[boom--]
The words "accomplice" and "accomplice."
Like a bolt from the blue.
Jiraiya stood frozen in place.
["I..."]
[He suddenly lost his confidence.]
Even so... I will teach him how to control the Nine-Tails' power...
Jiraiya seemed unwilling to give up, and murmured softly.
Kakashi chuckled.
He shook his head.
I will no longer look at the legendary Sannin, now looking so dejected.
["what ever."]
"But be prepared."
"If you teach Naruto to master that power... he'll just turn around and use it against Konoha... hahaha~"
[Pfft—]
Kakashi flung his trident-shaped kunai, embedding it in a nearby tree.
"No...it's impossible!"
Jiraiya's pupils suddenly contracted.
This possibility... certainly exists.
In an instant.
Jiraiya was caught in a dilemma.
[To give Naruto the power of the Nine-Tails, enabling him to protect himself.]
This way, Kurama (the Nine-Tails) won't be captured by the Akatsuki.
But then another problem arises.
Will the Konoha leadership agree?
[Jinchūriki, the Nine-Tails, is implicitly considered a weapon of war belonging to Konoha.]
It is a resource.
What would happen if this weapon were made "free"?
Jiraiya slumped down.
"I'll talk to the old man..."
"Will they agree?"
"Hatred...can be eliminated."
"It's not too late. Naruto... he's a Konoha ninja too, he won't do that."
"I really don't want to see war happen again."
"And then there's Orochimaru..."
Jiraiya was in utter turmoil.
[Completely unnoticed.]
Above the water tower behind him, two figures, one yellow and one red, had appeared.
"Don't you want to see war and killing?"
"So, what about the Uchiha clan?"
Jiraiya was taken aback.
"Uchiha...Uchiha..."
"They only have themselves to blame!"
"An attempt to stage a coup!"
Why would someone consider launching a coup?
Jiraiya was stumped again.
He remained silent for a long time.
"Born evil!"
"Where's Konoha's White Fang?"
Where is Orochimaru?
Jiraiya: "..."
[After a long while.]
Jiraiya said in a deep voice, "All the problems... will be resolved once we find the Child of Prophecy... everything will be alright once we find the Child of Prophecy!"
"Mutual understanding between people..."
"And what about before that?"
[Another problem has arisen.]
This time, Jiraiya thought of someone.
"Perhaps, after resolving this matter... the teacher really should take a break."
"So, who should we find to replace him?"
"I already have someone in mind."
"Is that Tsunade?" The voice came from above again.
Jiraiya did not deny it.
"Because Tsunade is the granddaughter of the First Hokage and the Second Hokage."
"They couldn't possibly be that cold-blooded towards Konoha."
"Her appointment as the Fifth Hokage... would shut many people up."
"But the question is, will Tsunade come back?"
Jiraiya immediately replied, "Yes!"
"I will personally go and bring her back!"
"Back to be Hokage?"
"The Hokage who is constantly hampered?"
"A frustrated puppet?"
"Just like the Fourth Hokage back then?"
"No way!" Jiraiya immediately shook his head.
"Tsunade's identity is very special."
"She will never be controlled by anyone."
"With her around, the teachers will behave themselves..."
[finally. ]
Jiraiya snapped out of his daze.
His mouth was agape, and his pupils were contracting rapidly.
That voice...
[It's not Kakashi's.]
Kakashi has already left.
[This looks familiar... Whose is it?!]
He didn't dare to look up.
But the language has changed.
"I... well, I will give Naruto an explanation."
"Can a few words of verbal comfort really erase all the suffering and injustices that child has endured over the years?"
Jiraiya's voice rose a few decibels.
"No, that's not it!"
"So, what if the worst happens and we fail?"
"And what about the hatred in Naruto's heart?"
"People can understand each other!"
"I believe... I believe Naruto will understand all of this!"
Jiraiya's eyes reddened.
"If you fail, you'll continue to run away, continue to leave Konoha, and embark on this so-called journey to find the Child of Prophecy."
"Right?"
"No need to say anything more, go and find your prophetic child."
"Don't stay in Konoha any longer."
"You can't stop Orochimaru's actions."
"Besides, do you really not know what Orochimaru is planning to do?"
"In comparison, Orochimaru seems to have more love for Konoha than you do."
"What you cannot have, Orochimaru is also destined to have no way of having."
"As for Naruto... he will no longer suffer any injustice."
"Hatred cannot be erased with just a few words."
"Don't say one thing and do another."
"Since you want others to understand each other."
"Then why don't you set an example?"
["For example, Naruto destroyed Konoha. You talk about mutual understanding and your deep love for Konoha, but can you truly understand Naruto?"]
"No!" Jiraiya growled.
"Anyone who dares to harm Konoha..."
Jiraiya closed his eyes.
"Is it an illusion?"
"I didn't even notice."
"The Minato I remember would never say something like that."
[Bang--]
"Illusion?"
["Alright."]
"I felt something was off last night."
["In the middle of the night, screams suddenly came from the women's bathhouse."]
"I knew it, you lecherous devil, you're back."
"Just like your teacher."
Jiraiya suffered a heavy blow to the chest.
He let out a muffled groan, then flew backward.
But the feeling of weightlessness had only just begun.
[Immediately, I felt a tightness in my body again.]
Immediately afterwards, an indescribable pain spread throughout my body.
It was the golden chains that bound him that caused the pain.
["Heh...heh..."]
Jiraiya's face instantly turned red.
This pain seems to penetrate the body and reach the soul.
[This...how is this possible?!]
Jiraiya gasped repeatedly.
[Looking at the two figures, one yellow and one red, that appeared before them.]
He simply found it absurd.
[The two of them...should have died long ago.]
Why is that...?
Just then, another voice, one that Jiraiya knew all too well, rang out.
["Kushina."]
"Your punches weren't heavy enough, nor were they vicious enough."
"Well, that's true, there's not much I can say."
"After all, I held back a bit when I punched him back then, which allowed him to survive."
"Otherwise, we wouldn't be seeing this utterly repulsive guy now."
[Bang--]
[A fleeting glimpse of flowing twin tails.]
[Next.]
[Click—]
[It's broken; all the ribs on the left side are broken.]