In the Land of Fire, within a hot spring town, Jiraiya, who had just indulged in an expense account, had finished drinking flower sake and was leisurely soaking in the hot spring with a content expression on his face.
"Ha ha ha! This is so comfortable!"
Jiraiya, who had just achieved the accomplishment of drinking flower sake on public expense for the first time in his life, exclaimed joyfully.
Swoosh!
The sound of a wooden door sliding made Jiraiya slightly restrain his debauched expression.
Looking towards the direction of the wooden door, Jiraiya's face showed a strange and surprised expression.
Why was Kizaru also coming out from the village?
"Oh ho ho! What a fate! Brother Jiraiya!" Kizaru washed his body, his lower body wrapped in a white bath towel, and standing on his shoulders was Matatabi with expectant eyes.
As a tailed beast created by the Sage of Six Paths, initially regarded as a monster to be wary of by humans, then sealed away by ninjas, losing its freedom.
Having gone through the miserable experiences, this was its first time experiencing human hot springs with freedom!
"Kizaru, why are you out here too?" Leaning his arms on the edge of the pool, Jiraiya slightly raised his body and asked curiously.
"On a mission!" Approaching the bath, Kizaru's figure passed through the white mist and appeared in Jiraiya's eyes.
"A mission? What kind of mission?" Jiraiya was very curious. The village had just won the Second War, so what mission required Kizaru's involvement?
Without immediately answering, Kizaru turned to look at the adjacent Matatabi. He reached out and lifted it up, then bent down and placed it on the edge of the bath.
Standing up straight again, watching Matatabi playfully pawing at the water, Kizaru said, "An S-rank mission."
"S-rank?" Jiraiya became even more curious. However, considering that S-rank missions usually involved confidential matters between nations, he was worried Kizaru might not be able to disclose it, so he quickly added, "If you can't reveal it, Kizaru, it's okay!"
Shaking his head with a smile, Kizaru pointed to Matatabi beside his feet and said with a smile, "S-rank mission: take Matatabi, the two-tailed beast, out for a break!"
"Splash!"
Losing his balance, Jiraiya fell straight into the hot spring.
"Cough cough!" With his head popping out of the water, choking from the water, Jiraiya looked helplessly at Kizaru who was laughing.
What kind of ridiculous S-rank mission was this?
He really wanted to make a sarcastic comment, but upon further thought, Jiraiya realized that a mission involving a tailed beast did indeed qualify as S-rank.
It's just that because of Kizaru and Matatabi's relationship, this mission became somewhat comical.
"The old man actually allowed you to take the Two-Tails out of the village, it's really not easy!" Before leaving the village, Jiraiya had heard about Kizaru's proposed reform plan, which had already been approved by the village's high-level meeting, and the ninja delegations from the Land of Wind, Fire, and Lightning were also coming to the village.
At this juncture, Kizaru actually managed to persuade Hiruzen to let him take Matatabi out of the village, which was quite impressive!
Seeing Jiraiya's changing expressions, Kizaru guessed what he was thinking and explained with a smile, "I just told Sarutobi-sensei, he also didn't want Matatabi to feel depressed and go on a rampage in the village because of being deceived!"
"As expected of you, Kizaru!" Jiraiya could already imagine the frustrated expression Sarutobi-sensei must have had at that time.
"Eh! It's really embarrassing!" After saying that, seeing Matatabi already jumping into the hot spring and swimming, Kizaru also untied the towel around his lower body.
This... This is really the development scale that a ten-year-old can have?
With his eyes widened to the maximum, Jiraiya looked dumbfoundedly at Kizaru who had untied the towel.
Slowly lowering his head to look at himself, Jiraiya couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed and squeezed his thighs together.
Entering the hot spring, Kizaru, who was completely immersed in the hot spring water, noticed Jiraiya's little movement.
With a wide smile on his lips, Kizaru looked at Jiraiya and said with a smile, "You're really cute!"
Reality hit hard, and Jiraiya expression stiffened. A gray-white pressure enveloped the surroundings. Jiraiya, who had suffered immense real damage, slowly sank into the water without any vitality.
"Embarrassing!" The warm-up swim ended, and Matatabi, comfortably soaking beside Kizaru, also turned to look at Jiraiya, who was just emerging from the water again.
His head had just surfaced again, and Jiraiya was struck again inwardly by Matatabi's words.
"Ha ha ha!" Laughing a few times to ease the embarrassment, Jiraiya silently shifted his position a bit, avoiding direct confrontation with Kizaru and his odd companion!
"How did you come here, Kizaru?" Taking the initiative, Jiraiya changed the subject.
"I came specifically to find you, Jiraiya-senpai!" Kizaru said with a smile, looking at Jiraiya.
"To find me? What for?"
"I'd like to ask you to return to the village for a while."
"What's happening in the village?"
"I have a younger brother named Minato, who's about to graduate early, and I hope you'll become his mentor." Getting down to business, Kizaru slightly restrained his smile. "This is also Sarutobi-sensei's decision."
"Sorry, Kizaru! I'm in the middle of a travel writing project and I don't have time to return to the village." Enjoying his time outside the village, and also tasked with finding the Child of Prophecy, Jiraiya wasn't very willing to go back and wanted to decline.
"You can take Minato with you." Kizaru smiled.
"I..."
"I've heard from Tsunade-senpai that your real purpose in traveling outside is to find the Child of Prophecy mentioned by the Toad Sage, isn't it, Jiraiya-senpai?"
His expression turning serious, Jiraiya nodded in admission.
"I think Minato might be the Child of Prophecy you're looking for!" There was a hidden meaning in his words, and Kizaru reminded him with intent.
"Minato, the Child of Prophecy?" Not very familiar with Minato, Jiraiya was a bit skeptical. He felt Kizaru seemed more like the Child of Prophecy than Minato.
"Rather than pinning your hopes on a vague future, on others, it's better to focus on the present and those around you, and use your own power to gradually change this world you don't like." Looking at Jiraiya, Kizaru sincerely advised.
Nodding earnestly, Jiraiya replied, "I'll go check on Minato!"
"I won't disappoint you, Jiraiya-senpai!" Kizaru, confident in Minato, smiled.
"That Shimura Kizaru has left Konoha…"
Sitting cross-legged on the stone platform, Madara looked down at the White Zetsu below, his face calm.
Standing up as he stretched his legs off the platform, Madara revealed a faint smile.
The future god of shinobi? A group of ignorant ants!
His body may have aged, but he hadn't reached the point where he needed the Outer Path's reincarnation to keep living. Madara, still possessing combat capabilities, was preparing to go out.
He wanted to see that brat from the Shimura clan, see if he had even a fraction of Hashirama's brilliance.
If it turned out to be a bragging waste, then he would kill him!
If his strength was decent, then Madara wanted to see if he could be used for his own plans.
With a decision already made in his heart, and having received news of Kizaru leaving the village alone, Madara felt the timing was right.
"The new God of Shinobi, the Golden Flash of Konoha, let this old man see if you have the qualifications to dance!"