The Name of the Sannin (Part 2)

"Become their disciples?" ×2

Konan and Nagato exchanged glances, then looked at Yahiko in confusion.

"Yes, become their disciples! If we let such powerful ninja slip away, we may never encounter them again.

I will earn their recognition, then become a powerful ninja and change the Land of Rain!"

Yahiko explained, his voice always brimming with fervent passion and fiery enthusiasm.

"Konan, Nagato, will you come with me? Help me change this country! Bring peace back to the Land of Rain!"

Yahiko extended the invitation to his two companions.

Konan and Nagato looked into Yahiko's eyes.

At that moment, they seemed to see them filled with light.

It was as though he had been born to save this weeping land.

Konan looked at Yahiko and said solemnly:

"Yahiko, you will uphold peace, and I will uphold you."

"Yahiko, your dream is my dream. I will definitely help you achieve it!"

Nagato looked at Yahiko as he spoke.

Yahiko had found the goal he would strive for all his life.

And as his best friend, he would stand firmly by Yahiko's side and help him, whether in life or death.

"Nagato is right! Yahiko, Nagato, the rain has let up. Let's go!"

A group of young children took a small yet incomparably resolute step forward for their ideals and for their country.

Hanzo clutched his abdomen, leaning on his sickle as he looked at the three young people before him.

He had not expected Orochimaru's injuries to recover so quickly, allowing him to already display such formidable strength.

What surprised him even more was that the other two young people were equally outstanding.

During the battle just now, faced with the threat of death, both Jiraiya and Tsunade had broken through, stepping over the threshold into the Kage-level.

Hanzo knew that with four Kage-level combatants and White Fang in reserve, Konoha would, barring any surprises, emerge victorious from this Ninja War.

"I acknowledge you! The name Konoha Sannin truly lives up to its reputation!"

Hanzo said, doing his best to maintain his imposing air.

When Tsunade had risked herself as bait, Jiraiya had covered her, and Orochimaru had launched a sneak attack, Orochimaru's Kusanagi Sword had pierced Hanzo's abdomen.

When Hanzo was young, he had been captured by an evil organization and subjected to human experimentation. The people from that organization had implanted a salamander's venom sac in his abdomen.

Salamander venom was extremely potent. Even Hanzo himself could not withstand it, so he had to return to receive treatment.

But he was Hanzo of the Salamander, the Demigod of the Ninja World, and the god who protected the Land of Rain.

He could not lose, so this battle could only be considered a draw.

"This battle is a draw. I look forward to our next clash, Konoha Sannin."

Hanzo's voice gradually faded into the distance.

Orochimaru and the other two were also in terrible condition.

Tsunade was panting heavily. Jiraiya had suffered considerable injuries while rescuing Tsunade just now, and even standing up took some effort.

However, Orochimaru considered himself barely capable of fighting on.

Although the enhancement Dragon Yuan gave him had gradually slowed recently, Orochimaru's Chakra remained abundant even at this point.

Combined with the self-healing ability granted by Dragon Yuan, he was in the best condition among the four. Otherwise, Hanzo would not have left so decisively.

He called it a draw, but in truth, old man Hanzo was simply trying to save face. Otherwise, where would the Demigod of the Ninja World put his pride?

He needed to maintain his myth of invincibility to make the great nations wary while giving the ninja and people of the Land of Rain confidence.

The three of them rested briefly at the edge of the battlefield.

Although their battle with Hanzo had ended, this was still a war zone. They needed to remain wary of ninja who might come to investigate after noticing the battle had concluded.

Suddenly, perhaps due to fate, or perhaps because his Sensory Ability had been strengthened through training in Sage Mode, Jiraiya was the first to sense something.

Noticing their companion's movements, Tsunade and Orochimaru immediately went on guard as well.

From behind a building, an orange-haired little boy ran out.

The look in the boy's eyes felt familiar to Orochimaru.

It was the light of someone yearning for strength, a conviction to use that strength to change something.

Soon after Yahiko, Konan and Nagato emerged in turn.

Yet upon approaching the three of them, Yahiko became somewhat shy and scratched his head.

"Um... do you have any food?"

Jiraiya took out some biscuits and handed them to Yahiko.

At that moment, Konan boldly stepped forward, took the biscuit wrapper, and folded it into a paper flower to show that they had traded paper flowers for food.

"Do you desire power, boy?"

Orochimaru stuck out his tongue and washed his face again with interest before suddenly asking Yahiko.

"Orochimaru, what are you trying to do?"

Jiraiya asked his companion with a grave expression.

Broad-minded as he was, he could kill enemies without hesitation, but he would not let Orochimaru deceive three young children.

After all, Orochimaru had always been fond of twisted amusements since childhood.

Orochimaru continued licking his lips as he looked at the child named Yahiko.

"His eyes feel familiar to me. Those are the eyes of someone who desires power."

Orochimaru walked up to Yahiko.

