Rain fell upon the green-tiled roofs, water streaming from the eaves.
Damp firewood burned, sending thick smoke into the air.
An old man in a straw raincoat and bamboo hat led a water buffalo along.
New swallows descended before an old shrine.
The young and the old alike drifted away, leaving their stories to be told to the mountain spirits.
Jiraiya fell silent.
Perhaps the reason he had been able to live so freely was precisely because he had nothing tying him down.
The people he wanted to care about had no need for his concern, while the people who might have wanted him to care about them were people he himself had little attachment to.
Jiraiya had never been satisfied with everything the old man Hiruzen had done over the years.
Whatever remained of their master-disciple bond had nearly been worn away.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have so casually found an excuse to wander the world.
As for Minato, that disciple had also been a political assignment from the Third Hokage.
Aside from teaching Minato a Summoning Technique, Jiraiya had honestly never taught him much.
In the Land of Water, he had once rescued several children.
At the time, he had thought they might be the Child of Prophecy.
Once he discovered they weren’t, however, his enthusiasm disappeared as well.
The two men stared at each other in silence for a long time.
Too many things had happened over the past few years.
Even the companions who had once depended on each other for survival had gradually drifted apart.
Life was like a vehicle.
Some people got on, while others got off.
Everyone had a different destination, so naturally they could only accompany one another for part of the journey.
For the time it took to finish a cup of tea, the beautiful memories of the three Sannin growing up together passed through their minds.
The good memories could remain in their hearts.
As for life, it still had to go on as it always had.
Jiraiya had come here carrying a mission from the Third Hokage.
"Orochimaru, let’s talk business. Those Uchiha whose combat strength is abnormally high have been spending quite a bit of time with you lately. What do you make of them?"
Seeing Jiraiya suddenly become so businesslike made Orochimaru’s heart grow even colder.
"What do I make of them? I sit in my chair, drink tea, and watch them."
Orochimaru refused to answer.
His complete lack of cooperation irritated Jiraiya.
Can’t you just give me a straight answer? What’s the harm in letting me go back and give the Third Hokage something to work with?
"Orochimaru, you know what I’m asking!"
Knowing was one thing.
That didn’t mean Orochimaru had to cooperate.
In this world, no one was obligated to accommodate you.
"But Jiraiya, you don’t know what I’m saying."
Other people used their brains to accomplish things.
They could take eighteen twists and turns to achieve a single objective and still consider the effort worthwhile.
Jiraiya, on the other hand, relied on enthusiasm.
He had only one goal.
And he had to accomplish it.
"So what exactly are you trying to say, Orochimaru?"
After all these years of experience, Jiraiya was still like this.
It wasn’t good for him.
And it wasn’t good for Konoha, either.
"I mean that if you continue being this stupid, you may very well get Konoha to drive you out for another five years."
Orochimaru’s meaning was already perfectly clear.
Jiraiya was doing something that would cost him a great deal while gaining nothing in return.
Anything Orochimaru could tell Jiraiya, he could tell the Third Hokage as well.
And anything he couldn’t tell the Third Hokage, he obviously couldn’t tell Jiraiya.
But Jiraiya refused to accept that.
Ever since he had successfully mastered Sage Mode and gained an edge over Orochimaru, that refusal had only grown stronger.
"Orochimaru, if you keep speaking in riddles, I’ll activate Sage Mode right here and make the rest of your life very interesting."
After being threatened with violence by Jiraiya, Orochimaru—who had recently been treated like a VIP by everyone—found the situation rather amusing.
"Hahaha. You really are just like those Uchiha who only know how to solve problems with violence."
"You don’t seem like a Konoha shinobi at all."
"When did we become so bold?"
The information that slipped out inadvertently was often the most important.
Jiraiya’s eyes narrowed.
Not like a Konoha shinobi? Interesting.
"So that group of Uchiha really does have a problem!"
Jiraiya continued pressing him.
Orochimaru felt that he might as well give Jiraiya something else to worry about.
"Of course. That group of Uchiha is far too strange."
"Didn’t you see that celestial phenomenon everyone has been calling the Descent of Myth?"
"Forget the Uchiha. Even the White Snake Sage couldn’t summon the real Yamata no Orochi right there on the spot."
Jiraiya genuinely didn’t understand what that implied.
But he knew it was absolutely abnormal.
At the very least, when he had asked the all-knowing Mount Myōboku about the incident, the Toad Sages had fallen silent.
"Then what exactly was that phenomenon that day?"
"And what does this so-called Yamata no Orochi represent?"
Orochimaru had successfully shifted the conversation from what the Uchiha intended to do toward the safety of the entire Shinobi World—something Jiraiya was much more concerned about.
And he still had more information to release.
"It represents an existence above the level of a Sage."
"A true god."
"Not one of those minor deities like the Evil God or the God of Death."
"...Orochimaru, you really do have inside information."
"That’s because I know how to maintain relationships with people from various factions."
"Unlike you, who only thought about making your move after seeing Tsunade had just lost her husband."
Jiraiya had been looking rather pleased with himself, which immediately irritated Orochimaru.
