Probing

Upon hearing the Third Hokage's account, Jiraiya finally took a careful look at the two ninjas before him.

Their appearances were unique; both were handsome youths.

The younger one's expression still appeared immature, yet a sense of coldness emanated from between his brows.

The older one exuded a subtle yet sharp aura, like a blade hidden within its scabbard. He seemed ready at any moment to deliver a fatal blow, his entire being perfectly integrated with the surrounding environment.

Natural and flawless... are the youngsters these days really this formidable?

Jiraiya marveled inwardly; he had never expected such a temperament to appear in a youth.

Only an experienced Jonin could hope to grasp such a realm—a state of perfect harmony with the environment, embodying the conduct of an assassin, a state that most ninjas could only dream of.

This was the state Baiyu had attained while comprehending the trajectory of the wind.

"Lord Jiraiya."

Itachi bowed slightly; from the conversation between Jiraiya and the Third Hokage, he had deduced the identity of the man before him.

Before the Third Great Ninja War, Jiraiya had begun wandering the world and had not participated in the wars involving Konoha, so the younger generation of ninjas rarely saw him.

Jiraiya's return this time was entirely due to Orochimaru's defection; his goal was to track down and retrieve Orochimaru!

He could not allow Orochimaru to leak the village's secrets, and furthermore, there was the bond he and Orochimaru had shared for so many years...

Deep down, Jiraiya could not tolerate Orochimaru's defection no matter what.

"They have seen Orochimaru?"

Jiraiya asked again.

For two teenagers to have faced Orochimaru head-on and survived was simply impossible.

Could it be that Orochimaru was truly severely injured?

Or had Orochimaru turned vegetarian and stopped killing?

He would rather believe in peace among the Five Great Nations than believe that Orochimaru had sworn off killing.

These are... Uchiha?

Seeing the clan crests on their clothing, Jiraiya realized.

Orochimaru possessed immense talent; even in a severely wounded state, ordinary ninjas would be helpless against him.

Orochimaru excelled in genjutsu, taijutsu, and ninjutsu.

However, the Uchiha were specifically adept at countering genjutsu and taijutsu experts.

If it were the Uchiha who had wounded Orochimaru, then it would be somewhat plausible.

"This Great One is the Toad Sage, Jiraiya! Since you were able to survive at the hands of Orochimaru, it seems your strength is not bad."

Jiraiya praised, his eyes filled with scrutiny.

"Lord Jiraiya, that is not quite the case. Baiyu once severed one of Orochimaru's arms, but due to my own limitations, we were unable to detain him."

Uchiha Itachi replied, recounting Baiyu's feat.

"Itachi was able to hold off four guards single-handedly, buying me plenty of time and creating the opportunity for me to get close to Orochimaru, where I luckily managed to sever one of his arms."

Baiyu said modestly, magnifying Itachi's contribution while omitting the existence of Kabuto.

The Third Hokage stood to the side, smiling without a word, watching the three of them quietly.

Seeing that they intended to continue their conversation, he waved his hand and said, "I still have work to do. If you want to talk, go outside. Leave me a quiet place to work properly!"

Hearing this, Jiraiya laughed and led the two of them out the door.

The Third Hokage watched them leave quietly, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Two Uchiha brats; after spending some time with Jiraiya, their character would surely be revealed.

The Third Hokage trusted Jiraiya's ability to judge people; his disciple, Minato Namikaze, had once shouldered the burden of the entire Third Great Ninja War single-handedly.

The Fourth Hokage.

He had taken on the Fourth Raikage and his brother alone...

He had led an army to quell the conflict with Iwagakure...

He had forced two villages to sign peace treaties.

After such legendary feats, his death had been far too pathetic.

"That Nine-Tails thing can kill a man?"

A certain big shot had once said as much.

Outside the Hokage Building.

Jiraiya had just stepped out the door when he turned around and said, "You two little ones from the Uchiha clan, I'll treat you to a hot spring. Are you coming?"

Uchiha Itachi felt a bit conflicted. From the time he entered the Ninja Academy until now, he had spent almost all his time training.

