...
The moment his chest was pierced, Jiraiya's mind became unusually calm. The blood from his body didn't flow out; it was instantly vaporized by the intense heat of Ryujin Jakka.
Jiraiya lay in the sand, slowly sinking into the grit. His consciousness began to fade. In a daze, he saw Naruto's back as he walked away.
They say that when a person is on the verge of death, their life flashes before their eyes. Jiraiya was no exception.
He thought of everything from his past. Meeting his teammates, pursuing Tsunade only to be rejected. Taking the Fourth Hokage as his student, only for him to defect in the end. His closest friend defected, and he was powerless to stop it. His most beloved student defected, and he was even more powerless to stop it. The woman he loved was tormented by the burden of leading Konoha, but he couldn't do much to ease her worries.
He had spent his life chasing the Child of Prophecy, only to push them towards defection, time and time again. Compared to the great achievements of the past Hokage, everything he had done was so insignificant. So pathetic.
He had once thought he would die a glorious death like the Hokage before him, that the quality of his story would be defined by its ending.
Although my life has been one of failure... at least let me die as a great ninja.
Heh. To be stabbed through the heart while fleeing... what a disgraceful way to die. To think that this would be the final chapter of the Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant. How dull.
Sasuke, you were right. I should have cast aside the prophecy that bound me and truly done what I wanted to do.
With your pride, your kindness, and your perseverance, you will surely have a final, decisive battle with Naruto. To proudly fight for your own justice—that is the ninja way you hold to. I'm glad you were able to walk your own path. And I believe you will defeat Naruto. Because you are the student I am most proud of.
Sasuke, your determination and courage in abandoning the Uchiha name is admirable... And I, as your teacher, how can I give up so easily?
This time, I will die as Jiraiya. I will follow the justice in my own heart. Just as you said. Abandon all restraints!
Jiraiya was dead.
But he stood up.
His heart had stopped, his bodily functions had ceased, but he still stood up.
The shinobi world could not suffer any more. Someone had to stand up!
Defeat Naruto! Sasuke! You can do it!
Jiraiya's hand trembled as he reached out, leaving a precious message on the back of the arriving Toad Sage.
"How tenacious, sensei. Leaving a dying message even at the end?" From a distance, Naruto glanced at the spot where Jiraiya had died, a contemptuous smile on his face. "I will not stop. I will continue to grow stronger. An outdated message is meaningless."
Confident, Naruto did not interfere.
"I will take it to Sasuke," Lord Fukasaku said, looking deeply at Jiraiya, his eyes already moist.
Hearing this, Jiraiya could finally rest in peace. Remembering Sasuke's proud smile, he smiled too.
Sasuke, without a doubt, you are the true Child of Prophecy. By abandoning the Uchiha identity and following your own justice, you will bring true peace to the shinobi world! But I'm sorry... I probably won't be there to see it.
The crane returns to the heavens, but Mount Myoboku welcomes me not!The wandering dragon returns to the sea, but the sea welcomes not Jiraiya!
Jiraiya the Gallant, finally fading into the yellow sand. Such a final chapter is fitting enough. It's about time to put down the pen.
Right, what's a good title for the sequel? How about...
The Tale of Sasuke!
Yes, that's a good one.
Just as Jiraiya sank into the sand, far away, Sasuke, who was sitting by a lake, suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned in a daze, but there was no one there, only the chirping of birds, the scent of flowers, and his two apprentices playing in the distance.
"Lord Sasuke, what's wrong?"
"Lord Sasuke, why are you crying?" the two children asked, looking at him with innocent eyes.
"Crying?" Sasuke touched his face with a sense of loss, only to find it streaked with tears. An emptiness filled his heart.
Inside the Seireitei.
"I'm sorry, Lord Naruto. I failed to protect the Seireitei," Haku and Shion said, their faces grim.
"This enemy was indeed too strong. It's not your fault," Naruto said, turning to the Nine-Tails with a look of displeasure. "But you, Nine-Tails, you've gotten far too lazy. You have the best foundation and could have easily mastered your Bankai, but you've been slacking off in your training, indulging in games."
