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The gates of Konoha were finally in sight.
Jiraiya glanced back at the three kids and chuckled. "So, how does it feel coming back this time?"
"I'm gonna get stronger! Next time, I want to be more useful!"Kurenai said it with complete certainty.
Kakashi stayed quiet.
He'd been through this kind of thing too many times.If he had to say how he felt… honestly, he didn't even know where to start.
Most of what he wanted to say couldn't leave his mouth anyway. Like—
Why did that person throw his life away so readily, only to return alive?
Why didn't he dare to die in the end?
But…
Kakashi hadn't seen that person in a long time. Maybe he'd entered the ANBU, or gone somewhere else entirely.
As for the rest—
He thought for a moment and finally said, "I need to get stronger too."
Stronger?
Jiraiya gave Kakashi a quick look, worry flickering beneath his surprise.
Kakashi had changed a lot. He wasn't the lifeless tool he used to be. Now he actually seemed like a normal kid.
But the mindset he'd had earlier seemed to be shifting into an obsession with strength. What exactly was going on in his heart… only Kakashi himself knew.
One wrong push, and who knows—
Jiraiya made a mental note. Compared to Leo, Kakashi needed more attention right now.
Leo's understanding of the Will of Fire was already shockingly deep for his age. If Jiraiya didn't personally know that Leo was truly Senju Momoka's descendant, he'd almost suspect he was actually related to Tobirama.
Jiraiya turned to Leo.
"And you?"
"Nothing special. Just feels like coming home."Leo grinned.
He wasn't pretending. He really did feel happy to be back.
All the fighting and chaos outside—none of it compared to relaxing at home. Too bad being a "lazy bum" wasn't exactly an option in the shinobi world.
Not with two old undead geezers watching him from the shadows.
Leo sighed internally.
Jiraiya laughed. "Come on then. Let's go home. I'll treat you to dinner!"
"Barbecue?"
"Cough—no way, no way. Your teacher's broke. I made a little money this time, but not enough… once I cash in those two prisoners, I'll take you all to a real feast. For now, I'll treat you to—"
Jiraiya cleared his throat and led the way into the village.
At the gate—
"Kotetsu, Izumo."
"Lord Jiraiya! You're finally back!"
"Jiraiya-sama!"
The two gate guards saluted immediately.
They greeted Leo and Kurenai warmly, but when it came to Kakashi, their attitude cooled noticeably.
"Mission complete. Log it."Jiraiya said lightly.
"Yes, sir!"
After the paperwork, Jiraiya was planning to head straight to Ichiraku with them.
But before they'd walked far, he let out a sigh.
"Looks like I won't be able to join you for ramen. Tell Teuchi to put it on my tab. If I can't make it in time, go ahead and eat without me."
"Alright."Leo nodded.
He knew exactly what it meant: ANBU had approached Jiraiya, and Jiraiya had noticed.
The three kids walked off. Jiraiya vanished moments later.
At Ichiraku, after some small talk, three steaming bowls of ramen were placed in front of them.
…
In the Hokage's office—
Jiraiya finished reporting everything about the Land of Waves.
Hiruzen stepped closer, surprise showing on his face."You're certain?"
"I checked every bit of it myself. It should all be accurate. And honestly, I think Mr. Matsuyama's judgment is solid. Cardo and the Water Country nobles probably want to control the sea trade routes."
Jiraiya's tone was serious.
Hiruzen frowned.
The Land of Waves…From the Water Country's perspective, controlling sea trade made perfect sense. They had the motive and the means. But from Konoha's side…
He hesitated.
"Jiraiya," he finally asked, "do you think we should mobilize and fight for the Land of Waves?"
"I think…"
Jiraiya hesitated too.
Hiruzen might not have guided him as closely as Orochimaru in terms of training, but in ideology, the man had influenced him deeply.
Peace.
If this were earlier, he would've said without hesitation that Konoha shouldn't get involved. Sending troops might shatter the fragile peace between Fire and Water, pulling both nations back into war.
But Leo's words kept echoing in his mind.
They want peace. But does Kirigakure want peace?
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen, the Hozuki clan, and all the intelligence from Water Country in recent years… everything showed that Kirigakure was even more brutal than before.
Would a village like that ever love peace?
The thought alone was laughable.
With that realization, his hesitation disappeared.
"Sensei, putting the Land of Waves aside, just looking at Water Country and Kirigakure… I don't think we should let them get what they want. You should know better than I do what Kirigakure has become."
Jiraiya spoke firmly.
Hiruzen said nothing.
He understood exactly what Jiraiya was implying.
A sharp snort echoed from outside.
Danzo shoved the door open. "Hiruzen, even Jiraiya understands this, yet you insist on blocking my work in the Land of Waves."
Hiruzen's expression darkened. "Danzo!"
Jiraiya didn't speak.Letting that fanatic handle things wouldn't end well. Jiraiya wasn't opposed to taking action—but Danzo's way of doing things would only drag the world into another war. The people of the Land of Waves would suffer the most.
"If you're still hesitating—"
"Enough! I am the Hokage! I'm speaking with Jiraiya, not negotiating with you."
Hiruzen's voice cracked like a whip.
Danzo's face twisted, but after a long moment he turned to leave.
"Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"
When the door finally shut, Hiruzen exhaled deeply, sat down, and took a drag from his pipe.
"Jiraiya… I'm surprised you'd say something like this. I always thought you understood me the best."
"I do, sensei. But Kirigakure is too far gone. They'll never understand our desire for peace. You can't deal with people like that gently."
Even as Jiraiya said it, he froze for a second.
He hadn't quite figured things out earlier, but the words came naturally now. Everything suddenly felt clear.
Hiruzen rubbed his temples.
"You think we should enter the Land of Waves too?"
"Not necessarily."
The words slipped out before Jiraiya even thought.
Hiruzen blinked at him.
Jiraiya scratched his head awkwardly."I don't have a perfect answer yet. I just… feel like we need time to recover. Starting a war with Kirigakure isn't the best idea right now."
Hiruzen stared at him in exasperated silence.
This student of his had really changed lately.
Who was influencing him?
Tsunade? No—she'd left the village.
His mind flipped through several faces until finally one image stopped.
Leo.
The young genin both he and Tsunade had praised over and over.
That kid had thoughts like these?
He was only seven, wasn't he?
Oh.
Maybe turning eight soon.
Hiruzen stared blankly for a moment.
"Sensei?"
"Hm? Oh… Jiraiya, you have a point. Let's both think it over. I'll consider how to negotiate with Kirigakure. Let's talk again in a few days."
"Sure!"
"....."