From the street corner where they met Asuma to the center of the village was only a ten-minute walk. However, Jiraiya's pace grew slower and slower, his brow furrowing deeper with every step.
He was no fool. On the contrary, as a ninja who had walked the edge of a blade for decades, his intuition and insight far surpassed that of ordinary men. Gamakon's behavior was far too abnormal.
Usually, although this guy provided information, he acted more like a true spectator, lazily perched on Jiraiya's head and maintaining a detached sense of amusement toward the world. He would complain about the taste of Jiraiya's research subjects or mock his embarrassment when he suffered a setback, but he rarely intervened so "proactively" in the direction of a specific event.
From reminding Asuma to urging Jiraiya to return to the village, every move Gamakon made carried an unusual sense of urgency.
They were now standing in the plaza beneath the Hokage Rock. In the distance, decorated streets and bustling crowds were already visible. The fading glow of the setting sun painted the four massive stone faces with a layer of gold—especially the newly completed carving of Minato Namikaze. That young face looked heroic and full of hope in the shifting light.
Jiraiya looked up at the statue of his disciple, his eyes filled with pride. But that pride was soon overshadowed by a growing sense of unease. He slowly turned his head, ignoring the curious and reverent gazes from the people around them, and stared intently at Gamakon on his shoulder.
He deliberately lowered his voice so that only Gamakon could hear him. "Gamakon, tell me the truth."
Gamakon sighed inwardly, knowing that what was coming had finally arrived. Jiraiya's sharpness had exceeded his expectations.
"What truth?" He blinked innocently. "The truth is that if you don't go now, Minato will think his teacher doesn't care about him."
"Don't play dumb with me!" Jiraiya's tone suddenly sharpened. "You didn't urge me back just for a celebration. From the moment you warned Asuma, you've been acting strange. What are you rushing for? Or rather... what are you afraid of?"
The air seemed to freeze. The clamor of the plaza felt miles away.
Gamakon fell silent. He knew that ordinary excuses would no longer work. What Jiraiya wanted now was an explanation heavy enough to justify all his erratic behavior. He took a deep breath, appearing to have made a difficult decision.
"Jiraiya," his voice was no longer lazy, but low and serious, "the reason I urged you back is because, like the Great Toad Sage, I have seen a future... a very dark future."
"A dark future?" Jiraiya's pupils shrank. He already had a premonition.
"Yes," Gamakon replied with certainty. "I saw... the death of your most prized disciple, the future Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze."
It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck Jiraiya's mind. For a moment, his ears rang, and his surroundings felt surreal.
"No... impossible!" he blurted out instinctively, his voice trembling with shock. "That's absolutely impossible! Minato has mastered the Flying Thunder God. Who in the shinobi world could kill him? Who could possibly catch his speed?!"
This was Jiraiya's confidence, and the confidence of the entire Hidden Leaf. Minato Namikaze was a man who had made his name during the last Great Ninja War. The miracles he performed on the battlefield were enough to strike terror into any enemy. To say he would be killed was the greatest joke in the shinobi world.
Gamakon watched him quietly, waiting for his emotions to settle slightly before throwing out an explanation. "No matter how fast someone is, there is a time to stop. No matter how strong an ability is, there is a way to break it. Jiraiya, let me ask you: how do you force an otherwise flawless hero to reveal a weakness?"
Jiraiya's mind raced. A weakness? What was Minato's weakness? He was humble, powerful, and strong-willed. He had almost no flaws to exploit.
Seeing Jiraiya's confusion, Gamakon's voice dropped to a whisper, like a devil's murmur. "You give him a weakness. A weakness... that he cannot abandon no matter what."
"A weakness..." Jiraiya muttered to himself, still unable to grasp it.
Gamakon's eyes became incredibly complex, filled with pity and a hint of reluctance. But he knew that a short, sharp pain was better than a long, lingering one. "Once Minato becomes Hokage, those two will have a child soon, won't they?"
'Those two' referred to Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki.
In an instant, a cold realization sliced through Jiraiya's thoughts. A child. One child. Minato and Kushina's child.
The color drained from Jiraiya's face in a single second, leaving him deathly pale. He thought of too many terrifying possibilities. Kushina was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. During childbirth, the seal is at its weakest. If someone chose to strike then...
Was the target the Nine-Tails? Or the newborn baby?
Either way, it would be an unbearable blow for Minato. As a husband and a father, what could he do when his wife was at her most vulnerable and his child was most helpless? Could his proud Flying Thunder God carry two people away at once? Would he save Kushina first, or the child who had just entered the world? Or would he first deal with the Nine-Tails that might be released by the enemy?
Faced with an enemy plotting for the Nine-Tails, would he have the strength left to protect his family?
At that moment, Jiraiya understood everything. He understood Gamakon's unusual urgency and the horror contained behind the phrase "date of death." If that unknown enemy was prepared, Minato was in grave danger!
"The enemy... who is it?" Jiraiya's voice was hoarse as he glared at Gamakon while keeping his voice low.
"A masked man who possesses space-time ninjutsu and calls himself Uchiha Madara," Gamakon quickly provided the key information.
Uchiha Madara? Hadn't he died long ago?
Based on his past trust in Gamakon, Jiraiya chose to believe him. But because he believed, he found it even harder to accept. Uchiha Madara was a legend who had rivaled the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju! And now he had returned?!
Fear and indignation flooded his heart.
'No...' He shook his head, looking lost. 'I absolutely cannot let this happen...'
A second later, the confusion on his face was replaced by grim determination. He spun around, pressing Gamakon back onto his head. His entire body turned into a blur as he sprinted toward the Hokage's office. He didn't even take the normal streets, leaping directly onto the rooftops, rushing with all his might toward the person he most wanted—and most feared—to see.
He had to see Minato! Right now! Immediately!