While Jiraiya speaking, he kept a close eye on Minato's changing expressions in order to understand Minato's inner state.
Not only that, he was also keeping an eye on Araki and Kushina.
This kind of observation of his disciples had long been an ingrained habit for him.
Long before the Great Toad Sage made his prophecy, he knew that among his disciples was a Child of Prophecy who would one day lead a revolution in the ninja world. However, the Great Toad Sage did not know who that Child of Prophecy was; he himself had to search for and discover it.
For this reason, when he faced his disciples, he would observe them further to see if they had the potential to become future leaders.
When he Nagato and his two companions in the Land of Rain, that's exactly what he did. Through his observation, he discovered that Yahiko was the one who outwardly performed the best Nagato the three, and Yahiko's constant efforts were all aimed at changing the ninja world. However, the person he truly favored was actually Nagato.
The reason is simple: Nagato possesses the same Rinnegan as the Sage of Six Paths, which forces him to consider this possibility.
As for Konan, she simply follows the state of the two of them and could absolutely not be the Child of Prophecy.
Now that he has taken in these three disciples, Jiraiya has been observing them closely. From the very beginning of his selection process until now, he has always felt that Minato is exceptionally talented and has consistently thought about things with the mindset of Hokage. Perhaps in the future, he could truly become the Hokage of Konoha, which could indeed bring peace to the ninja world.
This starting point is far superior to that of Yahiko and Nagato!
but...
Jiraiya had a strange feeling that was hard to describe. He felt that Minato was good enough to become Hokage, but when it came to leading a change in the ninja world, it didn't seem quite right.
Often, those who bring about change are not those directly involved, but rather those who see things most clearly from the outside, thus breaking the deadlock from the outside.
If Minato were to become the Hokage of Konoha, his stance on matters would inevitably be aligned with Konoha. Many decisions would not be based on his own whims, but rather on what would be of greater benefit to Konoha and whether it could provide a better life for the villagers.
This is a problem that is fundamentally unavoidable.
This is also a major reason why he had no interest in becoming Hokage at all. He felt that if he were in a high position in Konoha, he would lose his own judgment on the situation of the entire ninja world.
This is a matter of stance that no one can escape; it's determined by one's own interests. It's impossible for the Hokage of a village to always consider the interests of other villages. Of course, if that were the case, it would be impossible for him to be supported by everyone to become the Hokage.
It's a simple environmental issue, Jiraiya could see that Minato had strong empathy for it. However, his feelings were more about belonging to Konoha and considering how to solve the problem from the perspective of the Hokage of Konoha, how to avoid a ninja world war, and how to keep the ninja world at peace.
but...
While Jiraiya was observing his three disciples, he couldn't help but look at Araki's reaction.
This idea surprised even him. When he examined himself, he was astonished to find no reason whatsoever to consider Araki as the Child of Prophecy. It should absolutely not be included in the discussion, yet he was still pondering this possibility.
Throughout this journey, Araki rarely revealed his thoughts, except for his extensive knowledge of Medical Ninjutsu and his almost abnormal physical abilities.
This was the first time Jiraiya had ever met someone who could go without sleeping.
Another thing is...
Upon seeing the sandstorm from the Land of Wind in the distance, even Kushina, who wasn't particularly interested in such matters, showed a slight change in expression, but Araki remained completely unresponsive.
" Araki, what do you think about this?" Jiraiya decided to follow his heart and asked Araki a question.
"What's wrong?" Araki asked, puzzled.
"..." Jiraiya was speechless for a moment, realizing that Araki might not have paid any attention to his conversation with Minato. After a moment's thought, he asked in the most concise way, "How do you think we should resolve this kind of war problem caused by environmental differences?"
"May I speak?" Araki murmured to himself.
"Yes, you can." Jiraiya nodded.
"Hmm..." Araki wasn't asking Jiraiya, but rather himself. However, after a quick thought, he realized that the current situation was more like empty talk, and no one present could actually implement the method he described. Since that was the case, there was no harm in saying it, just to lighten the mood. He then said, "There is a solution in history, namely the Lord First Hokage. When he was alive, the ninja world was peaceful and tranquil. The two Shinobi World Wars that occurred in succession both happened after his death. My view is that as long as a sufficiently powerful person appears, there will be no problem."
Araki spoke calmly; for him, his way of thinking was actually somewhat similar to that of Nagato, who had turned to the dark Nagato.
There's no need to understand it.
Comprehensive peace cannot be achieved through mutual understanding.
Naruto's way of thinking is only suitable for dreams and cannot be applied to real-world situations.
For Araki, who grew up in a socialist system, he felt that his life experience had been good enough. However, there are still so many messy things in the world that are hard to explain. What can restrain human behavior is never morality, but law.
As for international affairs, only by being strong enough can one stand firm, and when one becomes strong enough to inspire fear in everyone, the world will truly be at peace.
History has already provided the answer, hasn't it?
Araki's lips curled up slightly. He had just heard Jiraiya's words, but he wasn't sure what Jiraiya was asking. Now, his words were a rebuttal to Jiraiya's claim that the historical problem had actually been briefly resolved.
"This..."
Jiraiya was immediately stunned. He hadn't even considered this possibility. After all, Hashirama Senju was a top-tier ninja who wouldn't appear for hundreds of years. Indeed, as Araki said, the existence of such a powerful figure could intimidate the entire ninja world.
