"Tsunade, you're right."
"Let Sarutobi-sensei decide about Saigoji Youmu," Orochimaru said calmly.
Tsunade nodded and reached into her ninja bag, pulling out a scroll before tossing it toward Jiraiya.
"This contains my report on Saigoji Youmu."
Jiraiya caught the scroll with ease, glancing at it before smirking.
"Leave it to me."
With a quick motion, he bit his right thumb, forming a series of hand seals.
"Summoning Technique!"
He slammed his palm onto the ground, and intricate black patterns spread outward in a flash. A burst of smoke erupted, revealing a small toad before him.
"Deliver this scroll to the Third Hokage as fast as possible," Jiraiya instructed.
The toad gave a firm nod. "Understood, Master Jiraiya!"
With a soft pop, the toad vanished.
Konoha – Hokage's Office
Inside the Hokage Building, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat at his desk, silently analyzing the scroll in his hands. It contained intelligence from the frontlines.
There were increasing signs of Sand Shinobi activity along the Fire-Wind border, hinting at a potential war beyond the conflict in the Land of Rain.
"Third Kazekage, what are you planning?" Sarutobi muttered, frowning.
With the Land of Rain already in chaos, opening another front would be disastrous for both sides. He couldn't understand Sand Shinobi's strategy.
Just then—
Knock, knock, knock.
"Come in," Sarutobi said without looking up.
The door creaked open, and an Anbu agent stepped inside, moving swiftly to the Hokage's desk.
"Lord Hokage, a message from Master Jiraiya," the Anbu reported, placing a sealed scroll on the desk.
Sarutobi gave a nod. "Understood. You're dismissed."
"Yes, sir."
Whoosh!
The Anbu vanished in an instant.
Sarutobi exhaled, setting aside the frontline report before unsealing Jiraiya's scroll.
Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya should have arrived in the Land of Rain by now. He was curious about what they had discovered.
"A man whose strength rivals Tsunade's… but has no chakra?"
"Not a ninja… and unaffiliated with any of the Five Great Nations?"
Sarutobi took a deep drag from his pipe. The swirling smoke obscured his face, leaving his true thoughts unreadable.
Iwagakure – Tsuchikage's Office
In the Stone Village, inside the Tsuchikage's office, Onoki sat with his son, Kitsuchi, discussing the latest intelligence.
"Father, what do you want me to do?" Kitsuchi asked.
Onoki's expression was serious as he relayed the news.
"There are reports of Ice Release users appearing in the Land of Rain."
Kitsuchi's brows furrowed. "Ice Release? From Kirigakure?"
Onoki nodded. "That's right. I want you to head to the Land of Rain and monitor the situation. If possible, manipulate the situation to turn Kirigakure against Konoha and Sunagakure."
Ever since the Second Shinobi War, where the Second Tsuchikage and Second Mizukage perished in battle, relations between Iwagakure and Kirigakure had remained tense.
Now that Mist shinobi had been spotted in the Land of Rain, Onoki saw an opportunity to further strain that relationship.
Kitsuchi nodded firmly. "Understood, Father. I'll leave immediately."
Three Days Later – Land of Rain
A secluded valley, damp from the never-ending drizzle, marked the meeting place.
As Saigoji Youmu and Konan arrived, Tsunade was already waiting.
"Looks like I'm late," Saigoji Youmu remarked casually.
Tsunade shook her head. "I just got here myself."
Without wasting time, Saigoji Youmu got straight to the point.
"Have you made your decision?"
Tsunade took a deep breath. "The old man agreed."
Saigoji Youmu barely reacted. He simply nodded.
"You don't seem surprised," Tsunade noted, raising an eyebrow.
"That was the expected outcome." Saigoji Youmu smiled faintly.
He understood Sarutobi Hiruzen's way of thinking. Despite his tolerance of Danzo's actions, Sarutobi always sought to secure power for Konoha. He would never turn away a potential asset like Saigoji Youmu.
"This kid… he's not simple at all," Tsunade thought.
Though she was older and considered one of the strongest kunoichi, she found herself unable to fully gauge Saigoji Youmu's depth.
There was more to him than met the eye.