Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

"Yahiko, your father is here."

"Yahiko, your father has charged forward!"

"Yahiko, your dad is so fierce!"

"Yahiko, your father..."

Hearing the screams of his two friends around him, Yahiko, who was holding his face, suddenly tensed up with a large frown.

"Shut up."

Nagato and Konan averted their gaze from Jiraiya, who was battling an enemy force several times their size, their faces full of mocking smiles, making Yahiko feel extremely uncomfortable.
"He's not my dad! I don't believe it!"

“But the last time I went to your shop, the aunt seemed quite happy.”

Upon hearing Konan's words, Yahiko completely broke down. The scene of his mother and Jiraiya flirting was now vivid in his mind, and he seemed unable to stop the reality that he was about to gain a stepfather.

but
Looking up at Jiraiya, who was fighting alone against Shennong and a group of "Konoha ninjas," Yahiko's eyes showed a faint admiration, and a hint of pride that he himself was unaware of appeared on his youthful face.
"This guy usually seems carefree and irresponsible, but he turns out to be quite reliable when it really matters."

"Bah!"

Holding a kunai, Jiraiya casually flicked away a shuriken that struck at a tricky angle, then solemnly examined the unfamiliar ninjas who had surrounded him.
Who are you?

"Hmph! You nobody, you have no right to question my name."

After a brief exchange with Jiraiya, Shennong, believing he had grasped Jiraiya's skill level, wore a face etched with disdain.
He's just a slightly stronger Jonin from Amegakure, probably the father of that orange-haired brat. He'll send that father and son on their way soon.

"However, since you have asked so sincerely, I will mercifully tell you."

At that moment, the sleazy-looking man beside him raised his hand. Unlike Shennong, he always kept his mission in mind, and immediately, to Jiraiya's bewildered gaze, pointed to the Konoha headband hidden under his greasy bangs.
"We are the Konoha Assassination Task Force, which belongs to the Third Hokage."

"what?"

own people?
Jiraiya blinked, his scrutinizing gaze sweeping over the group of oddly-looking faces opposite him, a complex expression creeping into his eyes.
Is the Anbu unable to recruit anyone? Where did Sarutobi-sensei find this group of monsters?
"Um, it's me."

"Orochimaru, why are you wasting your breath talking to him? He's just a Rain Ninja, just kill him."

"what???"

Just as Jiraiya was about to use the Konoha street code, his mind went completely blank after hearing the arrogant muscle man from before utter those words.
"You? Orochimaru?"

"I didn't expect that you, a peasant ninja from the Rain Village, would have heard of my name. That's right, I am the legendary Orochimaru. Thanks to my master's kindness, I am now the first captain of the Anbu."

Seeing Jiraiya's incredulous expression, the lecherous man, feeling quite pleased with himself, shook his head and revealed what he thought was a wicked smile.
"Then who is he?"

Jiraiya's eyes twitched, and as he forced a laugh, he pointed to the muscular man beside him, who was no slouch in strength.
"I am a god!"

"Cough, cough, cough!"

After being deliberately reminded by the lewd man, Shennong pursed his lips and struck what he thought was a cool, muscular pose.
"I am Jiraiya, the most valued disciple of the Third Hokage and the designated future Fourth Hokage!"

"puff!!!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Jiraiya, along with the three little ones watching the show behind him, simultaneously spat out a mouthful of salty water.

Nagato wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth and looked at Yahiko beside him with a complicated expression.
"You've gained another father."

"You're talking nonsense!" *2
Jiraiya also shouted those three words in unison with Yahiko. He glared angrily at the grotesque, muscular Shennong, wishing he could send this imposter to heaven with a Rasengan.

"How dare you spout such nonsense, you peasant!"

Shennong frowned in displeasure. Jiraiya's current attitude was completely different from when he heard that the lewd man was Orochimaru, which made him lose face.

A perceptive subordinate approached and whispered a reminder.

"Shennong, this guy just seemed to have also claimed to be Jiraiya."

"Good heavens, a peasant ninja dares to impersonate me!"

Because they haven't officially debuted yet, the three legendary ninjas from the original timeline are still relatively unknown, only holding the title of "disciple of the Hokage," making them perfect targets for impersonation by those with ulterior motives.

"Jiraiya!"

Just then, a crisp, sweet shout rang out from afar.

"Here!" *2
"what?"

Hiruko, who had followed Jiraiya's scent, landed in a flash, looking blankly at the two who had raised their hands at the same time.
"Who are they?"

"It seems we're about to complete our mission."

Jiraiya lowered his hand with a solemn expression. Weren't these guys posing as Konoha's Anbu the murderers the organization had sent them to investigate?

"Are they the real culprits who massacred civilians?"

Upon hearing this, Hiruko's expression tightened, and he drew his slender ninja sword from his waist with a wary look in his eyes.

The lewd-looking man, having overheard their conversation, frowned. These two guys didn't seem to be Rain Ninja.
"Don't lump us together with those outsourced workers."

