Mount Myoboku.
Jiraiya led Naruto, Sasuke, and Fū through a fantastical forest. The air here was filled with natural energy, and every blade of grass and leaf was enormous. Beetles half the height of a person and caterpillars were everywhere.
Unlike Sasuke, Naruto and Fū were visiting Mount Myoboku for the first time. Everything here felt so fresh to them that they chattered nonstop.
Sasuke quickly caught up to Jiraiya at the front and asked, "Jiraiya-sensei, why did you suddenly bring me here? I haven't even said goodbye to my brother yet. If I get back too late, I'm afraid my family will worry!"
Jiraiya turned and smiled at Sasuke. "Don't worry, I've already informed your family. And this time, I brought you to Mount Myoboku so you can try practicing Senjutsu again."
"Really? That's great!"
The moment he heard that he could attempt Senjutsu training again, Sasuke beamed with joy. After forming a contract with Mount Myoboku, he had gained a more direct and systematic understanding of Senjutsu's power.
Jiraiya said nothing more. As he turned away, the smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a helpless and melancholy expression.
In order to resolve the conflict between the village and the Uchiha Clan, he had even decided to take Second Pillar as his disciple. Yet he had never expected that an election for the Fifth Hokage would cause the already somewhat eased relationship between the village and the Uchiha Clan to plummet straight to its freezing point. The hatred and grudges accumulated by both sides over decades had erupted completely in an instant.
"Ah..."
Thinking of this, Jiraiya let out a long sigh.
That sigh was for Sasuke, but also for himself. After settling the children down, he would have to return to the village immediately and join