Chapter 24:
Orochimaru's sharp words hit Jiraiya hard, but Jiraiya was notoriously thick-skinned. He wasn't going to let Orochimaru's comments knock him down so easily.
"How do you know it's impossible if you don't try? I believe that if I persist, I'll be able to win her over one day!" Jiraiya said, his voice filled with stubborn optimism. Then, he quickly changed the subject. "So, are we going to fight or not?"
Orochimaru didn't hesitate for even a second. "Not interested."
His refusal was blunt and definitive. Orochimaru had more important things to do he had no time to waste on Jiraiya's silly challenges. His days were filled with experiments and advancing his knowledge, not indulging Jiraiya's fantasies.
Jiraiya looked deflated. He had trained for days, hoping to test out his new techniques, but here was Orochimaru, shutting him down with zero interest. It felt like throwing a punch into cotton no resistance, no impact. Just utterly frustrating.
"You..."
Just as Jiraiya was about to argue further, something caught his eye. His gaze wandered toward Orochimaru's open door, and his expression quickly changed to one of curiosity.
"Hey, Orochimaru... what's going on in your house?"
Jiraiya's attention was completely diverted now. He noticed the various glass jars, test tubes, and other experimental equipment scattered around the room.