Only the highest echelons of Konoha and a select few ninja knew of Jiraiya's death.
When the Konoha Council of Elders heard the news, they felt as if their world was about to collapse. They sat trembling on the sofa, their expressions grief-stricken, muttering to themselves, "Jiraiya is dead... Jiraiya is dead, too."
"This is Konoha's darkest hour. Who is left to stop the Seireitei?"
Their hearts were filled with guilt and shame. The Second Hokage had entrusted the village to them, but now, they couldn't even protect it. Konoha had declined too far. They only had about two Kage-level shinobi left. They had more Jonin, but in front of Naruto, Jonin were just cannon fodder.
Kakashi, Orochimaru, Uzumaki Naruto, Minato Namikaze... Konoha had lost too much talent.
"We are all sinners," the elders said, looking at each other with bitter expressions.
In the Uchiha compound.
Itachi Uchiha was going through his daily training, his expression extremely grim, almost sinister. The conversation he'd had with the Hokage replayed in his mind.
"Itachi, Jiraiya is dead. He went to the Seireitei to gather intelligence, and then..."
He remembered seeing the Fifth Hokage cry. Itachi held both the Hokage and Jiraiya in high regard. Although Jiraiya's base strength was less than his own, with Sage Mode, he could hold his own. His summoning jutsu, Sage Mode, and various self-created ninjutsu were all trump cards. Even if he was no match for the Seireitei, he shouldn't have been killed so easily.
From the looks of it, the Seireitei was even more terrifying than he had imagined. Uzumaki Naruto was perhaps someone that even these eyes could not stop.
Itachi subconsciously touched his eyes, lost in thought. He had now mastered the power of his new eyes, and his strength had entered the realm beyond Kage-level. He was confident that he wouldn't falter, even against the leader of the Akatsuki, Pain. But that alone was not nearly enough to protect Konoha.
He needed to learn senjutsu! That might be a power that could contend with Reiatsu. He had no time to rest. Because he had to protect the people... he loved. At that thought, his expression softened.
A clear voice rang out from the mansion: "It's time to eat, Itachi~~"
In a distant village.
Several guards stood watch at the village gate, their expressions solemn. A group of bandits had tried to raid the village, but fortunately, a powerful master had been present and had driven them back. Since then, that master had been giving them guidance. He had taken the talented children of the village as his apprentices, teaching them how to train their chakra. For the villagers, this was an immense blessing.
And that master was Sasuke.
As usual, Sasuke sat by the pond, his mind stirring. He performed a summoning jutsu, and a small toad appeared.
"Sasuke, something terrible has happened!" It was Gamakichi.
"Wow, what a cute toad!" The children swarmed around him, their faces alight with joy.
"Gamakichi? What are you..." Sasuke was taken aback. His relationship with Mount Myoboku was a bit delicate; the toads wouldn't normally disturb him unless it was something major. For Gamakichi to use a Reverse Summoning Jutsu to get here, something must have happened. A sense of unease suddenly washed over him.
"Jiraiya is dead," Gamakichi said, looking up at Sasuke, his eyes filled with sorrow, his voice choked.
"Dead? He's dead? The Pervy Sage is dead?" Sasuke took a step back in disbelief.
In his heart, he believed it. To be precise, when Jiraiya had died, he had felt something in the back of his mind. But he never expected it to come so soon, so suddenly.
Sasuke froze, his eyes wide, his lips trembling as images of his time with Jiraiya flashed through his mind.
Gamakichi sighed and quietly stayed by his side. The children, sensing that something was wrong, obediently stopped their playing and sat down, watching Sasuke quietly. In their eyes, Sasuke was a handsome and powerful big brother. He was the hero who had driven away the bandits and their teacher who guided them. He had always been so calm and composed in their eyes. This was the first time they had ever seen him look so sad.
Although Sasuke had left Konoha, his feelings for Jiraiya had not diminished. He respected him deeply. Jiraiya had never refused to teach him because of his Uchiha identity. On the contrary, he had taught him everything he knew.
Every little moment with Jiraiya replayed in his mind. Eating ice cream together, bathing together, training together. Jiraiya had made him feel that he was not alone. It was Jiraiya who had strengthened his resolve for the path he would take.
