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Chapter 55 - Chapter 55: The Legendary Sannin of Konoha! Orochimaru

A cluster of blue light suddenly appeared in the Hokage Office.

Then, this cluster of blue light burst violently, spreading in all directions.

In the blink of an eye, it formed a circular barrier, enveloping everyone inside.

"It's coming!"

Minato Namikaze's heart jolted.

It was still that familiar feeling; the mysterious person played by Ye Chen stood high above with an air of indifference.

"Welcome to the Quiz Space. This is the third Quiz Test of the Ninja World."

It had to be said that after three months, Ye Chen, appearing before everyone for the third time, played the role of the mysterious and unfathomable examiner with even more poise and conviction.

Upon seeing Ye Chen, everyone present hurried to pay their respects.

Some called him 'Lord,' others called him 'Excellency.'

Ye Chen didn't care about the titles anyway; all he cared about were plot points.

With a gentle wave of his hand, Ye Chen said calmly:

"There is no need for such formalities."

After speaking, Ye Chen once again displayed the three rankings: the character ranking list, the power ranking list, and the event list.

"The same rules apply as before: choose one to answer. I won't go through the introductions again."

Minato Namikaze nodded and looked at the three rankings.

Seeing the dazzling array of lists again after three months, Minato Namikaze was even more struck by Ye Chen's mysteriousness.

The three lists consisted of very simple words, but Minato Namikaze knew better.

Behind these simple words lay secrets and unknowns that would shock everyone to the core.

The first was the 'Nine-Tails Attack'.

The second was the 'Uchiha Clan Massacre'.

The impact these two events had on the entire Konoha was absolutely unprecedented.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other two looked at the rankings. Their cloudy old eyes didn't reveal their emotions, but it was clear that their curiosity had been piqued once again.

This was inevitable; even old-timers with one foot in the grave still possessed curiosity about the future.

"What should we choose this time?"

Utatane Koharu asked in a low voice.

"How should I know? The Hokage has to be the one to choose."

Homura Mitokado stroked his beard and replied.

Ever since they were removed from their positions, the way the two addressed Minato Namikaze had changed from the originally affectionate 'Minato' to 'Hokage'.

There was no longer a shred of their former sentiment left.

It was clear that the two old-timers still harbored resentment in their hearts.

Unfortunately for them, in the current Konoha, they no longer had the right to speak loudly.

"Minato, is there anything you want to choose?"

On the other side, Jiraiya crossed his arms and asked in his usual boisterous manner.

He was growing increasingly fond of this disciple of his.

"I'm not sure yet, Jiraiya-sensei,"

Minato Namikaze replied with a troubled look.

He didn't know what to choose at this moment either.

Intuitively, he still wanted to see the major events that would happen in Konoha Village.

Knowing about future events in advance would allow the Village to prepare early.

But clearly, there were no more events that would happen in the short term.

The first event, the 'Nine-Tails Attack', hadn't happened yet.

The second event, the 'Uchiha Clan Massacre', wouldn't take place for another six or seven years.

Under these circumstances, even if they learned about things that happened after that, they wouldn't be able to respond effectively.

Six or seven years, maybe even ten years.

How could one prepare for such a long time span?

So Minato Namikaze was somewhat troubled.

"Then why don't you let me choose?"

Jiraiya thought for a moment and suddenly requested.

"Jiraiya!"

Tsunade shot Jiraiya a look, somewhat dissatisfied.

The positions of the two of them were somewhat awkward.

In terms of status, they were certainly within the core power stratum of Konoha, and no one present failed to value them.

Participating in a top-secret matter like the quiz was also perfectly normal.

But after all, the two of them remained outside Konoha Village and did not hold specific positions within the Village's affairs.

This meant they couldn't really make demands of the Village.

It wasn't that they couldn't do it, but that they were unwilling to do so.

There is no reward without contribution.

Neither of them was working for the Village anymore, so on what basis could they make demands?

Although the Village wouldn't refuse anything within its power if they asked,

The two of them had their own principles and generally wouldn't do it.

But now, Jiraiya had the thick skin to speak up to the Hokage, so Tsunade was naturally a bit unhappy.

She felt that Jiraiya was breaking the tacit understanding they had with the Village.

"It's no problem at all, Jiraiya-sensei, please go ahead."

Minato Namikaze naturally didn't mind and agreed with a smile.

"Hehe, I'm quite interested in seeing what's going on with that guy."

"I've been chasing him for so many years, and he slips away every time. I still feel quite unwilling."

Jiraiya rubbed his nose, his voice no longer so booming; he was still feeling a little guilty.

Hearing Jiraiya's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his head, a sharp light flashing in his cloudy old eyes.

As soon as Jiraiya spoke, he knew which one Jiraiya wanted to see.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had very complex emotions regarding this person.

"You mean Orochimaru?"

Tsunade asked, a complex expression also appearing on her face.

Yes, Orochimaru.

That man who was like a snake.

Back then, the three of them had entered Hiruzen Sarutobi's tutelage together and became classmates.

They formed a team, trained together, studied together, and grew up together.

The bond between them was very deep.

Even though Jiraiya shouted every day about wanting to beat Orochimaru up, in his heart, he valued Orochimaru as a comrade very much.

Tsunade felt the same way.

During the war, the three of them entrusted their lives to one another, facing death together countless times.

Later, they even challenged Hanzou together and were given the insulting title of the 'Legendary Sannin of Konoha'.

This title had accompanied them for half their lives, and by now, it had transformed from an insult into an honor.

Unfortunately, in the end, Orochimaru chose a different path.

That day.

Orochimaru's human experimentation was exposed, and Hiruzen Sarutobi personally led a team to confront him.

Even though Hiruzen's heart softened at the last moment and he couldn't deliver the killing blow, allowing Orochimaru to escape,

The Village still officially designated Orochimaru as a rogue ninja.

The Sannin's bond fractured then and there.

Afterward, Jiraiya volunteered to capture Orochimaru, swearing that he would bring him back.

At that time, besides anger and confusion over Orochimaru's actions,

His state of mind was more about wanting to make amends.

He wanted to give Orochimaru a sound thrashing and then bring him back to the Village to atone for his sins.

Once he had cleared his guilt, they could all be together again.

This was Jiraiya's way of thinking—very naive, but also very sincere.

Jiraiya left the Village, intent on bringing back his best friend.

Then there was Tsunade.

In the war, this woman had lost her most beloved partner and her dearest younger brother in succession.

Her heart already shattered, she finally received the news that her comrade had committed a bloody crime and defected from the Village.

This final blow completely broke her last line of defense.

It left her without the will to go on; she only wanted to quickly waste away the rest of her life and then meet her loved ones in the Pure Land.

So she left as well, taking her lover's niece and a pig with her.

From then on, the Legendary Sannin of Konoha vanished from the river of history.

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