"Old man, what's so urgent that you had to drag me back?"
Jiraiya vaulted in through the window, his tone casual as he addressed Hiruzen Sarutobi.
He had been deep in intelligence gathering, and now he had to cut it short. Not to mention, some very important informants—no, wait, beautiful women—were probably very disappointed at his sudden departure.
"Jiraiya, you're finally back!" Hiruzen said, visibly relieved. "You must have already heard about the situation. There's no one else who can handle this but you."
At this point, Konoha had very few people capable of shouldering such responsibilities. The younger generation—Kakashi, Might Guy, Kurenai, and the others—were all exceptional, but none were at Jiraiya's level.
Maybe in another ten years, they'd become the pillars of Konoha. But for now, the village still needed its old trees to hold up the sky.
"This is about Sunagakure, isn't it? That place has been making waves. Even way out in the Land of Lightning, traveling merchants were talking about the Land of Wind's situation," Jiraiya said, his usual playfulness momentarily fading into something more serious.
"Has there been movement on the border?"
Hiruzen took a slow drag from his pipe, shaking his head. "No reports of troop mobilization so far. However, four noble families from the Land of Rivers have defected to Sunagakure, bringing their lands and retainers with them. The Daimyō of the Land of Rivers strongly opposed it, but he couldn't stop them. As soon as their alliance agreement is submitted, Sunagakure will dispatch shinobi to protect them."
"And because of that, Sunagakure and Konoha now share a direct border," Jiraiya muttered, scanning the map. "If war breaks out, the Land of Fire will be caught in the crossfire."
"Exactly," Hiruzen said gravely. "Konoha cannot allow this. And the Daimyō of the Land of Rivers has secretly sent a request for aid. Since it's an internal matter of their country, he cannot act openly. He wants Konoha to intervene. I've assigned the task to Danzo."
Jiraiya fell silent at that. If Danzo was handling it, there was only one possible outcome—those four nobles wouldn't live to see another sunrise.
This was Konoha's dark side.
And Tsunade—she had seen far darker things than this. That was why she couldn't stand it anymore and chose to leave.
Jiraiya had always been more pragmatic than Tsunade. He knew that Konoha's darkness was necessary for its survival. He hated it, but he also accepted it as a bitter truth.
"As for the Keikou family… they're deeply entangled in this. Many nobles have spoken in their defense, and even the Daimyō is hesitant to act against them. Without his approval, Konoha cannot move against them… and frankly, it's already too late."
Hiruzen sighed.
According to intelligence reports, many members of the Keikou family had already relocated to Sunagakure. Even if Hiruzen wanted to eliminate them, he couldn't send assassins into enemy territory. Not even Root could pull that off.
Could they target Keikou members still outside Sunagakure? Maybe. But that would just put the entire family on alert.
"Jiraiya, I need you to go to the Land of Wind and gather intelligence. We need solid evidence."
"Evidence on what, exactly?"
"Everything."
Hiruzen exhaled slowly, watching the smoke swirl in the air. "If possible, uncover the truth behind the deaths of the Fourth Kazekage and the Wind Daimyō. Investigate Sunagakure's reforms. And most importantly—find out everything you can about the Keikou Trade Association."
Jiraiya's expression grew serious.
Hiruzen rarely handed him missions this sensitive.
"I know this won't be easy," Hiruzen admitted, sensing Jiraiya's hesitation. "But you're the only one who can do it. I already sent two Root teams. One was spotted and driven back at the border. The other infiltrated but… never reported back."
"Hah! Old man, don't underestimate me!" Jiraiya suddenly laughed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I wasn't hesitating—I was just calculating how much time this mission will cost me. You know, I still have important research to conduct!"
Hiruzen chuckled at the familiar excuse.
"Then it's settled. Don't rush your departure—I'll have all the gathered intelligence copied for you. And if you need anything, just ask. I know it's a lot, but Konoha is relying on you now. In fact… if you were willing—"
"Stop right there, old man," Jiraiya interrupted, immediately guessing where the conversation was headed.
"I'm not suited for that position. I'm too carefree. Tsunade would be a much better Hokage than me."
Hiruzen sighed. "Tsunade, huh…"
He also believed Tsunade was the best candidate.
But the problem was—she didn't want it.
Even after overcoming her fear of blood, she never stayed in Konoha for long.
Jiraiya's playful smirk faded as he asked, "That's because the village's atmosphere feels off, doesn't it? Old man… is someone targeting Naruto?"
Hiruzen stiffened.
"Ever since I got back, I keep hearing whispers—people spreading rumors that Naruto is a ticking time bomb, that the Nine-Tails inside him will eventually lose control."
Hiruzen's grip on his pipe tightened. "People are still spreading that? I already issued strict orders forbidding anyone from talking about it! Jiraiya, where exactly did you hear this?"
Jiraiya shrugged. "You don't need to know. But tell me—how did Naruto's Jinchuriki status get leaked in the first place? He's the son of a hero, damn it!"
Hiruzen looked troubled. "I… I know, Jiraiya. Believe me, I know. I've done everything I can to suppress these rumors. But… it's complicated. Some of it is tied to the Uzumaki Trade Association… and also to certain nobles in the Land of Fire. It's politically delicate."
Jiraiya hated that answer.
It meant that no matter what, people would still whisper about Naruto behind closed doors.
His student, Namikaze Minato, had entrusted Konoha with his son—yet the village treated the boy like an outcast.
Jiraiya couldn't change what had already happened. He had been away when Minato died. He hadn't been there to help.
But he wouldn't fail Naruto.
Minato had even named Naruto after the protagonist of Jiraiya's novel, believing in his sensei's vision.
There was no way Jiraiya would let that trust go to waste.
After leaving the Hokage's office, Jiraiya made a detour to visit Naruto.
At the village playground, a group of children was playing. Naruto was desperately trying to join in, laughing and joking as he always did.
But the other kids… kept their distance.
They weren't outright cruel. They didn't push him away or insult him.
But they hesitated. Their smiles faltered when he got too close.
They didn't understand what a Jinchuriki was.
But their parents had warned them: "Stay away from Uzumaki Naruto."
The Fourth Hokage had been a hero.
His son should have been celebrated.
But the night of the Nine-Tails' attack had left a scar on every villager's heart.
And once the rumors spread…
Fear turned to distance.
Distance turned to indifference.
And indifference slowly hardened into rejection.
"Minato… I'm sorry."
Jiraiya clenched his fists.
He wanted to do something.
But for now… all he could do was hope that when Naruto grew up, he'd finally find acceptance—in the Ninja Academy, with new friends, with people who'd see him for who he truly was.
After watching for a while, Jiraiya turned away.
His mission awaited.
It was time to head to Sunagakure.
(End of Chapter)
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