Naruto had the toad named "Kousuke" carry his message back.
He didn't write a long letter—just briefly described what happened the previous night and reported the results. Although he failed to kill Uchiha Itachi and Kisame, he still managed to take something from them—he severed that shark-faced man's arm.
Konoha.
Sitting by the window in Sarutobi Asuma's hospital room, Jiraiya received Naruto's reply, and his expression darkened.
"Jiraiya-sama, what's wrong?" Kakashi, who was also keeping watch at the hospital, asked. Sasuke had suffered a severe mental shock—stronger than Asuma and the others—and still hadn't woken up. Seeing Jiraiya's change in expression, Kakashi's heart skipped a beat.
Jiraiya spoke heavily, "Naruto has already encountered them."
His emotions were tangled, like a mess of twisted thread.
He had just promised Naruto that he wouldn't "be late."
But now, just a few days after that promise, his intel had arrived too late.
The information had only reached Naruto after the encounter had already taken place—rendering it almost meaningless.
Timely information is the only kind of useful intelligence.
Kakashi froze.
Then realized he had misjudged the situation, based on Jiraiya's grim expression.
If Naruto had been able to send a reply, then he must still be in decent shape.
"Did Naruto escape?" he asked cautiously.
Jiraiya shook his head. "Naruto did far better than we expected."
"He didn't just escape."
"He faced the two of them head-on and managed to drive them back—he even cut off Kisame's arm."
Kakashi opened his mouth in disbelief.
He had fought Uchiha Itachi before.
That man's pressure had been no less terrifying than Orochimaru's—possibly even greater.
And yet...
Despite that terrifying strength—plus the addition of Kisame—Naruto had faced both and achieved this outcome.
"Naruto's gotten a lot stronger," Kakashi exhaled deeply.
He had gone from being weaker than Kakashi to surpassing him.
And it had only taken Naruto a little more than four months.
He hadn't even paused at the "as strong as me" stage.
The son of his teacher had surpassed him...
While he himself remained stuck at the level of a 12-year-old's achievements.
"I have to go," Jiraiya said quietly, standing up. "I had hoped that maybe this would be a reason to get closer to Naruto."
"Looks like that's not going to work."
"He's already done more than enough."
"So now I should start worrying about other things."
Kakashi also stood. "Are you going to find Lady Tsunade?"
Jiraiya nodded. "Konoha needs a Hokage."
"Kakashi—just hypothetically—"
"If Tsunade won't return, we'll need someone else reliable to take the position."
He didn't spell it out, but everyone in the room understood what he meant.
Right now, the people qualified to be Hokage were limited.
Aside from the Legendary Sannin—Jiraiya and Tsunade—the next most qualified were Nara Shikaku and Kakashi. Of the two, Kakashi was more suitable—being younger and stronger.
As for that person who had temporarily been stripped of his "Elder" title and constantly shouted that he alone was worthy of being Hokage—
He was technically eligible, but in truth, the least qualified.
Neither Jiraiya, the Jōnin Council, nor the village Elders wanted to see him become Hokage—especially with the threat of the golden-haired Jinchūriki returning to Konoha and launching a second "Orochimaru-style Konoha Destruction Plan."
Kakashi nodded. "Understood."
He turned toward the window. Summer had arrived—the trees were lush and green to the point of being almost dazzling.
On the island of the Land of Whirlpools.
Naruto and Karin were enjoying their days excavating information from the ruins of Uzushio Village.
Progress was just a bit slow.
They searched for stone tablets in the morning, then spent the afternoons deciphering them. Working together, they could only manage to interpret four or five tablets a day.
Meanwhile...
Jiraiya set out on his journey to find Tsunade.
One of the Legendary Sannin, "Princess Tsunade," wasn't easy to find—
But the "legendary sucker" at the gambling tables? Much easier.
It took less than half a month for Jiraiya to track her down in a bustling gambling town.
Inside a bar.
The two sat across from each other.
A short-haired young woman clutching a pig sat beside Tsunade.
"That must be Dan's niece?" Jiraiya greeted the young woman casually. "She's grown so much already."
"I remember her name..."
"Was it Shizune?"
"Jiraiya, stop with the pointless small talk. You obviously tracked me down on purpose," Tsunade waved impatiently. "So, what do you want?"
