Chapter 14 — Jiraiya! Makes His Entrance!
"The sky's about to brighten… and I'm about to be finished…"
Sarutobi Seiki stood by the window, gazing at the moonlight with faint sorrow on his face.
"Sarutobi Seiki, there's only half an hour left of the three-day deadline."
Yashamaru sat outside the detention cell, 'kindly' reminding him.
Seiki's mentality was on the verge of collapse.
"Jiraiya, hurry up! Your cute little junior brother is about to be sacrificed by the Sand Village!"
Meanwhile, far away in Tanzaku Town, Jiraiya was also standing by a hospital window, staring at the same moonlight, thinking anxiously, "Seiki… Tsunade's critical treatment on Sasori is almost done. I'll definitely make it back in time!"
---
Rasa and Baki were discussing the candidate for the next Jinchūriki.
Baki flipped quickly through the roster of the new generation of shinobi and complained, "Damn it. It's all Yura's fault for concealing Bunpuku's illness. Now the village is in such a passive position."
Rasa, however, wasn't too concerned about the successor to the Jinchūriki. What weighed on his mind were the two matters mentioned by that mysterious powerhouse. If they didn't consider the Tailed Beast as a weapon, then in truth, anyone with strong enough willpower could become a Jinchūriki.
Seeing Rasa deep in thought, Baki asked irritably, "Fourth Kazekage, are you planning to overturn the plan set by Lord Second Kazekage Shamon?"
Facing Baki's doubt, Rasa pressed his forehead and thought to himself, A godlike figure suddenly appeared who can beat a Tailed Beast with pure taijutsu… Now I don't even know what to believe anymore…
"Who exactly is that man? And why is he helping the village?"
After a pause, Rasa asked again, "Baki, is Granny Chiyo still on her hunger strike?"
At the mention of Granny Chiyo, Baki shuddered inexplicably.
Ever since he had imprisoned Seiki, the way Granny Chiyo looked at him had completely changed—like he was an enemy.
The last time they met, she even threw a shuriken at him. Although she claimed her hand slipped, Baki knew she had done it on purpose.
"Fourth Kazekage, if you continue detaining Sarutobi Seiki, Granny Chiyo may file a protest to the Daimyō."
Baki spoke worriedly. As one of the village's elder advisors, Granny Chiyo's actual standing might even surpass that of Rasa, who had only recently assumed the position of Kazekage.
"If she wants to protest, let her. Her own grandson caused such a disaster and let Sasori be taken away by people from Konoha. Granny Chiyo is old…"
As the saying goes, those involved can't see clearly. Right now, Rasa only wanted to help Sunagakure win the shinobi war and rise again. For that, he would reject anyone or anything that could harm the village.
Seeing that the time was nearly up, Rasa changed into his Kazekage attire and left the roundtable chamber.
Baki went to find Granny Chiyo again.
This time, however, he brought several jōnin with him. To prevent her from causing trouble at the detention facility, they surrounded her secluded residence in advance.
Ever since the battle with Sasori, Granny Chiyo had said nothing at all, so Ebizō didn't know what exactly had happened.
Seeing that Baki and the others came with ill intent, even Ebizō could no longer remain calm.
"Sister, what are these young ones trying to do again?"
Hearing her younger brother's words, Granny Chiyo stood up and walked straight toward the encirclement formed by the Sand jōnin.
"Sister?"
Ebizō widened his eyes. It had been many years since he had seen his sister take action—let alone against juniors they had watched grow up.
"Move aside."
Granny Chiyo spoke only two words.
Baki and the others immediately drew their ninja tools.
Chiyo's lips curled slightly into a contemptuous smile. "I remember teaching you that in close combat, you must go all out from the very beginning—under the premise of achieving a one-hit kill!"
Ebizō also stepped forward, loosening his stiff limbs.
Although his sister hadn't said anything, her enemy was his enemy!
Baki's expression changed. A special scroll appeared before his eyes, and he shouted immediately, "Not good! Stop her!"
Facing the charging Sand jōnin, Ebizō roared, "In your dreams!"
Azure chakra instantly gathered in his right fist. He burst forward and threw a heavy punch, smashing the ground apart with a single blow!
"What terrifying strength…"
The others retreated several meters. None of them could have imagined that such monstrous power could come from a withered old man.
Then Granny Chiyo shouted, "Puppet Technique: Chikamatsu Ten Puppets!"
In an instant, ten puppets clad in white robes, each marked with a number on their foreheads, rushed out from the scroll.
"This is bad!"
"Is this the secret technique that once conquered an entire village?"
