"Ah~~" At the west gate of Konoha, a member of the security force suddenly let out a big yawn.
"Tetsuka, come on, help me out! I only have two hands, okay!?"
As Tetsuka's longtime teammate, Kaiba felt frustrated watching his partner slacking off right in front of him.
"You don't get it. This is called balancing work and rest." Tetsuka had a slightly melancholic expression. "Sigh, after all these years, and you still don't understand me."
"Understand my ass... I just know that right now, I'm as busy as a dog—" Kaiba almost blurted out Tetsuka's usual catchphrase by mistake, but he caught himself just in time, avoiding any unintended offense to his own canine companion. "I'm swamped here! Stop standing around and come help me with the registration!"
"Alright, I'll do the registration." Tetsuka knew he had reached his limit for slacking off today, if he kept at it, his teammate would explode. Plus, he had rested enough. With renewed energy, he shoved his teammate aside, grabbed the pen and paper, and looked at the person standing in front of him. "Buddy, where are you from? Here for business or visiting family? Gambling or watching the tournament? Show me your ID."
The person standing before Tetsuka was a noble-looking man. Hearing the completely casual and informal tone from Tetsuka, he instinctively frowned.
"My master is a noble of the Land of Fire. Please watch your words." A man who appeared to be a butler couldn't help but speak up.
Tetsuka had already finished his questioning and was just waiting to check the ID. Upon hearing this, he took another look at the man, then at his entourage.
With the joint Chunin Exams approaching, these types of people were appearing more frequently. To be blunt, they were just here trying to test their luck and see if they could make a profit.
"Is your master a noble officially appointed by the Fire Daimyō?" Tetsuka asked.
"Well, not exactly..." The butler hesitated for a moment, then prepared to recite a well-rehearsed speech about his master's long and distinguished lineage.
But Tetsuka cut him off.
"Then why are you telling me all this? Konoha's policies regarding nobles only apply to those officially appointed by the Fire Daimyō or government officials. You don't meet the criteria. Even if you did, you'd still need to show your ID."
He gestured behind him.
"Please hurry up. There's a long line behind you."
And indeed, the line stretched far back.
The noble-looking man's face darkened with anger at Tetsuka's words. However, upon noticing the Uchiha clan's fan emblem on his shoulder, he quickly calmed down.
Ah, so he was an Uchiha. That explained the attitude.
Just now, he had acted out of habit. He shot a glare at his butler. "Entering Konoha requires proper procedures. Why are you rambling so much?"
"Yes..."
Though clearly frustrated, the butler still took out the necessary documents that had been prepared in advance.
With the help of his Inuzuka teammate, Tetsuka meticulously verified the documents, registered their entry, and allowed them through. Watching them leave, Kaiba couldn't help but feel bad for them. Of all the people to argue with, they had to pick Tetsuka.
Anyone else might have shown some understanding and made their experience a little smoother. But with Tetsuka? No chance.
He was the definition of "strictly by the book."
The two continued working together when suddenly, a gust of wind swept past above them.
Tetsuka immediately activated his Sharingan and saw a figure leaping over their heads.
"Oh, hell no! Someone dares to sneak past me!?" he shouted, flinging a kunai toward the airborne figure.
"Hm?" The white-haired man soaring through the air casually caught the kunai with a reverse grip. He then looked down and locked eyes with the fuming Tetsuka.
The intruder was none other than Jiraiya. He had been stationed outside the village on an intelligence-gathering mission. Recently, he had noticed an eerie atmosphere brewing in the ninja world. With the joint Chunin Exams approaching, he was concerned something might happen in the village, so he rushed back.
Only to get a kunai thrown at him by his own people... This Uchiha kid was bold.
"Here, take your kunai back. I'm not a bad guy, you know." Jiraiya walked up in his wooden sandals, looking a bit awkward.
"That's exactly what bad guys say." Tetsuka took back the kunai, though he didn't consider the man an enemy. "Are you a ninja? From another village? Got any documents?"
The man before him was large, rugged, and had an intimidating presence. Yet, Tetsuka found him oddly familiar, he just couldn't remember from where.
"You idiot! I'm a ninja from this village!" Jiraiya roared. "I am the great sage of Mount Myōboku! Just call me Toad Sage!"
He found this absurd. Sure, he had been away from the village for a while, but had the younger generation really forgotten him to this extent? Were they seriously mistaking him for an outsider?
