"Jiraiya!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi hurried across the training field, his robes snapping in the wind. He had never imagined one of his own students would attempt the Summoning Technique without first signing a contract.
Tsunade and Orochimaru ran to his side.
"Hiruzen-sensei, what happened? Where's Jiraiya?" Tsunade demanded.
"What Jiraiya just performed was the Summoning Technique," Hiruzen explained, his brow creasing. "Normally, you can only use it after forming a contract with a specific creature."
Orochimaru crouched to study the strange spiral markings scorched into the grass. "So if he hasn't signed a contract… is it possible he was transported to the home of the summoned beasts themselves?"
The Third Hokage gave a grim nod. "It's my fault. I didn't warn him in time. Space–time ninjutsu can be unpredictable. Without a contract, who knows where he might have gone?"
"That sounds even more dangerous!" Tsunade pressed a hand to her forehead. "What is that idiot thinking?"
---
A World Between Worlds
Far away, Jiraiya opened his eyes to an unfamiliar landscape. Two massive figures loomed before him—a giant snake coiling its glittering scales and an equally enormous toad crouched defensively. The tension between them crackled like lightning.
Jiraiya strode forward without hesitation.
"I apologize for keeping you waiting," he declared boldly. "But in this battle, I, Lord Jiraiya, will claim victory!"
The serpent hissed, lunging with jaws wide. Jiraiya twisted aside, grabbed its tail, and flung the creature across the rocky plain.
"Hah! A small fry like you can't handle me," he boasted, planting his hands on his hips.
Somewhere in the shadows, a younger Gamabunta watched with a bead of nervous sweat rolling down his massive head. This human is insane…
---
Mount Myōboku
Days later, Jiraiya awoke in a lush, misty valley filled with giant lotus leaves and croaking voices. The wise elder Fukasaku greeted him warmly.
"You were expected," Fukasaku said. "The Great Toad Sage foresaw your arrival."
Under the guidance of Fukasaku and Lady Shima, Jiraiya learned the ways of Mount Myōboku, one of the fabled Three Great Sage Lands, alongside Shikkotsu Forest and Ryūchi Cave. At first he resisted, but the promise of new power soon won him over.
When the Great Toad Sage finally gave his cryptic prophecy, Jiraiya bowed in respect and signed the summoning contract in blood. Though he would return to Konoha between training sessions, part of his heart now belonged to the mountain of the toads.
---
Back in Konoha
"Hah, Mount Myōboku?" Hiruzen nearly dropped his pipe when Jiraiya finished his story. "That legendary place is one of the Three Great Sage Locations. Few shinobi ever set foot there."
"That's right!" Jiraiya puffed out his chest. "I'm training under Lord Fukasaku and Lady Shima themselves. Just wait—I'll get so strong you'll all have to look at me differently!"
Orochimaru, standing quietly to the side, barely reacted. His thoughts wandered toward his own future.
Should I follow the path of the original Orochimaru? Most of his greatest techniques required a contract with Ryūchi Cave…
Mount Myōboku wasn't for him, and Shikkotsu Forest offered little appeal. Ryūchi Cave's power was tempting, but its Sage Mode was deadly. He imagined the White Snake Sage infusing him with snake-like chakra, his body slowly transforming, the danger of being devoured always present.
His musing was cut short when Jiraiya snapped, "Hey! Are you even listening?"
Orochimaru blinked. "Hm? What's the problem?"
"You're supposed to be impressed!" Jiraiya jabbed a finger at him. "Fine, I'll prove it. Let me show you the results of my training!"
"By all means," Orochimaru said with a faint smile.
---
The Great—Well, Small—Summon
Jiraiya bit his thumb, smeared blood across his palm, and performed a rapid string of hand seals.
"Summoning Technique!"
A puff of smoke erupted. When it cleared, a tiny orange-marked frog—still sporting a wiggling tadpole tail—sat on the floor blinking.
The room fell silent. Even the crows outside seemed to mock him.
"Oops… uh… small miscalculation," Jiraiya said, face reddening.
