaru, however, ignored him entirely and walked up to Sasori. "How is the research going?"
"Only the surface. I didn't dare touch it yet. Come with me," Sasori said cryptically. He was clearly referring to the Rinnegan.
Orochimaru was never one for idleness. He had just finished his research on Living Corpse Reincarnation and checked Diarmuid's status, and now he was off to spend the "long night" in research with Sasori. The two of them headed toward another laboratory.
Diarmuid reached out and patted Jiraiya on the shoulder. "What are you acting so gloomy for?"
Jiraiya sighed. He didn't know how to address Diarmuid; after all, Orochimaru had deserted Konoha only to end up as Diarmuid's subordinate, which was incredibly frustrating. Yet, deep down, he understood that even without Diarmuid, Orochimaru likely would have done something similar. This wasn't Diarmuid's fault; it was Orochimaru's, and it was Konoha's.
One could even argue that thanks to Diarmuid, Jiraiya was at least able to meet Orochimaru like this and have things out in the open. Otherwise, he might still be scouring the world for a trace of him.
"How can I not be gloomy? That guy was my teammate and partner. Now he's this cold and heartless... what a bastard," Jiraiya said irritably.
"But your paths diverged a long time ago, didn't they?" Diarmuid pointed out.
Jiraiya opened his mouth but found himself silenced. It was true. Ever since the Second Shinobi World War, they had ceased to be partners who acted as one. What was the point of saying all this now?
Seeing Jiraiya at a loss for words, Diarmuid patted his shoulder again. "To be honest, when you came looking for Orochimaru, you didn't really think you could bring him back to Konoha, did you? You just wanted to hear it from him face-to-face. You didn't come to get an explanation from him, you came so you could finally give an explanation to yourself."
Diarmuid paused before continuing. "Now that you have that closure, what more are you seeking?"
Jiraiya was stunned. He looked at Diarmuid for a long time before finally speaking. "You really are a good friend... you hit the nail right on the head. I don't even know what to say. Got any sake?"
"I do, but I don't feel like drinking right now. Go help yourself," Diarmuid said with a shrug.
"What's the point of drinking alone? Why don't you want to drink?" Jiraiya grumbled.
"Because right now, if I drink, I'd feel like I'm just watering a tree," Diarmuid said, gesturing to his wooden arm.
Jiraiya couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Fine, I'll go drink by myself. Where's the wine?"
"Just find a maid and ask," Diarmuid said, waving him off before turning his attention to Kakuzu and Jūzō.
Jiraiya knew that the "watering a tree" comment was just an excuse, Diarmuid clearly had other business to attend to. He was tactful enough to play along. "Then I'm off. After I've had my fill, I'll likely be leaving. No need to see me out."
"Where to?" Diarmuid asked suddenly.
Jiraiya almost let it slip that Kushina was pregnant, but he caught himself just in time. "Back to Konoha to report the situation to the Old Man. I'll stay for a couple of days, and after that... maybe I'll go back to wandering the world."
Diarmuid's mind raced; he felt he had caught onto something, though his expression remained unchanged. He nodded. "Then I won't see you off. Until we meet again."
"Until we meet again... Hmph. What? Are you saying I'm not welcome to visit the Land of Rain as a guest?" Jiraiya teased.
"I can tell you don't exactly love coming here yourself, so don't say things you don't mean," Diarmuid laughed.
The smile faded from Jiraiya's face, replaced by a look of weary experience. "You're right. The Land of Rain... is indeed a place of sorrow for me. I've lost too much here."
But as soon as the words were out, his melancholy vanished. He patted Diarmuid on the shoulder one last time and, without another word, turned and left.
Once Jiraiya was gone, Kakuzu looked at Diarmuid. "What did you mean when you said you had 'arrangements'?"
"We can't just sell Orochimaru's body like that," Diarmuid said, looking at Kakuzu and Jūzō.
Kakuzu assumed Diarmuid was worried about intelligence leaks from the corpse. "Rest assured, Orochimaru and I processed the body together. There won't be any leaks."
"It's not about that. I..." Diarmuid began.
"You're not looking for a cut of the profit, are you?" Kakuzu asked.
Diarmuid: "???"
Jūzō: "???"
Are you seriously planning to pocket the whole thing yourself?
"No. I told you before to look for Tsunade's whereabouts. Any news? She has something I need," Diarmuid said.
The Spirit Transformation Technique. Diarmuid was extremely interested in a jutsu that acted directly upon the soul. He had been searching for Tsunade for a long time, but there had been no reliable intelligence. It made him suspect that Tsunade had put a lot of effort into counter-intelligence and anti-tracking.
Why? Initially, Diarmuid was puzzled, but then it hit him. It was probably because that "Legendary Sucker" was drowning in gambling debts! She was hiding because she was dodging creditors!
"No. There were a few sightings, but by the time I went to verify them, she was already gone. That woman seems to move constantly," Kakuzu said, sounding frustrated.
"Exactly. That's why finding her is difficult. The right way is to make her come looking for us," Diarmuid said with a grin.
A look of realization dawned in Kakuzu's eyes. "You want to use Orochimaru's corpse as bait to fish for her?"