Jiraiya got straight to the point. "The village wants you to become the Fifth Hokage."
Tsunade snorted. "That old man Sarutobi finally wants to retire? Hasn't he been Hokage for almost thirty years? Couldn't he hold out a little longer?"
Jiraiya's expression turned grave. "You don't know?"
"Sarutobi-sensei... was killed by Orochimaru not long ago."
Tsunade froze.
The news struck her momentarily dumb.
"I see..." she murmured, taking a sip of sake.
Jiraiya extended his hand. "So—will you do it?"
Tsunade didn't answer immediately.
Shizune turned to look at her silently.
Faces from the past floated through Tsunade's mind.
One was of a young boy who resembled her—a younger version of her younger brother Nawaki, who had died young on the battlefield shortly after graduating from the academy.
Another was an adult man with long silver hair—her lover Dan, who died on a mission right before her eyes.
Other faces followed—comrades from her shinobi days, now long gone.
"I refuse," Tsunade said, shaking her head.
Jiraiya's heart sank.
He scratched his head and forced a smile. "That reminds me of the old days—you rejected my confession the same way."
"But being Hokage is a bit more serious than that."
"Can I at least ask why?"
Tsunade looked out the window. "Whether it's Sarutobi-sensei or my two grandfathers..."
"And even the most talented Fourth Hokage."
"They all gave so much to the village... but did it change anything?"
"That's why—"
"Being Hokage means nothing. Only fools would want the job."
Jiraiya opened his mouth, but no words came.
She still had that face he loved from over thirty years ago...
But now, she felt like a stranger.
"It's not like before," he said quietly. "Danzo... is no longer an Elder."
Tsunade was surprised. "Did Orochimaru kill him too?"
"No," Jiraiya shook his head. "It was thanks to a very interesting kid."
"He has talent equal to, or even greater than, Minato."
"He has the potential to change the village."
"Even Danzo's fall from power was partly because of him."
"The seedlings of Konoha are growing."
Talent on par with—or surpassing—the Fourth Hokage?
Influencing Danzo?
Tsunade looked at Jiraiya.
But he avoided her gaze.
Lying?
Which part?
"We both know the Elder title meant little to Danzo," she followed her own suspicions. "Does he still control that... ANBU training division?"
Jiraiya stayed silent—an answer in itself.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
So that part wasn't the lie.
"You say this kid rivals Minato. Where is he?" she placed her cup down. "If he's real, you'd bring him to me—like you did with Minato."
Jiraiya turned away.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes.
So that's the lie.
"There is no such kid, is there?" she said softly.
Jiraiya shook his head firmly. "No—Naruto is very real."
"He's just not in the village right now. He left on a journey."
Tsunade laughed mockingly. "'Journey'?"
The word dripped with sarcasm.
"He couldn't stand the village, so he left—right?" she twisted the word.
Jiraiya didn't respond—his silence was confirmation enough.
"Even your precious little seedling couldn't bear the village," Tsunade sneered, "so why should I go back?"
Jiraiya said firmly, "Naruto left to search for the fabled Pure Land."
Tsunade stopped laughing.
"He has a special gift," Jiraiya continued. "You've heard of the forbidden technique from the Uzumaki clan, right?"
Tsunade nodded.
Her grandmother was from the Uzumaki clan—she'd heard stories as a child.
"Without ever making a contract, Naruto can see the Shinigami," Jiraiya explained.
"He's searching for the Pure Land—to find his parents."
"He's the child of Minato and Kushina."
"This... is just a temporary journey."
"I will bring him back to Konoha one day."
The mention of the Pure Land brought those two faces even clearer into Tsunade's mind.
"What a fool," she muttered with a mocking smile, though her tone had softened. "Chasing after something that doesn't exist."
Jiraiya seized the chance, extending his hand again. "Then come back to Konoha."
"While he's still young, and we still have strength—we can protect his ideals."
Tsunade shook her head, even more decisively than before. "I refuse."
"When you bring back that kid searching for the Pure Land—then I'll consider returning."
She was very direct.
Jiraiya let out a sigh, slumping in his chair—his back suddenly seemed hunched and weary. "Is that your final answer?"
Tsunade nodded.
She was resolute.
In the days that followed, Jiraiya stayed near her, continuing to persuade her.
But... it was completely ineffective.
(End of Chapter)