The fierce battle claimed countless lives, including those of powerful and experienced Jonin. Even the newly titled "Legendary Sannin," granted the name by Hanzo, owed their survival partly to sheer luck.
After Hanzo departed, the Sannin began clearing the battlefield and tending to the wounded Konoha shinobi.
As they reached the edge of the battlefield, Jiraiya spotted the body of Aburame Shigeo, who had perished alongside an Ame-nin in mutual destruction. A look of unmistakable grief appeared in his eyes.
Just as Tsunade was about to console him, Orochimaru suddenly shouted.
"Careful!"
He pulled out a kunai and stepped in front of them.
At that moment, "Aburame Shigeo" suddenly dissolved into a swarm of kikaichū insects.
From behind, an Ame-nin wearing a gas mask stood up and shouted, "Wait, don't attack! I'm one of you!"
With a puff of smoke, the Ame-nin transformed into a boy with sunglasses.
Who else could it be but Aburame Shigeo?
Seeing their stunned faces, Shigeo cautiously scanned the area before asking, "Is the battle over?"
The Sannin stood silent for a moment.
Seeing the cautious expression on Shigeo's face, they couldn't help but exchange exasperated looks.
Jiraiya, however, was overjoyed. He embraced his student, laughing heartily.
Tsunade also smiled but remarked sharply, "You're lucky to survive using such a cowardly method."
Orochimaru, meanwhile, swept his gaze across the battlefield and noticed several Ame-nin corpses drained of chakra, their bodies shriveled. A raspy chuckle escaped him.
"Hehe… he didn't survive on luck alone. Jiraiya, your student is much cleverer than you."
As a seasoned shinobi, Jiraiya quickly picked up on what Orochimaru meant. He patted Shigeo on the shoulder with approval.
"Well done, Shigeo!"
Embarrassed by the praise, Shigeo muttered, "It's not a big deal… nothing compared to you, Sensei. Uh, when can we return to camp?"
Jiraiya paused for a moment, then replied meaningfully, "Soon, I think."
---
The war between Konoha and the Land of Rain continued.
However, Hanzo did not reappear, and the Sannin faced no battles as intense as before.
Not long after, they received a letter from Konoha.
The letter announced that the war was over, Konoha had emerged victorious, and they could withdraw from the Land of Rain.
"So, it ended with Konoha's victory… just as he said it would," Jiraiya mused as he ate dried rations in a cave.
Tsunade, sitting nearby, asked, "What about you? Starting another journey?"
"Probably."
Jiraiya's eyes glimmered with anticipation. "I'm planning to travel again and maybe write another book."
Tsunade hesitated, her eyes betraying a trace of reluctance. "Why not stay in the village?"
Jiraiya didn't answer immediately. He gazed at the ceaseless rain outside the cave before speaking.
"I have a feeling… I'll meet someone important again."
"You mean the person you mentioned before, the one tied to destiny?" Tsunade looked skeptical but refrained from mocking him. Instead, she turned to Shigeo.
"Hey, coward, what will you do when we're back? Huh?"
She stopped mid-sentence, noticing something odd about Shigeo.
He held his ration in one hand while his other hand clutched his insect jar. A swarm of kikaichū silently crawled out from his pant leg, gathering behind a stone pillar nearby.
By now, Tsunade had a good grasp of Shigeo's personality and tactics. She knew he was likely preparing a bug clone and substitution technique to slip away unnoticed.
She snorted. "Hmph… still a coward."
But Orochimaru, noticing something unusual, smirked.
"Shigeo is right to stay cautious. This is the Land of Rain—never let your guard down, even for a rat."
Tsunade's expression turned serious. She called out into the shadows ahead.
"Hey, stop hiding and come out!"
At her words, an orange-haired boy with a gas mask stepped out from behind the stone pillar.
He approached cautiously and extended a hand. "Can you spare us some food?"
Tsunade was taken aback.
Jiraiya, however, remained alert. "Where are your parents?"
"Killed by ninjas in the war!" The boy's face twisted with anger and grief.
Moved, Jiraiya took out a compressed ration bar and handed it over. "Take this. It's bread."
The boy shouted toward the shadows behind him.
"Nagato, Konan! It's okay—they're not enemies!"
A blue-haired girl and a red-haired boy stepped out from behind the pillar. They quickly ran up to Jiraiya and grabbed the food. Even the rations Tsunade hadn't eaten were snatched up.
Seeing this, Shigeo finally relaxed, recalling his kikaichū and stowing his smoke bomb and explosive beetles. He walked over to the red-haired boy and handed him his ration.
"Here, this is for you. You remind me of a friend. She also has beautiful red hair. What's your name?"
The boy hesitated before softly replying, "Nagato."
"Hmm?"
Shigeo's eyes lit up in surprise.
"Your name is Nagato? What a coincidence! My best friend's name also has the word 'gate' in it. Seems like we're destined to meet! Here, take it."
He handed the ration to Nagato and pulled out another small pack for the blue-haired girl.
"This one's for you!"
The orange-haired boy approached eagerly but stopped when he saw Shigeo hesitate.
"What about me?"
Shigeo raised a hand in mock seriousness.
"No, not for you."
"Why not?" The boy looked confused. "Nagato and Konan got some—why not me?"
Shigeo adjusted his sunglasses and replied flatly, "Because you're ugly."
"…"
The orange-haired boy was stunned, while Nagato and Konan stifled giggles.
Even the Sannin couldn't help but smile.
*(End of Chapter)*