Orochimaru and Jiraiya finally led their battered forces into the Land of Grass.
In theory, they should have arrived at the same time as Ohnoki's main Iwa army. However, fearing that the Tsuchikage might have sent pursuers or set up ambushes along the way, Orochimaru and Jiraiya had consulted and decided against the most direct route through the Land of Rain. Instead, they took a safer detour through the Land of Fire, which delayed their arrival by nearly a day.
Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't displeased by the delay. On the contrary, he felt a surge of relief. It seemed his two students hadn't suffered their recent defeat in vain; they were finally learning the value of caution and steady leadership.
With the three Sannin reunited, Konoha's military strength surged, and Hiruzen's confidence grew alongside it.
"I've already heard about what you two have been up to from Tsunade."
Inside Jiraiya's tent, the man looked at his two students with an expression that was thirty percent relief and seventy percent smug pride. "It seems that while your teacher was away, you two haven't been slacking off."
"Jiraiya-sensei, if you're here, what about... I mean, what about Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan?"
Seeing Jiraiya here—when he was supposed to be in the Land of Rain teaching the "Red, Yellow, and Blue" trio—Hatani felt a sudden, unsettling sense of vertigo. It was the feeling of a man realizing he had accidentally derailed history.
"Konoha has officially signed an alliance with the Land of Rain, so you don't need to worry about their safety," Jiraiya replied, assuming Hatani was simply concerned for his friends. He offered a reassuring smile. "Eventually, a young eagle must leave the nest and rely on its own wings to strike the sky."
He added the last part with a touch of wistful sentiment.
Heh. I'm only asking because I'm afraid they'll strike the sky so hard they'll punch a hole through it, Hatani muttered inwardly, pushing down his anxiety over the uncertain future.
"By the way, Jiraiya-sensei, didn't you say that once Minato mastered the contents of that scroll, you'd take him to the Third Hokage to request the Flying Raijin?" Hatani suddenly remembered the problem that had been nagging him and decided to strike while the iron was hot.
"I did, yes."
Caught off guard by the sudden topic change, Jiraiya blinked and nodded. Then, his eyes lit up with surprise. "Minato, you've already mastered those concepts?"
"I have."
Minato glanced at his brother, wondering why he was bringing this up now, but he nodded and gave a soft smile. "However, Lord Hokage feels I've only just scratched the surface. He suggested I let it 'simmer' for a while and wait until after the war. Once we return to the village, he'll let me transcribe the full details of the Flying Raijin from the Scroll of Seals to begin formal training."
"That's great! Excellent, truly excellent!" Jiraiya's face practically bloomed into a grin at the news that Hiruzen had already approved Minato for the technique.
"But I think it's better to start as early as possible," Hatani cut in, refusing to let the matter drop. "Who knows? Maybe the pressure of the battlefield will give Minato the perfect spark of inspiration or the breakthrough he needs."
"Hmm..."
Jiraiya's smile faded. He stroked his chin and furrowed his brow, seriously considering whether Hatani's logic held water.
Seeing that Jiraiya hadn't shot him down immediately, Hatani nudged Minato and gave him a pointed look.
"Actually, Jiraiya-sensei... I'd like to start learning as soon as possible, too," Minato added, finding his own voice.
If he hadn't experienced that terrifying battle where he, Tsunade, and Choza were surrounded by dozens of Iwa shinobi, Minato would have agreed with Hiruzen's cautious approach. But the image of Choza nearly dying in front of him after using the Red Chili Pill to buy them time was burned into his mind. It had instilled in him a desperate sense of urgency.
Even the recent skirmish with Koubachi had reinforced it. If Hatani hadn't arrived in time to intercept her, he would have had to watch his teammates be captured or killed while he was stuck in a trap. That feeling of powerlessness had been the final straw.
Nudged by Hatani, he finally cast aside his hesitation.
"You're right. The battlefield is a monster; it devours money, resources, lives, and emotions without end..."
Seeing the earnestness on Minato's face and the steely resolve in his eyes, Jiraiya stopped thinking and looked at him solemnly.
"But the battlefield is also a forge. It strips away the impurities of a pure soul—the shadows and the doubts. I see that determination in your eyes now."
Jiraiya took a deep breath, patted Minato's shoulder, and stood up. "Since you have the conviction, I'm willing to put my faith in it. Come on, let's go find my old teacher."
"Thank you, Jiraiya-sensei!"
Minato was overjoyed. He stood up and gave a deep, nearly ninety-degree bow.
"Heh, I should be thanking you. You're willing to take on such a massive risk with such a young body, all for the sake of the village and the responsibilities you carry."
Jiraiya offered a word of encouragement, glanced at Hatani—who was wearing a look of poorly concealed glee—and led the way out of the tent. Minato turned to give his brother a grateful smile before quickly following.
Hatani felt a momentary twinge of nervousness under Jiraiya's parting gaze, but he quickly suppressed it. Once he was sure they were gone, he let out a triumphant huff and submerged his consciousness into the System. He opened the shop interface and clicked on an icon that looked suspiciously like the butcher's knife from the movie From Beijing with Love.
Purchase Blink Dagger for 2,250 Gold?[Yes] / [No]
Hatani didn't hesitate. He had run the numbers a thousand times. He clicked [Yes].
A moment later, Hatani exited the interface. A short dagger, slightly longer than a standard kunai and radiating a faint white light, appeared strapped to his thigh.
Thank god.
Looking at the curved blade, Hatani let out a sigh of relief. While he didn't have anything against meat cleavers, he lacked the effortless charisma of Stephen Chow's character to pull off wearing one on his belt. The Blink Dagger was short, but the design was undeniably sleek and "cool."
With the aesthetic concerns out of the way, Hatani picked up the dagger and felt a bit stumped. How exactly did he trigger the "Blink" ability?
I can't just throw it like a Flying Raijin kunai, can I?
He ran his thumb over the hilt, muttered a few complaints to himself, and then looked at the tent's exit. He focused his mind and thought one word: Blink.