"I know, it's my fault. I'll train properly from now on," the Nine-Tails said, his face dark with a mix of shame and defiance. He had always been proud of his status as a Tailed Beast, and after becoming a Shinigami, he possessed an immense amount of Reiatsu. But he had been completely owned by the Six Paths of Pain. It was no exaggeration to say that the Nine-Tails had the best foundation in the entire Seireitei. His powerful chakra had converted into a vast amount of Reiatsu. All he had to do was familiarize himself with it, and with a little training, he could have likely mastered his Bankai. But the lazy Nine-Tails had neglected his training and hadn't even fully mastered his own spiritual pressure.
However, after Pain's invasion, the Nine-Tails had come to a profound realization of his own weakness and had begun to train diligently. He returned to the Pure Land and, under the confused gazes of the various Adjuchas, began to constantly practice with his Zanpakuto, hoping to one day master his Bankai, and even Hollowfication. The Nine-Tails' efforts indirectly stimulated the other Adjuchas. If the Nine-Tails, who was stronger than them, was working so hard, what reason did they have to be lazy? For an Adjuchas, joining the Las Noches of the Pure Land was their greatest dream. So, the Nine-Tails led all the Hollows of the Pure Land to train even harder. Besides Zabuza, several other Adjuchas also began to distinguish themselves.
In the months following Jiraiya's death, the Seireitei remained quiet. Under the escort of Minato, Orochimaru, and Kakashi, all the residents of Otogakure successfully entered the Seireitei. The air in the city was exceptionally fresh and would constantly purify their bodies. In less than half a year, these residents would be completely assimilated and become Wandering Souls.
After settling everything, Orochimaru brought his most trusted subordinate to the laboratory beneath the main hall.
Kimimaro Kaguya.
He was the holder of the Kaguya clan's Kekkei Genkai, the Shikotsumyaku, which allowed him to freely manipulate his osteoblasts and osteoclasts, and even control the calcium concentration in his body to form bones. But this powerful Kekkei Genkai came with an incurable blood disease. Now, Kimimaro's body was on the verge of collapse. Becoming a Shinigami was his only way to survive. There was no time for him to slowly transform into a Wandering Soul like the other residents of Otogakure. He had to be injected with the potion now.
Looking at Kimimaro lying on the experimental bed, his eyes full of trust, Orochimaru gave a gentle smile, a syringe in his hand. "Relax, the transformation will be instantaneous. Would you like to take it orally, or by injection?" Orochimaru asked casually. The effect was the same either way. If one were to administer it themselves, taking it orally was recommended, because a novice could easily kill themselves with the needle.
"You choose, Lord Orochimaru."
At Kimimaro's reply, Orochimaru approached the bed and gently inserted the needle into his neck, pushing the potion in.
"Guh!" The potion took effect instantly. Kimimaro's eyes widened, his consciousness blurring as memories of his past, both sad and happy, flashed through his mind.
White smoke appeared, swirling around him. When it finally dissipated and Kimimaro opened his eyes again, he had successfully become a Shinigami.
With this, the Seireitei's forces were once again strengthened. At the same time, all of its top fighters were gathered in the city. They were furious about the recent attack and resolved to train even harder.
After Orochimaru had finished with Kimimaro's transformation, Naruto found him and voiced his questions. The Akatsuki's goal was to capture the Tailed Beasts. Their purpose was still unknown, but it was undoubtedly nothing good. Hearing this, Orochimaru frowned, saying that he didn't know the secrets of the Tailed Beasts either, and subtly hinted at the Summoning Realm. The Summoning Realm had existed since the dawn of humanity. Both the White Snake Sage and the Great Toad Sage had incredibly long lifespans. They would surely know something.
After learning this, Naruto decided to go to the Summoning Realm and ask the Great Toad Sage about the secrets of the shinobi world. Fortunately, he hadn't killed Lord Fukasaku and Lady Shima, so there was still room to mend his relationship with Mount Myoboku.
After his defeat at the Seireitei, Nagato rushed back to the Akatsuki's base, his heart filled with disbelief and anger. He had never expected Naruto's strength to have reached such a level, to be able to instantly kill his Deva Path. Although the Deva Path had been exhausted after using the Super Shinra Tensei, from the power Naruto had displayed, even a full-strength Deva Path would have been no match for him. Even if he had fought in his real body, he would likely have been at a disadvantage. And the most fatal thing was that his own body was constantly weakening, while Naruto was still young, gradually reaching his peak.
