The clamor of Konoha outside the window barely seeped in, yet it failed to dispel the heavy atmosphere inside the Hokage Office.
A few days later, in the evening, a tall man with slightly unruly clothes and a characteristic spiky white mane—Jiraiya, one of Konoha's Sannin—sat casually on the windowsill, his brows furrowed with the fatigue and doubt accumulated from days of travel.
"Minato," Jiraiya's voice broke the silence, his tone lacking its usual lightheartedness. "What exactly happened on the night the Nine-Tails appeared? The Village was attacked, but your letter said Kushina was unharmed. And there's also—"
He paused, then uttered the name that weighed on his mind, "Orochimaru—how did he become a rogue Ninja?"
When news of the Nine-Tails' attack spread, Jiraiya was frantic with worry.
Fortunately, he immediately received a letter from his star student, Minato, learning that both he and Kushina were safe, which slightly calmed his nerves, and he did not immediately rush back as advised.
Unexpectedly, before one matter was settled, another arose: the news of his close friend Orochimaru defecting from Konoha hit him like another heavy hammer, catching him off guard and leaving him desperate for answers.
Behind the desk, the golden hair tips of the Fourth Hokage, Minato, appeared somewhat dim in the setting sun.
He sighed deeply and slowly began to recount the events in detail: from the attack by the mysterious black-clad figure on the night of the Nine-Tails Sealing Ceremony, to how Takuno used his astonishing Sealing Jutsu to split the Nine-Tails in half, miraculously snatching Kushina's life back from the Shinigami.
The narration did not stop; Minato continued in a low voice, describing the aftermath: how the inhumane human experimentation conducted by Danzo and Orochimaru in the dark corners was ruthlessly exposed—
"Human... experimentation..." Jiraiya's voice was dry, his eyes instantly losing focus.
Memories of fighting side-by-side and growing up with Orochimaru uncontrollably surged through his mind—laughter, arguments, shared ideals.
Emotionally, he instinctively refused to accept this fact. How could that heart dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge have strayed onto such a dark path?
But reason coldly reminded him that given Orochimaru's obsession and his relentless desire for power, this was not entirely impossible.
Overwhelming disappointment and agonizing pain swept over him, and Jiraiya painfully closed his eyes.
Memories flashed back. After Tsunade tragically lost her closest relatives—her younger brother Nawaki and her lover Kato Dan—the coldness and madness that Orochimaru had hidden in his eyes then.
Jiraiya had only assumed it was excessive grief—he had overlooked such an obvious abnormality!
Jiraiya, by nature, did not want to infect others with his inner gloom. He forcefully suppressed his churning emotions, quickly using his characteristic boisterous smile to mask the cracks in his heart, and deliberately steered the conversation toward a slightly more positive direction.
"Oh my!" He slapped his thigh dramatically, intentionally raising his voice several octaves. "Minato, this Takuno-senpai you speak of is truly incredible! Splitting the Nine-Tails? Who would even think of that! And the most amazing part is sealing it back, forcibly pulling Kushina back from the brink! That skill is simply—"
Minato's deep blue eyes gazed intently at his teacher.
He knew Jiraiya too well; he clearly saw the bitterness beneath that smile.
Thoughtfully following his teacher's lead, he offered a genuine smile, "Yes, Jiraiya-sensei. Takuno-senpai is a very reliable senior. His current mastery of Sealing Jutsu, I fear it is already above mine."
"Hmm?!" Jiraiya had intended to change the subject, but now he was genuinely astonished. Minato's talent and achievements in Sealing Jutsu were top-tier throughout the entire Ninja World. For him to personally admit inferiority to someone—
Minato nodded seriously, his tone filled with sincere admiration. "When we first met, we were perhaps equals. But after we entrusted him with the Uzumaki Clan's secret Sealing Jutsu for study, Senpai's progress was astonishingly fast, and now, I don't think I am his match in Sealing Jutsu. His understanding and application of Sealing Jutsu are truly astounding."
"He's... that formidable?" Jiraiya dropped his joking demeanor and nodded thoughtfully.
This evaluation gave him a completely new understanding of Takuno's Sealing Jutsu prowess.
If his Sealing Jutsu had reached such a sublime level, then the shocking feat of successfully splitting and resealing a Tailed Beast seemed far less surprising to him.
"Also," Minato paused, his expression becoming solemn, "Jiraiya-sensei, before Takuno-senpai left, he specifically made a request to me."
"Oh? Is it related to me?" Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. Otherwise, Minato wouldn't bring it up now.
Minato then explained everything to Jiraiya: how Takuno had volunteered to rush to the battlefield for support, and his own decision to ultimately assign him to the logistics and medical unit out of prudent concern for his safety.
After listening, Jiraiya was silent for a moment, a flash of approval and recognition in his eyes. "Minato, your arrangement is proper. He truly is a good Ninja who cares for Konoha."
