Chapter 238:
Orochimaru's own decision?
Hearing this, Tsunade frowned deeply, her mind unable to reconcile what she'd just heard.
Orochimaru voluntarily gave up his life? How could that be possible?
If Orochimaru had truly decided to sacrifice himself, he wouldn't have said what he did to her last night.
The Third Hokage exhaled heavily, his expression weary as he began to explain.
"I considered this matter for a long time," Hiruzen admitted. "There were two options for dealing with Orochimaru. The first was to handle it ourselves, to hand over his body directly."
Tsunade clenched her fists tightly, her jaw tightening as she bit back her frustration.
Ignoring her reaction, Hiruzen continued, "The second option was to assign him a secret mission, one that would send him directly into their ambush."
The Hokage took a long puff from his pipe, his shoulders slumping slightly. "But Orochimaru is not just my disciple; he's also a hero of Konoha. Naturally, I couldn't bring myself to choose the first option. That would cross a line for both me and the village."