Konoha Year 26. The shinobi world held its breath, thick with the promise of violence. The fragile peace that had followed the First Great Ninja War was crumbling.
Over a decade of recovery had seen the Five Great Nations rebuild their strength, their ranks swelling with new shinobi. But the number of available missions could not keep pace.
This simmering tension was brought to a boil by the meteoric rise of the Hidden Rain Village. Under the leadership of its formidable commander, Hanzo the Salamander, Amegakure had begun annexing its smaller neighbors, its territory and influence expanding at an alarming rate.
It stood on the precipice of being recognized as the Sixth Great Shinobi Village, and Hanzo's ambition to become the true, undisputed leader of the Rain was no secret.
The established powers, their resources and spheres of influence already saturated, would never permit an upstart village to claim an equal seat at the table. War was no longer a possibility; it was an inevitability.
"So… that's why all the border patrols and skirmishes have been getting more frequent lately?" Jiraiya scratched his head, a look of dawning comprehension on his face.
Beside him, Sarutobi Osamu mirrored the gesture, the two of them having visibly matured over the past four years. Yuta's explanation had been aimed primarily at them—or more accurately, at Osamu.
While Jiraiya often played the fool, he was far from stupid; he simply preferred not to overthink things. Osamu, however, was genuinely lacking in political acumen.
"Yuta explained all that so you two wouldn't make complete fools of yourselves at our first Jonin Meeting later," Tsunade said, rolling her eyes in irritation. At sixteen, her figure was beginning to hint at the legendary beauty she would become. "I'd prefer our team didn't become the source of any scandals today."
Meyuri, standing quietly beside Yuta, remained silent, though her brow was furrowed as she studied his face. Orochimaru offered no comment, but his slight nod conveyed his clear agreement.
Four years had passed in the blink of an eye, and all of them had steadily climbed the ranks to Jonin.
For Yuta, these years had been defined by a single, monumental task: the complete integration of his Sage Mode.
Mastering the turbulent currents of natural energy had been challenging, but the true test had been fusing the serpentine power of the Ryūchi Cave with the vital, life-giving energy of the Shikkotsu Forest, all while continuing his research into the esoteric Spirit Transformation Jutsu.
Just a few days prior, he had finally achieved a breakthrough, weaving the two distinct Sage Modes into a single, unprecedented form.
This new, fused Sage Mode combined the sensory lethality of the snakes with the immense vitality of the slugs, but the fusion was not without cost.
It placed a unique strain on his body, an unavoidable side effect of merging two potent, conflicting energy sources. Fortunately, his constitution, which had evolved to be strikingly similar to Jūgo's Sage Transformation, was robust enough to bear the burden.
This success ignited a greater ambition within him. If he could fuse two Sage Modes, why not a third? Could he integrate the teachings of Mount Myōboku and achieve something truly transcendent?
The thought was tantalizing, but the execution was another matter entirely. Gaining access to the Toad Sage Mode was simple enough—Jiraiya had long ago signed the summoning contract with Mount Myōboku and had likely already met the elder toads, Fukasaku and Shima, perhaps even the inscrutable Great Toad Sage himself.
Yet, Yuta hesitated. The Great Toad Sage… made him uneasy.
Until he knew what to expect from an encounter and, more importantly, whether he could defend himself if necessary, he was reluctant to make contact.
Perhaps it was safer to wait, to see if a future life simulation might grant him the Toad Sage Mode directly.
His luck seemed to have run dry after the two incredibly fruitful simulations from years ago.
The subsequent attempts over these four years had yielded little of value, the sole exception being an Earth Release chakra nature, which had finally filled the last gap in his elemental affinities.
Yuta pulled himself from his thoughts, his gaze sweeping over his companions. They had all changed so much.
Sarutobi Osamu had developed squarely in the mold of the Third Hokage, becoming a master of all ninjutsu. With his clan's support, he had even secured the same summoning contract as the Hokage himself. It was Enma, the Monkey King, who had ultimately helped him cross the final threshold to become a Jonin, making him the last of their group to achieve the rank.
Kurama Meyuri's mastery of the Kurama clan's Five Senses Manipulation had reached an absurdly potent level. Her taijutsu training had not lagged, either; she had even begun learning the Eight Gates he had taught her.
Yuta could easily picture her future battles: first, trapping an enemy in a devastating sensory genjutsu, and if they somehow broke free through sheer will, meeting them with her iron fists, powered by the Eight Gates Technique.
The image of a mature Meyuri layering genjutsu over unleashed physical fury was both terrifying and darkly amusing.
Orochimaru and Jiraiya had developed in ways that drastically diverged from any preordained path.
Jiraiya's early mastery of the Rasengan had significantly boosted his combat prowess. More strikingly, under Yuta's influence, Orochimaru had begun his exploration of Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode years ahead of schedule.
And then there was the matter of the arrogant Manda. From the moment Orochimaru first summoned the giant snake, Yuta had made sure to leave a lasting impression. Yet, the serpent proved more stubborn than anticipated.
Though physically subdued on multiple occasions, Manda never truly learned his lesson, his demeanor shifting dramatically depending on Yuta's presence. With Yuta nearby, he was the picture of obedience. The moment Yuta was gone, he would demand a tribute of a hundred live sacrifices—a demand that always earned him another brutal beating.
And Tsunade… Tsunade had blossomed. In every sense of the word. While the sixteen-year-old had not yet fully matured into the woman who would contend for the title of the most beautiful kunoichi in the world, her figure was already… substantial. Certainly more so than the still-budding Meyuri.
In terms of skill, she had completely mastered the medical ninjutsu he had taught her. The diamond-shaped seal of the Strength of a Hundred Healings now graced her forehead, and her monstrous strength was, of course, a force to be reckoned with.
Judging by the crater-forming power behind the punches she regularly gave Jiraiya whenever he acted up, it was clear she still had room to grow.
"By the way, Jiraiya," Yuta said, his gaze finally settling on the white-haired Sannin, a predatory smile playing on his lips. "How many barbecue meals do you owe me now? Eighteen? Nineteen? How about we settle up after the Jonin Meeting ends?"
There was still some time before the meeting began. It was the perfect opportunity to make Jiraiya pay up.
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