Konoha.
The Third Hokage had recently been working hard to build up Orochimaru's reputation.
After all, a considerable number of elite Konoha ninja had left the ranks of active combat due to disabilities.
So, after the Third Hokage unveiled Orochimaru's cloning technology,
many people came to seek out the Third Hokage.
While running himself ragged, the Third Hokage also recovered quite a bit of his prestige.
Pushing Orochimaru forward had been the right move.
The Third Hokage had been quite pleased with himself.
But then news arrived from the Land of Water battlefield: the powerful reinforcements hired by the Hidden Mist Village had wiped out three thousand Cloud Village ninja in a single strike and forced Cloud Village to withdraw.
It struck the Third Hokage like a blow to the head.
The war that had seemed poised to sweep across the entire Shinobi World had actually ended so quickly?
It had lasted less than a month in total.
Had he known this would happen, there would have been no need to make so many concessions to the Uchiha Clan.
The Third Hokage was deeply frustrated.
But with things having come to this, there was nothing else he could do.
After all, he had never expected the Hidden Mist Village to find such powerful aid.
The Third Hokage picked up the intelligence report and read it over and over, inside and out.
Especially the detailed description of the Akatsuki leader's unusual eyes.
The Third Hokage's heart skipped a beat. Could those be the Rinnegan Jiraiya had mentioned?
Such a treasure could not possibly appear so casually.
Could that person be Nagato?
Because the intelligence was important, Konoha's spies had even commissioned a portrait of the man.
The Third Hokage summoned an Anbu. "Where is Jiraiya?"
The Anbu said quietly, "Lord Jiraiya