Early December, Konoha Year 60 – Amegakure
Perpetual rain shrouded Amegakure, denying it sunlight year-round. The people living here seemed accustomed to the gloom. The village architecture itself reflected its rainy environment, with narrow pipes clinging to the walls of tall buildings, channeling water towards the ground – a dense network decorating the entire village.
Today, however, an unusual excitement radiated from the faces of Amegakure's shinobi and civilians alike. Atop one of the tallest central buildings, two figures stood silhouetted against the gray sky, looking down at the square below where ninjas and ordinary folk had gathered.
"Go," said one figure, clad in a black cloak adorned with red clouds, addressing the other dressed identically beside him.
The second figure nodded, stepped forward, and launched themself off the towering structure.
Below, the gathered crowd murmured expectantly, a palpable excitement simmering beneath the surface. They tilted their heads back, gazes fixed skyward with fervent anticipation, waiting.
In the crowd, a middle-aged man clapped a younger man nearby on the shoulder. "You seem excited too."
The young man turned, annoyed at being disturbed. "Isn't it obvious? The civil war is over."
"Civil war…" The middle-aged man blinked, then forced a smile. "I just got back from outside, hiding from the fighting. Who was it that ended the war?"
The young man gave the older man a strange look but didn't seem suspicious – many had fled during the conflict. His eyes filled with reverence as he replied, "It was God!"
"God?" The middle-aged man blinked again.
"Quiet down, He's here!" the young man whispered urgently, looking up.
As he spoke, a roar went up from the crowd, everyone craning their necks towards the sky.
The middle-aged man instinctively looked up as well. Rain continued to fall steadily. A pair of white wings gradually filled his vision, descending until they hovered motionless in mid-air.
"I… am God's Angel." The woman—with blue hair, delicate features, and a pair of white wings unfurled behind her—looked down upon the crowd below, her eyes distant and cold.
The middle-aged man stared at her face, stunned yet again. Today seemed to be a day for him being stunned.
But this time was different. Staring intently at the woman, an image of a young girl surfaced in his mind. Could it be her?
He didn't hear a word the woman said. After watching for a while, he took advantage of the crowd's heightened fervor and slipped away unnoticed.
The middle-aged man made his way out of Amegakure and entered a rocky cave nearby.
"Jiraiya-sama." A voice echoed within the cave.
Poof! The man who had just entered dissolved in a puff of smoke, revealing his true form – Jiraiya.
"Hayama, have you received a reply from the village?" Jiraiya asked, sitting cross-legged on the ground, chin resting on his hand, eyes closed as if deep in thought. His question sounded absentminded.
"Yes, sir." Hayama Shirakumo produced a miniature scroll and handed it to Jiraiya. "Haruno Sakura has been found and has returned to the village. Lord Godaime Hokage orders us to return immediately."
Jiraiya took the scroll, glanced at it, and nodded. "Good, she's safe. Hayama, you head back first. Report to the Hokage that I need to stay here and gather intelligence."
"Jiraiya-sama, you mustn't!" Hayama protested urgently. "It's too dangerous here, especially alone. If you need to gather intel, I should stay as well, ready to provide support."
Jiraiya chuckled lightly at Hayama's words. "It's just information gathering, not fighting. Two people are more likely to be exposed. It's settled. You return first."
Hayama hesitated, conflicted, but ultimately agreed. Jiraiya-sama was one of the Sannin; his own presence likely wouldn't make much difference.
"Very well. Please be extremely careful, Jiraiya-sama." Hayama stood, bowed respectfully, and vanished from the cave.
After Hayama left, Jiraiya remained seated motionlessly, eyes closed, lost in thought, seeming almost to merge with the surrounding rock.
That woman's face… so much like one of those three children… and that ninjutsu manipulating paper… But her cold eyes, her arrogant words… they feel so foreign.
Memories of years past flickered through his mind. Jiraiya slowly opened his eyes, his expression hardening with resolve.
Whether it's truly them or not, I must confirm what's happened in Amegakure.
Konoha Village
"Eh? You mean Sakura-chan's been demoted to Genin?" Naruto asked Kakashi, astonished.
"That's right. In light of Sakura's dereliction of duty on the last mission, she's been temporarily demoted," Kakashi replied, rolling his visible eye. "Which means Lord Hokage has ordered me to lead Team Seven again."
Kakashi sighed inwardly. Once Sakura made Chunin, he hadn't needed to personally supervise every single mission. Now that she was demoted, it was back to square one.
"How could Granny Hokage do that?! Sakura-chan worked so hard to become a Chunin! Damn it, I'm gonna go talk to Granny Hokage!" Naruto declared, rolling up his sleeves, ready to argue with Tsunade.
"Idiot, don't make trouble," Sakura snapped, grabbing Naruto's arm. "You should worry about how you're going to make Chunin faster."
Truthfully, the "demotion" felt more like probation. Her official record likely still listed her as Chunin; only Tsunade-sensei, Shizune-senpai, and Team 7 probably knew the details.
Sensei probably just wanted to warn me. If Naruto stormed over there now, the whole village would likely know by afternoon. Sakura herself didn't care about the rank, but her master was the Hokage; it wouldn't look good for her.
"Can Chunin actually be demoted to Genin?" Sasuke asked Kakashi, looking thoughtful. Like Sakura, he knew rank didn't always equate to actual strength.