Their job is to assassinate Rain Ninja and frame Konoha. They generally don't target civilians. If Shennong hadn't been so meticulous, Yahiko and his companions would have been safely home long ago.

"Who are you calling a subcontractor?"

Shennong, who already harbored resentment, raised his eyebrows. He was the only outsider in the entire group, so wasn't this a message meant for him?

"At a time like this, let's not worry about these trivial details. We've met the main character now."

Although the sleazy man rose to his position through connections, he still had at least some basic sense of propriety; otherwise, Onoki wouldn't have sent him on such a top-secret mission.

Through a coincidental incident involving the same name and a conversation between Jiraiya and Hiruko, he deduced that the other party was most likely the real Konoha ninja.

"The main person?"

Shennong also realized what was happening at that moment. The arrogance on his face quickly faded, replaced by caution and solemnity.

"Are you Jiraiya, the disciple of the Hokage?"

However, Jiraiya didn't have time to pay attention to him. He glanced at Yahiko and the others behind him, then turned to Hiruko, who was standing guard beside him, and gave her some instructions.

"Xiao Bei, you're in charge of taking the three children to a safe place. I'll deal with them."

"There are so many of them, you..."

Hiruko frowned. He knew Jiraiya was very strong, but even he would likely be overwhelmed facing so many elite ninjas at once.
"Their presence here will only distract me."

Apart from that muscular guy who was a bit of a threat, Jiraiya didn't take the others seriously at all; they were just roadside fodder he could kick to death with a flick of his foot.
"Alright, be careful on your own, I'll get backup."

Without hesitating for long, Hiruko nodded slightly, turned around, and quickly disappeared into the thick fog of the bushes with the three children.

"Little Sister, will Uncle Jiraiya be alright?"

The three men, easily lifted up by Hiruko, looked back with worried expressions at the lone Jiraiya. Yahiko pursed his lips and couldn't help but ask,

"Don't worry, Jiraiya is very strong."

"I won't stop until you confess honestly."

Without the burden of his companion, Jiraiya's expression turned serious, and the aura emanating from him was even stronger than before.
"Were you just hiding your true abilities?"

Feeling a certain amount of pressure, Shennong's forehead veins bulged, and a sense of humiliation at being looked down upon welled up within him.

"Men with an air of mystery are more attractive."

Jiraiya smiled nonchalantly, but his hands moved with lightning speed, forming hand seals and laying out the field cards before his opponent could react.
"Earth Escape·Yellow Spring Marsh."

Shennong and the others felt a sudden tremor, and the already muddy wetland beneath their feet suddenly became even softer and softer, turning into a swamp in the blink of an eye.
"Don't hold back, go!"

The sleazy man, though a man of considerable experience, quickly ordered his men into battle after a brief moment of astonishment, unleashing a barrage of hidden weapons.
"Needle Jizo!" Jiraiya slammed his hands on the ground and tossed his head, his long white hair instantly swelling and hardening, completely enveloping him. Sharp shuriken struck it, producing a sickeningly metallic clang.
"Eat my punch!"

Shennong seized the opportunity, leaped up, and brought his iron fist, gleaming with an eerie black light, down on Shennong's head.
"Oh!"

As the terrifying force seeped in, Jiraiya's expression changed slightly within the needle-shaped Jizo statue. Clearly, he hadn't expected Shennong's physical strength to be so formidable.

This punch was almost as powerful as Tsunade's monstrous strength.

"boom!"

Before he could continue thinking, Shennong's iron fist struck again, sending needles flying everywhere as he struck the Needle Earthly Guardian.

"The art of unleashing the lion's mane."

Jiraiya clasped his hands together, and his long white hair, which covered his body, swept towards Shennong.

Seeing that he was about to be entangled in white hair covered with needles, Shennong kicked his legs and quickly retreated.
"What kind of technique is that?"

Jiraiya, having pulled his hair back, squinted at Shennong, whose body was emanating an eerie black aura. He had a feeling that this technique was not of the righteous path.
"Everything I have now is thanks to your Konoha!"

Having relied on a power within him that wasn't his own for so long, Shennong's reason was on the verge of being completely eroded. Memories of his village being wiped out by the white-haired female demon flooded his mind, and the cold, dark aura in her eyes made Jiraiya frown deeply.

Forbidden techniques? It's a pity Orochimaru isn't here, otherwise he would definitely be very interested.

"Great opportunity, seize it!"

Seeing that the Needle Earth Guardian was gone, the lewd man immediately ordered his men to attack. In an instant, swords flashed, and earth, fire, lightning, and water clashed.

Seeing the projectiles and escape techniques hurtling towards him, Jiraiya took a deep breath, lowered his body, and instantly disappeared from everyone's sight.
"where?"

"Buzz~"

Just as the lewd man frowned and searched for his whereabouts, a piercing buzzing sound exploded in their ears.

Turning back to follow the figure, they saw Jiraiya, who had just disappeared, leap out of the swamp behind them, a blue pill clutched in his hand.

"Spiral pills!"

"puff!"

The first unlucky guy appeared; after being hit by the Rasengan, he coughed up blood and was sent spiraling upwards.
"Scatter!"

