Konoha.
Hokage Office.
Minato, disguised as Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Shamu stared at one another.
"Minato, I'll talk to you later."
"Shamu, you came at just the right time. I was looking for you."
Minato looked embarrassed.
"Alright, Sensei. You talk with Shamu first."
Jiraiya had come intending to find Minato through Orochimaru.
But after exchanging only a few words with this "Orochimaru,"
Jiraiya immediately recognized Minato, leaving him thoroughly embarrassed.
Luckily, Shamu arrived at that moment. Otherwise, they really would have been stuck in an awkward situation.
Shamu guessed that Jiraiya had gone back to ask the Great Toad Sage.
He wanted to know what the Great Toad Sage had said.
"Let's go. We'll talk in the conference room."
Kimimaro and Haku were still over at Orochimaru's place.
So Shamu directly led Jiraiya to the high-level conference room.
There was usually no one here.
Shamu walked ahead, while Jiraiya followed behind.
Jiraiya shut the door.
He formed hand seals with both hands and flicked his hair.
A barrier rose from Jiraiya's body and spread outward.
"Oh! The Heavenly Cover Formation. I didn't expect you to be so cautious."
Shamu still remembered this formation Jiraiya formed with his feet.
It could completely perceive everything within the barrier.
Only after Jiraiya finished did he realize that Shamu had already pulled out a chair beside him and sat down.
Seeing this, Jiraiya pulled over a chair nearby as well.
Though Jiraiya had come looking for Shamu, Shamu was the first to speak.
Shamu asked with great interest,
"Was I in the Great Toad Sage's future?"
Jiraiya choked on his words. Well...
Shamu found that a little strange. He had sent Jiraiya back to ask the Great Toad Sage for two reasons.
One was to see whether he had changed the future.
Or whether