Naturally, Orochimaru had to throw in a few more barbs.
Jiraiya didn’t mind.
"So what exactly are the Uchiha trying to do?"
"What does that phenomenon represent?"
"Are they planning to threaten the entire Shinobi World?"
At this point, Orochimaru fell completely silent.
"I genuinely don’t know."
"And it’s not just me. You’d be better off not knowing, either."
"Orochimaru, what exactly are you trying to say?"
That only proved that Orochimaru knew something.
Naturally, Jiraiya couldn’t let it go.
"Exactly what I said."
"After that celestial phenomenon appeared, the White Snake Sage summoned me to Ryūchi Cave."
"He gave me a prophecy from Ryūchi Cave."
Another earth-shattering revelation.
"What prophecy?"
"The Child of Prophecy."
Jiraiya exploded.
Searching for the Child of Prophecy had been his final pursuit ever since he had lost the woman he loved.
And now Orochimaru was telling him that the Child of Prophecy was right under Konoha’s nose?
Wasn’t that just bullying an honest man?
"Ryūchi Cave has a damn Child of Prophecy?"
"That has always been something Mount Myōboku was searching for!"
Jiraiya immediately rejected Orochimaru’s claim.
"We’re all part of the Three Great Sage Regions."
"Why should Mount Myōboku be the only one allowed to have a Child of Prophecy?"
"Why can’t Ryūchi Cave have one?"
"Oh?"
"So you’re saying there can be more than one Child of Prophecy?"
"Then Uchiha Kei is the Child of Prophecy chosen by Ryūchi Cave?"
Jiraiya wasn’t actually stupid.
Someone who had risen to his position couldn’t possibly be an idiot.
The difference was that people’s worldviews were different, and so were the things they pursued.
Orochimaru answered with a grin.
"No."
"Among those Uchiha, the little girl named Hotaru is the Child of Prophecy chosen by Ryūchi Cave."
"She is also my newest disciple."
Ryūchi Cave had just given him the perfect reason not to participate in this conflict.
He absolutely had to make sure that this information was spread through Jiraiya.
Jiraiya’s eyes widened.
He stared at Orochimaru, trying to determine whether he was lying.
This was far too advantageous for Orochimaru.
The Three Great Sage Regions stood above the ordinary affairs of the Shinobi World.
Although the legend of the Child of Prophecy had circulated throughout the Shinobi World for years as something sought by Mount Myōboku, who had ever said that Ryūchi Cave couldn’t find its own Child of Prophecy?
Once this was established, the Third Hokage could no longer interfere with Orochimaru accepting an Uchiha as his disciple.
And with Orochimaru connected as a disciple to both the Third Hokage and the Uchiha, he would naturally stand outside the conflict.
"So what are we supposed to do?"
The Third Hokage had his own ideas.
The Three Great Sage Regions had their own ideas.
Mount Myōboku and Ryūchi Cave each had their own agendas.
And Orochimaru had his own thoughts as well.
It was far too complicated.
It wasn’t something Jiraiya was suited to figure out.
As usual, he turned to Orochimaru for help.
But Orochimaru didn’t know how to help him.
After all, their positions were different.
Whether it was Konoha or the Three Great Sage Regions, Orochimaru and Jiraiya now stood on different sides.
"What are you supposed to do?"
Orochimaru pretended not to understand.
"The Child of Prophecy is supposed to be the one destined to completely end the wars of the Shinobi World."
"It’s become this casual?"
"What are we representatives of the Three Great Sage Regions supposed to do?"
Once there were too many people carrying the same mission, the mission itself became worthless.
It no longer seemed so sacred.
"You really still think the Child of Prophecy is that important, Lord Jiraiya?"
"Orochimaru, can’t you just talk properly?"
Seeing Jiraiya beginning to lose his temper, Orochimaru stopped teasing him.
He might as well explain what he could.
This wasn’t something they should involve themselves in.
"These Uchiha have been making trouble in broad daylight."
"Every faction that witnessed them perform those miracles has chosen to remain silent."
"Even the Three Great Sage Regions—forces that stand above the Shinobi World while constantly influencing its development—have begun speaking on their behalf."
"During all this time, has Mount Myōboku said anything against this suddenly emerging group of Uchiha?"
"What’s more, Ryūchi Cave has already openly taken the Uchiha’s side."
"As for Shikkotsu Forest, they’ve always been gentle and have never said a damn thing."
"The entire Konoha, apart from Third Hokage Sarutobi-sensei, is practically lying down and doing nothing."
"And you—just an ordinary shinobi with no official position in Konoha, someone who was once driven out of the village—why are you involving yourself in Konoha’s affairs?"
"One is the Hokage of Konoha."
"The other is one of Konoha’s founders."
"Regardless of who wins or loses, won’t Konoha still be Konoha?"
It was unclear whether Jiraiya understood.
But his disappointment was genuine.
His pursuit over all these years suddenly seemed somewhat childish.
"Orochimaru... the words Child of Prophecy really don’t carry much weight."
"They’re so light that they can be replaced whenever convenient."
"But they’ve been passed down for so many years."
"No one even knows what they truly represent."
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