Seeing Konan Again

When they heard Minato, Qingshui and the others immediately took up defensive stances and eyed the newcomer warily.

"Long time no see, Minato. I never thought I'd run into you all here in the Land of Rain."

At those words, Minato's expression changed at once, and he cried out in surprise.

"Teacher Jiraiya!"

The newcomer was indeed Minato's teacher, Jiraiya.

After all, they were in the Land of Rain, so the commotion from their battle had drawn the attention of the Rain Ninja.

But they had no intention of showing themselves. They were simply hiding nearby, gathering information.

Jiraiya, who had been following the Rain Ninja, chose to reveal himself after spotting Minato.

"So it's Lord Jiraiya!"

Mikoto lowered her guard, her face full of respect.

Mukai Yuki and Sasaki Ayami were so excited they could barely speak.

They were only ordinary Genin. Who could have imagined they would one day meet someone as important as Jiraiya?

Back when Jiraiya had been a student of the Third Hokage, he had been well respected, but certainly not to the same degree as now.

After all, he had earned the title of "Konoha Sannin" during the Second Shinobi World War.

In the Ninja World, very few Ninja had titles of their own.

Every one of them was among the strongest of the strong.

Of course, as far as Jiraiya was concerned, "Konoha Sannin" was hardly an honor. It would be more accurate to call it a disgrace.

The three of them had joined forces, yet still lost to Hanzo of the Salamander. He had bestowed the title on them afterward.

That was why, when Jiraiya introduced himself, he would only call himself the Toad Sage.

Qingshui was the only one who seemed relatively calm.

With the memories of his previous life, he knew Jiraiya's personality well. And having interacted with Tsunade, it was difficult for him to feel any particular reverence toward Jiraiya.

"Minato, are you here in the Land of Rain on a mission?"

Given Jiraiya's identity—and the fact that it was only a C-Rank mission that involved no secrets—Minato didn't hide much.

"I see. You've all been injured. Would you like to stay at my place and recover for a few days before returning to Konoha?"

Although Qingshui had treated everyone promptly,

Medical Ninjutsu wasn't omnipotent. They would still need a few days of rest to recover fully.

Come to think of it, Jiraiya hadn't seen Minato in over a year.

And he didn't have time to return to Konoha anytime soon.

So he planned to use this opportunity to give Minato some proper guidance and fulfill his duties as a teacher.

Minato was tempted, but he didn't answer. Instead, he looked at Mikoto.

As the Jonin, Mikoto was the leader of the squad, and every decision had to be hers.

She didn't spoil the mood and agreed.

"Thank you, Lord Jiraiya, but we'll have to wait until we've completed our escort mission."

Under normal circumstances, they certainly couldn't stay in the Land of Rain any longer than necessary.

Once the mission was complete, they had to return to Konoha immediately.

But now that they'd run into Jiraiya, they could stay for a few extra days.

At this, Qingshui, who had remained silent, kept a neutral expression, though he was excited inside.

Jiraiya had stayed in the Land of Rain to teach Nagato and the others.

If they went with Jiraiya to his place, they would definitely get to meet Nagato.

"Of course. I'll travel with you, so if we run into any more enemies, I'll protect you."

Jiraiya laughed heartily.

"That's so cool! Lord Jiraiya's going to protect us!"

Mukai Yuki cheered excitedly.

For a boy like him, meeting a famous, powerful Ninja was something worth bragging about.

After that, everyone cleaned up the battlefield, and the merchant caravan set out again.

Meanwhile, the Rain Ninja who had been hiding nearby and gathering information recognized Jiraiya.

They hurried back to Amegakure to report the matter to Hanzo of the Salamander.

The Land of Fire had Konoha, and the Land of Rain had its own Ninja Village, founded by Hanzo of the Salamander: Amegakure.

Moreover, because Hanzo of the Salamander was known as the "Demigod," the Ninja World generally considered Amegakure the strongest village below the Five Great Ninja Villages.

But only those on the inside knew the truth.

Hanzo of the Salamander was indeed powerful. Even the Konoha Sannin, fighting together, had been no match for him. He had certainly earned the title of "Demigod."

But he was the only strong one in Amegakure. There weren't any other Rain Ninja worth mentioning.

Amegakure's current standing rested entirely on Hanzo of the Salamander alone.

When it came to their foundations, a Small Ninja Village could never compare to one of the Five Great Ninja Villages.

"Lord Hanzo, just now, Konoha Ninja entered the Land of Rain and fought a group of Missing-nin. They've now met up with Jiraiya."

Hanzo of the Salamander naturally knew Jiraiya was in the Land of Rain.

After all, Jiraiya wasn't living in seclusion, cut off from everyone. And as long as he interacted with outsiders, he couldn't possibly hide where he was.

Since Hanzo didn't want to antagonize Konoha, and Jiraiya—who had lost to him—had been behaving himself in the Land of Rain, he hadn't paid him any attention.

"Lord Hanzo, I believe Konoha is plotting something against us in secret. They left Jiraiya in the Land of Rain for this very reason, and now they're about to make their move."

After hearing the Rain Ninja's report, Aonosuke hurried forward and spoke up.

He was a Jonin of Amegakure, quite powerful, and a fervent admirer of Hanzo of the Salamander.

He firmly believed that under Hanzo of the Salamander's leadership, Amegakure could absolutely become the Sixth Great Ninja Village of the Ninja World.

It was only because the Great Ninja Villages, including Konoha, were suppressing them that Amegakure couldn't rise.

That's right. He was a member of Amegakure's Radical Faction.

As soon as he finished speaking, Yoru, who belonged to the Moderate Faction, hurriedly countered him.

"Lord Hanzo, I don't believe Konoha is plotting against Amegakure. Jiraiya hasn't done anything unusual in the Land of Rain this past year."

"Hmph. By the time they do something unusual, it'll already be too late."

Aonosuke's voice was full of displeasure and anger.

"Besides, this is the Land of Rain, our territory. How can we let a Konoha Ninja stay here for so long?"

"If we anger Konoha, what will become of Amegakure?"

Everyone was already used to seeing Aonosuke and Yoru argue endlessly.

Every faction had its differences.

But when Hanzo of the Salamander, seated at the head of the room, gave a cold snort, the two immediately fell silent and withdrew in fear.

In Amegakure, Hanzo of the Salamander held absolute power.

No one could disobey him.

"Keep the usual watch on Jiraiya and the others. Report any unusual activity to me at once."

After completing the mission without incident, Qingshui and the others followed Jiraiya to his residence in the Land of Rain.

"I'm back!"

"Welcome back!"

As soon as Jiraiya spoke, three people ran out of the house to greet him.

One of them spotted Qingshui and immediately lit up, her excitement plain on her face.

"Big Brother Qingshui!"

She was the only girl among the three. Her name was Konan.