Creeeak-bang! Clang!
Just as Jiraiya was wondering how to get into the Farm, its heavy gates suddenly opened on their own.
Jiraiya froze.
They opened on their own? Have I been spotted?
Jiraiya hesitated as he looked at the empty Farm ahead, shrouded in deathly silence.
Under normal circumstances, if he suspected he had been exposed, he should retreat immediately.
Or he should at least leave the target location for the time being, figure out the situation, and confirm he was safe before proceeding with his investigation and intelligence gathering.
But after a moment of hesitation, Jiraiya ultimately made a decision that defied common sense.
"Since you've opened the gates to welcome me, how could I refuse to come in and meet you?"
Jiraiya strode straight into the Farm.
The Farm was overgrown and desolate, clearly abandoned for a long time.
Judging by its layout, however, it must once have been a thriving place.
Jiraiya recalled the original Akatsuki that the commentator had mentioned earlier. Back then, many passionate, like-minded members of the Akatsuki must have worked here.
Continuing onward, Jiraiya reached the far end of the Farm, where a warehouse stood for storing crops and farming tools.
Creeeak!
The warehouse doors opened on their own, just like the Farm's gates, and Jiraiya saw a lone figure standing inside.
Jiraiya walked in and got a clear look at him.
He was a young man wearing the Akatsuki's standard Akatsuki cloak, his orange hair looking somewhat dull in the warehouse's dim light.
The raised collar of his Akatsuki cloak concealed half his face, leaving only a pair of black eyes fixed on Jiraiya, as though he were looking at a dead man.
On his forehead, he wore an Amegakure forehead protector, but a slash across it marked him as a rogue