In Konoha, you get one evolution point every day.

The Dark Guard Prison.

Orochimaru emerged from the floor.

A group of ANBU members initially mistook him for an enemy, but upon recognizing Orochimaru, they exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what to say.

"Ignore me," Orochimaru said. "Where is Jiraiya?"

The squad leader pointed in a direction.

Orochimaru nodded.

Orochimaru walked over.

The ANBU ninja asked the ANBU squad leader in a low voice.

"Captain, are we just going to let him in like this?"

The ANBU squad leader looked blankly at his subordinate: "If you don't let him pass, you go and fight Jiraiya?"

......

Da, da, da.

Footsteps are approaching.

Jiraiya's ears twitched slightly.

He said to Hiruzen Sarutobi:

"Bunta has already lost."

"It seems Lin Fan's strength has improved again."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded.

"That kid seems to have developed a ninjutsu without hand seals, and he even uses wind-style nature transformation."

Jiraiya's eyes lit up.

"That's amazing."

"Truly worthy of being my disciple."

boom!!!

The door was broken open, the iron gate crashed into the wall, rolled once, and looked like it was about to hit Jiraiya.

With a bang, Jiraiya raised his hand and caught the iron gate.

"Orochimaru, when did you learn Tsunade's monstrous strength?"

Jiraiya made a joke.

Orochimaru stood at the doorway, lowering his raised foot.

He stepped inside and smiled, saying, "Jiraiya, we don't need to talk about such pointless topics."

He glanced at the shackles that Hiruzen Sarutobi was still wearing.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

—If Hiruzen Sarutobi's shackles were loosened, he would turn and run away.

"The mistake made by Hiruzen-sensei was made by the Fourth Hokage and Lin Fan's assistant."

"Jiraiya, please don't get in my way..."

At this point, Orochimaru's eyes flashed with murderous intent:

"I don't want to kill you."

Jiraiya placed the iron gate aside.

With a loud crash, the iron gate fell to the floor.

Jiraiya turned around.

His face also exuded a murderous aura.

"You mean... you can kill me at any time... Orochimaru?"

The murderous aura between the two seemed to materialize.

After a moment, Orochimaru chuckled.

"The kid who used to be the worst student is now baring his teeth at me... He's grown up."

Jiraiya's sarcastic remark:

"You, a genius, are actually ranked alongside me, a loser, as one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha? You've really fallen from grace, Orochimaru."

Orochimaru's smile froze. The next second, he rushed towards Jiraiya. Just as the kunai was about to swing, Jiraiya grabbed the kunai and swung it back.

Amidst the clash of swords and the sounds of fists and feet, the sounds of a fierce fight echoed through the prison cell.

With a thud, Hiruzen Sarutobi tilted his head, a kunai stuck in the spot where he had just been standing.

Hiruzen Sarutobi: "???"

—Could you please release my seal before you attack?

The moment the two separated, Jiraiya completed the hand seals and exhaled a ball of flame.

Fire Release: Flame Bullet!

Rumble!!

The attack of flames broke through the walls of the prison cell, and the adjacent room was smashed open with a loud crash.

Sarutobi Shinnosuke stood in front of the sink, looking in the mirror, then glanced back at the bed that had been burned to a crisp.

"..."

—What the hell is going on?!

Orochimaru stood in the corridor.

"Jiraiya, you really aren't afraid of depriving your third-generation teacher of a descendant?"

Orochimaru sneered.

Jiraiya had just finished spewing flames and was in high spirits when he heard Orochimaru's mockery. His expression froze, and when he turned his head, he saw that Hiruzen Sarutobi was looking at him strangely.

"Teacher, please let me explain!"

Jiraiya gesticulated wildly, appearing flustered.

Orochimaru chuckled: He's still that idiot after all.

Orochimaru, standing at the hole, raised his hands, and a snake's head flew out.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hand!"

With a whoosh, Jiraiya's body was enveloped by several thick white pythons, their bodies twisting and writhing as if trying to strangle him.

As the smoke dissipated, it was revealed that Jiraiya had somehow managed to cover his entire body with his hair.

"Ninjutsu: Needle Jizo!"

With a soft cry, Jiraiya pierced the swarm of snakes that were about to bite him, turning them into skewers of blood from his white fur, and dripping red blood stained the floor.

Jiraiya pulled his hair back.

All the snakes fell to the ground.

"Orochimaru, aren't you underestimating me?"

"I am not the same person I was 26 years ago."

now.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was stunned.

Seeing Jiraiya and Orochimaru so serious reminded me of the time when they were six years old, after graduating from the Ninja Academy and becoming my disciples...

Hiruzen Sarutobi closed his eyes briefly.

"That's enough, Jiraiya."

"Let's end this pointless fighting."

Finally, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke.

"Teacher!" Jiraiya exclaimed, "How can all this still be..."

"Enough! Tsunade is the Hokage. Let's not let the village fall into a pointless civil war."

Hiruzen Sarutobi opened his eyes, his gaze filled with sternness—Jiraiya saw this, and he knew that his teacher was serious at this moment.

Jiraiya sighed.

The feeling at this moment is like that of a great general fighting a bloody battle on the front line, while the emperor behind him has already raised the white flag and surrendered.

......

When Lin Fan came in from outside, he saw Jiraiya, who was willing to be imprisoned with Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Are you really going to stay here? By the way, Orochimaru, did you see where that ANBU guy went next door? Where did he go?" Lin Fan pointed to the prison cell next door, which had been broken open halfway.

"Who knows?" Orochimaru shrugged.

Lin Fan narrowed his eyes.

A moment later, he smiled.

"I see."

He looked at Jiraiya again, who hadn't answered him, and asked, "Jiraiya, you still haven't answered me."

"Stay here," Jiraiya said.

Staying here won't change anything.

"That's better than everything becoming unrecognizable."

Jiraiya stared at Lin Fan:

"I brought you back, took you as my disciple, and passed on my legacy to you, hoping that you could become the child of prophecy and change the ninja world... You have disappointed me too much."

Lin Fan raised his head slightly.

"But you didn't consider my feelings."

Upon hearing Lin Fan's words, Jiraiya stiffened for a moment.

"Right. You forgot. Ninjas should have pretty good memories. But sometimes, they use their memories for things they shouldn't."

—It makes you mistakenly believe that you are great.

Lin Fan's gaze shifted from the ceiling to Jiraiya's hesitant expression:

"Friends I played with as a child, relatives who accompanied me as I grew up, new family members after I grew up... and even comrades who fought alongside me."

How many people do you still remember now?

—How many of those who once vowed to be lifelong friends are still by my side now?

At this moment, not only Jiraiya was silent, but Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutobi were also silent, because they no longer remembered many people, and the memories of many people were buried in a corner... Perhaps it was too painful, or perhaps it was to escape.

"If the so-called Konoha ninja who inherit the Will of Fire only need their will to remember a few valuable people and some information only used to kill enemies... their bodies are only used to dedicate themselves to protecting a village, yet they don't even know who they are specifically responsible for protecting within the village..."

Lin Fan paused, a ridiculous smile on his face, and spread his hands:

"Then Konoha Village should just be destroyed already."