chapter 95 part 1
Chapter 95: Tsukasa Kaede's Squad Requests to Join the Battle
Jiraiya braced himself and went to see the Third Hokage, yet he received no reprimand.
Throughout their meeting, the Third Hokage showed him nothing but warmth and concern.
"Old man..." Jiraiya was deeply moved.
"Now that you've decided to return, let's not dwell on the past. Kaedence you made that choice, you must have had your reasons. If you don't wish to speak about it, you don't have to tell me."
The Third Hokage lit his pipe, took a deep draw, and smiled, "Jiraiya, no matter what, you are always the disciple I am proud of. That will never change."
"Actually, at this point, there's nothing I can't say. I concealed information about Nagato mainly because of the 'Child of Prophecy'..."
Jiraiya then recounted the Great Elder Toad Sage's prophecy from Mount Myōboku to the Third Hokage.
"...That's how it is. I couldn't determine how the Child of Prophecy would change this world in the future. Kaedence he appeared in a small country like the Land of Rain, he must have his own mission. My original intention was to find a way to prevent powerful external forces from influencing him."
"But your plan failed, didn't it? You just mentioned that the two Toad Sages of Mount Myōboku have already made contact with Nagato."
Even with the Third Hokage's usual inaction, he fell silent after learning the full story.
Putting himself in Jiraiya's shoes, he would most likely have done the same. And letting Nagato grow up in the Land of Rain seemed to be the best possible outcome.
Nagato, with a certain degree of self-preservation, could fully utilize his talents in the "starter village" of the Land of Rain, exploring his own path little by little through continuous practice.
Once he had taken care of the Land of Rain, Nagato's mind and will would surely have matured, allowing him to consider problems from the perspective of the entire Ninja World.
Everyone needs a process of growth, and Jiraiya's arrangement for Nagato wasn't inherently problematic.
But now, everything was problematic.
"Your arrangement for Nagato is, in its own way, an interference with him. I don't understand fate. Even someone as strong as Lord Hashirama might not fully grasp it, but personally, I believe that whether one acts or refrains from acting, it is already a result of fate."
The Third Hokage sighed, "It may not be fate that dictates a person's direction, but rather a person's actions that shape a fate that can be understood by others."
Jiraiya paused, then said bitterly, "It truly is you, old man. Only you could say something like that. But now that things have come to this, my plans are all in disarray, and I don't know what to do."
"Then do nothing. Quietly await Nagato's choice. For example, if he suddenly decides to visit Konoha, I will personally go out to greet him. He is my grand-disciple, after all." The Third Hokage also held some hope.
A Rinnegan user willingly seeking out the Hidden Leaf Village — what a magnificent sight that would be! It would solidify his rule over the Village. But even if he didn't come, it wouldn't matter.
Konoha had flourished through the arduous efforts of generations, not by relying on the Rinnegan to take off.
"Jiraiya, are you certain that Nagato, with the Rinnegan, is the Child of Prophecy? Although I haven't personally witnessed the power of the Rinnegan, nor do I know how these legendary eyes reappeared after a millennium, making such a judgment based solely on them... are you truly prepared to accept all the consequences?" the Third Hokage asked.
Jiraiya fell silent again, saying with a bitter expression, "Actually, I can't be completely certain. I once thought Minato might be the Child of Prophecy..."
"...Why did you think that?"
"The Great Elder Toad Sage said that I would guide the Child of Prophecy to bring unprecedented change to the Ninja World. So, whoever I took as a disciple would likely be the Child of Prophecy."
"I see, that's very logical, assuming the information from Mount Myōboku is accurate."
Unconsciously, the Third Hokage's smoking frequency increased. He didn't know what to say, feeling that Jiraiya's judgment was somewhat abstract, yet it also made a certain amount of sense. At the very least, it was better than blindly stumbling around like a headless chicken.
"I've looked into things a bit; a lot has happened in the Village recently. So, the great battle that erupted in the Land of Rain was indeed Lady Mito fighting a mysterious enemy." Jiraiya's expression was downcast.
"That has nothing to do with you. Kaedence Lady Mito made that choice, she must have had her reasons."
"What about Tsukasa Kaede? He also participated in that battle. Who was the mysterious enemy who killed Lady Mito?" Jiraiya suddenly asked. "Where did that guy's corpse go? It must have fallen into Tsukasa Kaede's hands, right? He wouldn't let such an opportunity slip by."
"He said he didn't know and wasn't aware of the entire process." The Third Hokage pointed to the Crystal Ball.
Jiraiya instinctively didn't believe it. Tsukasa Kaede must have kept something hidden, but he had no proof.
He immediately leaned in to look at the Crystal Ball, and at a glance, he saw his long-separated disciple, Minato Namikaze, engaging in battle with a strange individual.
"Tsukasa Kaede has also taken on a very special disciple, who seems to possess an undying body. As it stands, Minato doesn't seem to have a way to deal with him." The Third Hokage revealed a smile.
Jiraiya watched carefully for a moment.
"It's not Genjutsu, nor is it due to super strong regenerative abilities. It must be some unknown ability. However, it wouldn't be hard to break; throw him into the sea, or into lava, there's always a way to deal with him." Jiraiya mused.
"Theoretically, yes, but practically, it's difficult. Hidan wouldn't just surrender, and Tsukasa Kaede, as a Space-Time Ninja, could intervene to rescue him in time."
"That's true."
Jiraiya soon noticed the strange Ninjutsu Minato kept attempting and fell into deep thought.
Not long after, Tsukasa Kaede intervened, ending the battle that had lost its practical meaning. The two had fallen into a war of attrition, and the things they each wanted to verify and test were largely complete. There was no need to continue fighting.
"That's enough, let's stop here. By the look of you two, you've both gained a lot." Tsukasa Kaede appeared between them.
"Damn it, I can still fight! I can definitely beat this blond kid to death! He hurt me so badly!"