At the gates of Konoha, a white-haired figure appeared.
"The Great Toad Sage of wandering the shinobi world has returned to Konoha! Let's see whether anything's changed in the village!"
The shinobi guarding the gate saw Jiraiya-sama standing atop a toad the size of two men, and none of them stepped forward to question him.
Jiraiya held up a telescope and looked all over the village.
"A lot's changed... it really has changed." As he looked, he said, "Tsunade's done a pretty good job these past few years as the administrative advisor.
So many construction sites. Konoha's really thriving.
Too bad another shinobi war is about to begin. Everything in Konoha's going to have to hit pause."
Apparently not satisfied with his view, the toad beneath him leaped up and landed on top of Konoha's wall.
The squad guarding a nearby watchtower was stunned to see someone actually land on Konoha's wall. They were just about to move in to drive him off—or even arrest him—but when they realized it was Jiraiya-sama, they quietly let the chakra fade from beneath their feet.
If it was Jiraiya-sama, then there was nothing they could do.
Jiraiya kept looking and soon found a few familiar bathhouses.
"Oh? The bathhouse in the south side expanded its backyard and added an open-air bath? Hiss... nice, very nice."
"That bathhouse's rival actually built a rooftop infinity pool? Ahh, now that's creative."
"This is why Konoha's the best. Good living conditions. Those figures, that skin—they're way better than village women elsewhere."
"Let's see what new tricks the bathhouse on the west side has..."
He had only just turned the telescope when he froze.
"Hm? Why is the west-side bathhouse triangular? That's a snake head! And it's sticking out its tongue!"
Jiraiya lowered the telescope with a look of disappointment and turned his head—only to see Orochimaru.
"Oi! Orochimaru, can you not ruin things every single time?!"
Orochimaru didn't reply. He only looked at Jiraiya with a complicated expression.
More than ten seconds passed before Jiraiya's voice lost some of its flippancy.
"Oi... why are you looking at me like that? Why are you being so weird? Are you... pitying me?"
"Hmph." Orochimaru gave a cold laugh and said, "Jiraiya, you haven't been completely fooled by Mount Myōboku after all. You still have some judgment left. Yes, I do pity you.
A lot has changed in Konoha during the years you were gone. The people of Konoha have changed a great deal too."
A bad feeling rose in Jiraiya's chest. It sounded like Orochimaru was talking about something that involved him personally.
"I already saw that Konoha changed. What do you mean the people changed?" Jiraiya stared at Orochimaru. "Orochimaru, don't tell me you turned into a woman? Hahaha! That'd be hilarious! If you turned into a woman..."
All kinds of strange thoughts suddenly rose in Jiraiya's head, and he hurriedly shook them away.
At once, he raised the telescope again and looked toward the west-side bathhouse.
Only the graceful curves of women could drive out those evil thoughts.
Swimsuits, bathrobes... and a bathrobe slipping loose...
A snake dropped from Orochimaru's sleeve and instantly coiled around Jiraiya's throat.
"Air—give me some air! Urgh!" Jiraiya's face turned red. "You trying to... strangle me?!"
When Orochimaru saw Jiraiya's eyes nearly bulging out, he finally loosened the snake.
That damned Jiraiya. He had definitely been thinking something indecent just now.
"Jiraiya, prepare yourself."
"For what? Don't tell me you really are turning into a woman?"
"Jiraiya, you fool. In the years you've been gone, Tsunade found herself a new man."
"...What?" Jiraiya's expression changed. "What do you mean Tsunade found herself a new man? After Katō Dan died, I figured eventually it'd be my turn.
Impossible. Other than me—handsome, dashing me—who else could possibly be worthy of Tsunade?
I heard Tsunade's a village advisor now. She's busy all the time. How could she possibly find another man?"
Orochimaru looked at him with pity and said, "You fool. Let Tsunade choose a hundred times, and she still wouldn't pick you."
Jiraiya put away the telescope and sat down on the spot, lowering his head slightly.
After a long while, he finally looked up and asked,
"Who is he?"
Orochimaru turned and gazed down at Konoha.
"Every person in Konoha is busy. These last four years have been full of life.
Tsunade's done very well. Every time I step out of the laboratory, I can feel how much Konoha has changed."
"Who is he?"
Orochimaru acted as though he hadn't heard him.
"My experiments have gone quite well. And I can tell you haven't wasted these past few years either.
You should go take a look at the Senju compound. The Senju clan has changed a lot."
"I said—who is the man?!"
Orochimaru kept sidestepping the question.
"Hiruzen-sensei called you back because he wants the three of us to fight together again under the name of the Sannin.
In the coming Third Shinobi World War, Konoha will face attacks from several directions.
The other four great villages have trampled on their own dignity and actually joined forces against Konoha."
"WHO IS THE MAN?!"
Only then did Orochimaru turn his head and look at the stubborn, almost pitiful Jiraiya sitting on the ground.
"You've been a shameless rogue since you were a child. No little girl is ever going to like someone who peeps on her while she bathes.
You're already in your thirties, aren't you? And you still love peeping this much.
I told you already. Even if Tsunade chose a hundred times, she still wouldn't pick you."
Jiraiya looked ready to explode, so Orochimaru finally said,
"That man..."
Jiraiya waited for the answer.
"That man is the ANBU commander—Fox."
A gust of wind threw Orochimaru's clothes and hair into disarray.
He spoke to the empty air before him:
"Really, Jiraiya... you're not Fox's match."
Unfortunately, Jiraiya had already rushed off in a panic and never heard the warning.
He sprinted across Konoha's rooftops, chaining Body Flicker after Body Flicker as he shot toward the northeast part of the village.
Uchiha Fugaku, who was out on patrol, instantly opened his Sharingan.
So fast!
But once he saw clearly that the blur was Jiraiya, he closed his eyes again.
Where in the world was Jiraiya going in such a hurry?
Fugaku quickly warned his squad.
"Don't chase him! You won't catch him. That's Jiraiya-sama, who's wandered the shinobi world for years."
Jiraiya plunged into the Forest of Death. This was where the ANBU base was located.
Even before the ANBU barrier could react, Yako had already sensed him.
He saw Jiraiya stop at the very edge of the forest, staring into the pitch-black gaps between the trees.
"Jiraiya-sama. Do you need something?"
Jiraiya spun around and saw an ANBU standing sideways on a tree trunk, wearing a fox mask.
From that one display of concealment alone, Jiraiya already understood he was at a disadvantage.
"Nothing much," Jiraiya said. "There's a knot in my chest that won't go away. Fox—I'm challenging you."
Before long, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Orochimaru, Tsunade, and the others appeared one after another at the edge of the Forest of Death.