After Orochimaru left Haseo, it wasn't long before the "inevitable" happened… Jiraiya followed right behind Orochimaru and showed up too.
Actually, this process doesn't need much explanation. As a former comrade, it was only natural for Jiraiya to track Orochimaru after he defected from the village.
However, things are unfolding differently from how they were supposed to.
Simply put, if Jiraiya couldn't track down Orochimaru, he'd naturally head back to the village soon... One reason being that the war still hadn't ended; the other being that the newly-appointed Fifth Hokage greatly needed his support.
Looking back, the original way Jiraiya tracked Orochimaru was kind of creepy—everyone knows Jiraiya was a notorious womanizer, yet the time he spent chasing Orochimaru in his lifetime far exceeded the total time he spent pursuing all cute women combined.
Hmm, pretty interesting indeed.
When Jiraiya arrived and met Haseo, there wasn't really anything much to say. Naturally, Haseo wouldn't reveal Orochimaru's whereabouts since he truly didn't know where Orochimaru had gone.
Haseo even briefly advised Jiraiya not to keep tailing Orochimaru endlessly—"Don't you understand the principle that 'each person has their own dream; each path has their own light'? If Orochimaru wants to run off, let him run. You, Jiraiya, should stay in Konoha and focus on your real work."
They just exchanged a few casual words before Jiraiya left Bear Country. Overall, he was quite an emotionally intelligent person.
Knowing Haseo wanted peace and quiet, he didn't intrude too much on their family life.
Then Jiraiya wandered around for about another month, during which course Orochimaru, obviously, left absolutely no traces. Eventually, resignedly, he could only return to Konoha… Jiraiya's life really was pitiful—he never got anywhere with Tsunade, and not even with Orochimaru.
The fact that Haseo reunited twice with familiar people illustrated a very simple truth… Ultimately, a person cannot completely sever ties with the world or with their own past. Retirement is one thing; seclusion is another. But Haseo's connection with Konoha could never truly be cut off.
This meeting between Haseo and Jiraiya had been extremely brief, and their parting unusually clean-cut. However, just knowing where Haseo was set the stage for another visit later…
Next time, things definitely wouldn't be this simple anymore.
......
On the other side, in the Land of Water.
The battle between Tobi and Terumi Mei had already concluded. Without even making a move himself, Rasa remained idle while Tobi claimed a decisive victory… At this point, Terumi Mei's actual age was only eighteen years old. Although she possessed two Kekkei Genkai—the Dissolve Release and the Boil Release—ultimately she couldn't match those ridiculous prodigies from Konoha who were capable of wiping out entire clans at the age of thirteen.
Additionally, the compatibility between Wood Release cells and the Rinnegan was clearly higher. Therefore, when using this pair of eyes, Tobi could wield them more freely… He could unleash more power from the eye techniques while enduring relatively less strain.
The Six Paths Sage power inherited from the Senju lineage was ultimately more orthodox than that of the Uzumaki. They were descendants of Asura, the legitimate inheritors of the "Sage's Body," and thus better suited to handle the power of the "Sage's Eye."
Terumi Mei was now kneeling on the ground in a severely battered state. She barely managed to support herself, preventing her body from completely collapsing... The enemy's strength exceeded her expectations.
Techniques like [Shinra Tensei] and [Universal Pull] alone were already far beyond what an ordinary ninja could withstand. To counter these moves, one either needed overwhelming dominance or unparalleled speed like Haseo's... Clearly, Terumi Mei possessed neither.
"You... Who exactly are you?"
"Just a nameless person. If you're asking about names, you can call me Tobi."
As he spoke, he slightly shifted his mask aside, revealing a very special eye. Terumi Mei understood she had been defeated by this very eye.
"If you possess such power, why did you try to persuade me to join your side? From what I saw, your strength has surpassed imagination."
"Terumi Mei, ninja aren't such simple creatures.
I spent a great deal of time before realizing a very basic truth—that the world is vast beyond measure and the gap between ninja cannot be described merely as 'distant.'
I'm not strong.
If my power seems extraordinary to you, it only means your perspective is limited.
You're right if you think this power is formidable, but for me, it's nothing but false strength.
In a world where value is judged purely by strength, I amount to nothing."
At the very least, he now had a much clearer self-assessment, proving he hadn't gone through all that for nothing. Even recognizing that the Rinnegan was merely an external force he could control represented progress—Tobi's strength wasn't real strength.
"If we need your power, that proves our own strength isn't sufficient. And if you still believe our current strength is impressive, then it highlights how grand our goal must be... It's a distant objective still far beyond our reach with our present abilities."
"What exactly is your goal?"
Tobi wasn't stupid—he wouldn't reveal any specific details to someone who hadn't earned his trust.
"Survival of the fittest, the cruelty and chaos of the world, the shame and regrets of the defeated, the consequences of war—you surely understand all this very well, coming from the Mist.
If you're asking about our purpose and identity, let me put it this way: those tired of this chaotic world, longing for real peace, wanting to guide the Ninjutsu World toward order, and willing to fight for it."
Hmm, that was pretty convincing wording, making him sound like some naive idealist... Exactly the sort of speech that could trick impressionable young girls.
"That sounds nice, but it seriously lacks credibility."
Tobi ignored Terumi Mei's skepticism and continued, "Those who try to change the world will be persecuted by the world; those who attempt to break free from rules will inevitably be bound by those same rules. That's why we need to gather new strength... Terumi Mei, you're exactly the kind of person we need.
A ninja must have the power to break free from all constraints—that's exactly what we're striving for, even if it seems unbelievable to you.
'Pain'—this is the name of our Organization.
We'll meet again soon. And I hope, next time we meet, I'll hear an answer from you that satisfies me."
Tobi seemed rather courteous and didn't press for an immediate reply. After finishing his 'introduction,' he simply left with Rasa.
In the end, ninjas only bow to strength.
According to his explanation, Pain doesn't mean making the world suffer—it means uniting to avoid being beaten ourselves. 'Pain' isn't about actual suffering, but the fear of suffering.
Terumi Mei, severely injured and having completely exhausted her chakra, wasn't capable of taking any action for quite some time. She could only remain where she was.
Tobi and Rasa had other matters to attend to next.
Just as they'd previously discussed, they needed a place to belong. These two would create a sanctuary for themselves and establish a suitable environment for their Organization's future development.
Three days later, a major news spread throughout Mist:
The Fourth Mizukage, who had led Mist through its most difficult era, was assassinated by an unidentified individual.
With its only leader gone, the village finally fell into complete chaos.
The Land of Water would soon become what the Land of Rain once was—a thing of the past.
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