Jiraiya led his three-person squad to the Land of Hot Springs, the location where Asuma's three-person team was performing their mission.
Originally, the mission to inform Asuma of the Third Hokage's death, while important, wasn't particularly difficult. It didn't require Jiraiya to go personally; any Anbu member could have been sent.
However, Jiraiya had spent the last few days with the future adult Sasuke, and after several conversations, he could tell that the future Sasuke's personality was much gentler than the current young Sasuke's.
Aside from seeming a bit awkward in social interactions, he was almost exactly like Minato.
Such a person would absolutely not commit the act of killing the Third Hokage, no matter the reason.
As for Boruto?
Even if Boruto attacked by surprise, his strength wouldn't be enough to silently kill the Third Hokage.
In fact, even he and Orochimaru couldn't achieve that.
Only the "Ōtsutsuki" that Tsunade mentioned could have done it.
Jiraiya suspected that the Ōtsutsuki had already arrived in this era but chose to lie low, first eliminating the fighting power around Naruto before making a move on Naruto himself.
To draw out the Ōtsutsuki and prevent them from attacking Konoha residents again, Jiraiya made this decision.
Using the mission to inform Asuma of the Third Hokage's death as an excuse, he took both Naruto and Boruto out of the Village.
As for Konohamaru?
He was brought along as an afterthought.
Taking only those two would make his intentions too obvious.
— —
Land of Hot Springs.
The word "Yu" (湯) means hot spring.
The Land of Hot Springs is filled with hot springs.
Asuma's team's mission here was assigned by the Third Hokage: to investigate the situation of the Jashin cult in the area.
Unfortunately, they had been investigating for several days and found nothing.
Instead, they soaked in hot springs every day, feeling as if they were on vacation.
"Poor Ino, staying in the Village, training every day..."
Chōji was half-reclining in the hot spring, a plate floating in front of him, laden with various snacks.
"The hot spring service in the Land of Hot Springs is indeed second to none in the Shinobi World; Konoha's bathhouses can't even compare."
Shikamaru was in another small pool, playing water shogi with someone.
"Konoha? Is Your Excellency from Konoha Village?"
The young man playing shogi with Shikamaru heard Shikamaru and Chōji's conversation and his eyes immediately lit up.
"Hmm, what's up?"
Shikamaru replied verbally, but inwardly he cursed the trouble; he knew he shouldn't have spoken so much.
"Hey, this, this."
The man pulled out a book from behind him and excitedly asked, "The author of this book is Kakashi from your Village, so are the things inside true?"
"Icha Icha Paradise Strategy? This thing has already been released? How come... the cover has changed too?"
Shikamaru looked at the book title and was stunned for a moment.
Wasn't this the "Book of Answers" that Bai Mo gave him during the Chūnin Exams?
He had only read a small part of it at the time, and after taking it home, his father had taken it away.
"Changed cover? No, this book has always been like this since it was first released... Wait, have you seen an unreleased version?"
The other person stopped halfway through his sentence, then suddenly grabbed Shikamaru's hand excitedly, and with an envious look, said, "Ah, if only I were a Konoha villager, I'd have a front-row seat."
"Uh, haha."
Shikamaru gave two dry laughs.
"So, are the stories inside true?"
The other person pressed on with the question Shikamaru hadn't answered earlier.
"Sort of, I guess. My dad read it and said the stories inside are indeed adapted from real events."
Shikamaru nodded.
"Then is this true?"
The other person opened the first page of the book, which contained a photo and a passage of text.
"Aren't you afraid of getting the book wet by flipping through it in this place?"
Shikamaru grumbled.
"No, this is a collector's edition, it's waterproof."
"Waterproof... Is this an exploding tags or something, to be waterproof."
"Never mind those useless things, little brother, take a look."
"..."
Shikamaru's gaze turned to the book.
"Second Hokage?"
"It's really the Second Hokage?"
Shikamaru's low exclamation confirmed it for the other person.
This photo was actually real.
Shikamaru was a bit bewildered.
There was a photo on it, with the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama standing front and center. In the background, there seemed to be the First and Third Hokages, and also Orochimaru.
Wasn't this what happened a few days ago during Orochimaru and Sunagakure's invasion?
It was said that Orochimaru used the forbidden Edo Tensei to summon the deceased First and Second Hokages.
Did Kakashi happen to go take photos?
Or did Jiraiya take them for Kakashi?
Next to the photo, it was also noted: — Part Five is personally narrated by the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama, who was resurrected by Edo Tensei, making it authentic and reliable.
"Part Five written based on the Second Hokage's narration? And it's an extra issue? No, that's not right, is there enough time for this?"
Shikamaru scratched his head, feeling something was off. "Um, have you finished reading Part Five? What does it talk about?"
"The story in here is very exciting. You're still young, do you really want to know?"
The other person hesitated when Shikamaru asked.
"Stop talking nonsense, hurry up and tell us!"
"We're bored soaking in the hot springs, hurry up and tell us!"
A chorus of urging voices came from the side.
It turned out that their conversation had already been overheard by others in the hot spring.
Soaking in a hot spring and having someone tell stories—what a wonderful thing.
"Didn't I just say? I've already seen the unreleased version, what are you afraid of?"
Shikamaru pouted.
The content in this Icha Icha Paradise is a bit abstract, but it shouldn't be like this, right?
"Alright, then I'll start telling."
"According to the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama's recollections, Uchiha Madara's younger brother, Uchiha Izuna, was not killed by him at all.
He had only used the Flying Thunder God Slash to cut off a certain 'segment' of Izuna.
What no one expected was that this segment was 'chained together'! This dealt a heavy blow to the young Tobirama's psyche at the time.
Uchiha Madara, who was currently fighting the First Hokage Senju Hashirama, saw his brother's secret exposed and quickly retreated with Izuna.
Later, when he asked Madara 'how Izuna was,' he wanted to confirm whether Madara had truly gone insane and was mercilessly tormenting Izuna while he was severely injured.
Upon learning of Izuna's death, Senju Tobirama was heartbroken, further cementing his belief in Madara's beastly behavior beneath his cold exterior.
Thus, his subsequent actions against the Uchiha Clan came about.
He would only choose to approve of an Uchiha if he was certain that Uchiha was heterosexual, such as Uchiha Kagami in his own squad."
"After that, Senju Tobirama recalled his final battle, which was the meeting with Kumogakure, and the scene where he was killed by the Gold and Silver Brothers.
It is said that the Gold and Silver Brothers were once swallowed by the Nine-Tails, gnawing on its flesh and blood, thereby gaining the Nine-Tails' chakra.
But in that battle, Senju Tobirama learned a shocking secret.
It turned out that when the Gold and Silver Brothers were swallowed by the Nine-Tails, they saw something other than stomach acid inside its belly. At that time, the Nine-Tails became enraged and told them to shut up, and then, in a clumsy attempt to cover up, said that this had nothing to do with Uchiha Madara.
Upon learning that Madara had not only done unspeakable things to his brother but also to the Nine-Tails, Tobirama at the time was so shocked that he didn't use the Flying Thunder God, and was killed by a single blow from the Gold and Silver Brothers."
....
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