Chapter 25

The Senju and the Uchiha-back then, these two clans had been the most unwilling to let Hiruzen Sarutobi take the Hokage's seat.

The Senju Clan had already produced two Hokage, so their opposition had been especially vocal.

But after what had happened last year, the Senju's fate was there for all to see, and the Uchiha had thoroughly learned their lesson.

Ultimately, the Uchiha's current situation was hardly better than the Senju's. In fact, before misfortune struck the Senju, the Uchiha had not even measured up to them.

At least the Senju still had Tsunade holding things together.

As for the Uchiha, not a single Kage-level fighter had emerged among them.

Hatred was like a chain, each link locked into the next.

Staring into Nawaki's hate-filled eyes, Jiraiya suddenly recalled what the Great Toad Sage had told him years ago.

The Child of Prophecy would sever the chains of hatred in this world and bring peace in which people truly understood one another.

And he, Jiraiya, would be the one to guide that child.

At that thought, Jiraiya's gaze grew much firmer.

As though he had made up his mind about something, he tossed out, "I'm leaving," then turned and walked away.

"Brother-in-law, Jiraiya is the only one who knows the inside story. Do you think he might..."

Watching Jiraiya's retreating back, Nawaki turned to Xuan Zhe with a worried expression.

"He won't."

Xuan Zhe picked up a piece of beef from the stone pot, dropped one piece into his bowl, and held another to Tsunade's lips.

Tsunade glared fiercely at him for several seconds, but finally opened her mouth and bit into the meat.

"Jiraiya cares too much about his bonds with people. I don't dislike that about him, but it's also his greatest weakness."

Xuan Zhe spoke with certainty.

There was no need to mention anything else. Just take what would happen in the future-when Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutobi fought to the death, Jiraiya actually chose to remain neutral.

That alone said far too much.

"Oh, what's wrong, Jiraiya? Looking so distracted doesn't suit an idiot like you."

The moment Jiraiya stepped out of the Senju Clan's grounds, he ran into the Hokage-Orochimaru-returning to the village with a small squad of guards.

Seeing Jiraiya's ashen face and tightly knitted brows, Orochimaru could not resist teasing him.

"Orochimaru..."

Jiraiya raised his head and stared hard at his old friend, whose bearing was growing colder and more sinister by the day. Only after several seconds did he ask:

"That business with Xuan Zhe and Shinnosuke... you knew?"

"That business?"

Orochimaru shifted his snake-like eyes, thought for a moment, then said in sudden understanding:

"Oh, you mean how Xuan Zhe-Shinnosuke-"

"Hey!"

Before Orochimaru could finish, Jiraiya cut him off with a furious shout.

It was so loud that several nearby Konoha ninja flinched.

Jiraiya grabbed Orochimaru's shoulder and dragged him aside, cursing under his breath. "Are you out of your mind? How could you say something like that in public?"

Orochimaru shrugged, his smile casual. "What's there to make a fuss about? I haven't taken Teacher Sarutobi's side, nor have I taken Xuan Zhe's. I'm simply neutral."

Neutral?

Jiraiya's brow furrowed even more. Hearing those words come out of Orochimaru's mouth sent a chill through him.

Had Konoha's ninja already split into several factions without him noticing?

"To me, they're all fragile things that could stop breathing at any moment. I have no interest whatsoever in who fights whom."

Orochimaru kept that faint smile on his face, as though none of it had anything to do with him.

He knew clearly that he sought only two things-immortality for his dearest friends, and limitless ninjutsu.

To someone who could live until the end of time, the conflicts between outsiders-or rather, people who would die sooner or later-were not worth mentioning.

"What about you, Jiraiya? Whose side are you on?"

That said, there was one thing Orochimaru was rather curious about-if Xuan Zhe really fell out with Teacher Sarutobi, who would win in the end?

"You... what exactly are you trying to say?" Obvious unease seeped into Jiraiya's voice.

