MM Racing Chapter 94 Jiraiya's Return
Chapter 94 Jiraiya's Return
Chapter 94 Jiraiya Returns
The commotion from Konoha outside the window managed to penetrate, but it couldn't dispel the heavy atmosphere in the Hokage's office.
A few days later, in the evening, a tall man with slightly unruly clothes and a head of distinctive spiky white hair, Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha, sat casually on the windowsill, his brows furrowed with the weariness and doubt of days of travel.
"Minato," Jiraiya's voice broke the silence, his tone no longer as carefree as before, "What exactly happened on the night the Nine-Tails appeared? The village was attacked, yet your letter said Kushina was unharmed. And—"
He paused, then uttered the name that haunted his mind, "Orochimaru—how did he become a rogue ninja?"
When news of the Nine-Tails' rampage spread, Jiraiya was extremely anxious.
Fortunately, he soon received a letter from his favorite student, Minato Namikaze, informing him that he and Kushina Uzumaki were safe and sound. He was somewhat relieved and, persuaded by Minato, did not immediately turn back.
Unexpectedly, one problem after another arose. The news of his close friend Orochimaru's defection from Konoha hit him like another heavy blow, catching him off guard and leaving him in dire need of answers.
Behind the desk, the golden hair of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, appeared somewhat dim in the setting sun.
He sighed deeply and slowly began to recount in detail how, on the night of the Nine-Tails sealing ceremony, the mysterious attack by the man in black, and how Gen Takuno miraculously saved Kushina's life by splitting the Nine-Tails in two with an astonishing sealing technique.
The narration continued without pause; Minato recounted in a low voice the subsequent events, ruthlessly exposing the inhumane human experiments conducted by Shimura Danzo and Orochimaru in the shadows.
"Human experimentation—" Jiraiya's voice was hoarse, and his eyes went unfocused for a moment.
Memories of fighting alongside Orochimaru and growing together flooded my mind uncontrollably—laughter, arguments, and shared ideals.
Emotionally, he instinctively resisted accepting the fact that his heart, which yearned for knowledge, had strayed onto such a dark path.
But reason coldly reminded him that, given Orochimaru's obsession and his insatiable thirst for power, it wasn't entirely impossible.
Overwhelmed by immense disappointment and heart-wrenching pain, Jiraiya closed his eyes in agony.
Memories flashed back. Tsunade had lost her loved ones, and after her brother Nawaki and her lover Kato broke up, Orochimaru's coldness and madness hidden in his eyes at that time, which he had mistaken for excessive grief—such an obvious abnormality, which he had overlooked!
Jiraiya was naturally unwilling to spread his inner gloom to others. He suppressed his turbulent emotions and quickly used his usual bold smile to cover up the cracks in his heart, deliberately steer the conversation in a slightly more positive direction.
"Oh my!" He slapped his thigh exaggeratedly, deliberately raising his voice a few octaves, "Minato, this Minamoto no Takuno-senpai you're talking about is truly amazing! Splitting the Nine-Tails? How did he even come up with that idea! What's even more incredible is that he put it back in, managing to pull Kushina back! This skill is simply—"
Minato Namikaze gazed intently at his teacher with his deep blue eyes.
He knew Jiraiya too well; he could clearly see the bitterness beneath that smile.
He considerately followed his teacher's lead, and also showed a genuine smile, "Yes, Jiraiya-sensei."
Senior Takuno is a very reliable senior. His skill in sealing techniques—now—is probably surpassed mine.
"Huh?!" Jiraiya, who had initially intended to change the subject, was now genuinely astonished. Minato Namikaze's talent and achievements in sealing techniques were among the best in the entire ninja world; for him to admit he was inferior to someone else—
Minato nodded earnestly, his tone filled with genuine admiration. "When we first met, we were perhaps evenly matched. But after we taught him the secret sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan, his progress was nothing short of miraculous—now, I think I am no match for him in sealing techniques. His understanding and application of sealing techniques are truly astonishing."
"So... that's impressive?" Jiraiya's joking expression vanished, and he nodded thoughtfully.
This evaluation gave him a completely new understanding of Gen Takuno's sealing technique skills.
If the sealing technique has reached a state of perfection, then the astonishing feat of successfully separating and resealing a tailed beast seems less surprising to him.
"Furthermore," Minato paused briefly, his expression becoming serious, "Jiraiya-sensei, before leaving, Minamoto no Takuno-senpai made a special request to me."
"Oh? It concerns me?" Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. Otherwise, Minato wouldn't have brought it up at this moment.
Minato then explained to Jiraiya his decision to have Takuno volunteer to go to the battlefield to provide support, and how, out of consideration for his safety, he ultimately placed him in the logistics and medical unit.
After listening, Jiraiya remained silent for a moment, a hint of approval and recognition flashing in his eyes. "Minato, your arrangement was appropriate. He is indeed a good ninja who cares deeply about Konoha."
