Recruiting Jiraiya, the Game Is Set!

At that moment, Jiraiya finally realized that what Konoha needed to worry about most was not the Uchiha clan, but Danzo—the rat lurking in the shadows. Like a parasite clinging to the roots of Konoha's great tree, he constantly drained nourishment from the entire tree.

"Senya, since you already know all this, what do you plan to lead the Uchiha in doing?"

Jiraiya no longer cared about the commission Hiruzen Sarutobi had given him.

Only after learning all this did he realize that the Uchiha clan had spent all these years bearing groundless accusations.

Senya directly spat out a Great Fireball Technique.

The dead tree began to burn.

"If we want to change the village and keep it moving forward, then the outdated people and outdated affairs need to be dealt with. Those who should step down must step down, and those who should disappear must be uprooted completely. That is what I intend to lead the Uchiha clan in doing."

"Hiruzen Sarutobi has been reinstated for six years. It is time to find a new Hokage to take charge of the bigger picture, and it is also time to get rid of the scourge that is Danzo."

Jiraiya frowned deeply.

It was not because he disagreed with the idea. On the contrary, he supported it as well.

It was simply that Senya's goal was still far too difficult for the Uchiha clan in its current state.

"Senya, I support your idea, but with the Uchiha clan's current situation, I'm afraid it will be difficult."

"Even though your relationship with the villagers has improved greatly compared to before, there are still other obstacles."

The flames on the dead tree beside them had already burned out.

Only then did Senya rise and extend his right hand toward Jiraiya.

"I knew that from the beginning."

Looking at Senya's outstretched hand, Jiraiya paused to think before reaching out, clasping it, and standing up.

"Don't tell me you were prepared long ago?"

Once Jiraiya had risen, the two withdrew their hands.

"That's right. Root has long done plenty of things that have drawn resentment while acting in the Hokage's name. Many clans were already dissatisfied with them, and Root added fuel to the fire some time ago."

"Now, quite a few clans have already reached a consensus with the Uchiha."

Hearing Senya say this, Jiraiya became curious about which clans had joined forces with the Uchiha to give Senya such confidence.

"Which clans have allied with your Uchiha now?"

"The Hyuga and Ino-Shika-Cho. Is that enough?"

Jiraiya's jaw nearly dropped, his face filled with shock.

"What exactly did Danzo do to make both the Hyuga and Ino-Shika-Cho form an alliance with you?"

"The Hyuga have never involved themselves in politics, and Ino-Shika-Cho are the old man's most trusted shinobi clans. How could this happen? It shouldn't be possible..."

Jiraiya's astonishment was within Senya's expectations. After all, Jiraiya did not know that, in order to continue expanding Root's strength, Danzo had become so utterly deranged that he had forged Hokage orders and gone to several major clans to forcibly abduct children from within them.

So Senya spent some time roughly explaining the cause of the matter to Jiraiya.

After hearing it, Jiraiya was even more furious. Children were the village's hope for the future, yet Danzo had gone this far for his own selfish desires.

"Then I'll join you as well. As one of Konoha's Sannin, I cannot ignore the village's affairs."

"Just promise me one condition."

Senya nodded.

"Go ahead."

"When the old man steps down, let him do so with dignity. That is the only request I have as his student."

Senya merely rolled his eyes at Jiraiya.

"Come on. Hiruzen Sarutobi never directly persecuted the Uchiha clan. If we set aside Danzo's affairs, he was still a qualified Hokage. Naturally, I'll let him leave with some dignity."

Only after Senya agreed to his request did Jiraiya finally let go of the last lingering concern in his heart.

"Then do you have any plans for what comes next? When do you intend to carry them out? I imagine you already have everything planned out, Senya."

Senya simply spread both hands, indicating that it had nothing to do with him.

"Nope. There are no plans left. Everything that needed doing is done. From here on, we just do whatever we need to do. It's getting late—I'm going back inside to sleep with my girlfriend in my arms. Figure it out yourself. You can stay in my yard and drink in the cold wind, or go home. Your choice."

Senya turned and headed toward the house.

Leaving Jiraiya alone, utterly bewildered in the wind.

Jiraiya only felt that his thoughts were a complete mess. Senya's reply was like pouring an entire lake into his once fairly clever head and stirring it furiously. His mind was in total chaos, with nothing but water left inside.

Still, Jiraiya reached out in an attempt to stop Senya.

"There really isn't some secret plan? Tell me! I won't tell the old man!"

He truly wanted to know what they were supposed to do next. After learning so many truths, they could not possibly do nothing, could they? That would drive him to death with anxiety.

Only then did Senya stop and turn around.

He looked at Jiraiya as though he were looking at an idiot, his gaze filled with disdain and speechlessness.

Jiraiya felt deeply offended by Senya's stare.

"Even if we want to act, we have to wait for that old bastard Danzo to make the first move. Otherwise, how will we make the villagers believe us and get the other shinobi clans to stand on the same side as us?"

"So stupid."

With that, Senya turned and continued toward the house.

Bang!

The door shut with a dull thud.

Listening to the sound of the door closing, Jiraiya felt as though it were the sound of the water in his head freezing into chunks and crashing together.

Still, Senya's final words helped him understand. For now, all the important forces that could be recruited had already been recruited. Other than waiting, it seemed there really was nothing else left to do.

So he leaped over the wall and left.

After returning indoors, Senya took off his combat uniform, slipped beneath the covers, and wrapped an arm around Anko's slender waist.

"You're back. Who came looking for you so late? You made me wait so long."

Anko twisted in his arms and nestled closer, her back pressed tightly against Senya's chest.

"It was nothing. Just Jiraiya."

Anko turned around, her light brown eyes fixed on Senya in confusion.

"Jiraiya? What did he come here for?"

"Him? He was running an errand for Lord Hokage. What else could it be for? He just can't let go of the Uchiha clan."

"By the way, Anko, what do you think of Orochimaru?"

"Don't mention that village traitor to me!"

Anko immediately turned her back to him again, her emotions somewhat agitated and out of control.

After a long silence, Anko finally pressed her face against Senya's chest.

"Actually, I don't know either. Teacher Orochimaru used to treat me very well, but... I still don't understand why he betrayed the village."

"At first, I wasn't even willing to believe it. I didn't understand why he let me go back then..."

Senya tightened his embrace around Anko and comforted her softly.

"It's okay. Sleep. There will always be an answer to these things someday."

"Mm..."