The quality of being willing to contribute his strength during the most dangerous times, even after achieving renown, is truly precious.
Minato nodded again. The master and student tacitly avoided the heartbreaking name: Orochimaru.
They both knew that this topic touched upon wounds too deep, and now was not the time to discuss it.
Jiraiya had secretly made up his mind: once the border conflict was resolved, he would personally go and track down Orochimaru.
He wanted to know more than just the truth; he wanted to try and pull his dearest friend back from that sinful road of no return.
As for Danzo? That name was no longer worth mentioning in this office; his fate was neither cared for nor worried about by anyone.
After a brief silence, Jiraiya finally brought up the issue that most affected the current situation: "The border—"
"What is the situation there?"
At the mention of the border, Minato's gentle face instantly became stern, his brow tightly furrowed. "It's very bad, Sensei. The Hidden Cloud Village is no longer content with small-scale probing harassment; the conflict has gradually escalated into genuine, small-scale battles. According to frontline reports and intelligence analysis, within the next few days—"
Minato's voice grew heavier, "The possibility of a full-scale war breaking out is extremely high. We must go all out."
"The situation has deteriorated to such an extent?" Jiraiya's expression also became grave.
He had originally planned to rest briefly and visit Kushina and the Third Hokage before setting off.
It seems Konoha has given him virtually no time to breathe.
"Yes," Minato's voice held a hint of helplessness. "Their previous large-scale probing was likely an attempt to confirm the truth of Orochimaru's defection and assess how much it would impact Konoha's strength. Now, they have clearly reached a conclusion."
"Understood." Jiraiya stood up crisply, his tall figure casting a long shadow in the sunset's afterglow. "I'll go see Kushina and the old man, and then immediately head to the front line."
There is no time to waste.
Minato quickly picked up a stack of pre-prepared files from the desk and handed them to Jiraiya, adding seriously just as he was about to step out the door.
"Jiraiya-sensei, please, please pay attention to Takuno-senpai's safety on the battlefield. His strength is crucial to Konoha."
"Hmph!" Jiraiya deliberately put on a serious face, feigning displeasure. "If his safety is important, is the safety of your teacher, the 'Sannin,' worthless?"
Minato didn't know whether to laugh or cry and quickly explained, "Sensei, you know I didn't mean that—"
His words carried the unique closeness and exasperation of a junior.
Jiraiya burst into laughter, stepping over the threshold, but the hearty and confident echo remained in the empty office: "Don't worry! Where I am, it's hard for him to get into trouble! Hahaha."
Minato listened to the receding laughter, smiling as he shook his head helplessly.
He turned his gaze toward the window, settling on the faces of the successive Hokage carved into the Hokage Rock in the distance.
If it weren't for the worry that the mysterious black-clad figure, who could control the Nine-Tails, might strike again from the shadows, his greatest desire as the Fourth Hokage would be to personally go to the frontline and fight alongside his teacher and comrades.
Now, he could only remain at the headquarters, managing the overall situation. This was not what he wanted, but it was his responsibility as the Kage.
A sense of heaviness welled up in his heart. He sighed softly, his gaze cast toward the distant sky where no smoke yet rose.
"May everything go smoothly."
After Jiraiya left the Hokage Tower, he soon saw the Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, walking alone.
Seeing the figure who, even before the shadow of Danzo had lifted, was suddenly struck hard by Orochimaru's defection, Jiraiya felt a complex mix of emotions at the sight of his visible aging.
The loneliness in his eyes was the deep scar left by repeatedly losing those he trusted.
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly. If only his teacher had been more vigilant and less lenient regarding Danzo's greed and cruelty back then, perhaps things wouldn't have come to this today—
This belated repentance was ultimately too heavy a burden.
He silently bowed, ultimately choosing not to appear before the Third Hokage. Without saying much, his figure merged into the twilight of Konoha as the streetlights began to flicker on.
The Third Hokage seemed to sense something and glanced toward Jiraiya's location, but ultimately saw nothing.
At that moment, he saw the figure of Danzo nearby, who had already lost all fighting spirit. The one eye the man had left, which could still perceive light, was now also filled with gloom.
After seeing the Third Hokage, Danzo no longer displayed his former rage, and seemed devoid of any emotion as he turned and walked away.
The Third Hokage watched Danzo's retreating back, opened his mouth, and felt a touch of sadness inside.
On the surface, he had saved Danzo's life, but in reality...
Ever since Danzo completely lost the hope of becoming Hokage, along with all his strength and former authority, becoming a de facto cripple, he had already died.
All that remained was a shell of a body, like a walking corpse.
Finally, the Third Hokage gave a self-mocking smile. If Danzo was like this, wasn't he also the same?
All of this was his fault.