"How did he die?" Sasuke asked softly.
"Stabbed through the heart with a single sword strike," Gamakichi said in a low voice.
"It was Naruto, wasn't it?" Sasuke pressed.
"Yes."
Hearing Gamakichi's answer, Sasuke gave a miserable smile. "So, he's even willing to kill his own master now?"
"This is the intelligence report on the Seireitei," Gamakichi said, pulling a scroll from his pouch and handing it to Sasuke. "This is the information Lord Jiraiya gave his life to obtain. I hope it will be of help to you."
Sasuke took the scroll and read it carefully. It detailed the events leading up to Jiraiya's death. First, the Akatsuki's Six Paths of Pain had attacked, defeating the powerhouses of the Seireitei one by one. But they were almost completely crushed by Shion's Bankai. At the critical moment, Jiraiya had intervened, disrupting Shion. Weakened by the backlash, Shion had lost her ability to fight. With that, all of the Seireitei's top fighters had been defeated.
The report was brief, but he could tell how intense the battle had been. The leader of the Akatsuki, Pain, possessed the Rinnegan, which surpassed the Sharingan, and had easily defeated Kage-level shinobi other than Shion. He had even captured the Nine-Tails with a single jutsu. Although the Nine-Tails' Zanpakuto was completely countered, it shouldn't have been that easy.
Sasuke's face was grim. He tried to put himself in the battle and found that he would probably be an even match for Haku, let alone Pain. He continued to read, and his expression soon tightened.
Considering Jiraiya's position, his actions were born of desperation. Pain was likely the strongest ninja in the entire shinobi world, aside from the powerhouses of the Seireitei. If even he were to fall, then the rest of the world might as well just surrender.
But Sasuke still couldn't agree with Jiraiya's choice. Such an action would undoubtedly plunge the entire Seireitei into a massive crisis. From what he had read of Pain's personality, he was no saint. It could have led to a massacre.
And sure enough, the report went on to say that Pain had floated high into the sky, preparing to use a Super Shinra Tensei to destroy the entire city. Then came the part about Naruto's appearance. A flaming katana had easily devoured the chakra-depleted Pain and then cut down the fleeing Jiraiya.
The report ended with detailed information on Pain and the Seireitei.
After reading it, Sasuke was silent. Jiraiya's death had been tragic. Even after his heart had stopped, he had continued to write down intelligence. Compared to Naruto and himself, who had abandoned their ninja identities, Jiraiya was a truly outstanding shinobi. In the end, he had followed his ninja way.
The report also contained theories about the Seireitei, which matched Sasuke's own. The environment within the city was perfect for the growth of Shinigami. Any human who stayed there for a long time would likely become a Wandering Soul.
From the intelligence, it was clear that not only the Seireitei, but also the Akatsuki, were not to be underestimated. Why was the Akatsuki collecting the Tailed Beasts? What was their plan? It was all unknown.
But Sasuke knew he had to do something. It was time to start building his own forces!
He took a deep breath, handed the scroll back, and said flatly, "I understand. Thank you, Gamakichi."
Gamakichi nodded, his expression worried. "Sasuke, if you need any help, be sure to summon me."
All the toads of Mount Myoboku knew about Sasuke and Naruto's relationship. They were fellow apprentices. Sasuke was cold on the outside but warm on the inside, while Naruto was... warm on the outside but cold on the inside. After Naruto had defected, almost none of the younger toads could believe that the polite and gentle Naruto would kill the Third Hokage and betray the village. It was a testament to how successful Naruto's persona had been.
After Gamakichi left, Sasuke looked at his hands, lost in thought. Only those who possessed Reiatsu could understand the terrifying nature of this energy system. In the face of a powerful Zanpakuto, even the Rinnegan was no match. To defeat Naruto, he would have to rely on himself.
Sasuke clenched his fists, boiling Reiatsu swirling within them. He also used Reiatsu to fight, but he had not awakened a Zanpakuto. Sasuke found that his control over Reiatsu was different from that of a Shinigami. He could completely destroy souls. In a way, he stood on the opposite side of the Shinigami. This was fate!
