Comparison of the two Hokage: Both ninja worlds are devastated.

His tone was very calm, showing no sign of anger.

Having finished speaking, without waiting for the third generation's response,

He then jumped out of the window and left on his own.

In the Hokage's office, where only one person remained,

A bright smile immediately appeared on Hiruzen Sarutobi's old, chrysanthemum-like face.

"Even you are unwilling to succeed as Hokage, so it seems that this old man will have to bear it for a few more years. There's no other way, it's all for the sake of the village."

Where leaves dance in the air, the fire burns on, its light continuing to illuminate the village and allow new leaves to sprout.

This is the Will of Fire.

Chapter 125 Orochimaru Returns, Konoha's Collapse Plan

As the sun sets and night falls,

Everything became blurred in the hazy light.

Jiraiya wore a red outer garment over a brown robe, wooden clogs, and armor-like garments on his hands.

He carried nothing but a huge scroll.

They seemed to be desperately escaping from something, leaving without even packing their belongings.

What's even more unusual is that he wasn't wearing the headband that symbolized his status as a Konoha Jonin and was once considered an honor.

His headband had a large "oil" character written on it.

Jiraiya continued walking forward.

I don't know if it was a sudden premonition, or if there was still a lingering reluctance deep in my heart.

He suddenly turned around and glanced at the village.

All that could be seen under the cover of night was Konoha.

It was as if an endless, terrifying darkness was brewing inside, about to engulf everything. Everything gradually became blurred and invisible, except for the unusually bright lights of the Hokage Building.

"cough!"

"It seems no one will come to stop me."

Jiraiya gave a self-deprecating, bitter laugh.

He then strode forward again, but his figure had become so desolate.

It was as if an infinite weight was pressing down on his broad shoulders, trying to crush him.

When the perspective returned to the front, the person was already in tears.

A man doesn't easily shed tears, unless he's truly heartbroken.

Today, however, he shed tears several times.

Because he finally understood the pain he felt when Tsunade parted ways, when Sakumo committed suicide, when Minato chose to sacrifice himself, and when Orochimaru decided to betray them.

It really hurts.

That feeling of hopelessness, of seeing no hope in sight.

Farewell, Konoha.

Jiraiya's desolate departure pierced the hearts of countless people.

A person may not be perfect, and may have many flaws.

But his kindness, his reliability, his courage...

His deep love for the village and his determination to pursue peace will always be so moving.

Yet this very ninja was forced to become a wanderer.

A massive amount of comments flooded in at once.

"When Jiraiya-sama said he was going out, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression for a fleeting moment was one of surprise and delight."

What a surprise! Haha, I was practically saying, "You said that yourself!" It's really hilarious.

"How much pain Orochimaru must have felt when the Third Hokage actually appeared at the laboratory door."

He had raised his own teachers, and the village where he had lived—he wanted to sever all ties with them.

"Danzo has a row of Sharingan eyes and the First Hokage's Wood Release. Why don't you go and drive him away?"

And the Second Hokage, even the Impure World Reincarnation technique requires living people. Why weren't you all this powerful when he was alive?

"Sigh, people take advantage of someone's kindness as a weakness. I don't know what's wrong with this world."

"In some respects, Hiruzen Sarutobi's record is also quite impressive."

Mirror, White Fang, Tsunade, Minato, Shisui, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and countless other geniuses who never even reached their full potential.

I can only say 9, because 6 was overturned.

"I also want to say 6. So many powerful figures, yet not one of them dared to resist? They were all possessed by Uchiha Fugaku?"

Even if there were only half, no, even just one-tenth of the Shangyuan Siming, they wouldn't tolerate those old dogs acting so recklessly.

Really. "

……

After Jiraiya left Konoha, the video fast-forwarded again.

He only showed a few fragments of what he did during his travels.

For example, visiting brothels, investigating the Akatsuki organization, searching for the chosen one, etc.

Soon, the story shifted directly to a key plot point from the original work: the Chunin Exams.

Spring of the 64th year of Konoha

Orochimaru, who had been on the run for a long time, suddenly reappeared in the village.

And almost recklessly, he barged into the Chunin Exams, which were in their second round, and planted a hickey on Uchiha Sasuke's neck.

This blatant display of their presence is tantamount to disregarding Konoha.

The smug Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, finally panicked.

He immediately ordered the Anbu to send a message to Jiraiya, who was outside, to return home.

He was unafraid of White Fang, who possessed the Will of Fire; unafraid of Shisui, who dreamed of reconciliation between his clan and village; and unafraid of Jiraiya, who fantasized about peace in the ninja world.

Many people are fearless even if their actual strength surpasses their own.

Because as long as these people still live in Konoha

As long as you still need to rely on the village to protect your family and need to earn money through tasks assigned by the village,

The Hokage has a hundred ways to deal with them.

But rogue ninjas are different; they have already betrayed their country and act without any scruples.

Especially Orochimaru, just thinking about what I did to him makes my heart tremble.

And in such a situation, someone who is willing and able to save their own life...

I guess the only reliable disciple is Jiraiya.

Upon returning to Konoha, Jiraiya showed no trace of the desolation he had when he left.

He reverted to his usual carefree and irreverent self.

He "accidentally" met Naruto Uzumaki, the Fourth Hokage's son, who was looking for Ebisu outside a bathhouse.

He soon took him on as his last disciple and taught him his most skilled psychic arts.

The psychic ritual seems simple, with only five hand seals.

However, for the most powerful ninjas, this technique often represents the inheritance of their skills and mantle.

Because summoning magic isn't just about having the technique; it also requires a matching summoning beast.

The importance of a powerful summoning beast to a ninja is self-evident.

Not only are they the most loyal partners, but they can also compensate for a ninja's own weaknesses and play many other ingenious roles.

In critical moments, activating reverse spirit communication can often save lives.

In most cases, this level of knowledge is passed down only within a family, with master-disciple relationships being the least common.

Jiraiya's strength largely came from Mount Myōboku, so he was naturally even more cautious about this.

Naruto is carefree and doesn't understand many things.

Unbeknownst to them, being able to sign a spirit contract with Mount Myōboku was actually the deepest level of recognition, a privilege that even Yahiko and his companions had not received.

It was also during Jiraiya's instruction of Naruto that...

January passed quietly, and soon the third round of the Chunin Exams arrived.

The outstanding performances of many candidates will not be described in detail.

The exam was only halfway through.

In the stands, the Fourth Kazekage suddenly removed the human skin mask from his face, revealing a pale snake face, and took Hiruzen Sarutobi hostage.

This is Orochimaru's self-created Tolerance Technique, called the Face-Changing Technique.

Because it can only be performed using the facial skin of the person being impersonated, it is almost flawless, and even the aura can be exactly the same.

Almost at the same time that Orochimaru made his move...

Kabuto Yakushi also used illusion magic to put almost all the spectators in the arena into a deep sleep.

Not long after, the Sound Four used the Four Purple Flame Formation to completely isolate Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutobi from the outside world.

An epic battle is about to unfold.

The aging Hiruzen Sarutobi, perhaps not wanting to embarrass himself in front of the Yuhi disciples, or perhaps feeling genuinely confident now that he had Jiraiya as his backer, seemed to be...

Surprisingly, they showed no fear whatsoever.