Outside Amegakure, Land of Rain.
A man with shock-white hair stood at the village entrance, staring in surprise at the congested state of the gates.
It wasn't that people were crying and screaming to get into Amegakure for anything specific. It was simply that the screening process was exceptionally rigorous. In Konoha, a hundred people might pass through in an hour; in Amegakure, it took nearly two, if not more.
This created a massive bottleneck at the entrance, giving off a sense of "artificial prosperity."
Nowadays, anyone wishing to enter Amegakure had to undergo screening and registration at the village gate. Once permitted, they were issued a transit pass. These passes were infused with a specific Chakra signature. Consequently, many areas within Amegakure were strictly off-limits to those without one.
If you thought about infiltrating secretly, you were out of luck. The Rain Tiger at Will Technique was no joke; it could instantly identify whether a person was carrying a pass. Those without were promptly hauled off to prison.
Sentences ranged from three months to a year, and it wasn't a comfortable stay. Prisoners were sent for "reform through labor," specifically to help construct the underground drainage and water systems for the Land of Rain.
"How strict. It seems Amegakure is hiding quite a few secrets. Perhaps it's just as Minato said, Orochimaru and Diarmuid are both here..." the white-haired man murmured.
Indeed, this man was Jiraiya. Immediately after Orochimaru's defection, Jiraiya had returned to Konoha and then set out on a journey to track his old friend's footsteps.
Through various investigations and inquiries, he had eventually found his way to the Land of Birds, only to discover the base that Diarmuid and his crew had recently abandoned.
After exhausting so much effort only to find a useless, empty shell, Jiraiya was naturally frustrated. But with no other choice, he had to keep searching, unless he wanted to give up on Orochimaru entirely.
But he couldn't do that. Deep down, he knew that even if he found Orochimaru, he might not be able to bring him back to Konoha. Even if he poured his heart out in persuasion, it likely wouldn't matter.
He knew just how strong-willed Orochimaru was. From childhood, once Orochimaru set his mind on something, no one could talk him out of it, not even Jiraiya.
Knowing all this, Jiraiya still sought him out. He wanted to see him with his own eyes and hear it from his own mouth. Only then... could Jiraiya perhaps finally give up.
Jiraiya didn't attempt any flashy infiltration. He didn't dare underestimate Diarmuid or Orochimaru. Furthermore, he heard the Yorozuya organization had other experts; the two most famous were Kakuzu and Jūzō. Neither was a pushover, and there was no telling if the Yorozuya had other formidable members.
Thus, unless necessary, Jiraiya was more than happy to wait in line and enter Amegakure in a friendly, safe manner. There was no need to provoke these fanatics.
Jiraiya stood in line for over an hour before it was finally his turn for screening.
"Name?" the ninja wearing the Amegakure forehead protector asked, glancing at Jiraiya.
"Toad Sage!" Jiraiya answered directly.
The ninja: "???"
I asked for your name, and you say "Toad Sage"??? Are you provoking me?
"No aliases!" the ninja said, his expression turning cold.
Jiraiya felt a bit of a headache and replied, "Myoboku Bunta."
Only then did the ninja nod in satisfaction. Whether the name was real or fake didn't matter, as long as it sounded reasonable. You couldn't be "Toad Sage" today and "Sage of Six Paths" tomorrow. This wasn't a divine banquet!
As for whether the name was true, that wasn't his concern. He just had to follow the rules.
"Purpose of visit?" the ninja asked again.
"Ahem, actually, I'm an author, a bestselling author. I've come to the Land of Rain to gather material. I've heard Amegakure has a very unique atmosphere, so I wanted to see it for myself," Jiraiya provided a high-sounding excuse.
The ninja nodded. He didn't care if the excuse was true either. Registration was the only thing that mattered. As long as he didn't cause trouble once inside, it was fine. Of course, if he did dare to cause trouble, he would surely die a miserable death.
Soon, the ninja wrote the purpose on Jiraiya's transit pass: Gathering material.
However, just as he handed the pass to Jiraiya and signaled him to proceed, he suddenly remembered something.
"Ah, almost forgot. Do you have any representative works?" the ninja asked.
Jiraiya found it strange. Why ask that? Do you like reading, or do you suspect I'm an author you admire?
Despite his confusion, Jiraiya didn't hesitate. "Ahem, among my humble works, there is one called Icha Icha Paradise."
The ninja, who had asked only in passing, suddenly had his eyes light up upon hearing the title. "It is you! Jiraiya!"
Jiraiya was dumbfounded. You see, when he wrote Icha Icha Paradise, he hadn't used his real name like he did with The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Ninja. After all, the genre of Icha Icha Paradise was... a bit unsavory.
Jiraiya had a reputation to maintain, and so did Konoha.
Good grief, if he signed "Jiraiya" on Icha Icha Paradise, people would see that one of the legendary Sannin was actually a writer of erotica. Konoha's prestige would plummet instantly.