It is a rare and admirable quality to be willing to contribute one's strength in the most dangerous moments even after gaining prestige.
Minato Namikaze nodded again, the master and disciple tacitly avoiding that painful name, Orochimaru.
They all knew that this topic touched on a deep wound, and now was not the time to discuss it.
Jiraiya had secretly made up his mind that once the border war was over, he would personally go and track down Orochimaru.
He wanted to know more than just the truth; he wanted to try and pull his best friend back from that sinful path of no return.
As for Shimura Danzo? His name is no longer worth mentioning in this office; no one cares about his fate, and no one is concerned about it.
After a brief silence, Jiraiya finally posed the most pressing issue, "The border—"
What exactly happened?
Mentioning the border, Minato's gentle face instantly turned grim, his brows furrowing. "It's bad, Master. Kumogakure is no longer content with small-scale probing harassment; the conflict has gradually escalated into real small-scale battles. According to frontline reports and intelligence analysis, within the next few days—"
Shuimen's voice grew increasingly somber: "The possibility of a full-scale war is extremely high. We must go all out."
"Has the situation deteriorated to this extent?" Jiraiya's expression also turned serious.
He originally planned to rest for a while, visit Kushina and the Third Master before setting off again.
It seems that Konoha gave him almost no breathing room.
"Yes," Minato's voice carried a hint of helplessness, "Their previous large-scale probing was probably an effort to confirm the veracity of Orochimaru's defection and to assess the extent of its impact on Konoha's strength. Now, they have clearly reached a conclusion."
"Understood." Jiraiya stood up cleanly, his tall figure casting a long shadow in the afterglow of the setting sun. "I'll go check on Kushina and the old man, and then immediately head to the front lines."
Not a moment can be wasted.
Minato quickly picked up a stack of pre-prepared documents from the table and handed them to Jiraiya, adding solemnly as Jiraiya was about to step out the door.
"Jiraiya-sensei—please, please make sure that Minamoto no Takuno-senpai is safe on the battlefield. His value—is of utmost importance to Konoha."
"Hmph!" Jiraiya deliberately put on a stern face, feigning displeasure, and said, "His safety is important, but is the safety of your teacher, one of the 'Legendary Sannin,' worthless?"
Minato was both amused and exasperated, and quickly explained, "Teacher, you know perfectly well that's not what I meant—"
His words carried the intimacy and helplessness typical of a junior.
Jiraiya laughed heartily, stepping out the door, his cheerful and confident voice echoing in the empty office: "Don't worry! With me here, it'll be hard for him to get into trouble! Hahaha!"
Minato Namikaze listened to the laughter fading into the distance, and shook his head with a helpless smile.
His gaze shifted to the window, landing on the rock formation in the distance, the relic of past Hokage.
If it weren't for the worry that the mysterious man in black, who could control the Nine-Tails, would strike again, the Fourth Hokage would most want to be on the front lines right now, fighting alongside his teacher and comrades.
Now he can only sit in the rear and control the overall situation, which is not what he wants, but it is his responsibility as the Shadow.
A heavy feeling welled up in his heart, and he sighed softly, casting his gaze towards the distant sky where no smoke or dust had yet risen.
May everything go smoothly.
After Jiraiya left the Hokage Building, he soon saw the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, walking alone.
Seeing that figure, who had just suffered the heavy blow of Orochimaru's defection while the shadow of Shimura Danzo was still hanging over, Jiraiya felt a mix of emotions.
The desolation in those eyes was a deep wound from repeatedly losing trust in others.
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly. If his teacher had been more vigilant and less indulgent towards Shimura Danzo's greed and ruthlessness back then, perhaps things wouldn't have turned out this way today.
This belated repentance is ultimately too heavy a burden.
He bowed silently, ultimately choosing not to appear before the Third Hokage. Without uttering a word, his figure blended into the twilight of Konoha as the lanterns began to illuminate the village.
The Third Hokage seemed to sense something and looked towards Jiraiya's location, but ultimately saw nothing.
At this moment, he saw Shimura Danzo next door, whose fighting spirit had been completely lost. The only eye left that could see light was now filled with darkness.
After seeing the Third Hokage, Danzo Shimura no longer had the rage he had shown before, and seemed to have lost all emotion as well. He turned and left.
The Third Hokage looked at Danzo Shimura's retreating figure, opened his mouth, and felt a pang of sorrow in his heart.
On the surface, he saved Danzo Shimura's life, but in reality...
Danzo Shimura was already dead after he completely lost hope of becoming Hokage and lost all his power and authority, becoming a de facto cripple.
All that remained was a lifeless shell.
In the end, the Third Hokage chuckled self-deprecatingly. Danzo Shimura was like that, and so was he.
It's all his fault.