Seeing this, the lewd man calmly directed everyone to disperse, but the "Rasengan," the strongest solo ninjutsu, was not just a name without substance.
"puff!"

"Pfft! Pfft!"

Jiraiya weaved through the crowd like a dragon, his subordinates leaving one after another coughing up blood.
"Shennong, why are you just standing there watching?"

The lewd man's terrified scream roused Shennong from his reverie. With bloodshot eyes, he roared and actually raised his fist to meet Jiraiya's Rasengan head-on.
"Are you crazy?"

Even Jiraiya hadn't expected his opponent to be so reckless. The Rasengan's power was comparable to a meat grinder; it would leave a bloody hole in anyone who hit them. You probably don't want that fist anymore.

"Buzz!"

"Oh!"

However, the result was beyond his expectations. The black aura surrounding Shennong's fist was not afraid of the spinning Rasengan. The moment they collided, the resulting shockwave caused the surrounding bushes to sway violently, and the small animals hiding within were frightened and scattered in all directions.
"You are a real man."

Jiraiya, who had taken a few steps back, looked at his torn and bleeding palm with an expression of admiration.

"Well"

On the other side, Shennong's condition was not as good as imagined. His arms were hanging limply, his five fingers were bent at an odd angle, and blood flowed down like a pillar, silently falling onto the dark brown swamp.

"What's the name of that move you're using?"

Perhaps due to the pain, Shennong finally regained some of his senses. He looked at his almost crippled hand, then at Jiraiya's slightly dirty palm, and couldn't help but ask,

"The light-up popsicle inspired Jiraiya's Twin-Style Pill."

Jiraiya shook his hand and started spouting nonsense with a straight face.

"."

"Are you kidding me? You clearly shouted three words just now."

After a brief silence, Shennong glared angrily, his eyes wide.

"So your brain isn't all muscle?"

Seeing Shennong charging towards him with one arm raised, Jiraiya curled his lip and smeared the blood from his palm onto his fingertips.
This is taking too much time; we must act quickly.

Just as the two were locked in a standoff, the only sleazy man who had escaped the Rasengan's elimination glanced at his unconscious subordinates, and with a flicker of his eyes, made a startling decision.

"Whoosh!"

"Want to run?"

Jiraiya, who had just formed the summoning jutsu hand seals, frowned and was about to intervene when he was interrupted by Shennong's fist, which was shrouded in black energy.

"Konoha ninja, die!"

"Tsk!"

Unable to escape for the time being, he could only watch helplessly as the lewd man disappeared into the thick fog, vanishing without a trace. Fortunately, the guys he had just sent flying with his Rasengan were still alive, so it was acceptable for one or two to escape.

"Huff, huff."

The sleazy man, who had run several miles with his head covered, plopped down on the ground, panting heavily. Looking at his trembling hands, a sudden, resolute glint flashed in his eyes as he remained shaken.
He couldn't just run away like that; even if he went back, he would never be able to hold his head high in the village again.

I cannot allow the will of the earth to be disgraced!

Thinking of this, he suddenly sat up and chased after Hiruko in the direction she had left with the three children. He remembered that the orange-haired brat among them was Jiraiya's son.

If he could use him to blackmail Jiraiya, he could not only save his teammates, but also perhaps eliminate one of Konoha's generals.

Unaware that he had become a target, Hiruko was currently holding Yahiko on his left, Konan on his right, and the red-haired Konan girl hanging on his back.
Ever since leaving the battlefield, the three children had been quietly observing the sweet-faced Beirukhu.

In their impression, the other party was simply a good employee who was enthusiastic about her work, always greeting customers with a smile and receiving widespread praise.

Of the three children, Yahiko was the most surprised. Despite spending so much time with Hiruko, he hadn't even discovered her true identity.

"Little Sister, so you're a ninja too?"

Upon hearing Yahiko's question, Hiruko, who was speeding through the forest, nodded slightly.

"You idiot Yahiko, how many times have I told you, it's not an older sister, it's an older brother."

Xiao Nan, in her other hand, puffed out her cheeks upon hearing this and couldn't help but correct her.

"Huh? But Sister Xiaobei is clearly the older sister!"

"It's my brother!"

"careful!"

Listening to the child's bewildered argument, Hiruko shook his head with a helpless expression. Just as he was about to explain, Nagato, who was hanging behind him, suddenly straightened up.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Before he finished speaking, several sharp earthen spears rained down from the sky, blocking Beiliuhu's path.

What are you doing here?

Watching the lecherous man slowly emerge from the thick fog, Hiruko frowned slightly. Jiraiya, that idiot, must have been drained of his strength by the widow. He would never have made such a basic mistake as letting the enemy escape before.

The lewd man licked his dry lips, his eyes fixed on Hiruko carrying Nagato on her back. He suddenly felt incredibly grateful that he had followed the Will of Earth this time.
Thanks to the Will of Earth for this gift!
"Hehehe, I never thought I'd have the chance to taste both the Great and Small Nanniang Tea in my lifetime!" (End of Chapter)