In the Hokage's office, Danzo was discussing something with the Third Hokage.
"Hiruzen, those body techniques are extremely valuable. I believe it's necessary to have a conversation with Simu."
Danzo and Hiruzen possessed eyes far sharper than ordinary ninjas.
At a glance, they could see just how significant the techniques [Shave] and [Finger Pistol], used by Simu in battle, truly were.
If these techniques were easy to master, they could potentially raise the average combat effectiveness of Konoha's shinobi to a whole new level.
Hiruzen took a deep drag from his pipe, exhaling slowly.
After a brief silence, he finally spoke.
"I'll have someone look into it."
Seeing this, Danzo didn't press further.
He knew his old friend already had a plan in mind.
"In that case, I'll take my leave."
After Danzo disappeared, Hiruzen slightly turned his gaze toward the window.
"You can come in now, Jiraiya."
"Heh heh…"
A sheepish laugh came from outside the window.
A mop of silver-white hair dangled down, followed by Jiraiya's grinning face peeking through.
"Sensei, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I saw you talking to that guy Danzo, and I didn't want to interrupt."
At this time, Jiraiya was still quite young, and the red markings at the corners of his eyes weren't as pronounced yet.
Hiruzen looked helplessly at his unruly disciple.
"You're already one of the legendary Sannin, yet you're still so reckless in everything you do."
Hiruzen sighed in exasperation.
Jiraiya, however, didn't take it to heart.
After all, he had been scolded by the Third Hokage countless times since childhood.
Without missing a beat, he changed the topic.
"So, Sensei, did you call me here for an S-rank mission?"
For elite ninjas like Jiraiya and Orochimaru, ordinary missions weren't worth their attention.
Only S-rank missions warranted their involvement.
But Hiruzen shook his head and instead pushed a document toward Jiraiya.
"This time, I summoned you back to prepare you for teaching a new team of students."
"Students?"
Jiraiya scratched his nose.
"Come on, Sensei, you know my personality. No matter how you look at it, I'm not suited for leading students."
The moment he said that, Hiruzen's expression darkened instantly.
With a cold snort, he said, "You had no problem teaching students in the Land of Rain, but now you're refusing to do it in Konoha?"
Jiraiya fell silent.
Scratching his head awkwardly, he sighed.
Hiruzen was, of course, referring to Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan—the three orphans Jiraiya had taken in during the Second Great Ninja War.
During that war, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade had killed countless enemies in the Land of Rain.
In the final battle, they faced Hanzō of the Salamander, the so-called 'Demigod,' and were given the title "Sannin" as a result.
Yet, for reasons unknown—perhaps out of guilt—Jiraiya had decided to stay behind and mentor three war orphans.
He had even trained them for several years.
At the time, Konoha was still recovering from the war and in desperate need of manpower.
And yet, Jiraiya chose to remain in the Land of Rain for years, much to Hiruzen's dissatisfaction.
In Hiruzen's view, Jiraiya was a powerful fighter and even shared similar "hobbies" with him.
However, his greatest flaw was his excessive emotions.
Strong emotions were incompatible with the life of a shinobi.
To be an outstanding ninja, one had to treat themselves as a weapon and discard unnecessary sentiments.
Otherwise, misplaced mercy could lead to even greater harm to one's village.
If Simu were here, he would have applauded.
"Well said, Lord Third! If it weren't for Jiraiya, Konoha wouldn't have been nearly wiped out decades later."
Jiraiya, for once, found himself speechless.
With a resigned sigh, he finally relented.
"Alright, alright, since you insist, I guess I'll reluctantly take them under my wing."
Taking the document, he carefully examined the student profiles.
Despite his carefree attitude, once Jiraiya agreed to something, he took it seriously.
After all, understanding one's students was the responsibility of a good teacher.
"Uzumaki Kushina, Namikaze Minato… and Hanyu Simu?"
Jiraiya frowned, scratching his head vigorously.
"Sensei, if I remember correctly, this Kushina girl is the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, right?"
Hiruzen nodded slightly and added,
"The other two, Hanyu Simu and Namikaze Minato, were the top performers in this year's graduation exams."
Jiraiya suddenly felt a headache coming on.
"Why did you arrange it like this?"
Hiruzen tapped the pipe in his hand, exhaling another puff of smoke.
Jiraiya's concern was obvious.
All three were incredibly talented, and one of them was the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki.
Shouldn't they be separated to reduce the risk of enemy threats?
If something were to happen, the consequences would be catastrophic.
But Hiruzen's answer was clear.
"I want to form a team even more formidable than the White Fang, Hatake Sakumo."
"If this succeeds, they will become Konoha's ultimate spear, capable of piercing through any enemy."
"And if it fails…"
"A young leaf cannot remain forever in the shadow of a giant tree, can it?"
Besides, I trust your strength, Jiraiya."
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