It wasn't just Naruto; the other Kage-level shinobi in the Seireitei were also troublesome. Especially Shion, with her Bankai. Her previous jutsu could have instantly devoured his Six Paths of Pain. If Jiraiya hadn't intervened, he would have lost. A Bankai was likely an advanced ability of a Zanpakuto. If the Nine-Tails and Haku were to learn it in the future, he would have even less of a chance.
No matter how he thought about it, the Akatsuki's Tailed Beast capture plan had become incredibly difficult. The most urgent task now was to find a way to counter the Seireitei.
In Konoha.
A figure slowly approached from the forest outside the village. A white robe, brilliant blond hair, and a gentle smile. It was none other than the Fourth Hokage who had defected from Konoha, Minato Namikaze.
Minato walked with a light step, carrying a round bag in his hand.
"Who goes there? The... the Fourth?" Several ANBU ninja immediately stopped him, their expressions wary. But when they saw his face, they were stunned. Although Minato was a rogue ninja, the ANBU were at a loss for what to do.
"I'm here to see your Hokage," Minato said with a smile.
A few of the ninja went to report, while the rest surrounded him, looking warily at the bag in his hand.
"This is a gift for Konoha," Minato said with a relaxed smile, trying to reassure them. "Relax. If I had any ill intentions towards Konoha, you would already be dead."
Soon, the ANBU brought Minato to the Hokage's Office.
Tsunade sat at her desk, a look of unease on her face. Jiraiya had gone to the Seireitei to gather intelligence and had been out of contact for a long time. And at this sensitive time, the rogue ninja Minato had come to the village. His purpose inevitably worried her. Could it be related to Jiraiya?
"Long time no see, Fifth Hokage. You look as radiant as ever," Minato said with a smile, sitting down opposite her and placing the bag on the desk.
Tsunade noticed a trace of blood at the bottom of the bag, and a sense of dread washed over her. But as the Hokage of Konoha, she couldn't show any weakness. She frowned and demanded, "What are you doing in Konoha? We are enemies with the Seireitei now. Don't tell me there's another genius you want to poach from our village?"
Her tone was hostile. Minato had stayed in Konoha for a few months and had taken Kakashi with him. After that, even Sasuke had defected. Now, Tsunade was a little afraid of him. Konoha didn't have many geniuses left. If another one was taken, the village would truly collapse.
Perhaps sensing her concern, Minato just smiled nonchalantly and pointed at the bag on the table. "Don't worry, we have no interest in Konoha's talent this time. I'm just here to deliver this to you." As he spoke, his eyes suddenly turned terrifying.
Half-convinced, Tsunade opened the bag. She instantly recoiled, her eyes wide with horror and disbelief, tears welling up.
"Jiraiya?"
Her voice trembled, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Inside the bag was Jiraiya's head.
"He was your teacher!" Tsunade glared at Minato, her eyes filled with pain.
"He was also an enemy of the Seireitei," Minato said, looking her straight in the eye, his face impassive. "He helped the leader of the Akatsuki attack the Seireitei. If Naruto hadn't arrived in time, the Seireitei would have been destroyed."
Minato gave Tsunade a deep look, his tone turning icy. "Fifth Hokage, Tsunade Senju, on behalf of the Seireitei, I now formally declare war on Konoha. Prepare for battle. The next time we meet, it will be to the death! Remember, this is war, not your ninja games!"
With that, Minato turned and left without a second glance, his expression frighteningly calm. Jiraiya was his teacher, and he naturally felt a trace of sadness for him. But as he had said, what was about to begin between the Seireitei and Konoha was war. There was no time for sadness! They could only move forward!
After Minato left, Tsunade sat slumped in her chair, her face ashen, two streams of tears running down her cheeks.
"Jiraiya is dead... He's dead."
Countless images of him flashed through her mind. The foolish Jiraiya who had pursued her to no avail. The lecherous Jiraiya. And the Jiraiya who had resolutely set off for the Seireitei, his heart full of sorrow but his steps firm.
Jiraiya had spent his life chasing things. And it seemed he had never caught anything. But in reality, he had left a deep, unforgettable mark on everyone's hearts.
Tsunade's expression shifted from grief to anger, from anger to determination and madness.
"Begin the final Wood Release experiment!" she muttered to herself, her voice cold.
"Jiraiya, I won't let you die in vain!"
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