"You're still making things up? Since when did Konoha have all these weird nicknames?" Tetsuka was even angrier. "I'm busy here, don't cause trouble! Be serious!"
"…"
Were the younger generations really this impressive? Had the old folks been phased out too quickly?
"Shut up, you idiot!" Kaiba had already found Jiraiya somewhat familiar. Now, after hearing his long title and thinking it over, he suddenly realized who he was. He quickly covered Tetsuka's mouth before he could say anything else. "Jiraiya-sama! This guy is just a fool, please don't take offense!"
"Oh? Not bad, kid! You actually recognized me. Looks like my name hasn't been completely forgotten, huh? Hahahaha!" Jiraiya was pleased.
He hadn't been angry in the first place. If anything, he felt more melancholic than upset. Without fame, how was he supposed to have deep conversations about life with the ladies of Konoha?
"Good, good. I like you! Here, take this book!" He pulled out the latest volume of his work and handed it to Kaiba. "This is a special collector's edition, personally signed by me!"
As for how many "collector's editions" he had on him, only Jiraiya knew.
Kaiba wanted to accept it immediately, but he knew he probably couldn't take it home. This series was equally loved and criticized in Konoha. Simply put… it was a treasure that absolutely couldn't be seen by one's wife.
"No need to be shy. I haven't been back for a long time. You guys work hard, so consider this a little gift." Jiraiya said casually.
"Then I won't be polite." Kaiba decided to stay true to his interests and happily accepted the book.
"Jiraiya-sama?" Tetsuka was dumbfounded.
One of Konoha's most powerful figures, why did he smile so lecherously? And why was he dressed so strangely?
"That's right, I am Jiraiya." Jiraiya puffed out his chest proudly. He particularly enjoyed it when the younger generation of the village looked at him with admiration.
Of course, it would be even better if those admiring him were young women.
Then he heard Tetsuka say, "Well, don't block the way, then. Hurry up and go in. I still have work to do with the registrations. Seriously, why didn't you say so earlier?"
"???"
Why was this kid's reaction different from everyone else's?
Scratching his head, Jiraiya stepped aside and watched as Tetsuka seriously sat back down and continued his work. He was utterly baffled.
From any angle, this Uchiha kid shouldn't be reacting like this.
After all, Jiraiya was one of the pillars of the old Hokage faction. Though, to be fair, he wasn't exactly enthusiastic about their ideology.
"Jiraiya-sama?" Kaiba felt awkward and quickly said, "If you're busy, maybe you should head inside first?"
"Alright, I won't disturb you guys anymore." Jiraiya figured if he scratched his head any more, he'd start losing hair. He waved his hand and headed toward the Hokage's office.
This time, however, he didn't leap through the air, he couldn't risk running into another reckless Uchiha. By the time he arrived at the Hokage's office, he was much later than he had originally planned.
However, here, the guards were all from ANBU. Naturally, they recognized him immediately. The ANBU respectfully escorted the legendary ninja inside and promptly informed the Third Hokage and others of his arrival.
Everyone in the ANBU knew that although Jiraiya didn't stay in the village often, he had done plenty for it.
In intelligence work alone, he brought back crucial information every year. Now, with the current situation, his sudden return surely meant something major was happening.
By the time he entered the Hokage's office, Minato had already prepared tea for him, eagerly awaiting his teacher's arrival. The tea was a deep shade of red.
"Jiraiya-sensei, you're finally back!" Minato cheerfully handed the tea to his mentor. "Here, try this new tea I prepared."
"No rush. It's still hot." He discreetly placed the cup back on the table. "The joint Chunin Exams are coming up soon, right?"
"Yes. We've already sent invitations to the major ninja villages. As for Ame, Kusa, Taki, and Oto, Masashi is handling those negotiations."
"I heard that he fought against Nagato." Jiraiya wasn't trying to defend Nagato anymore. He had visited Ame once and confirmed that Pain was indeed the same Nagato he once thought had died. But the Nagato of today was someone he no longer recognized.
Nagato and Konan had even refused to tell him what really happened back then. Though Jiraiya had his own suspicions, Hanzō's death was evidence enough.
"Yes, we've received reports on that, and…"
"Hmm, I know." Back then, it was because of the Rinnegan that Jiraiya believed Nagato might be the Child of Prophecy foretold by the Great Toad Sage. Whether Masashi truly possessed the Rinnegan would be clear once he returned, but that wasn't the most important issue right now.
