Jiraiya's Anger!

The snow outside the window fell harder and harder, yet Senya and Jiraiya remained standing in Naruto's home.

Senya was thinking about how he could make it up to Jiraiya in the future.

Jiraiya, meanwhile, was reminiscing about every little moment he had shared with Naruto over the past few days.

"Senya, go back. I need to see the old man."

"No matter what, I want to know what the old man is really thinking."

"I need to get a clear answer. Did the old man support Danzo's actions this time or not?"

Jiraiya's words pulled Senya from his thoughts. He recalled the plan he had originally prepared in his mind.

"Is it really a good idea to bring this up with the Third Hokage now?"

"Have you really thought this through? The answer may be hard for you to accept..."

"I understand!"

"But no matter what, the old man is still my teacher. The truth may really disappoint me, but I've made up my mind. Senya, don't try to stop me anymore."

Senya wanted to say more, but when he saw Jiraiya's resolute expression and unwavering gaze, he swallowed his words.

That was Jiraiya. What use was there in trying to stop him? Let him go. As for the consequences, with me controlling this game of chess, what could possibly go wrong?

After thinking it over, Senya no longer tried to dissuade him.

"Jiraiya, go. I understand how you feel."

"But remember this: no matter what answer the Third Hokage gives you, our plan must continue. We have no way back."

Jiraiya looked up at Senya and saw the serious expression on his face.

Only then did he realize just how much Senya had sacrificed for the whole plan.

That familiar, uplifting expression returned to Jiraiya's face as he raised a thumbs-up.

"Thanks, Senya."

"Don't worry. I'm the Toad Sage, one of the Legendary Sannin! I won't be beaten by setbacks like these!"

With that, he turned away with a flourish and left.

Senya was left alone in the snowy night, disheveled by the cold wind.

At that moment, Senya felt as if ants were crawling all over his body. If he had made the same expression and gesture Jiraiya just had...

At the thought, Senya's big toe unconsciously curled against the sole of his shoe.

No, that was way too embarrassing. Perhaps only Jiraiya could pull off that kind of expression so naturally and skillfully.

Jiraiya raced across the rooftops, leaving a trail of footprints in the snow.

When he reached the window of Hiruzen Sarutobi's home, four Anbu directly under the Hokage suddenly appeared before him in body-flickers.

"Lord Jiraiya, what brings you to see the Hokage so late at night?"

"If it isn't urgent, please allow the Hokage to rest. The Hokage specifically ordered that no one was to disturb him tonight!"

Seeing the four Anbu before him signaling for him to leave, Jiraiya tensed every muscle in his body.

"What if I insist on seeing the old man?"

Jiraiya's eyes moved across the four Anbu guards, watching their movements at all times.

"Then forgive our discourtesy, Lord Jiraiya!"

"Move!"

The four Anbu members retreated to create distance, surrounding Jiraiya as their hands rapidly formed seals!

Four Violet Flames Formation!

A purple Chakra barrier rapidly spread out, enclosing Jiraiya within it.

Trapped within the Four Violet Flames Formation, Jiraiya immediately formed hand seals with both hands and vanished in a puff of white smoke.

He suddenly appeared behind one of the Anbu members.

"You think something this simple can trap me? You're seriously underestimating the Toad Sage!"

His right hand became a blade as he chopped toward the back of the man's neck!

Just as Jiraiya was about to knock the Anbu ninja unconscious, a wrinkled hand suddenly grabbed his wrist.

"Enough, Jiraiya. Come inside with me."

"You four, stand down. Guard the outside. No one is allowed in."

The four Anbu members body-flickered in front of him and lowered their heads.

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

Jiraiya's gaze followed the hand to its owner.

"Old man, Naruto..."

"We'll talk inside. This is not the place."

Jiraiya instinctively closed his mouth, only then realizing that these matters truly could not be discussed in front of the four Anbu ninjas.

He followed Hiruzen Sarutobi into the house.

The hearth burned, the only source of light in the living room at night.

Jiraiya reached out and pressed the white switch on the wall, lighting the bulb.

The room was instantly illuminated.

The brown wooden table bore the marks of time. Photos of the master and his four disciples, as well as the past Hokage, hung on the walls, along with a memorial portrait of the old man's deceased wife—Biwako Sarutobi.

Hiruzen walked over to the photographs of the past Hokage and lit several sticks of incense, placing them upright in the incense burner on the altar.

Jiraiya also stepped forward and lit several sticks of incense for his teacher's wife, Biwako Sarutobi.

The two sat down on the tatami.

Hiruzen picked up the dark brown smoking pipe that had accompanied him for decades from the low table.

"I knew you would come tonight. Ask everything you want to ask at once. I'll tell you what I can."

He let out a long sigh, exhaling smoke from his lungs.

Looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi's aged appearance, Jiraiya still chose to speak and ask the question that had been weighing on his mind.

"Danzo took Naruto away. Did you order him to do it?"

His fist beneath the low table clenched unconsciously as he stared firmly at his teacher, hoping for an Answer.

Hiruzen looked at Jiraiya and continued smoking his pipe.

"I did not order Danzo to do this. The middle and lower ranks of Root are practically hollowed out."

"He said he wanted to bring Naruto into Root. I refused. Then he asked me for the sealing scroll, and I gave it to him."

After hearing this, rage began burning in Jiraiya's heart. His fist shot out from beneath the low table and smashed it apart.

"The sealing scroll contains the Four Symbols Seal and the Eight Trigrams Seal used to seal the Nine-Tails. Did you not know that?!"

After hearing Hiruzen's words, Jiraiya's reason was gradually consumed by fury, vanishing bit by bit.

"I knew. But Senya Uchiha has already awakened the Mangekyo. As long as the mastermind behind the Nine-Tails Attack remains unidentified, I cannot put my fears to rest. Do you understand, Jiraiya?!"

When Jiraiya heard Hiruzen mention the Nine-Tails Attack, he nearly revealed Danzo's collusion with Obito Uchiha.

But just as the words reached his lips, he suddenly remembered Senya's final warning. Their plan had reached this point; there was no way back.

So he swallowed the words he had wanted to say.

Seeing Jiraiya looking as though he wanted to speak but hesitated, Hiruzen continued voicing his thoughts, trying to comfort him.

"Naruto may suffer a little in Root, but the key to the Nine-Tails' seal is in your hands. If things get out of control, we still have a chance to save him."

"But the Uchiha's momentum truly needs to be suppressed now."

Only then did Jiraiya face reality. The last trace of hope in his heart was shattered.

He rose to his feet.

"I understand."

Looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi as he was now, he only felt increasingly disappointed.

He turned, leaped out the window, and left.

Inside the house, Hiruzen Sarutobi watched Jiraiya's departing figure. He merely frowned, continued the motion of his hand, and smoked his pipe alone in the night.