"Is this your great power?" Tsunade snorted before bursting into uncontrollable laughter.
"It's not my true power," Jiraiya muttered, quickly releasing the summon and rubbing the back of his neck.
Hiruzen's mouth twitched in amusement, though he hid it behind a cough.
---
Training and Warnings
Later, at the training grounds, Orochimaru and his shadow clones practiced ninjutsu while Tsunade experimented with her own clones to speed up her strength training.
"You have plenty of chakra thanks to your Uzumaki and Senju bloodlines," Orochimaru observed, "but remember to stay within your limits. Overdoing it can harm your growth."
He recalled how during the Warring States era, shinobi rarely lived past thirty. Reckless training didn't just shorten lifespans—it could stunt physical development.
Tsunade puffed her cheeks. "You sound worse than my grandmother! I'll be careful, okay?"
Despite her words, a faint warmth stirred in her chest. Orochimaru's quiet concern felt… unexpectedly kind.
---
Trouble in the Land of Tea
Far to the south, the peninsula nation known as the Land of Tea faced a new threat. Rich in fishing waters, it relied heavily on its fleets—but mysterious pirates had begun raiding the boats, leaving the villagers desperate.
Fearing a collapse in tax revenue, the Land of Tea's daimyō dispatched an envoy to Konoha to request help.
"I understand," Hiruzen said after hearing the report. "We'll send a team at once to drive off these raiders."
"The fate of our coast lies in your hands, Hokage-sama," the envoy replied, bowing deeply.
---
A C-Rank Mission
As the envoy departed, Jiraiya entered the Hokage's office, fresh from Mount Myōboku. "Sensei! I'm back."
"Perfect timing," Hiruzen said. "I have a mission for you, Orochimaru, and Tsunade."
Jiraiya perked up, expecting something dramatic—then frowned at the mission scroll. "This isn't another boring D-rank cat-hunting job, is it? Lord Jiraiya doesn't do menial tasks!"
"This is a C-rank mission," Hiruzen replied evenly. "You'll travel to the Land of Tea and eliminate the pirates plaguing their fishing boats."
"C-rank? That's barely better than D!" Jiraiya protested.
"Genin are only cleared for D and C ranks," Hiruzen reminded him. "Anything higher is for chunin and jonin. Prepare to depart."
---
Captain Sarutobi
The next morning at Konoha's front gate, Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya waited with packed gear. A young man with sharp features approached, holding a book with a golden plum-blossom emblem.
Orochimaru recognized the handwriting immediately. Sensei…?
"Are you Hiruzen-sensei's son?" Jiraiya asked, squinting.
Whack!
Tsunade smacked him on the head. "Idiot. That is Hiruzen-sensei!"
"Joking! Just joking!" Jiraiya rubbed his scalp sheepishly.
Hiruzen—disguised with the Transformation Jutsu—smiled faintly. "For this mission, address me as Captain Sarutobi. Understood?"
The three nodded.
"Good. This is your first official C-rank mission," he said, though his eyes kept drifting back to the book in his hand as if some guilty pleasure called to him.
---
Jiraiya grinned, eager to impress them all. "Tsunade, Orochimaru, this time I'll really show you the results of my training!"
"Another tadpole?" Tsunade teased.
"Just wait. You'll be shocked!"
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. "Captain, what about all the paperwork back at the office?"
"Handled," Hiruzen said lightly. He had already assigned Koharu and Homura to manage the daily flood of reports. A Hokage could delegate—especially when guiding his students served as both duty and example.
Still, as they set out, a more serious thought crossed Hiruzen's mind. Danzo…
Since founding the ANBU division known as Root, Danzo had grown increasingly secretive, recruiting talent from Konoha's major clans. Hiruzen had refused to let him overreach, yet he knew his old comrade would not stop so easily.
I'm not Tobirama, Hiruzen reminded himself. I can't rule with only fear and force.
But some matters—perhaps even this mission—might reveal what Danzo was hiding.
---
With that, Captain Sarutobi led his three young disciples down the forest path toward the Land of Tea, their first true mission as a team about to begin.