"Minato, this time, Tsunade might come back as well."
---
Jiraiya's return didn't actually cause much of a stir. At the end of the day, while everyone in Konoha knew of the Sannin, very few had actually seen them in person anymore.
Since the Third Great Ninja War, more than a decade had passed. Those who had been qualified to interact with the Sannin on a regular basis were now few and far between.
The turnover rate for ninjas was fast.
Today, the Konoha ninja forces were mostly made up of those who had gradually risen to prominence after the war.
Take Masashi, for example, he only made his name after the Third Great Ninja War.
It was on the second day after Jiraiya's return that Masashi led his squad back to Konoha.
At this time, the roads leading to Konoha through the village's forests were packed with people, horses, and carriages. Nobles, merchants, and individuals from all walks of life, from various countries, were all converging on Konoha via different routes.
For the nobility, the joint Chunin Exams were the perfect platform to expand their networks and showcase their status.
For merchants, it was the best business opportunity of the year. In truth, very few people were coming just to watch the matches. A unit of Konoha's ninja forces passing by naturally drew a lot of attention.
Masashi didn't take his men along the main roads, none of them were easy to travel at this point.
Instead, they moved directly through the forest, occasionally appearing in the view of common travelers on the main roads. This, in a way, also helped maintain order along the route.
"There are even more people now after just a few days away," Shisui remarked with a sigh.
Due to the joint Chunin Exams now being hosted in rotation by the Three Great Ninja Villages, they were no longer held in Konoha most of the time as they had been when he was a child. There was even a period when Konoha hosted them every single year.
But the number of participants had never been as high as it was now.
For instance, in the past, Kiri never participated in the joint Chunin Exams, and people from the Land of Water rarely came to the mainland. But now, this heavily populated nation had become one of the main players.
In recent years, it wasn't just the ninja villages, some independent ninja organizations had also begun applying to participate.
"It won't last much longer. After the next few days, the crowds will die down," Masashi observed as he continued surveying the situation.
Although the joint Chunin Exams were a grand event for the entire shinobi world, the types of people it attracted remained relatively fixed. Right now, this was the peak of attendance, but it wouldn't last. At this stage, most of the foreign visitors were from northwestern countries of the continent, like the Land of Earth.
This group had traveled the farthest to reach Konoha.
Once this wave of arrivals was over, the participating ninjas would also start making their way in.
At that point, Konoha's jonin would be summoned by the Hokage to nominate candidates for the exams. It might sound a bit harsh, but the nomination system was a critical part of how the ninja profession functioned.
In Konoha, for example, while the Hokage was ultimately chosen through a jonin vote, a candidate had to be nominated first. Without a nomination, they couldn't even enter the running. To be promoted from chunin to jonin, the Hokage had to appoint them, but they also needed a nomination. Of course, the Hokage himself could serve as the nominator.
Similarly, to advance from genin to chunin, a ninja had to be appointed by the Hokage. Even participation in the joint Chunin Exams required a nomination from a jonin.
After all, a jonin was essentially a military leader. Even though the Hokage could directly nominate candidates, the Hokage was still just a title, technically, they were still a jonin in rank.
The shinobi world was ruled by the collective body of jonin.
Masashi had long since decided on his nominations for this year's exam and wasn't going to change them. Thinking about it, a smile appeared on his face.
"You always seem happier when you get close to home," Shisui teased, noticing his smile.
"Of course, coming home makes me happy," Masashi laughed. "By the way, have you found yourself a girlfriend yet? If you do, you'll feel as good as I do."
At that, Shisui's expression instantly stiffened.
He still regretted that one time, back when he was young and naive, when he actually went to the clan's matchmaking corner by himself. The terrifying experience was something he could never forget.
As for his love life, it had been rough. He had been in relationships, but every single one ended in a breakup.
The most absurd reason he'd ever heard for a breakup was when a girl told him, "You use the Body Flicker Technique so fast. What if you're that fast in other areas too? I don't think we're compatible."
He had been completely baffled. He had no idea why being good at the Body Flicker Technique was a dealbreaker.
When he mentioned it to Masashi, the man didn't say a word, he just gave him a deeply meaningful look for an entire day.
"Stop messing with me," Shisui sighed.
"Hahaha," Masashi burst out laughing. "Alright, I won't tease you anymore. But seriously, if you don't hurry up, the clan leader might just arrange something for you."
