"I saw him clearly."
Goten breathed a sigh of relief, turned to Trunks, and said two words.
"Someone familiar."
At Konoha's main gate, the two Chunin on night duty were still yawning when a gust swept overhead, the hem of a red coat nearly whipping their faces.
The Toad Sage, Jiraiya, stood with one foot atop a gatepost, his face covered in dust, his hair a complete mess, and his eyes bloodshot.
The two Chunin were just about to question him when Jiraiya jumped down and sprinted toward the Hokage Building.
The night guards exchanged a glance and quietly wrote a line in the questioning log: "Lord Jiraiya returned to the village late at night, looking very anxious."
The Hokage Office.
Tsunade propped her head on one hand while the other signed documents in quick strokes. Papers awaiting approval stood half a foot high at the corner of her desk.
Bang!
The door was shoved open, struck the wall, and bounced back.
Jiraiya stood in the doorway, panting, his red coat covered in dust and bits of grass from his journey.
"Tsunade, the Akatsuki is about to make its move."
The pen's tip tore through the paper.
Tsunade dropped her pen and stood, glancing over Jiraiya's disheveled appearance. The old man always showed up grinning and joking. She hadn't seen him like this in over a decade.
"Close the door."
Jiraiya reached back and pulled it shut.
Tsunade called outside, "Shizune, get Goten. Now. Immediately."
Ten minutes later.
Goten pushed the door open and entered the office, with Trunks following behind.
Jiraiya sat on the couch, gulping down water. A large jug of cooled boiled water was already nearly empty.
"Pervy Sage, what's so urgent? You came running in the middle of the night like a dog was chasing you."