Konan and Nagato were so nervous they could not speak, but Yahiko held his head high and met Orochimaru's gaze directly.

Looking into Yahiko's eyes, Orochimaru spoke as though sighing.

"Jiraiya, after losing my parents, I came to understand that life is actually the most fragile thing in this world.

"Flowers do not wither in the next instant. They gradually fade only after reaching their most brilliant and resplendent season in summer.

"But life is different. Death often comes suddenly. Perhaps in the next second, it will be you or me."

Orochimaru clasped his hands behind his back, took a few steps forward, and looked up at the cloud-filled skies of the Land of Rain as he continued.

"The first time I saw Teacher Sarutobi's eyes, they were the same as the way this brat is looking at us now.

"Just as wind is needed to turn a windmill, you need power if you want to change something."

Jiraiya crouched down, bringing his eyes level with Yahiko's.

The instant he saw Yahiko's eyes, the powerful and resilient Hero was somewhat shaken by his gaze.

Why did this child's eyes reveal such an overwhelming conviction?

He wanted to know exactly why this child sought power so desperately.

"Brat, tell me. If you obtained a power capable of overturning heaven and earth, of changing the Shinobi World, what would you do?"

Jiraiya asked, staring into Yahiko's eyes.

"I will end all wars! I will change this country! The Land of Rain will no longer weep!"

Yahiko shouted with burning passion and unwavering resolve.

Orochimaru had always thought that Hot-blooded Idiots were naturally drawn to one another. It seemed that was indeed true.

At such an age, with such a dream, such... capacity.

Jiraiya thought of the Toad Sage's prophecy.

As long as there was even the slightest possibility, he would give it his all.

Because he was Jiraiya.

The Toad Sage, the Hero Jiraiya, who had taught a disciple who upheld throughout his life:

"Never go back on my word—that is my ninja way."

"Orochimaru, Tsunade, you two head back first. I'll look after them for the time being."

Jiraiya decided to observe Yahiko for a while first. Before understanding what kind of person he was, he would not accept him as a disciple so easily, nor would he entrust power to the wrong person.

"Huh?"

Tsunade cried out, just about to say something more when Jiraiya cut her off.

"After all, we brought war to this place. Consider it a small way of easing the guilt in my heart."

Jiraiya said in a deep voice.

Understanding their companion's personality, Tsunade and Orochimaru did not try to stop him again. Their companion was a true Hero who always kept his word.

Tsunade and Orochimaru left. Tsunade believed, because of Jiraiya's words "for the time being," that the three of them were only facing a temporary separation.

As the camp's Deputy Commander, Orochimaru had a great deal of postwar matters to handle.

The next day, the detailed account of the battle between Orochimaru's group and Hanzō was released after being embellished by Hanzō.

No matter what, although Hanzō had not lost on the surface, he had not truly won either. The more formidable he made Orochimaru and the others sound, the more formidable Hanzō himself appeared.

The name of the Three Ninja spread across the land!

As the Disciples of the Third Hokage, the three had already drawn much attention. Combined with their considerable strength, they had gained a modest reputation before this.

In several previous battles, Orochimaru had successively fought renowned veteran Kage-level experts such as Kakuzu, Chiyo, and Hanzō, earning himself a name.

This time, with the Third Hokage and Hanzō promoting them, the three saw their reputations soar.

If the three had been considered leading figures among the younger generation of the ninja world before reaching the Land of Rain battlefield, then after this battle, the Three Ninja had become three major figures standing near the top of the ninja world's pyramid.

More than a month later.

Hanzō and Hiruzen Sarutobi signed their names on the Treaty, each representing their own ninja village in forming an alliance.

Those with insight in the ninja world could all see that the Second Ninja War, which had erupted in the Land of Rain, was about to reach its end.

The final battle was about to begin!

With Hanzō as an external ally, and the powerful Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi and the renowned Three Ninja within its ranks, Konohagakure became the side everyone favored.

The beginning was the end.

After later discovering Nagato's Rinnegan, Jiraiya believed him to be the Child of Prophecy, the future savior of the ninja world, and thus decided to stay behind to teach the three children.

Because Jiraiya had left the team, the Three Ninja team was temporarily split apart. Orochimaru formed a team with the two Elite Jonin, Mito Uzumaki and Yūhi Shinku.

Tsunade formed a team with her newest lover, Danzō Katō, and the experienced, powerful Elite Jonin Kikume Kōtō.

Orochimaru had only recently said that the loss of life was always incomparably sudden; perhaps the next one would be among you and me.

But Tsunade had not expected Dan's departure to be just as sudden.

Three days before the final battle, Tsunade's team returned to camp from a reconnaissance mission. Yet what returned was Danzō Katō's corpse, his kidneys shattered and his body covered in severe wounds.

There was also Tsunade, drenched in blood, her hands trembling and her eyes vacant, along with Kikume Kōtō, consumed by guilt as he silently shook his head and sighed nearby.