Parallel World, Konoha Village.
"Hold a Five Kage Summit?" Namikaze Minato asked, his voice tinged with confusion.
Once known as the Little Sun, Namikaze Minato now looked somewhat desolate and aged. Fine crow's feet had appeared at the corners of his eyes, and his temples were lightly streaked with gray.
His once radiant expression now carried a hidden melancholy. His smile had lost some of its brightness, replaced by a gentle warmth that gave him the air of a middle-aged man with a story to tell.
"That's right!" Jiraiya spoke to his disciple with an exaggerated expression. There was a faint trace of grief in his eyes as he looked at Namikaze Minato, but it vanished in an instant. "This is the first Five Kage Summit since the Five Great Shinobi Villages were founded by the first generation of Kage. It's the perfect chance to show those guys Konoha's strength."
Orochimaru had not defected, so Jiraiya naturally had not left the village either. Since he had always believed this disciple of his was the Child of Prophecy, there was no need for him to wander the Shinobi World.
Now, his position was roughly equivalent to the combined status once held by Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu. He was one of the Hokage's advisors.
And Orochimaru naturally held a position close to Danzo's.
After Uzumaki Kushina was taken away, Namikaze Minato had searched desperately for a long time. But hope slowly turned into disappointment, and eventually into despair. The once young and cheerful Little Sun grew more haggard by the day.
After the Akatsuki Organization began operating over the past two years, it shattered Namikaze Minato's last lingering fantasy. His temples turned gray overnight, and he became far more melancholy.
This naturally troubled Jiraiya, who had always cared deeply for his