"Mm, how to put it," Kakashi rubbed his chin, tilting his head back. "Theoretically, yes. Chunin rank isn't solely based on power. But I've never actually seen it happen like this. Sakura might be the first case."
"Let's drop it. Kakashi-sensei, what's today's mission?" Sakura asked, sounding entirely unconcerned.
Seeing her nonchalant attitude, Kakashi nodded. Her mindset is pretty good. Perhaps she'd regain her Chunin rank soon enough.
Little did Kakashi know, Sakura's mindset would not be good if she regained her Chunin rank. Ever since the Chunin Exams, Sakura hadn't had a day without stress. Simply put, she was tired and wanted a break. Being a Chunin wasn't nearly as relaxed as being a Genin. So, when Tsunade-sensei offered this "pillow" (opportunity to rest), Sakura had accepted it without hesitation.
"Today's mission… ah, a C-rank: escorting a merchant caravan," Kakashi said after glancing at a scroll. "The caravan should be at the village gate by now."
"Then why didn't we meet at the gate?! Why meet at the training ground, Kakashi-sensei?!" Naruto yelled, immediately disgruntled.
"Ah, that's because… I forgot. Haha…" Kakashi scratched his head apologetically.
"That's the worst excuse ever, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto jumped up and down in frustration.
Regarding mentorship, a master primarily provides direction; the student must then practice diligently on their own. Sasuke didn't spend every waking moment learning ninjutsu from the Sandaime Hokage.
As a teacher possessing all five elemental affinities, the Sandaime could instruct Sasuke in virtually any technique.
It is not the jutsu that is powerful, but the one who wields it. This was the Sandaime's first lesson to Sasuke. While the Third could teach him any ninjutsu, integrating it into his own strength required Sasuke's personal growth.
Sasuke was quite satisfied with the Sandaime's tutelage. The Third could always provide the most accurate guidance on any training problem, even offering advice on using the Sharingan.
Sakura hadn't been idle during the journey either. The handwritten instructions for the Mystical Palm Technique that Kabuto had given her were now committed to memory. However, needing to verify its authenticity, Sakura had spent most of the mission in a state of mental abstraction.
As sunset approached, the Kakashi squad's mission concluded.
"Thank you all very much," the merchant caravan leader said, bowing deeply to the four ninja.
"No need for formalities; it was our duty," Kakashi waved dismissively, then turned to his team. "Alright, let's head back to the village."
"What a boring mission," Naruto yawned widely, looking thoroughly unenthusiastic.
"Well, that's reality," Kakashi chuckled. "Not every mission involves combat."
"Kakashi-sensei, can't you get us a higher-ranked mission tomorrow?" Naruto complained.
Sasuke also looked at Kakashi expectantly.
"That… depends on luck. Besides, these missions are most suitable for Genin. Right, Sakura?" Kakashi turned towards Sakura, who had been lost in thought for most of the return trip.
"Ah, yes. Um, Kakashi-sensei, could I possibly take a day off tomorrow?" Sakura asked, snapping back to the present.
Kakashi looked exasperated. "Requests for leave go to Lord Hokage, not me." He shrugged. "Besides, technically, supervising you is my current mission."
"Right, settled then," Sakura declared, ignoring Kakashi's pointed comment and turning decisively towards the village path.
Regarding the Mystical Palm Technique, after a day of mental simulation, Sakura hadn't found any apparent flaws. Since it was a healing jutsu, any issues would likely affect its efficacy rather than cause direct harm to her body.
She could start experimenting tomorrow. If it proved legitimate, she would give it to Tsunade-sensei. The jutsu wasn't originally hers anyway; Sakura felt no need to hoard it. Tsunade-sensei had taught her so much without reservation; repaying her felt only right.
Amegakure
In a narrow gap between towering, rain-slicked buildings, near the exit of a sewer channel, Jiraiya faced the woman before him, his feelings a complex mix.
"Who are you?" Jiraiya asked. Though unarmed, his presence radiated an intimidating pressure.
Paper wings kept the woman hovering mid-air. She looked down at the legendary ninja before her, her pale orange eyes filled with utter indifference. "God's Angel," she stated flatly.
"God's Angel?" Jiraiya hadn't expected her to deny her identity, even here, alone with him.
"Amegakure does not welcome outsiders," the woman continued, her expression still cold.
"Hmph. I don't recall teaching you to act like this, Konan." Jiraiya decided to stop beating around the bush, calling her name directly.
"…" Silence stretched for a moment. The woman's eyes remained unchanged, but she didn't deny the name. "Jiraiya-sensei. You shouldn't have come."
"Since you admit you're Konan, then where are Yahiko and Nagato?" Jiraiya demanded. He didn't know what faction Konan now represented, but based on what he'd seen, it wasn't anything good.
"...…" Konan didn't answer, but a flicker of unmistakable pain crossed her pale orange eyes before being instantly replaced by icy indifference.
"Won't talk?" Jiraiya felt no joy in this reunion. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he never would have believed this cold woman was the same Konan.
"What have you done in Amegakure?" Jiraiya asked, his expression grim, demanding.
This time, Konan offered no words. The paper feathers comprising the wings behind her bristled, sharpening like blades, all aimed downwards. A torrential rain of paper projectiles shot towards Jiraiya.
"Goodbye, Jiraiya-sensei."