After assigning the three to their breathing practice, Orochimaru moved lightly, leaping onto a tree branch in one fluid motion.
He glanced at the white-haired man crouching on a nearby trunk and asked calmly, "How long have you been there? Did you hear everything I said about the breathing technique?"
Jiraiya waved his hands hastily, "No, no! I just got here!"
But under Orochimaru's sharp, skeptical gaze, Jiraiya scratched his head sheepishly and let out a loud, awkward laugh.
"Hahaha… Okay, okay. I've been here a while. But so what? That's some good taijutsu you're teaching—did you really think you could hide it from me?"
To his surprise, Orochimaru actually nodded. "You're welcome to practice it. The breathing method suits you well."
In truth, Orochimaru was curious. Jiraiya could already enter Sage Mode by drawing on natural energy with the help of the Toad Sages. What kind of transformation would occur if he also mastered the breathing method to its "normalized" state?
If Jiraiya could access that level, he might not even need to summon the two Toad Elders each time he entered Sage Mode.
Hearing Orochimaru's offer, Jiraiya straightened up slightly and nodded with rare seriousness. "Alright. I'll give it a try."
"You came back pretty quickly this time," Orochimaru remarked, glancing in the direction of the Hokage's office, a trace of sarcasm curling his lips. "Looks like the old man is getting desperate."
"Well, a lot's happened. The old man's got his hands full," Jiraiya sighed, clearly reminded of recent events. But after a pause, his expression shifted as he looked at Orochimaru with a puzzled frown.
"You're acting kind of strange today."
"What do you mean?" Orochimaru tilted his head, genuinely curious.
"You're talking a lot more than usual," Jiraiya said. "Usually, I'm the one trying to keep the conversation going."
"Hmm," Orochimaru mused. "Maybe I'm just lacking a proper chatterbox lately."
Jiraiya gave him a knowing smirk. "I get it now. You still want to become Hokage—and you're hoping I'll back you."
He shook his head. "I know what you've been doing in the village, Orochimaru. But if you're aiming for the Hokage seat… you won't pass the Third's judgment."
Orochimaru chuckled—a low, eerie sound that made Jiraiya's spine tingle. Slowly, he opened his mouth.
"Hokage? No. After Minato takes the position, I've lost interest in that title."
Jiraiya's face darkened at the mention of his student. He exhaled a slow breath. "Then what do you want from me?"
"I want you to stay in the village," Orochimaru said with a sly grin, licking his lips. "Watch over the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki."
He paused, eyes gleaming.
"He's Minato and Kushina's child. And… he has a certain connection to you as well."
Jiraiya was moved, if only for a moment. But after giving it some thought, he shook his head.
"No, I can't promise you that."
He looked at Orochimaru, puzzled. "Is this really what you wanted help with?"
Orochimaru gave a faint smile. "That's right. As you said yourself, the old man has his hands tied. He can't trust me—but he still trusts you."
Of course, that wasn't the whole reason. Just one of them.
Orochimaru also wanted to watch Naruto—born with both the Uzumaki bloodline and the Nine-Tails' Yang chakra—grow up. In time, the boy could become the missing piece to complete Orochimaru's dream of an immortal body.
But more recently, he had found another curiosity: what kind of transformation would Jiraiya undergo by combining Sage Arts and breathing techniques?
Both of these things—monitoring Naruto's growth and observing Jiraiya's potential—required someone to remain in the village. And Jiraiya couldn't do that if he left again.
Jiraiya was caught off guard by Orochimaru's words. He fell silent, then grew serious, something rare for him.
"I can't stay," he said firmly. "I need to find the Child of Prophecy, the one the Great Toad Sage spoke of. I have to guide him… help him choose the right path for the future of the ninja world."
"You're serious?" Orochimaru asked, looking at him deeply. There was something familiar in Jiraiya's eyes—the same burning determination Orochimaru once had in his own pursuit of immortality.
In that moment, Orochimaru understood: for Jiraiya, finding the Child of Prophecy had become his life's mission.
He remembered a certain comment from the Second Hokage—an observation about Jiraiya.
"He's a loyal shinobi," the old man had said. "He trusts his comrades, his friends… but not himself. That's his greatest flaw."
Despite being hailed as one of the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya never truly believed he had the power to change the world.
"Of course I'm serious," Jiraiya said resolutely.
Orochimaru abruptly chuckled. "If you'd been that persistent with Tsunade, maybe you wouldn't have lost her to someone else."
Jiraiya's serious facade crumbled in an instant. He sighed, dramatically.
"Yeah… but what can you do? You can't beat the dead."
Orochimaru nodded, then returned to the point. "Regardless, I still think you should remain in the village a bit longer. Given the recent events, we could use your presence."
He paused.
"In a few days, the old man's convening a meeting. The clans are gathering to discuss the village's reconstruction. You should attend."
Jiraiya frowned slightly, considering the request.
---
Two days later, at noon.
Outside the Hokage Building, Uchiha Fugaku stood still. His face was tense and unreadable, clearly weighed down by heavy thoughts.
The Uchiha clan was not in a good place.
During the Nine-Tails' attack, their compound had been dangerously close to the chaos. Though their guard station had been spared, parts of their territory were still damaged, and some non-combatant clansmen were lost.
But because they hadn't directly joined the fight against the Nine-Tails—focused instead on evacuating civilians—their active ninja force had suffered almost no casualties.
Compared to the devastation faced by other clans and civilian shinobi, the Uchiha had come out relatively unscathed.
That alone was enough to stir resentment.
And now… rumors were spreading.
People whispered about a similar incident decades ago. Back then, during another tailed beast attack, it was Uchiha Madara who had allegedly controlled the Nine-Tails. After that battle, the First Hokage suffered severe injuries and died shortly after.
Now, another Nine-Tails incident had occurred—and the Hokage was dead once again.
People were talking. Accusing. Speculating.
Under the influence of certain individuals, public opinion of the Uchiha clan was quickly deteriorating.
Fugaku let out a long, weary sigh.
As clan head, he should be stepping forward to defend his people, to denounce the rumors and vow to uncover the true culprit. But the truth was… the one who had controlled the Nine-Tails this time was an Uchiha.
And Fugaku had his own secrets.
He had led an investigation into the site of the Fourth Hokage's battle, but even with the Sharingan's heightened perception, they'd found no clues—no trail to follow.
There was no way to disprove the rumors. No enemy to point at. No clean break to make.
And that silence only fueled suspicion.
"Haah…"
Fugaku exhaled slowly, forcing down his thoughts as he pushed open the door to the conference room.
Inside, the Third Hokage sat at the head of a long table. On either side were his senior advisors—Koharu and Homura. The other clan heads had already taken their seats.
The usual faces were there—the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, the Aburame clan…
Then Fugaku's eyes stopped. Across the room, he spotted a pale man with snake-like features. Orochimaru. Their eyes met for a moment, and the man gave a chilling smile. Next to him was a familiar white-haired figure.
Jiraiya.
The Sannin are here…? Fugaku thought, surprised. He hadn't expected them to attend.
"This meeting isn't going to be easy," he muttered under his breath.
As if to confirm his fears, Danzo stepped forward and unfurled a large map of Konoha over the table.
__________
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