Jiraiya: Let's Cooperate with the Mist Village!

Hearing Jiraiya's assessment, neither the Third Hokage nor Minato and Kakashi showed the slightest surprise.

If Kou Ruo has been content with mediocrity all these years, then that would be truly abnormal.

Even though everyone was mentally prepared, the fact that he could grow to a level comparable to Jiraiya in just five years still shocked everyone present.

The Third Hokage fell silent for a moment, a complex, indescribable light—whether of relief or bitterness—fleeting deep within their aged eyes.

"Has that child grown up to this extent?"

Jiraiya continued:

"I intended to defeat him and bring him back to the village... but during the battle, the leader of Akatsuki forcibly intervened."

Upon hearing this, Minato's eyes suddenly sharpened:

"Have you met the leader of Akatsuki, Jiraiya- Teacher?"

Unfortunately, no.

Jiraiya shrugged helplessly and replied with great regret:

"I did not see the Akatsuki leader in person. That guy never showed up. He just summoned a large crab-like summoning beast to buy time."

The location of the fight is too close to Mist Harbor. Considering the diplomatic relations between Konoha and the Land of Water, I cannot go all out there.

You all know how fast Kou is. Even though Xiao's leader withdrew quickly, and the delay wasn't long, it was enough for Kou to shake me off and make it impossible for me to keep up with him.

Jiraiya's tone held a hint of resentment and regret, but he quickly regained his composure:

"However, this encounter wasn't entirely fruitless; we did obtain some important intelligence."

He looked at the three people in front of him and continued in a solemn tone:

"The Akatsuki's base is very likely lurking within the Land of Water."

If we can travel to the Land of Water for a more in-depth investigation, we may very well find Kou's whereabouts.

We can also follow the clues to gather information about the Akatsuki!

Hearing Jiraiya's words, the Third Hokage fell silent.

His wrinkled fingers tapped slowly on the table a few times. After much deliberation, he finally said in a deep voice:

"Since the end of the Third Ninja World War, Mist Village has been almost completely cut off from the outside world."

If we rashly send people into the Land of Water to gather intelligence, and are discovered by Mist Village, it could easily cause a serious diplomatic incident...

Upon hearing this, Kakashi's eyes, which had just lit up for a moment, dimmed slightly.

He didn't speak, but simply shifted his gaze from the Third Hokage's face back to the old trees outside the window that were rustling in the wind.

Minato looked at Kakashi and sighed silently in his heart.

He looked at Jiraiya before him, his voice still steady and rational, but with a distinct hint of urgency:

I completely agree with the concerns of the Lord Third Hokage.

However, finding Koko and gathering intelligence on the Akatsuki are indeed two things that cannot be put aside for us.

Perhaps we can try to take the initiative to negotiate with Mist Village.

There is a secret armed organization composed of S-rank missing-nin lurking within the Land of Water. As the ruling ninja village of the Land of Water, Mist Village could not possibly be completely unaware of it.

If we can communicate with them through open channels, even if it's just to establish a verbal agreement for information exchange first..."

"The Land of Water is still in a state of isolation."

The Third Hokage shook his head, his face full of worry, and said:

Even the other four of the Five Great Nations currently lack reliable channels for direct communication with the Mist Village.

If we initiate diplomatic contact with Mist Village through public pronouncements, it would be tantamount to announcing to the entire Ninja World that Konoha is taking some kind of action against the Land of Water.

By then, the Akatsuki will be on alert, and the Kumogakure and the Iwagakure will be watching our every move. As a result, Koko's whereabouts will likely be completely concealed.

Jiraiya simply smiled as he listened to the Third Hokage's words.

He looked at the three people in front of him with confidence and said:

"You don't need to worry about this."

On my way out of the Land of Water, I encountered an elite Mist Village squad returning from the direction of the Land of Whirlpools.

Thanks to them, I learned some important information about the current situation in Mist Village from them.

The Third Hokage, Minato, Kakashi immediately stared at Jiraiya, their expressions serious as they awaited his next words.

"The Mist Village is not a monolithic entity now."

Jiraiya's voice trailed off:

"Within Mist Village, the forces dissatisfied with the rule of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Blood Mist, have rapidly grown and become an existence that Mist Village absolutely cannot easily ignore under the leadership of a certain individual."

Based on my conversations with members of this elite squad, although they consciously avoided mentioning specific details about their leader, their heartfelt admiration and respect were undeniable.

The tone they used when mentioning that person was completely different from the tone subordinates used when talking about their superiors.

Jiraiya paused, then said with certainty:

"After all, the captain of this squad is none other than Jūzō Biwa, one of the former Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist Village."

Even those unruly individuals are completely convinced by that person; their leader is definitely no ordinary character.

His tone became more serious, as if he were about to draw an important conclusion:

In my opinion, the leader of that faction has the potential to become the Fifth Mizukage of Mist Village.

The Third Hokage instantly understood the meaning behind Jiraiya's words.

He didn't speak, but simply exchanged a glance with Minato beside him.

The two men, who had both served as Hokage, exchanged a silent message in that brief eye contact.

You mean, perhaps we could try cooperating with the leader of the Mist Village faction?

The Third Hokage looked at Jiraiya before him and asked earnestly.

"Ah."

Jiraiya nodded confidently, then added:

"Although we've never met, I can tell from the actions and snippets of conversation of that Mist Village squad that he's a pretty good guy."

I believe we can definitely try to cooperate with the forces represented by this person!

If that guy really wanted to change Mist Village, he would never have ignored the Akatsuki, a hidden threat lurking right on his doorstep.

The enemy of my enemy is the friend I can win over.

His voice was firm and confident, and the sharp edge of one of the Legendary Konoha Sannin reappeared on his flamboyant face.

Minato pondered for a moment, the light in his eyes shifting from contemplation to agreement.

He looked at Jiraiya with admiration.

"To gather so much information in such a short time, Jiraiya- Teacher is truly amazing!!"

Jiraiya waved his hand with a hearty laugh, his laughter full of smugness:

"Hahaha! Of course, I haven't wasted those years of time traveling outside!"

Kakashi stood silently to the side, his hands, hanging by his sides, had somehow clenched slightly.

His mind raced, already considering how to persuade the Lord Third Hokage to secure the position of the executor for the cooperation negotiation mission to the Land of Water for himself.

Just as the atmosphere had noticeably relaxed, the Third Hokage, who had been silent all along, looked at Jiraiya and slowly spoke:

Regarding this proposal...

His aged, rough, yet steady voice, honed by decades of smoking, settled smoothly in the office:

I disagree.