Orochimaru grinned. "We both know perfectly well that Shinnosuke died at Xuan Zhe's hands. Teacher Sarutobi may have no evidence, but he's certainly already put Xuan Zhe on his blacklist. Those two will turn against each other sooner or later."

He paused, then continued, "Xuan Zhe has Tsunade, Nawaki, White Fang, and the others behind him. Teacher Sarutobi has the Elders Council, along with all of Konoha."

"On the surface, Teacher Sarutobi has an overwhelming advantage. But he, Danzo, and the rest are getting old. Their strength has already begun to decline. As for the major clans like the Uchiha, Hyuga, and Ino-Shika-Cho, I doubt many of them are truly loyal to Teacher Sarutobi."

At that point, Orochimaru could not help laughing. "In a situation like this, which side a Kage-level fighter like you chooses will determine how the scales balance."

Jiraiya's temples throbbed hard twice.

Before he could answer, a masked Anbu suddenly appeared beside them using the Body Flicker Technique. "Lord Orochimaru, Lord Jiraiya, Lord Hokage summons you."

"Hm?"

Jiraiya's gaze fell on the conspicuous yellow hair behind the Anbu's mask.

Was that the brat who had dared talk back to Xuan Zhe before?

The Hokage's office.

Orochimaru placed a small scroll on the desk and said coolly, "The ceasefire agreement from Chiyo of Sunagakure."

With that, he turned to leave. "If there's nothing else, I'll head back. I still have a pile of ninjutsu waiting to be researched."

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not stop him. He simply sat there and watched Orochimaru leave.

The bond between them seemed to be growing weaker and weaker as well.

Beside the wooden house near the fields, the stream burbled along.

Two figures, one black and one white, clashed repeatedly by the water, moving too fast for the naked eye to follow. Every time you thought you had caught their positions, they had already moved elsewhere to exchange blows.

"They're so strong... these are real powerhouses! Black Blade and White Fang really live up to their names!"

Obito clenched his fists, his cheeks flushed bright red, his entire body trembling with excitement.

"You're an Uchiha. Why don't you stay in your own clan grounds instead of coming over to us Hatake all day?"

Kakashi gave him a dead-eyed look, his voice full of impatience.

"What the hell's it to you? This isn't your Hatake Clan's territory. I'll go wherever I want!"

Obito was not intimidated in the slightest and shot right back.

Honestly, even he could not explain why he insisted on coming-he just wanted to compete with Kakashi.

"Hmph. Dead last. If you have time to watch my dad spar with my uncle, you'd be better off practicing your basics."

Kakashi did not hold back at all:

"Then maybe when you get onto a battlefield, you'll at least qualify as cannon fodder."

"Who are you calling dead last?!"

Obito's temper flared. He grabbed Kakashi by the collar and threw himself on top of him, straddling him.

The two immediately tangled together in a brawl.

"Stop! Don't fight!"

Rin Nohara stamped her feet anxiously, desperately trying to break them up.

Jiraiya silently pressed his dry, cracked lips together, his gaze dark as he studied the two people before him.

He had left the village for three years to teach Nagato and the others. What exactly had happened in the village during that time?

Why did everything feel so unfamiliar?

"Old man, what did you call me here for?"

Of the Sannin, Jiraiya was the only one who still retained his bond with Hiruzen Sarutobi as teacher and student.

"Tell me about that mission you carried out with Hatake Xuanzhe and Shinnosuke-the one involving the Kazekage's side. What exactly happened?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared fixedly into Jiraiya's eyes.

Just as I thought...

Jiraiya sighed inwardly.

Sure enough, the old man was suspicious too.

Xuan Zhe had clearly already explained it once, yet he still wanted me to repeat it.

To put it plainly, he wanted to confirm his suspicions.

Jiraiya remained silent for a long while before slowly speaking:

"I didn't see it with my own eyes-Sarutobi Shinnosuke died at the Second Kazekage's hands."