Jiraiya's Anger!

The snow outside the window fell harder and harder, yet Senya and Jiraiya remained standing in Naruto's home.

Senya was thinking about how he could make it up to Jiraiya in the future.

Jiraiya, meanwhile, was recalling every little moment he had spent with Naruto over the past few days.

"Senya, go home. I need to see the old man."

"No matter what, I want to know what the old man is thinking."

"I need to get a clear answer. Did the old man support Danzo behind this operation or not?"

Jiraiya's words pulled Senya from his thoughts, and he recalled the plan he had already devised.

"Is this really a good time to bring this up with the Third?"

"Have you really thought this through? The Answer might be hard for you to accept..."

"I know!"

"But no matter what, the old man is still my teacher. Maybe the truth really will disappoint me, but I've made up my mind. Senya, don't try to stop me anymore."

Senya wanted to say more, but when he saw Jiraiya's resolute expression and determined gaze, he swallowed the words that had been about to leave his mouth.

Yeah, that was just who Jiraiya was. What use was there in trying to stop him? Let him go. As for the consequences, with me controlling this game of chess, what could possibly go wrong?

After thinking it over, Senya stopped trying to dissuade him.

"Jiraiya, go. I understand how you feel."

"But remember, no matter what Answer the Third gives you, our plan has to move forward now. We have no way back."

Jiraiya looked up at Senya and saw the stern expression on his face.

Only then did he understand how much Senya had sacrificed for the entire plan.

Jiraiya put on that familiar, uplifting expression again and raised a thumbs-up.

"Thanks, Senya."

"Don't worry. I'm the Toad Sage, one of the Sannin! There's no way these setbacks can defeat me!"

With that, he turned away coolly and left.

Leaving Senya alone in the snowy night, battered by the cold wind.

Senya felt as though Ants were crawling all over his body. If he had made the same expression and gesture Jiraiya just had...

At that thought, Senya's big toe unconsciously began curling against the sole of his shoe.

No, that was way too embarrassing. Perhaps only Jiraiya could pull off that expression so naturally and effortlessly.

Jiraiya raced across the rooftops, leaving rows of footprints in the snow.

When he reached the window of Hiruzen Sarutobi's home, four Anbu directly under the Hokage suddenly appeared before him with the Body Flicker Technique.

"Lord Jiraiya, what brings you to see Lord Hokage so late at night?"

"If it isn't urgent, please let Lord Hokage rest. Lord Hokage specifically ordered that no one was to disturb him tonight!"

Seeing the four Anbu motion for him to leave, Jiraiya tensed every muscle in his body.

"What if I insist on seeing the old man?"

Jiraiya's gaze moved between the four Anbu guards, watching their every movement.

"Then forgive our disrespect, Lord Jiraiya!"

"Move!"

The four Anbu retreated to create distance, surrounding Jiraiya as their hands rapidly formed seals!

Four Violet Flames Formation!

A purple chakra barrier rapidly unfolded, enclosing Jiraiya within it.

Trapped inside the Four Violet Flames Formation, Jiraiya formed seals with both hands and vanished in a puff of white smoke.

He suddenly appeared behind one of the Anbu members.

"You think you can trap me that easily? You're underestimating the Toad Sage!"

His right hand became a blade, chopping toward the back of the man's neck!

Just as Jiraiya was about to knock the Anbu ninja unconscious, a wrinkled hand suddenly grabbed his wrist.

"That's enough, Jiraiya. Come inside with me."

"You four, stand down. Guard the outside. Do not let anyone enter."

The four Anbu members appeared before him with the Body Flicker Technique and lowered their heads.

"Yes! Lord Hokage."

Jiraiya's gaze followed the hand upward to its owner.

"Old man, Naruto..."

"Come inside first. This isn't the place to talk."

Jiraiya instinctively closed his mouth. Only then did he realize that these things truly could not be said in front of the four Anbu ninjas.

He followed Hiruzen Sarutobi into the house.

The hearth burned, the only source of light in the living room on that dark night.

Jiraiya reached out and pressed the white switch on the wall, lighting the bulb.

The room was instantly illuminated by its glow.

The dark brown wooden table bore the marks of time. Photos of the master and his three disciples, along with the past Hokage, hung on the walls, as did the memorial portrait of the old man's late wife—Sarutobi Biwako.

Hiruzen walked to the photos of the previous Hokage and lit several sticks of incense, standing them in the incense burner on the altar.

Jiraiya stepped forward as well and lit several sticks of incense for his teacher's wife, Sarutobi Biwako.

The two sat down on the tatami mats.

Hiruzen picked up the dark brown pipe that had accompanied him for decades from the low table.

"I knew you would come tonight. Ask everything you want to ask at once. I'll tell you what I can."

He let out a long sigh, exhaling the smoke from his lungs.

Looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi's aged appearance, Jiraiya still chose to speak and ask the question that had been weighing on his heart.

"Danzo kidnapped Naruto. Did you order him to do it?"

His fist beneath the low table clenched unconsciously as he stared firmly at his teacher, hoping for an Answer.

Hiruzen looked at Jiraiya and continued smoking his pipe.

"I didn't order Danzo to do this. The lower and middle ranks of Root's ninjas are nearly depleted."

"He said he wanted to bring Naruto into Root. I refused. Then he asked me for the sealing scroll, so I gave it to him."

After hearing this, anger began burning in Jiraiya's heart. The fist beneath the low table shot up and smashed the table apart.

"The sealing scroll contains the Four Symbols Seal and the Eight Trigrams Seal used to seal the Nine-Tails! Didn't you know that?!"

After hearing Hiruzen's words, Jiraiya's reason was gradually consumed by rage, disappearing bit by bit.

"I knew. But Uchiha Senya has already awakened the Mangekyo. As long as the mastermind behind the Nine-Tails Incident remains unknown, I can't put my worries to rest. Do you understand, Jiraiya?!"

When Jiraiya heard Hiruzen mention the Nine-Tails Incident, he nearly revealed that Danzo had colluded with Obito Uchiha.

But just as the words reached his lips, he suddenly remembered Senya's final warning. Their plan had reached this point; there was no turning back.

So he swallowed the words he had wanted to say.

Seeing Jiraiya hesitate to speak, Hiruzen continued voicing the thoughts in his heart, trying to comfort him.

"Naruto may suffer a little in Root, but you hold the key to the Nine-Tails' seal. If things spiral out of control, we still have a chance to save the situation."

"But the Uchiha's momentum truly needs to be suppressed now."

Only then did Jiraiya recognize reality. The final shred of hope in his heart was shattered.

He rose to his feet.

"I understand."

Looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi as he was now, Jiraiya only felt increasingly disappointed.

He turned, leaped out the window, and left.

Inside the house, Hiruzen Sarutobi watched Jiraiya's departing figure. He merely frowned, continued what he was doing, and smoked his pipe alone into the night.