He had never experienced such relaxation and felt a bit at a loss. No matter how mature he was, he was still just a child in his early teens, a fledgling...

Baiyu remained silent, following behind like a Translucent.

Uchiha Itachi had absolutely no defense against Jiraiya's lewd jokes.

He was reduced to a mere puppet, frequently left blushing and flustered by the older man's words.

If this were the Itachi from three years in the future, he likely would have already glared at Jiraiya with an Amaterasu.

As Itachi gradually grew accustomed to Jiraiya, he began to develop an immunity to the more explicit remarks.

Soon, under Jiraiya's lead, they arrived at a hot spring inn called "Tama no Yu."

A lovely young woman dressed in a pale purple kimono sat gracefully at the front desk.

Seeing the three of them, a smile blossomed on her face.

The beautiful proprietress greeted them gently, "Welcome. How many in your party?"

"Three. Find us a quiet spot."

Jiraiya spoke boisterously, flashing a foolish, infatuated look at the young beauty as he spoke.

His "can't walk when he sees a pretty face" trait had flared up again.

Baiyu sat down at a nearby booth, poured a glass of water, and watched Jiraiya's antics.

This guy was rough on the outside but shrewd on the inside; while chatting with Uchiha Itachi, he had been constantly trying to fish for information from Baiyu.

However, Baiyu never responded, meeting everything with silence.

Faced with such a hedgehog, Jiraiya's silver tongue found no room to maneuver.

As the young beauty chatted with Jiraiya, she would glance at Baiyu from time to time, offering an ambiguous smile.

Every time she snuck a peek, she felt her heart rate accelerate.

The more she looked at the young man, the more she couldn't get enough, as if her heart were about to leap out of her chest.

Jiraiya saw everything, keeping a close watch on Baiyu's reactions.

"Don't you like beautiful women?"

Jiraiya sighed inwardly, feeling it was a pity; this young beauty was quite the catch.

(He dared not use the words "front" and "back".)

It was just that she wasn't interested in an old uncle like him.

Jiraiya was deeply disappointed. Whenever he left the village, countless beautiful girls would throw themselves at him. He was "Lord Ninja," and he usually had to be picky.

Back in the village, his status changed instantly; if he went to a hot spring or tried to gather material for his writing, he would just get kicked out.

"How hateful! Damn superficial people..."

What Jiraiya hated most in his heart were guys who looked handsome, and he hated it even more when they were handsome and talented.

Coincidentally, Baiyu was exactly that kind of person.

Being handsome and possessing the bloodline of the great Uchiha clan only added to his luster.

The village always claimed the Uchiha were a cursed clan, but who didn't envy the Uchiha's Sharingan? Countless madmen wanted to transplant the Sharingan, but the powerful Uchiha would never allow any outsider to do so.

Seeing that there was no hope, Jiraiya stopped pestering her and booked a hot spring room, letting the proprietress lead the way.

Baiyu and Itachi walked together, following behind the proprietress.

The proprietress swayed her slender waist, turning back to smile at them from time to time, attempting to strike up a conversation with Baiyu.

All she received was a cold, heartless, handsome face, yet she remained tireless in her efforts.

Upon reaching the hot spring room, she still lingered, bidding them a reluctant farewell.

Once the proprietress had left, Jiraiya leaned against a large rock by the hot spring and said with a laugh, "Baiyu, your popularity is truly enviable! Did you see the proprietress's intentions?"

Baiyu glanced at him, a faint smile touching the corner of his lips.

"For the legendary Sannin to be so concerned about a person as insignificant as me—to save you from overthinking, Lord Jiraiya, let us go outside the village and have a fight. Then you shall know the truth."

Baiyu spoke directly; wasn't Jiraiya's intention simply to test the true strength of him and Itachi? Satisfying that wish would suffice.

He had no desire to get into the water and share a hot spring with two grown men.

At that moment, Itachi, who was halfway through undressing, looked at Baiyu with an expression of annoyance...

You knew what he was thinking, why didn't you bring this up sooner!!!