"Hey, Baki! Are we really going to fight Granny Chiyo and Lord Ebizō?"
Hearing the astonishment and doubts of his comrades, Baki let out a long sigh. He sheathed his kunai and stepped aside, clearing a path for the elderly siblings.
"Granny Chiyo, Lord Ebizō, you may leave. But I hope you don't forget your stance."
Ebizō's gaze toward Baki softened considerably. Among the young Sand shinobi, there were truly few who could calmly assess the situation like him.
As for Granny Chiyo, she had no mood to praise Baki. She merely gave a disdainful smile and recalled the Chikamatsu Ten Puppets.
---
Detention Facility
Sarutobi Seiki found himself in a situation of unbearable awkwardness.
Rasa had been staring at him—motionless—for what felt like half an hour.
"Mr. Rasa… you're a married man, right?" Seiki ventured, forcing a nervous chuckle. "You're not… swinging that way, are you?"
Yashamaru, standing beside him with an expression of genuine confusion, tilted his head. "Brother-in-law… what does he mean by 'that way'?"
Rasa's lips twitched, betraying a rare flicker of irritation, and his face darkened into a stormy scowl. "Brat… are you trying to make me decide whether to kill you right here?"
Seiki's heart gave a small, private leap. So Rasa wasn't planning to kill him immediately—good enough for now.
"That means Jiraiya probably won't be showing up to save me either," Seiki muttered to himself.
Rasa, arms folded, spoke with the weight of authority pressing down on the room. "Sarutobi boy… even if I do not end your life immediately, I intend to extract every secret Konoha holds from your mind."
At a single motion of his hand, a beautiful figure appeared behind him: Pakura. Her hair framed her face in two long strands, fading to golden tips, and her expression was unreadable yet precise.
"Pakura, show him," Rasa commanded.
Immediately, Pakura formed a series of swift hand seals. Flames—pure, blazing red—coiled in her palms as if alive, licking the air hungrily.
"No need for demonstrations, Pakura of Scorch Release—I'm already familiar with your abilities."
"Oh?" Pakura's eyebrow rose, her eyes glinting with curiosity. She seemed entertained by his boldness.
"Then you have a choice," Pakura continued, voice steady. "Tell me all the secrets you know, and my flames won't consume me…"
Before she could finish, the very walls of the detention facility trembled violently. A tremendous force smashed through, shattering concrete and splintering steel.
"Little Rasa—oh no, Fourth Kazekage—release Sarutobi Seiki at once!"
Ebizō had arrived.
Granny Chiyo stepped out cautiously from behind her brother, eyes sharp, yet calm.
"So… you've finally decided to intervene," Rasa muttered, shaking his head. His hands moved in fluid, precise motions, forming hand seals as he unleashed a torrent of power: Magnet Release: Golden Sand Waves!
Golden sand erupted like a tidal wave, smashing the two Sand elders violently against the walls and sending them tumbling across the detention chamber.
"Pakura! Take Sarutobi Seiki and get out of here!" Rasa's voice rang with command, slicing through the chaos.
Without hesitation, Pakura scooped up the shackled Seiki and leapt into the air, moving to escape the crumbling facility.
But before they could put distance between themselves and the attack, the sky darkened. A colossal shadow descended rapidly, and the shockwave alone threw Pakura and Seiki off balance, slamming them to the ground.
"Miss… are you trying to suffocate me with your chest?" Seiki muttered, half-joking despite the situation. "Honestly… dying like that wouldn't have been the worst outcome."
Pakura's face flushed crimson. She scrambled to her feet, quickly hauling Seiki up alongside her.
"Gamabunta!!!" she shouted in shock.
The moment Seiki's eyes landed on the massive summon, he froze—but did not panic. Recognition sparked in his gaze, and Pakura relaxed slightly, holding him steady.
From the giant toad's clawed hands, a scroll unfurled, glowing faintly. Then, a roar split the air:
"Reverse Summoning Technique: Jiraiya!"
In an instant, atop Gamabunta's broad head stood a man clad in Konoha-green shinobi attire, a large pack strapped to his back. His spiky white hair, and the Konoha forehead protector gleamed.
"Listen closely!" he bellowed, voice carrying far beyond the facility. "The name hidden from the world is… Toad Sage! And the one behind that name… is me!"
"From north to south, from east to west—throughout the entire world, none can match my skill! One of the Legendary Sannin—the White-Haired Boy, the Toad Messenger!"
"A man so capable, even crying children will fall silent at his presence—Jiraiya-sama has arrived! Behold!"