"Orochimaru? What are you doing here!"
Jiraiya immediately moved to shield Naruto and Kano behind him.
"Long time no see, Jiraiya. But I'm not here for you; I'm here for the person behind you."
Releasing the Summoning Jutsu, Orochimaru, supported by Kabuto, slowly stepped forward, his gaze fixed directly on Kano.
"You have a way, don't you, Miss Kano? You guessed this would happen long ago, which is why you said those things in the Forest of Death.
Our last collaboration was quite pleasant, wasn't it? So, I'm inviting you to collaborate again.
I will give you what you want, provided you heal my hands. For instance, resurrecting the dead you wish to see, or powerful Ninjutsu."
Jiraiya turned back to look at Kano's face, stunned; he never imagined this young girl would have dealings with Orochimaru, the man who attacked Konoha.
"Orochimaru, did you do this on purpose?"
Kano didn't play dumb; instead, she looked at Orochimaru with cold eyes. With the super-powerful Shadow Deer Tube and Shadow Hiruzen at her disposal, she wasn't afraid at all.
"We are of the same kind. Based on the secret technique you use—oh, wait, using the dead should be called a Forbidden Jutsu. Shall we talk elsewhere? I will provide you with satisfactory compensation."
"Forbidden Jutsu? Kano, have you also been using Edo Tensei?"
Jiraiya stared at Kano in disbelief once again; he had never been able to see through this girl.
"Look at Orochimaru, then look at yourself. He's only met me twice and has almost analyzed the components of my secret technique. And you? I've been with you for so long, yet you still doubt me."
Kano blamed Jiraiya with a hint of dissatisfaction.
"Exactly! Pervy Sage, how could you doubt Luna-chan! She's so kind, she would never collaborate with this villain!"
Jiraiya fell into thought for a moment. Over these past few days, Kano had been very well-behaved, sensible, and kind. He wanted to believe in her character, but Orochimaru's words had ultimately planted a seed of doubt in his heart.
"Heh, Nine-Tails brat, why do you think you were able to survive in that Forest of Death? Do you think I couldn't have killed you?"
"You bastard, watch me defeat you right now!"
Jiraiya analyzed the information; he figured what Orochimaru said was likely true. Orochimaru wasn't the type to lie at a time like this.
In other words, Kano really had made a deal with Orochimaru, though he couldn't guess the specifics of that deal.
Kano felt a headache coming on. She hadn't expected Orochimaru to seek her out at this time. Couldn't that guy have looked for her in Konoha Village? He just had to show up now.
In fact, Orochimaru had already looked for her in Konoha Village. Although there were sightings of Kano in the Village, she would disappear shortly after, like a ghost, only appearing for brief moments.
He began to suspect that Kano's real body wasn't in Konoha Village, so he sent people outside to search. It was with great difficulty that they finally found a trace of her.
Orochimaru didn't know what Kano wanted, so tempting her with benefits was difficult. Instead, since he was already covered in mud, he decided to threaten her—whether she agreed or not, he'd splash some dirt on her first and drag her into the same camp.
This situation was tricky for Kano. She was truly speechless at Orochimaru's behavior of throwing shade at her. If he had come to her privately, she might have handled it for him.
On the surface, Kano still had to act like a good girl. If things went south, she could always become a rogue ninja. But her parents were still in the Village, and she couldn't just leave them. She had to refuse Orochimaru here.
"I ref—"
"Jiraiya?! And Orochimaru!"
Before she could finish, another person appeared. It was Tsunade, who had come to investigate the noise. She hadn't expected to see her old comrades here.
"Tsunade! We finally found you."
---------------------------------
If you'd like to read the next 70 chapters in advance, you can support me on Patreon.
I regularly post chapter previews there, so you'll always be up-to-date and won't have to wait too long.
patreon.com/SolyuraMT
And if you enjoy the story, don't forget to give me a Power Stone. Your support really motivates me to continue translating!