The information about Pain and Jiraiya was not suppressed, and soon, the other ninja villages learned of it. A duel between shinobi who surpassed the Kage level, and even a long-renowned powerhouse like Jiraiya had been killed. This was a battle that no village could ignore.
"Jiraiya is dead?" In Kumogakure, the Raikage was horrified. "And who is this Six Paths of Pain? The legendary eyes, the Rinnegan? And even eyes that surpass the Sharingan were defeated? How can that rogue from Konoha, Uzumaki Naruto, be so strong?"
Similar scenes played out in countless other villages. They all discovered that the mysterious Seireitei possessed so many top-tier fighters.
"We have no choice. We must hold a Five Kage Summit!" For the first time, the leaders of the great villages were in complete agreement.
In Mount Myoboku.
Naruto stepped into the familiar territory. Returning to this place, both familiar and strange, the scent of nature filled the air. Everything was as it had been yesterday. But his own position had completely changed.
"Lord Naruto!" a few small toads cried out in surprise, hopping towards him. "You're finally here! We missed you so much."
The little toads were still young and didn't understand the complex relationships. All they knew was that Naruto used to play with them and was a very nice person.
After a brief chat with the little toads, Naruto headed deeper into the mountain.
"Naruto, you've come," Lord Fukasaku and Lady Shima said, looking at him with complicated expressions. Their feelings for him were complex. They had watched him transform from a gentle and refined boy into a proud and aloof king, one who had even committed the act of killing his own master. The change in Naruto was immense, but in a way, this was the real Naruto. The Naruto of the past had hidden everything; every word he spoke, every action he took, might have been a lie. In that case, his feelings for Mount Myoboku might have been fake as well. The two Sages couldn't bear to think of that possibility. They had come to see him as one of their own.
Noticing their complicated gazes, Naruto paid them no mind. The moment he had defected from Konoha, he knew that things between him and Mount Myoboku could never go back to the way they were.
"I want to see the Great Toad Sage," he said calmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.
The two Sages exchanged a look, their eyes filled with confusion. Logically, Naruto should be invincible in the shinobi world by now. What else did he want to know? Was there still someone in the shinobi world that he feared? Or was he here for the Great Toad Sage's ability to prophesy?
The two Sages hesitated.
Naruto didn't rush them, waiting quietly.
Soon, they received a message that the Great Toad Sage had granted him an audience. The two Sages could no longer stop him and could only watch as he walked towards the palace where the Great Toad Sage resided.
Inside the palace, a toad as large as a mountain sat on a throne. Its skin was covered in wrinkles, its face ancient.
"What powerful natural energy." The moment he saw the Great Toad Sage, Naruto was shocked by the abundant power within him. As expected, Mount Myoboku, which had existed since the time of the Sage of Six Paths, would surely have some formidable powerhouses.
As Naruto observed him, the Great Toad Sage was also observing Naruto. The Reiatsu within Naruto's body shocked him. That familiar power reminded him of an ancient history.
"As I thought, you possess that power," the Great Toad Sage said, looking deeply at Naruto.
Naruto was completely bewildered.
"What is your business with me?" the Great Toad Sage's voice was deep, echoing throughout the hall.
"I want to understand the history of the shinobi world. The Tailed Beasts, the summoning mountains, the shinobi world, and the Reiatsu within my body," Naruto said.
Hearing this, the Great Toad Sage sighed. "As I feared, that day has finally come."
He then continued, "When I saw the power within you, I knew that the master of the Pure Land had appeared. The shinobi world is about to undergo a great change."
As Naruto watched in confusion, the Great Toad Sage went on, "In the time of the Sage of Six Paths, the creatures of the Pure Land once invaded the shinobi world. At that time, the ruler of the Pure Land possessed a strength that surpassed even the Sage of Six Paths. The army he summoned was impervious to weapons, and even ninjutsu could barely harm them."
"That is a sealed history of the shinobi world, and its darkest hour."
"In the end, with the combined efforts of the Priestess and the Sage of Six Paths, the ruler of the Pure Land was finally sealed. And now, I sense the aura of the ruler of the Pure Land from you, not what you call Reiatsu," the Great Toad Sage said, looking deeply at Naruto.