Konoha.
Pushing open the doors to the Scientific Research Department,
Jiraiya subconsciously raised an arm.
His wide sleeve blocked his eyes, shielding them from the blinding glare.
Before him lay the bustling streets of Konoha.
The cries of vendors, the laughter of civilians, and the hurried footsteps of ninjas converged into a tremendous roar.
Those sounds crashed into Jiraiya's ears.
Yet they felt strangely unreal.
It was clearly still the same Konoha. Even the layout of the streets had not changed.
And yet, it felt incomparably unfamiliar to him.
At the street corner, a fat barbecue stall owner was counting banknotes with a beaming face.
Beside him, two young men in ninja flak jackets were animatedly discussing something.
Jiraiya stopped and leaned against a utility pole.
He had not deliberately eavesdropped, but their voices were simply too loud.
"Did you hear?"
"The Mission Hall released another batch of B-Rank Ninjutsu!"
"The Merit Points I saved up can finally be put to use!"
The ninja on the left spoke, his tone overflowing with excitement.
"Look at how little ambition you have."
"What's so special about B-Rank Ninjutsu?"
"The Merit Points I've saved are enough to exchange for an A-Rank Water Style technique."
The ninja on the right sneered.
He clearly looked down on B-Rank Ninjutsu.
"It's all thanks to the Fifth Hokage's policies."
"Back in the day,"
"for civilian ninjas like us, learning powerful Ninjutsu was harder than climbing to heaven!"
"..."
The two young men's eyes gleamed with fervor.
It was a desire for power, anticipation for the future, and, above all, unreserved reverence for Senju Qianye.
Jiraiya's fingers unconsciously tightened.
They dug into the rough grain of the wood.
Qianye's icy, piercing words echoed through his mind once again.
"Your outdated sense of justice can't save anyone."
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