Therefore, Jiraiya never dared to use his name on that book; only a few close friends knew the truth.
And yet here, in the Land of Rain, in Amegakure, his true name and identity were suddenly exposed in public. Jiraiya panicked instantly.
"Hey! Don't talk nonsense! My name is Bunta, I'm from Mount Myoboku! I'm not some 'Jiraiya,' and certainly not one of the Sannin! If you keep talking nonsense, I'll sue you for slander!" Jiraiya said, sounding extremely agitated.
"I didn't say you were one of the Sannin!" the ninja responded, looking confused.
Jiraiya: "???"
Oh, right... I guess he didn't...
"Anyway, wait a moment. We have orders from above. If you were spotted, we must report it," the ninja said quickly.
Jiraiya thought for a few seconds and ultimately chose not to resist or flee. He figured it was either Diarmuid or Orochimaru who wanted to see him.
"To think I was exposed before even getting through the gate," Jiraiya grumbled internally.
Of course, his infiltration skills were top-tier; he simply hadn't used them this time. Furthermore, since his "targets" were Diarmuid and Orochimaru, he didn't harbor much hostility, which was why he was so easily caught. If he were serious about infiltrating, would he have blurted out "Toad Sage" at the start?
Anyone even slightly familiar with him would know who he was!
Soon, a squad of Akatsuki ninjas walked over from within the village. They looked at Jiraiya with great respect and said, "It truly is Jiraiya-sama. Please follow us. The lords of the Yorozuya are already expecting you."
Jiraiya nodded, thinking it was just as he expected. He then followed the squad into the heart of Amegakure.
At the gate, Jiraiya had felt the village was quite lively, but once inside, he found the atmosphere quiet and oppressive. He sensed something discordant, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
It wasn't until he was brought to the "Rain Garden," the tallest building in Amegakure and the current core headquarters of the Yorozuya, that he realized what it was.
The strangeness of Amegakure lay in its lack of "humanity." The entire village seemed to lack the breath of everyday life. The people here seemed constantly occupied with their own tasks, which, combined with the perpetual downpour, felt cold and mechanical.
Like a machine operating in a state of numbness.
Compared to Konoha, it was worlds apart. In Konoha, during times of peace, one could truly feel a joyful and bustling atmosphere. But having discovered this, Jiraiya had nothing to say. He wasn't in a position to judge. He merely felt a bit sentimental.
Soon, Jiraiya followed the ninjas to the top floor of the building. As he stepped out of the high-tech hydraulic elevator, he heard a familiar laugh.
"Ahahaha! Jiraiya! It really is you, you rascal! What's the matter? Did you come to my Amegakure hoping to peek at some girls bathing?" Diarmuid laughed heartily as he approached from a distance.
Jiraiya had been a bit worried, after all, Diarmuid was a ruthless man. But hearing that cheerful, welcoming voice, his anxiety vanished.
Is he kidding? I'm brothers with Diarmuid, we've shared drinks at the brothels together! What is there to fear?
"Ahem! Don't talk nonsense. I'm simply here to gather material," Jiraiya explained quickly.
Diarmuid walked up to Jiraiya, raised an eyebrow, and teased, "Really? Just for material?"
Jiraiya was thick-skinned. His eyes shifted slightly, and he whispered, "Mainly, I heard Orochimaru is with you. Is it true?"
"You certainly are direct," Diarmuid chuckled.
"Sigh. I figured when dealing with someone like you, it's best not to play games," Jiraiya sighed.
"You're right about that. I consider you a friend, so don't be a stranger. It's better for both of us," Diarmuid said, patting Jiraiya's shoulder with a look of sentiment.
Jiraiya didn't argue. He pressed on, "You haven't answered me. Is Orochimaru here?"
"He is," Diarmuid nodded. "You must have received intel, otherwise you wouldn't have found Amegakure so quickly. It's just as your reports say: after defecting from Konoha, Orochimaru is now a member of our Yorozuya."
Jiraiya's expression darkened. "Why on earth did that guy defect from the village?"
"How should I know!?" Diarmuid said without hesitation.
To be honest, he didn't fully understand why Orochimaru left; he only had theories. But he was certain it wasn't just because his research was discovered. Whether in the original story or now, that was just an excuse Orochimaru gave himself. In Diarmuid's estimation, Orochimaru still cared for Konoha but had grown disgusted with its current state.
As for the specific reason, Diarmuid didn't know and wasn't interested.
Jiraiya didn't press the issue further. "Where is he? I want to see him..."
"It's not convenient right now. He's researching a technique of vital importance to him, and he hasn't succeeded yet. According to his initial estimates, it should be finished around this time. If you're not in a hurry, you can stay for a while. Once he finishes his seclusion, you can go see him."
Diarmuid shook his head as he spoke.