Chapter 216 The plan to capture Orochimaru was devised by Lord Hiruzen!
"Orochimaru infiltrated the genin participating in the Chunin Exams and attacked Team 7."
Seeing that Jiraiya was getting serious, Sarutobi slowly recounted the whole story.
"I see. It seems Orochimaru's experiment was a success after all."
When Jiraiya heard that Orochimaru knew Wood Release, he let out a long sigh. He never expected that Wood Release would return to the ninja world in this way.
"Yes, so the reason I brought you back this time is to capture Orochimaru."
Sarutobi nodded. He planned to gather all the forces in Konoha except for Team 7 to capture Orochimaru, that traitor.
As for what to do after returning...
Let's see how it goes first, and then we'll talk about it later.
After all, he was once his most prized disciple, and now he had even figured out how to deal with him. Sarutobi hadn't yet decided how to handle him.
"Should we catch him? Orochimaru is not a easy guy to catch."
Jiraiya had been chasing Orochimaru for many years, and they had only met a few times, but Orochimaru always managed to escape.
Jiraiya was really having a headache dealing with Orochimaru's endless escape methods.
"That's why I called you back. There are quite a few people surrounding Orochimaru this time."
A hint of a smile flashed in Sarutobi's eyes. During this Chunin Exams, almost all of Konoha's high-ranking combatants had been recalled to ensure the safety of the village.
Among them are Itachi and Tenzo from Root, Kakashi and Guy from the Jonin team, and Fugaku, Hiashi, Hizashi, and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio from the ninja clan.
And himself, as the commander, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Oh, right, Gai is still watching Zabuza. Let him sit in Root for a while first, and then bring him back after this is over.
It just so happens that the people from Kirigakure will probably arrive after this is over, and they'll inevitably have to show off their strength then.
"Okay, just call me when the plan is finalized."
Jiraiya bit his thumb and used a summoning technique to summon a small toad.
"Just let it call me."
The little toad glanced at Sarutobi, raised its paw, and greeted him.
"Hey, hello there."
Sarutobi nodded; it had been a long time since he'd seen Jiraiya's communication toad.
"I'll be going now if there's nothing else. I haven't been back to the village in a long time, I need to go and see what changes have occurred."
Jiraiya gently patted his clothes, lifted his cloak, and walked directly towards the window.
"Wait, there's one more thing."
Sarutobi suddenly remembered that Jiraiya seemed to be unaware of Naruto's situation.
"What's wrong?"
Jiraiya, who had one foot out the window, swayed slightly. After regaining his balance, he turned back to ask Sarutobi.
"Minato and Kushina's child has grown up and is named Naruto Uzumaki. He's now in Team 7. You can go visit him and see him while you're at it..."
Sarutobi originally intended to tell Jiraiya, Minato, and Kushina directly, but when he thought about how this guy had caused him trouble as soon as he returned, he changed the subject.
"Minato and Kushina's child? Why didn't you tell me, old man?"
Jiraiya learned of the Nine-Tails' attack after the incident had already begun, and he always felt guilty for not being able to help his disciple in Konoha at the crucial moment.
Back then, he was trying to capture Orochimaru, and Minato, as his disciple and the child of prophecy he had chosen, was someone Konoha would be safe with Minato by his side.
Unexpectedly...
When he returned, all he saw was the portrait of his once incredibly proud disciple.
The old man didn't tell them that their child had survived, did he?
"What? Do you think your situation back then was suitable for raising a child?"
Sarutobi glanced at him. Back then, Jiraiya looked like the sky had fallen after he learned of Minato's death, and he kept muttering things like "How could this be?" and "The Child of Prophecy" and such.
Moreover, Orochimaru was still on the run outside, and Jiraiya was simply not in a good enough condition to take care of a child.
Besides, Naruto was a Jinchūriki. If Jiraiya had known about Naruto's situation at the time, he might have taken Naruto out to find Orochimaru.
Although the chances were slim, for Konoha at that time, Jinchuriki were one of their few trump cards.
Therefore, under the strong pressure from Danzo and the elders, as well as Sarutobi's own thoughts, the news that Naruto had survived was not told to Jiraiya.
After attending Minato's funeral, Jiraiya remained silent for a long time, until everyone else had left, leaving only himself and Sarutobi.
At the time, Sarutobi was still hesitant about whether to reveal Naruto's existence to him, but Jiraiya ended up crying.
He blamed himself for trusting Minato so much, for believing that Minato was the child of prophecy, and for not being there when his disciple needed him.
Rain began to fall from the sky, wetting Jiraiya's white hair. Water droplets dripped from his chin, indistinguishable as either tears or rain, perhaps a mixture of both.
Jiraiya pounded the grass with his fists until Hiruzen Sarutobi forcibly pulled him up.
His hands were already stained red with his own blood, and the scarlet blood droplets mixed with the dirt under the torn skin, making them tattered and mangled.
As a result, Jiraiya left Konoha again after staying there for a few days. This time, his purpose was not only to capture Orochimaru, but also something else.
Find the prophesied child.
Haha, even Minato isn't the so-called Child of Prophecy, so who else could it be?
For the first time since Jiraiya matured, he began to doubt the Great Toad Sage's prophecy.
Sarutobi watched Jiraiya's dejected figure and ultimately watched him leave Konoha.
The scene returns to the present. Jiraiya pauses briefly, then nods.
"I understand, old man."
Perhaps my circumstances back then really weren't suitable for taking on Naruto.
Or rather, if I had known about Naruto's existence back then, it would have only made me more miserable.
He will face a choice: whether to raise Naruto or continue to fulfill his own mission.
From this perspective, the old man seems to have done the right thing.
"They're gone."
Jiraiya climbed out of the window, landed on the crooked tree, and then skillfully landed down.
Sarutobi watched Jiraiya leave, shook his head helplessly, and then put a checkmark on Jiraiya's name on the list of plans in his hand.
"I wonder what your expression will be when you see Minato again?"
Imagining Jiraiya's surprise upon seeing Minato, Sarutobi couldn't help but laugh.
As he laughed, a few drops of water slid down his cheeks.
"Really, I'm getting old. But it wouldn't be good if the proposal got wet."
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End of this chapter....