"Jiraiya."
Hanzo of the Salamander paused before leaving, his tall figure standing beneath the endless rain.
Though his injuries had been healed, the dignity of the so-called Demigod could not be restored so easily.
"This time, we were both used," Hanzo said coldly. "But remember this—if you ever dare harm my subordinates again, I will never let you off."
These words were not truly a threat.
They were a declaration meant to preserve his authority, a final statement to ensure that Hanzo of the Salamander did not leave the battlefield appearing weak.
Jiraiya listened quietly, then waved his hand dismissively.
"If I wanted to start a war," he replied calmly, "I wouldn't have bothered saving your life."
Hanzo's eyes narrowed slightly, but he said nothing more. With a turn of his cloak, he led the remaining Rain ninja away, disappearing into the curtain of rain.
Only after Hanzo's presence faded did the oppressive tension finally lift.
Jiraiya exhaled slowly.
"What worries me," he muttered, "is who exactly is behind all of this."
Someone had deliberately manipulated both Konoha and Amegakure, pushing them toward conflict while remaining completely hidden.
That level of planning could not be achieved by a small village.
"Could it be Iwagakure?" Jiraiya said aloud, frowning.
From his perspective, only the other Four Great Shinobi Villages possessed the resources and motive to orchestrate such a scheme.
The Land of Rain lay between the Land of Fire, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Wind—making Iwagakure and Sunagakure the most suspicious.
But Sunagakure had been severely weakened after the Second Great Ninja War. Their focus should have been survival, not provocation.
Iwagakure, on the other hand, had long-standing grievances with Konoha.
And Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, had never hidden his hostility.
"Iwagakure is the most likely," Jiraiya concluded.
Beside him, Aomizu listened silently.
Then, he shook his head ever so slightly.
Keep guessing, he thought. Every answer is wrong.
If he didn't know the truth—if he didn't know that Uchiha Madara was still alive—Jiraiya's logic would have sounded perfectly reasonable.
Ignoring Jiraiya's speculation, Aomizu turned toward Mikoto.
"Mikoto," he asked gently, "do you still feel unwell anywhere? I can treat you again if needed."
Mikoto paused, then nodded slowly.
"I'm mostly fine," she replied. "But we'll need to remain in the Land of Rain for a few more days before returning to Konoha."
Her battle with Hanzo had drained her badly. Even with healing, exhaustion lingered deep within her body.
The same was true for Jiraiya.
"Well, that's great," Aomizu said casually. "No missions—and I get to spend every day with a beautiful woman."
As he spoke, he reached out naturally and tucked a loose strand of Mikoto's hair behind her ear.
Jiraiya, who happened to see this scene, let out a low chuckle.
"Youth really is wonderful."
Aomizu almost replied instinctively.
You're young too, he wanted to say. You're barely in your twenties.
Not yet the future "Old Man Jiraiya."
Mikoto, meanwhile, felt warmth rise to her cheeks.
Her face flushed faintly as Konan's earlier question echoed in her mind.
Is Aomizu your boyfriend?
She quickly turned her gaze away.
Aomizu is… outstanding, she thought quietly.
Too outstanding.
When they returned to their temporary residence, Aomizu's shadow clone finally dispersed, its memories flowing back into his consciousness.
At the same time, Minato reported the White Zetsu incident to Jiraiya in detail.
"A creature that could perfectly imitate you?" Jiraiya asked, stunned. "With identical chakra?"
The claim was so outrageous that his first reaction was disbelief.
Not because he doubted Minato—but because such an ability defied everything he knew.
However, when Minato, Konan, Yahiko, Nagato, and Aomizu all confirmed the same account, Jiraiya could no longer deny it.
"This is the thing that transformed into you, sensei," Minato said, pointing.
Jiraiya stared at the corpse of White Zetsu.
For the first time in many years, genuine confusion appeared on his face.
He had traveled the ninja world, encountered countless strange techniques—but this creature was completely unfamiliar.
"Seal it," Jiraiya finally said. "When we return to Konoha, I'll have the Old Man arrange for confirmation and research."
No one objected.
Jiraiya personally sealed the White Zetsu corpse into a scroll and handed it to Aomizu.
"Aomizu," he said seriously, "take this back to the Old Man for me."
The "Old Man" referred to none other than the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Aomizu accepted the scroll without hesitation.
Afterward, both Jiraiya and Mikoto returned to rest.
At Jiraiya's request, Aomizu temporarily took over training Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato.
Mukai Yuki and Sasaki Ayami, who had already mastered water-walking, joined as well.
When Konan learned that Aomizu would be staying longer, she was visibly delighted.
Back in his room, Jiraiya didn't rest immediately.
Instead, he used a communication method to report the entire incident to Hiruzen Sarutobi—emphasizing the suspected involvement of Iwagakure and the appearance of the mysterious white creature.
He also praised Aomizu extensively.
Far away, in Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi listened in silence.
"A conspiracy by Iwagakure… and a mysterious white biological entity?"
He took a deep draw from his pipe, smoke curling around his tired eyes.
"Another weapon experiment?"
Without delay, Hiruzen summoned Danzo Shimura, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane.
If Iwagakure was involved, the matter was far too serious for unilateral decisions.
Afterward, his gaze returned to Jiraiya's praise.
"To stall Hanzo…" he murmured. "Even I underestimated Aomizu."
Kosuke had been right.
Hiruzen recalled the report—Aomizu becoming a qualified medical ninja in barely a year.
At the time, he had dismissed it as mere talent.
A gifted medical genin wasn't unusual.
But now…
"As a medical ninja," Hiruzen said slowly, "he should be mentored by Tsunade."
The thought alone gave him a headache.
Tsunade—gambling, drinking, avoiding responsibility.
That was exactly why he had avoided assigning her students.
Besides, Aomizu's combat ability and medical skill were already approaching her level.
Still, the decision had been made.
Hiruzen dispatched an ANBU immediately.
The ANBU found Tsunade, as expected, inside a gambling hall—celebrating a rare win.
The ANBU hesitated.
Interrupting her now could easily result in severe bodily harm.
But duty came first.
When Tsunade saw the ANBU, her anger flared—then subsided.
"Speak," she snapped. "Quickly."
The ANBU handed her the scroll.
As Tsunade read, her expression changed completely.
"…Since when did Aomizu become this strong?"
Her voice was filled with genuine shock.
She knew better than anyone how terrifying Hanzo of the Salamander truly was.
And because she knew—
Aomizu's growth was nothing short of unbelievable.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)