Meanwhile, in Amegakure.
Because of the Land of Rain's unusual geography, a steady drizzle fell over the country on most days, which was precisely why it was called the Land of Rain.
For that very reason, the appearance of a perfectly ordinary-looking toad in a corner of Amegakure seemed entirely natural and attracted no one's attention.
But just as the toad hopped into a secluded spot, it suddenly opened its mouth wide, as though about to vomit.
Whoosh...
Then, with a barely audible sound, a tall figure emerged abruptly from the toad's mouth and landed silently on the ground.
"Gorō, I owe you one this time. Without you, I wouldn't have slipped into Amegakure so easily."
After saying that, Jiraiya frowned slightly and continued with a hint of concern:
"Leave the rest to me. Head back to Mount Myōboku for now. I'll summon you again when I need you."
As it turned out, this seemingly ordinary toad was Gorō, whom Jiraiya had summoned from Mount Myōboku.
The toads of Mount Myōboku possessed all manner of abilities, and Gorō had a space inside his body large enough to accommodate Jiraiya. This had allowed Jiraiya to infiltrate Amegakure with ease using the Toad Concealment Technique.
Hearing Jiraiya's words, Gorō said nothing. He simply nodded, then vanished in a puff of white smoke and returned to Mount Myōboku.
Once Gorō had left, Jiraiya looked up at the gloomy sky, then held out his palm to catch the falling rain. Seemingly reminded of something from the past, he sighed:
"Amegakure..."
After a while, Jiraiya came back to his senses and turned his gaze toward the tall building nearby. After some thought, he used the Transformation Technique to turn himself into an ordinary-looking villager, then headed toward a small tavern not far away.
*Whatever happens,