Tsunade thought for a while and nodded.
"Yes," she said, "But you can't be alone. Sasuke, you go with him."
"Me?" Sasuke frowned.
"Yes." Tsunade said, "Your Rinnegan can see through most traps and disguises. Moreover, the situation over there at Amegakure is complicated, and it is safer to have multiple people taking care of it."
Sasuke was silent for a few seconds.
"Understood."
"Also." Tsunade looked at Konan, "You also go together. Amegakure is your hometown, and it will be much more convenient if you lead the way."
Konan nodded.
"I will."
"Then it's settled." Tsunade said, "You will set off tomorrow. Remember, the purpose of this mission is to find Jiraiya and ask him for information about Otsutsuki and Chakra Fruit. Don't add any extraneous details."
"Understood!"
The three left Hokage's Office.
Walking on the street of Leaf, Naruto suddenly became excited.
"Great! Finally I can see Jiraiya again!"
"You miss him very much?" Sasuke asked.
"Of course!" Naruto said, "Although he always peeks into the women's bathhouse, he taught me a lot. It can be said that without him, I wouldn't be where I am now."
"Really?"
"Yes!" Naruto turned to Konan, "Sister Konan, do you know the specific location of Jiraiya in Amegakure?"
Konan shook his head.
"It's been a long time since I left Amegakure," she said, "But I know where he might go."
"Where?"
"Orphanage."
"Orphanage?"
"Yes." Konan said, "Lord Jiraiya adopted three orphans in Amegakure back then. Although that orphanage has been abandoned, he would go there every time he came to Amegakure."
Naruto is thoughtful.
"It turns out that Jiraiya has such a past."
"He is a good man." Konan said, "It's just..."
She didn't say any more.
But among the students he taught, one became a terrorist, one became a traitor, and one died on the battlefield.
This is the biggest failure for a teacher.
Amegakure, shrouded in rain all year round.
The sky is gray, the buildings are gray, and even the air is filled with a damp, musty smell.
Naruto frowned as soon as he stepped into this village.
"This place is really depressing," he said. "No wonder Nagato is like that."
"Don't talk nonsense." Konan's voice was a little cold, "Nagato became like that, not because of Amegakure."
"What's that for?"
Konan did not answer.
She walked in front, leading the two of them through the narrow streets.
When the residents of Amegakure saw them, they all looked wary.
Outsiders are not welcome here.
Especially Leaf's ninja.
"Master Konan?" A young Rain Ninja recognized her, surprise flashed across his face, "Are you back?"
"Yeah." Konan nodded, "Where is Lord Jiraiya?"
"Lord Jiraiya?" Young Rain Ninja was stunned for a moment, "He is in the orphanage in the old city. But..."
"But what?"
"But it's not peaceful there recently." Young Rain Ninja lowered his voice, "There is a group of unidentified people operating nearby. We suspect they are spies from other villages."
Konan frowned.
"I understand."
The three of them speeded up and rushed towards the old city.
The old city is located on the edge of Amegakure. The buildings here are more dilapidated and there are almost no people on the streets.
The orphanage is located at the end of a dead end street.
It was a two-story wooden building, with half of the roof collapsed and the walls covered with moss.
The sign in front of the door has rotted away, and only the words "Orphanage" can be barely made out.
"This is it." Konan said.
Naruto Looking at this dilapidated building, I felt an indescribable feeling in my heart.
Jiraiya once adopted three orphans here.
Those three orphans later became the leaders of Akatsuki.
History is such an irony.
"There is someone." Sasuke suddenly said.
His Rinnegan saw through the interior of the building.
"There are five Chakra reactions on the third floor, one of which is Jiraiya. The other four..." He paused, "Chakra is very strange."
"Strange?"
"Yes." Sasuke said, "Chakra doesn't look like an ordinary ninja, more like... a transformed one."
As soon as he finished speaking, a black shadow flew out of the window of the orphanage.
That's a person.
To be precise, it's a corpse.
The body hit the ground heavily, splashing a pool of sewage.
Naruto rushed over to check, and his expression changed.
"It's Anbu from Amegakure!"
There was a huge bloody hole in the corpse's chest, and the heart was completely dug out.
"This technique..." Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "It's a human experiment."
Before he finished speaking, the door of the orphanage was kicked open.
Jiraiya stumbled out, covered in blood.
"Teacher!" Naruto rushed up to help him.
"Naruto?" Jiraiya was stunned for a moment, then grinned, "Why are you here?"
"Tsunade Mother-in-law asked me to come to you." Naruto said, "Are you injured?"
"Small injury." Jiraiya waved his hand, "There are four troublesome guys inside. I can't handle it alone."
"Who?"
"The remnants of Orochimaru." Jiraiya's expression became serious, "They are conducting human experiments and trying to copy First Hokage's cells."
"First Hokage's cells?" Naruto's eyes widened.
"Yes." Jiraiya said, "And they have succeeded."
As soon as he finished speaking, four figures walked out of the orphanage.
They were four people wearing white lab coats, men, women and children.
But their bodies all showed obvious alienation.
Some arms turned into branches, some had wood grains growing on their faces, and some had their entire lower bodies fused into tree roots.
"Wood Release?" Sasuke's pupils shrank.
"That's right." A middle-aged man in the lead smiled, "Lord Jiraiya is indeed well-informed. We did transplant First Hokage's cells and gained the power of Wood Release."
"Who are you?" Konan asked coldly.
"We?" the middle-aged man smiled even more happily, "We are the root."
"Roots?"
"Yes, the roots founded by Lord Shimura Danzō." The middle-aged man said, "Although Lord Danzo is dead, the roots are still there. We will inherit his legacy and make Leaf great again."
"Danzo's legacy?" Naruto was angry, "That old guy's legacy is to conduct human experiments?"
"Human experimentation is just a means." The middle-aged man said, "The purpose is to give Leaf the power to fight against all enemies."
"Nonsense!"
"Nonsense?" The middle-aged man shook his head, "You naive brats don't understand what cruel reality is. Leaf is too weak, so weak that it can't even protect its own village. If it weren't for the efforts of us people in the dark, Leaf would have been annexed by other villages long ago."
"Then why do you want to kill Anbu of Amegakure?" Sasuke asked.