---
Peace among ninjas has always been hard-won!
Naruto looked at the three-man team and said, "Only by feeling pain and understanding pain will people fear pain, long for peace, and strive to build a ninja world with a shared future!
Just like the concept of the Hidden Villages—everyone does not reject each other because they are from different clans but watches over each other because they share the same village's ideals!
This principle also applies to the entire shinobi world."
The three men—Shiranui Genma, Raido Namiashi, and Iwashi Tatami—glanced at each other, and deep in their hearts, they all nodded in agreement.
As guards who had served both the Fourth Hokage and the Fifth Hokage, they possessed a certain degree of high-level administrative awareness. What Naruto said was absolutely correct. Managing a village required the coordination of countless complex elements—let alone uniting the entire shinobi world.
If peace and consensus were truly so easily achieved, then the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, would have succeeded long ago.
If true mutual understanding existed, then the Uchiha Clan would not have perished, and the Fourth Hokage would not have died.
Jiraiya stepped forward, looked at Naruto, and said, "I've discussed it with Tsunade. Maybe we can't see the future clearly yet, but as your teacher, I have decided to fully support you—just as everyone else believes in you!"
Though Shiranui Genma's team felt a little uncertain, seeing that the Hokage, Jiraiya, and even the Fourth Hokage had chosen to believe in Naruto—and remembering all the times Naruto had secretly protected the village—they, as elders and seniors, chose to trust him as well.
Naruto felt a warmth spread in his heart and looked at Jiraiya with gratitude.
"Pervy Sage! Thank you."
This meant that, so far, he had successfully united the powers of two shinobi villages: Konohagakure and Sunagakure under Gaara's leadership.
Jiraiya patted Naruto's shoulder, then turned his gaze toward the towering building at the center of Amegakure.
"Orochimaru... Is here, isn't he?"
Naruto nodded. He had already mentioned this the last time he returned to Konoha.
"Take me to see him."
Naruto scratched his head awkwardly and said, "Uncle Snake told me before I came not to tell you he's here!"
Jiraiya snorted coldly and said, "Then that's all the more reason for me to meet him. And Nagato—why is he hiding too?"
Naruto scratched his head again, embarrassed. " Nagato said he's afraid to meet you, Pervy Sage. Probably because of everything that happened before... he's afraid it'll be awkward when you see each other."
Jiraiya crossed his arms and pretended to be angry. "Oh! That brat still knows how to feel embarrassed? I have to meet him today and show him! If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have lost this arm!"
Naruto glanced at Jiraiya's new arm. It should be based on the improved application of Hashirama cells, modified by Shizune, according to the method Naruto had provided.
Without waiting, Jiraiya strode past Naruto and headed straight toward Amegakure's tower.
"Orochimaru! Nagato! It's me, Jiraiya! Come out and meet me!" he shouted loudly as he ran.
Naruto sighed and motioned for Shiranui Genma and the others to follow as they entered Hidden Rain Village.
Atop the tower, Nagato, who was controlling Amegakure's defenses using the Rain Tiger at Will Technique, had a clear perception of Jiraiya's movements.
Nagato was genuinely afraid to face Jiraiya. After all, he had once personally crippled his master, cutting off one of his arms, and had nearly killed him. It was an act tantamount to betraying one's master and ancestors—a shameful stain.
Facing him now would be unbearably awkward. As he fretted over what to say—whether he should apologize or make some excuse—an idea struck him: Jiraiya wanted to meet Orochimaru!
Better to sacrifice a comrade than myself.
If he could push Jiraiya toward Orochimaru, he could avoid the awkward confrontation himself.
Nagato immediately summoned a small dog using a Summoning Technique. The dog appeared before him, and Nagato gave it quick instructions.
The little dog barked twice and then bounded off toward Jiraiya.
Seeing the small dog, Jiraiya frowned slightly. This creature seemed familiar—it resembled the scouting hounds used during the war to search for enemies.
Is it Nagato's summoning? he thought.
Understanding the intent, Jiraiya allowed the dog to lead him. He followed as it guided him through several stairways, past winding corridors inside the tower.
Finally, he arrived at a door. As soon as they reached it, the dog vanished in a puff of smoke.
Jiraiya opened the door and saw Orochimaru inside, busy at work in a laboratory. Orochimaru looked up, stunned to see him.
Jiraiya immediately realized that Nagato, trying to avoid him, had deliberately led him here.
"Why are you here? Did Naruto bring you?" Orochimaru asked, frowning.
Jiraiya snorted coldly and said, "Can't I come on my own?"
Orochimaru continued fiddling with his experiments but was clearly irritated—Jiraiya's sudden appearance had disrupted his work rhythm, leaving him uncomfortable.
"What are you doing here?" Orochimaru asked again.
Jiraiya gave a sly smile and said, "Can't I come just to see you?"
He walked up and leaned casually against the laboratory table, studying Orochimaru.
"I didn't expect you—of all people—to be working under Naruto. What exactly did my apprentice say to convince you?"
Orochimaru shot him a cold look and answered in a stern tone, "It's cooperation. I'm cooperating with Naruto. Understand?"
"Call it whatever you want," Jiraiya said dismissively.
As he glanced around the laboratory, Jiraiya noticed something that made his expression darken: Danzo's severed arm, embedded with ten Sharingan, was preserved inside some kind of life-support device, along with a strange blue Rinnegan eye.
"You and Naruto are conducting experiments?" Jiraiya asked, voice low.
Orochimaru put down the reagent bottle and said, "If you're interested, you can ask your apprentice yourself. He's the one stirring the winds of change throughout the entire shinobi world. As for me, I'm merely waiting for the storm to come—and to see what remains once it passes."
Jiraiya sighed. "You always talk in riddles I don't understand."
Orochimaru smiled thinly. "If you truly didn't understand, you wouldn't have chosen to come here—or chosen to support Naruto's methods."
Jiraiya fell silent for a long moment.
"Everyone believes in him. The Great Toad Sage even made a prophecy about it. And now, even you stand by his side. As his teacher... I have no reason not to support him."
He looked into the distance, voice slightly heavy.
"At first, it's true—I couldn't see the bigger picture. I only thought from Konoha's perspective. But after that masked man, Obito, who claimed to be Uchiha Madara, revealed the Eye of the Moon Plan, I realized... Naruto had been considering the fate of the entire shinobi world from the very beginning."
Orochimaru smiled faintly and said, "Maybe your vision still isn't broad enough. Naruto said that Obito is just one piece of the puzzle."
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "What else do you know?"
Orochimaru shrugged lightly and said, "That's all—for now."
High above on the platform, Naruto looked around curiously.
Why did Pervy Sage run off so fast? Where did he go? he wondered.
---
---
Check out other novels
Naruto: l Aspire To Become Hokage Man
🚨🆕Haikyuu: To The Top 🆕🚨
To Get This Week Bonus Chapter - 100 Power Stones
Dear Readers
For 120 Advance Chapters Join My Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/NF25
-------
Please Support My Patreon 🥺