Hearing Minato's words, Aoshi and the others immediately shifted into combat stance, eyes sharp and alert as they turned toward the approaching figure.
"It's been a while, Minato. I didn't expect to run into you here in the Land of Rain."
But the moment he heard that familiar voice, Minato's expression changed. His surprise was audible as he exclaimed: "Jiraiya-sensei!"
That's right—the person who had appeared was none other than Minato's teacher, Jiraiya.
After all, this was the Land of Rain, and the disturbance caused by Aoshi and the others during battle had drawn the attention of local Rain-nin.
However, the Rain-nin had chosen not to reveal themselves, instead observing from the shadows to gather intel.
But Jiraiya, who had been trailing behind them, stepped forward the moment he recognized Minato.
"So it was Jiraiya-sama!" Lowering her guard, Mikoto greeted him respectfully.
Tomoki and Ayame were so stunned they couldn't even speak. They were just ordinary Genin—never did they imagine they would one day meet a legendary figure like Jiraiya.
In the past, Jiraiya had already been respected as the Third Hokage's student, but he didn't hold the prestige he now commanded.
Now, he was known throughout the ninja world as one of the legendary Sannin of Konoha, a title earned during the Second Great Ninja War.
Among ninja, having an honorary title was rare—and those who did were without exception extraordinary.
Of course, for Jiraiya himself, the title 'Sannin' wasn't exactly a source of pride. If anything, it was a stain on his record.
Back then, he and his teammates had joined forces but still lost to Hanzo the Salamander—earning their title from the enemy.
That's why, when Jiraiya introduced himself, he preferred the name Toad Sage instead.
Only Aoshi remained calm throughout the encounter.
Possessing memories from a previous life, Aoshi was already well acquainted with Jiraiya's personality. Plus, having interacted with Tsunade before, it was hard for him to feel particularly reverent toward the man.
"Minato, are you here in the Land of Rain on a mission?"
Given Jiraiya's status—and the fact that this was just a C-rank mission without any sensitive objectives—Minato didn't bother to hide anything.
"I see. Looks like most of you are injured. How about coming to my place to rest and recover for a few days before heading back to Konoha?"
Although Aoshi had already provided emergency treatment to everyone, medical ninjutsu wasn't omnipotent. Full recovery would still require several days of rest.
In fact, it had been over a year since Jiraiya last saw Minato.
And since he wouldn't be returning to Konoha anytime soon, he wanted to seize this opportunity to mentor Minato properly—fulfilling his duty as a teacher.
Minato was clearly tempted, but instead of answering, he turned toward Mikoto. As the team's jonin leader, Mikoto had the final say on their actions.
Thankfully, she didn't disappoint.
"We're honored by your offer, Jiraiya-sama. But we'll need to complete our escort mission first."
Normally, staying in the Land of Rain longer than necessary was out of the question. They were supposed to return to Konoha immediately after finishing the mission.
However, now that they'd encountered Jiraiya, extending their stay for a few days seemed feasible.
Seeing this, Aoshi maintained his calm demeanor, but inside, he was filled with excitement. He knew Jiraiya's real reason for staying in the Land of Rain—it was to train Nagato and the others.
If he followed Jiraiya to his residence, he was certain to meet Nagato.
"Of course! I'll travel with you all. If any more enemies show up, I'll protect you." Jiraiya laughed heartily.
"That's awesome! To think we'll be protected by Jiraiya-sama himself!" Tomoki cheered excitedly.
For a boy like him, just meeting a renowned hero was enough to brag about—being protected by one was beyond imagining.
After cleaning up the battlefield, the group prepared to set out once more.
---
Meanwhile, the Rain-nin who had been covertly observing everything recognized Jiraiya as well. They immediately rushed back to Amegakure to report to Hanzo the Salamander.
Just as the Land of Fire had Konoha, the Land of Rain had its own hidden village—Amegakure, founded by Hanzo himself.
Thanks to Hanzo's fearsome reputation as a demi-god, Amegakure was widely seen as the strongest of all the smaller villages beneath the Five Great Shinobi Nations.
But only those within Amegakure knew the truth. Hanzo truly was powerful—strong enough to defeat all three of the Konoha Sannin combined, and certainly deserving of the 'demi-god' title.
But the village itself relied solely on Hanzo's strength. Among the rest of the Rain-nin, none were particularly notable.
Amegakure's current status rested entirely on Hanzo's shoulders. In terms of heritage and foundation, a small village could never compare with one of the Five Great Nations.
"Lord Hanzo, just moments ago, a group of Konoha ninja entered the Land of Rain and engaged a group of rogue nin. They've now made contact with Jiraiya."
Hanzo was, of course, already aware of Jiraiya's presence in the Land of Rain.
After all, Jiraiya hadn't gone into seclusion—he interacted with locals and therefore couldn't truly keep his presence hidden.
Not wanting to provoke Konoha, and knowing that Jiraiya had behaved himself in the Land of Rain, Hanzo had chosen to overlook it.
"Lord Hanzo, I believe Konoha is plotting something. Jiraiya staying in the Land of Rain all this time must've been part of a larger scheme. Now they're ready to act."
The speaker was Kinosuke, a jonin from Amegakure and one of Hanzo's most devoted followers.
He firmly believed that under Hanzo's leadership, Amegakure could rise to become the sixth great shinobi village.
He blamed the suppression by the major villages—especially Konoha—for hindering their rise. Indeed, Kinosuke belonged to the hardliner faction within Amegakure.
As soon as he finished speaking, another voice immediately objected. It was Yayu, a representative of the more cautious faction.
"Lord Hanzo, I don't believe Konoha harbors any sinister intentions toward us. In the past year, Jiraiya has shown no signs of suspicious activity while in the Land of Rain."
"Hmph! By the time they show any suspicious behavior, it'll already be too late!" Kinosuke's tone was filled with frustration and anger.
"Besides, this is the Land of Rain—our territory! How can we let a Konoha ninja stay here for so long unchecked?"
"If we provoke Konoha, what do you think will happen to Amegakure?"
Watching Kinosuke and Yayu argue, the others simply looked on—it was nothing new.
Every faction had its internal disputes.
But the moment Hanzo, seated at the head of the room, let out a cold snort, both men immediately fell silent, stepping back with fear on their faces.
Within Amegakure, Hanzo's authority was absolute. No one dared oppose his will.
"Continue monitoring Jiraiya and his group. If anything unusual happens, report to me at once."
---
After completing their mission successfully, Aoshi and the others followed Jiraiya to his residence in the Land of Rain.
"I'm back!"
"Welcome back!"
As soon as Jiraiya spoke, three people came running out of the house to greet him.
One of them, the only girl among them, lit up the moment she saw Aoshi—her eyes sparkling with joy. "Aoshi-nii!"
She's none other than Konan.