Jiraiya had already headed the other way, where a straight-backed, white-haired man stood waiting for him. The two Jiraiyas stared at each other. For a moment, the air turned awkward.
"So..." the Jiraiya from the Otherworld spoke first, his voice serious and searching. "What do you think of the path we took in our world, now that you've spent time here?"
"What do you mean?" This world's Jiraiya folded his arms.
"The path I took in that world—or, more accurately, the path all of you took." The Otherworld's Jiraiya spoke slowly. "Our Konoha was torn apart. The black-clad clan was driven out, and hatred endured for decades. Uchiha Yao's solution was to unite everything through absolute power, creating a world with one person at its absolute center. I never agreed with that approach. It felt too domineering, too narrow. But talking with you this time has shown me more possibilities."
This world's Jiraiya fell silent for a moment, then grinned. "You know, I've thought seriously about that while we've been together over there. I used to think crushing everything with force was crude and simplistic, the sort of thing a brute who never used his head would do. But then I realized that when both sides have been driven to the edge of a cliff by hatred, reasoning with them gets you nowhere. The only thing that makes them sit down and listen is power—enough power that they have no choice but to yield."
He paused, then went on. "Only then can you talk about peace, institutions, and the future. You're Jiraiya. You should understand that better than anyone. Sometimes gentleness is for decent people. For those who aren't, power is the greatest kindness."
The Otherworld's Jiraiya did not answer for a long time. He gazed at Konoha's rooftops, gilded