The problem is...
There is no such person!
Chapter 32 Hiruzen Sarutobi does have some tricks up his sleeve!
After saying these words, Araki stopped speaking. His point of view was all there, and in some ways, his thinking was quite similar to Nagato's.
Just like what he experienced in reality, the powerful countries where he originally lived did not help other weak countries because of their strength. Instead, they used various forms of colonization to further bully them.
Only by possessing true strength can one have a voice in international affairs.
The same applies to the ninja world.
If you don't have the strength...
The weak have no right to talk about so-called fairness, let alone change the world to their liking.
so...
Araki's thinking is actually very simple: if we want to achieve true peace, it is unrealistic to rely on understanding between people; what can truly be achieved is strong rules.
Just like the laws in the real world.
Even with such strict laws, many people still break the law and commit crimes, which means that the punishment is not severe enough to deter people.
Araki didn't say anything more after thinking about this, because he felt that there was no point in saying anything more. These things and these principles were not something that could be discussed, after all, the rules were made by the strong.
If you're not yet a strong player, then whatever you say is just like a keyboard warrior in the real world. But once you truly reach that level, you can freely customize the rules of the game for yourself.
Just like Hashirama Senju, what people fear about him is his strength, not his ability to be kind and fair to everyone.
It was precisely because of this that after Hashirama Senju's death, no one in the entire ninja world remembered all the good things he had done. Instead, they all launched an attack on Konoha, because they had been waiting for this day for a long time. This was an opportunity for any village to reshuffle its fortunes.
Araki had witnessed the entire history of the ninja world, which of course changed with his arrival. However, what he understood was not only the history of the ninja world, but also the five thousand years of history of the world he originally lived in, as well as the current reality of society. He had a very clear understanding of this situation.
This is a dog-eat-dog society.
The same applies to the ninja world!
Jiraiya gave Araki a deep look, but he didn't continue to refute him. Although his thoughts differed somewhat from Araki's, he felt that there was some truth to what Araki said.
Now that the topic has reached this point, it seems there's no point in continuing. However, he once again had a special feeling about Araki, and he felt more and more implicitly that this disciple's thinking and ideas were becoming more and more like Orochimaru's.
It was a very strange feeling, and even he himself couldn't explain why. Jiraiya kept suppressing this feeling in his heart, but it kept surfacing in his mind.
Could it be because he saw Orochimaru in the Hokage's office that day?
Or is there some other reason?
A huge question mark popped into Jiraiya's mind. He kept thinking about this, and even trying to suppress it was difficult. He just couldn't understand why Araki would be associated with Orochimaru, since Araki was Tsunade's student.
"Call..."
After hearing Araki's words, Minato took a deep breath. His azure eyes were fixed on the location of the camp ahead, and he was constantly thinking about what Araki had just said. Those words kept floating in his ears, and he didn't know how to refute them.
Since this trip began, he hasn't had much interaction with Araki, but compared to the past, they've discussed quite a few things. However, what surprised him was that their views were almost entirely different.
This is quite special...
Minato has always been an excellent student at the Ninja Academy, possessing a profound understanding of the textbook content. When discussing viewpoints with other students or teachers, his opinions are always considered mainstream, and he rarely disagrees with others in their conversations.
but...
Recently, while discussing some issues with Araki, he increasingly felt that their viewpoints were completely different.
The ways of doing many things are also completely different!
However, there is still a strange point: even though he would not do what Araki did, nor fully understand Araki, he still felt that Araki's words seemed to have their own logic.
This made him think about it.
"Let's go turn in the quest!"
After a period of silence, Jiraiya's voice slowly broke the tranquility. Just moments before, they had all been stunned by Araki's words, as it was a viewpoint they had never heard before.
They had never thought about the First Hokage Hashirama Senju, before. To them, or rather to the entire ninja world, Hashirama Senju was a myth, a being close to the Sage of Six Paths. Before that legendary and terrifying power, any problems that might have arisen in the past were no longer problems.
Of course, faced with such power, the problems they worried about were no longer problems.
So...
Is this really a matter of strength?
Araki's words prompted many people present to think, giving rise to a variety of unique ideas in their minds.
Instantly.
Jiraiya leaped up and jumped down from the tree branch, walking directly on the ground.
Ahead lies a boundary line in the terrain.
It's a very strange phenomenon. On one side is a forest, and on the other side is sandstorm. There's no gradual transition; it's a clear and distinct boundary.
Within this boundary, nestled in the woods, several tents can be clearly seen, bearing the insignia of Konoha.
Araki and the other two followed Jiraiya toward the border. As he walked, he sensed the surrounding atmosphere and immediately detected the presence of people from the tents. Those were the people from the Konoha ninja's encampment.
besides.
Araki also sensed other presences.
Those auras were located a little further away; they were faint and well-hidden, perfectly suited to the sweltering conditions, making them difficult to perceive clearly.
Um...
Araki's eyes narrowed slightly, and he immediately realized that the aura over there must be from the ninjas stationed at Sunagakure.
The two outposts were about fifty or sixty meters apart, which wasn't far, but it wasn't close either. They maintained a relatively reasonable distance from each other, and as long as neither side deliberately provoked the other, there would be no conflict.
Judging from the location of their base, Araki immediately understood that neither Konoha nor Sunagakure had any intention of starting a conflict.
This further solidified his belief.
but...