The thrilling training scene in Waterfall Valley lingered in his mind, and as Jiraiya returned to the Rain Hideout, the questions in his heart only multiplied.
When he stepped into the simple wooden hut, Shiroishi was sitting at the low table, writing and drawing.
"Shiroishi, I want to ask you something."
Shiroishi stopped writing and looked up at him. "Please go ahead, Jiraiya-sensei."
"Have you heard about the Flame Gym that recently appeared in the Land of Rain?"
Shiroishi shook his head. "Not really."
"Recently, the situation in the Land of Rain has been chaotic. The few of us have mostly been hiding in Waterfall Valley for training and rarely go out, so we're not clear on outside intelligence..."
Jiraiya stared at him.
The child before him was unnervingly calm.
If it were an ordinary student, hearing the sharp tone in their teacher's voice would make them at least a little nervous or guilty.
But Shiroishi showed none of that.
His eyes were almost transparently clear, faint as if veiled by a mist.
Jiraiya remained silent for a long time.
He wanted to see something in Shiroishi's face.
Any flaw, any evasion, any guilt.
Yet there wasn't even the slightest emotional fluctuation.
It was as if Shiroishi was naturally skilled at hiding his emotions.
Or perhaps he didn't need to hide.
Because every word he said might be true, or it might not.
Jiraiya's chest tightened slightly.
For some reason, the more he understood this child, the more he felt he didn't understand him at all.
In the end, he slowly stood up.
"Since you don't know... I'll go investigate it myself."
Jiraiya was going to the Flame Gym.
Naturally, it was at the request of the Third Hokage.
Shiroishi didn't stop him, nor did he offer any explanation.
He simply watched him leave.
The door closed softly.
The air was quiet for a moment before Konan pushed open the door on the other side and entered.
She looked in the direction Jiraiya had left, her brow slightly furrowed. "Jiraiya-sensei... seems to be in a bad mood."
Shiroishi nodded. "That's normal."
"Because, from beginning to end, he was a Hidden Leaf ninja."
Shiroishi spoke calmly, without a trace of blame, as if stating a simple fact.
"His stance will ultimately differ from ours."
Konan fell silent. "But... he's the one who saved us. I don't want to have to oppose our teacher someday."
Her voice was soft but full of sincerity.
Just then, Yahiko pushed the door open. He still carried a bit of warmth from training, but his face wore a reassuring smile.
"That won't happen."
Yahiko approached the two of them, his tone firm and warm. "Our goal is to build up the Land of Rain and move the Shinobi World toward peace."
He looked at Konan, his gaze gentle. "On this path, our teacher's stance won't be completely opposed to ours."
Konan lifted her head and looked into Yahiko's eyes. There was no hesitation or fear in them, only faith in the future.
Yahiko continued, "Our teacher wants to protect the Hidden Leaf, but he also wants to protect us."
"We're walking our path, and he's walking his. As long as we don't deviate from our original goal of peace, he won't see us as enemies in the end."
Konan took a breath, seeming to finally feel a bit relieved.
Shiroishi listened quietly without interrupting.
But a faint, almost imperceptible glimmer flashed in his eyes.
As Jiraiya made his way to the gym.
His expression grew increasingly grim.
He pursued clues and pondered along the way, never expecting so much had happened during his brief absence from the Land of Rain.
Ninja Beasts, the turmoil of the Two-Tails, the strange phenomena in the Land of Rain...
Jiraiya was no ordinary person; he knew one thing for certain:
Whenever Ninja Beasts were involved, Shiroishi was inevitably connected.
This was something Orochimaru understood as well.
"Just how many things have these kids been doing in the Land of Rain without my knowledge?"
Jiraiya took a step forward, intending to approach the Flame Gym.
But the moment his foot landed, a chill surged from the depths of the forest.
It felt as though countless eyes were staring at him from the shadows—subtle, yet enough to send shivers down his spine.
Killing intent.
Not the killing intent of a human, but of the forest, the flowers, the earth... the entire environment exuding malice.
Jiraiya halted instantly, his gaze turning dangerously sharp.
Just as he heightened his guard, the ground beneath his feet swelled slightly.
Then, a shadow slowly seeped out from the earth, solidifying into form.
It was Orochimaru.
He stood silently before Jiraiya, his golden vertical pupils devoid of their usual mockery, holding only a trace of rare... resignation.
"Orochimaru."
Jiraiya's pupils contracted. "What are you doing here?"
Orochimaru let out a sigh. "I came to make you... keep quiet for a while."
"Keep quiet?"
Before Jiraiya could finish, the forest around Orochimaru began to writhe.
Tree bark melted like scorched wax, stretching into fine, thread-like strands that extended toward Orochimaru, converging at his feet.
Flowers and grass twisted and coiled, as if forcibly pulled by some immense force.
Then, a sweet yet nauseating scent spread through the air.
A thick, viscous, glowing liquid seeped from the ground, resembling stretched syrup but carrying an intensely corrosive danger.
Where the liquid dripped onto tree roots, they instantly decayed.
Where it landed on rocks, a sizzling sound erupted.
In the silence, a faint crystalline glow emanated around Jiraiya.
"Orochimaru, is this your own will, or are you acting under someone else's orders?"
To this question, Orochimaru remained silent. "You don't need to know."
In the next instant, a crack silently appeared behind Orochimaru.
Space seemed to tear open gently, a dark void exhaling pale blue light.
Jiraiya immediately assumed a combat stance.
From within the crack, a figure slowly emerged.
A masked man appeared beside Orochimaru.
Though Jiraiya knew very well it was Shiroishi, as their eyes met, he calmly asked, "Are you collaborating with Orochimaru?"
The masked Shiroishi adjusted his sleeve lightly and looked up at Jiraiya.
"Lord Jiraiya."
That single address made Jiraiya's heart tighten abruptly.
The voice was too calm—so much so that it didn't sound like he was addressing his mentor.
Shiroishi slowly walked to Orochimaru's side.
The viscous liquid around them parted automatically with his steps, as if yielding to its master.
He said softly, "You know too much."
Jiraiya's entire body tensed, a chill running down his spine.
"...What exactly are you doing? These Ninja Beasts, the Flame Gym, Orochimaru's actions."
Shiroishi interrupted him, his voice not raised but still calm:
"I don't wish to harm you."
He adjusted his glasses, a faint light reflecting in his eyes.
"But the Land of Rain... can no longer permit intervention from the Hidden Leaf Village."
Shiroishi added: "You need... to rest in the Land of Rain for some time, or better yet, remain at Mount Myōboku for a few years."
Jiraiya couldn't contain his anger: "What are you doing?"
Shiroishi shook his head: "No, this is merely protection."
He paused.
"Protecting the Land of Rain is also protecting you."