"Boom!"
On the plains dozens of miles outside Konoha Village, two behemoths collided, creating a tremendous sound.
These two behemoths were Orochimaro's summoned beast, Manda, and Jiraiya's summoned beast, Gamabunta.
Jiraiya and Orochimaru stood on the heads of their respective summoned beasts.
Jiraiya smiled at Orochimaru and said, "Orochimaru, did you come back because you were worried about Konoha?"
"Don't worry, come back to Konoha with me. I absolutely won't let the old man lay a hand on you!"
"Hmph!" Orochimaru snorted disdainfully, "It seems you still don't know much about the current situation in Konoha."
"Konoha isn't under the Third's management anymore! He's already stepped down!"
Jiraiya was also stunned to hear this. "Huh? The Third stepped down? Then who is Hokage?"
Gamabunta, who was chewing on his pipe, looked confused when he heard Jiraiya's question.
"Eh? Jiraiya, you don't know? Minato, he's been resurrected!"
"Eh? Resurrected? Are you talking about Minato Namikaze?"
Jiraiya looked shocked.
"You really didn't know, did you?" As he spoke, Gamabunta swung the short sword in his hand, fending off Manda's attacks while saying, "A few days ago, the Nine-Tailed attacked Konoha, and Minato summoned me. He really was resurrected, and he's become even stronger!"
Just as Jiraiya was in shock, Orochimaru on the opposite side laughed, "It's just Minato's resurrection. If you return to the Village, you'll encounter things that will shatter your worldview even more!"
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya's expression immediately became serious.
He truly hadn't expected Minato to be resurrected.
Before, he had always believed that the Child of Prophecy mentioned by the Great Toad Sage was either his former disciple, Nagato, or Minato.
However, a few years ago, he heard that Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato had established the Akatsuki Organization, which was then uprooted, and the three disappeared without a trace. If there was no accident, then there was an accident!
So he poured all his efforts into Minato Namikaze.
Minato, whether in personality, strength, potential, or prestige, was top-notch. To put it simply, Minato Namikaze was destined to be a protagonist.
But such a man, with the fate of a protagonist, actually died young.
This left Jiraiya both sad and lost.
But now, hearing that Minato Namikaze had been resurrected, he felt that his earlier idea was correct: Minato Namikaze was indeed the Child of Prophecy.
"Orochimaru, let's stop fighting. Come back to Konoha with me!"
Jiraiya no longer cared about what Orochimaru said would shatter his worldview; what he cared about most was Minato after his resurrection!
"Hey! Jiraiya, the subject you mentioned earlier, it won't appear in your novel, will it?"
Orochimaru said in a sinister tone.
"Which matter are you talking about? Unless there's an even more explosive subject, I won't change it!"
"You know, for an author, inspiration and subject matter are very important!"
Jiraiya's expression was very serious, as if he really intended to write an autobiography for Orochimaru.
"Very well… Jiraiya, if I see any bookstore selling books on that subject, I will kill everyone in that bookstore! You know, I can absolutely do it!"
Seeing Orochimaru's sinister gaze, Jiraiya laughed awkwardly, "Well… I was just joking!"
Just as the two were talking, a golden light descended from the sky, landing between the two giant summoned beasts.
When Gamabunta saw the newcomer, he immediately stopped fighting. Manda, however, without a word, opened its mouth and bit down.
"Wood Release: Wood Golem Jutsu."
The newcomer clapped his hands, and immediately a giant wooden figure appeared, grabbing Manda by its vital spot.
The newcomer was none other than the current Fourth Hokage of Konoha, Minato Namikaze.
Upon seeing Minato, Jiraiya's eyes immediately turned red.
"Minato… You really are resurrected!"
"Hi, long time no see, Master Jiraiya!"
As for why Minato Namikaze appeared here, it was, of course, because the commotion from the two summoned beasts fighting was too great!
Although Jiraiya and Orochimaru themselves hadn't fought, the mere sound of the two summoned beasts clashing was enough to alarm Konoha.
Alarming Konoha meant alarming Minato, so Minato rushed to the battlefield at top speed without a second thought.
With Minato's appearance, Jiraiya and Orochimaru's bickering naturally ended.
On the way back to Konoha Village, Jiraiya asked curiously, "Minato, how were you resurrected?"
As he spoke, Jiraiya glanced at Orochimaru.
In Jiraiya's opinion, only Orochimaru could resurrect someone who had been dead for many years.
Jiraiya believed he understood Orochimaru very well.
Orochimaru was a research genius, so he might have researched a Ninjutsu to resurrect people!
Moreover, Orochimaru's current appearance also greatly puzzled Jiraiya.
Becoming a shota… Jiraiya wanted that too. He not only wanted to become a shota to openly enter the women's bathhouse for research, he also wanted to directly transform into a woman to experience it…
Hearing Jiraiya's question, Minato Namikaze nodded and said, "My resurrection, Senior Orochimaru indeed made no small contribution!"
Orochimaru: ? ? ? ?
"Oh, right! And you just used the First's Wood Release, didn't you! How did you use it?"
Minato Namikaze heard this and once again looked at Orochimaru, saying, "This also thanks to Senior Orochimaru!"
Orochimaru: ? ? ? ?
Orochimaru really wanted to say, what did I do? The biggest thing I might have done was stab myself in the stomach.
Jiraiya looked at Orochimaru and smiled, "It's truly you, Orochimaru… Oh, no, it should be Little Orochimaru."
As for Jiraiya's misunderstanding, Orochimaru didn't want to say much. Talking too much with this idiot would easily lower his IQ.
Upon reaching the entrance of Konoha, Orochimaru said to Minato, "You take Jiraiya to see the Third first! I'll go deliver cells to Naruto!"
Minato naturally knew what cells Orochimaru was referring to—his wife Kushina Uzumaki's cells.
So he didn't stop him and let him go find Naruto directly.
The Ninja guarding the gate saw that the shota Orochimaru and Kimimaro were people brought back by the Fourth Hokage, so they did not stop them.