Chapter 15: Ripples in the Village
Konoha Village, Root Headquarters.
With a crisp crack, Danzō leapt to his feet, his tiger-like eyes blazing. A powerful surge of chakra pulsed from his body.
The few men seated before him stared at the shattered teacup at their feet, bowing their heads in silent deference.
After a long moment, even Danzō himself let out a heavy sigh and sank back into his seat. "Is it confirmed?" he asked, his voice harsh. "Did that brat, Jiraiya's disciple, really do it?"
The curly-haired man standing before him shook his head slightly. "We cannot be certain. During the conflict in the Land of Rain, we maintained a significant distance from the battlefield. While we observed the boy's general appearance and attire, which strongly suggest it was Liumu, we cannot say for sure."
A cold glint flashed in Danzō's eyes. "I don't want 'strongly suggest.' He is Jiraiya's disciple, which makes him Sarutobi's faction. We cannot move without absolute certainty."
The rivalry between Danzō and Sarutobi Hiruzen was long-standing. Even six years later, when the Third Hokage would pass the title to Namikaze Minato, Danzō's methods would remain unchanged.
If the Hokage represented Konoha's public face, then Danzō was the village's dagger hidden in the shadows. And this dagger needed no wielder; Danzō himself would find a way to plunge it into the heart of any who might threaten Konoha.
"Where are they now?"
Hearing the question, the curly-haired man's expression flickered with hesitation. "After… incapacitating us, they left the village. Their current whereabouts are…"
"Useless!"
Danzō slammed his palm on the table, the force making the wood groan. The gloomy intensity in his eyes finally eased slightly.
"Continue surveillance on Jiraiya. As for the Land of Rain…"
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Hokage's Office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was not present. Instead, Namikaze Minato stood by the window, listening to Kakashi's report on the Land of Rain.
"We encountered Lord Jiraiya and Liumu there," Kakashi reported truthfully. "Furthermore, Liumu conveyed a message: 'The people of the Land of Rain only desire peace. It does not matter who brings it to them.'"
Namikaze Minato was Jiraiya's disciple. Hearing that his teacher was involved in the center of such a conspiracy gave him pause, making him wonder about his teacher's exact role.
The turmoil in the Land of Rain wasn't just a concern for the Land of Fire. As the strategic nexus of three great nations, the situation there was critically chaotic.
"Liumu? Your classmate from the Ninja Academy?" Minato suddenly recalled something and asked Kakashi.
Kakashi nodded. "That's correct. He is a shinobi now, just like me."
Minato remembered his first glimpse of Liumu, stunned by the boy's miraculous taijutsu. For a five-year-old, Minato didn't believe Liumu was any weaker than the so-called prodigy, Kakashi.
"What is your assessment of Liumu's character?"
Kakashi frowned slightly, replying honestly, "Exceptionally strong. In both intellect and capability. With his power, if he returns for next year's Chunin Exams, he will undoubtedly make a profound impact."
Liumu was now Jiraiya's disciple, placing him in the same 'lineage' as Minato. Hearing Kakashi—who was rarely so generous with praise—speak of Liumu this way confirmed that the boy's talent was anything but ordinary.
After leaving the Hokage's Office, Kakashi removed his mask and returned home.
His father, Hatake Sakumo, was an elite Jonin of Konoha, famed throughout the shinobi world as 'Konoha's White Fang,' renowned for the white chakra saber he wielded.
Born into such a prestigious family, Kakashi had carried immense expectations since childhood. He had lived up to the 'prodigy' title, graduating from the Academy at five and becoming a Konoha shinobi, breaking the record for youngest graduate.
But now, thinking of Liumu, a rare spark of excitement flickered in Kakashi's usually lazy eyes.
A genius without a rival is lonely. And loneliness often breeds a distorted psyche.
Kakashi had once looked down upon all his peers. But Liumu's emergence made him feel a pressure he had never known before.
...
The appearance of Jiraiya and Liumu in the Land of Rain sent significant ripples through Konoha's higher echelons.
As the former Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen faced the Fire Daimyo and argued fiercely on their behalf. Jiraiya's past deeds and reputation made his trust in the man unshakable.
As for the 'Child of Prophecy' Jiraiya had mentioned to Sarutobi… the Third Hokage had already begun to form his own suspicions.
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...
One Year Later.
The Land of Fire.
Two figures, one large and one small, crossed over a mountain ridge and arrived at a small stream to wash the clothes from their packs.
Jiraiya skillfully speared several fresh river fish with sharpened sticks, securing them firmly between stones. Noticing this, Liumu, standing beside him, focused a slight fluctuation of chakra and spat out a small fireball, igniting the dry wood beneath the fish.
Soon, the tender fish emitted a mouth-watering, charcoal-grilled aroma. Liumu pulled several small bottles of seasoning from his backpack, sprinkled them over the fish, took one off the stick, and handed it to Jiraiya.
Taking a careful, steaming bite, Jiraiya's face immediately broke into a wide, delighted grin, despite the heat.
"Why didn't you tell me you had skills like this earlier?" he complained good-naturedly. "You had me eating nothing but game in the Land of Wind for over half a year!"
"What would have been the point of telling you?" Liumu retorted. "The Land of Wind is nothing but yellow sand. Even if I'd said something, could I have conjured fish out of thin air?"
After a year of traveling together, the initial formality between master and disciple had long since faded. Their conversations were more casual now, often laced with playful banter.
Their previous destination, the Land of Wind, was a nation of scarce resources. They had chosen it precisely because its isolation made it difficult for Danzō to send operatives after them, even if he knew their location.
During this time, Liumu had finally gained some proficiency in chakra control. The basic Clone Technique was now fully mastered, and he had begun learning Fire Release ninjutsu.
"Are you truly not going to learn the Summoning Technique?" Jiraiya asked between bites, looking at Liumu with puzzlement.
Liumu shook his head firmly. "I'm not learning it."
Jiraiya was speechless. It wasn't every day a teacher had to beg his apprentice to learn a powerful jutsu—especially the summoning contract with the toads of Mount Myoboku.
Liumu's refusal wasn't because the toads were weak… but because, frankly, they were ugly.
His template system's prize pool included summoning beasts. Why would he settle for toads that couldn't even handle a tailed beast on their own?
Recalling the system task he'd completed half a year ago, which had granted him access to the Temporal Training Chamber, Liumu thought to himself, I still need to find the time to master some higher-level ninjutsu.
(End of Chapter)
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