Back then, Masashi had so many important things to do, but Fugaku still found ways to set him up. Shisui wasn't going to escape either, he'd held out this long, which was already impressive.
"Oh, right, I was thinking about something on the way here, and I need your help."
"Sure, what is it?" Shisui asked.
"I'm nominating Team 7 for the exam," Masashi explained. "But nominating six people at once by myself doesn't seem right, so I need you to nominate Haku, Neji, and Karin."
"No problem," Shisui agreed immediately.
Haku aside, he was quite familiar with Neji and Karin. Since he had been close to Masashi for years, he had occasionally helped train these three students as well. He was confident that they were fully qualified for the joint Chunin Exams.
"But Sasuke just graduated, are you sure he's ready?" Hearing Sasuke's name come up, Itachi, who had been silent until now, instantly perked up.
"They can handle it," Masashi assured him. "I took them out on a mission recently, and all three performed exceptionally well. They'll be fine in the exams."
Sensing the intense protective aura from a certain elder brother, Masashi and Shisui exchanged a knowing look and quickly changed the subject.
The unit crossed the last stretch of forest and approached the main road.
They had now reached a safe distance. Even for Konoha's ninjas, once they reached this range, they had to move onto the main road; otherwise, the guards on the high walls would assume an enemy infiltration and enter a state of alert.
This strict protocol existed because Masashi remembered the original timeline's Konoha Crush Plan. The Suna jonin had first used the forest to infiltrate near the high walls before summoning giant snakes to break through.
A proper ninja entered through the proper entrance.
If someone neared the high walls and still avoided the main road, they were definitely up to no good.
As the towering walls of Konoha came into view, the unit had fully entered the designated safe path.
A hundred Konoha ninjas marching together was an eye-catching scene. From a distance, the gate guards had already begun arranging a special access route for them.
By the time Masashi arrived at the gate, an ANBU ninja was already waiting.
"Masashi-sama, the Hokage has summoned you urgently."
"Understood, I'll go immediately," Masashi responded, then turned to Shisui and Torune. "I'll leave the unit to you."
"Got it, Masashi-nii."
"Understood, Masashi-sama."
With a nod, Masashi activated the Flying Thunder God Technique and teleported to the Hokage's office.
An urgent summons meant he should make it quick, he could also use the opportunity to submit the lists of several smaller ninja villages. After a few quick teleportations, he arrived at the Hokage's office.
As soon as he opened the door, he was greeted by an overly hearty laugh.
"Jiraiya?" Masashi looked in surprise at the pervy sage.
In the original timeline, by the time Jiraiya returned to the village, two rounds of the Chunin Exams had already been completed.
Masashi knew that this toad sage had wandered outside the village for over a decade, ostensibly searching for the Child of Prophecy, but more often than not, he was gathering intelligence for Konoha, or even just completing S-rank missions for the village.
A perfect blend of official duties and personal matters.
In the original timeline, Naruto's transformation from an underdog to a powerhouse began only after meeting Jiraiya. After all, the Sannin doted on Naruto like a grandfather spoiling his grandson. Honestly, during their time together, he probably paid more attention to Naruto than he ever did while chasing Tsunade.
"Oh! Masashi!" Jiraiya, lounging on the sofa with his legs crossed, was happily chatting with his prized student. Seeing Masashi, he raised a hand in greeting. "I gave away my latest limited-edition copy, so I didn't bring one for you. I'll make it up to you next time."
"No worries, you can just give it directly to Kakashi."
"Huh? He is still reading my books?" Minato asked.
"'Still'? What's wrong with my books?" Jiraiya feigned offense. He felt his student didn't appreciate his status as a literary master.
Despite his playful tone, Jiraiya discreetly observed Masashi.
He had personally witnessed Masashi's meteoric rise.
The Battle of Nanguan City had been the turning point. The toads of Mount Myōboku had also told him many things about Masashi.
"Let me ask you something," Jiraiya said openly. "I heard you have the Rinnegan now?"
"Yeah, I sparred with Nagato, got lucky, and leveled up my Sharingan."
"Got lucky... huh?" Jiraiya felt a bit attacked by that understatement. "Your kind of luck is terrifying. Mind if I take a look?"
"I don't mind." Masashi nodded, closed his eyes, activated his curse mark, and reopened them, revealing a pair identical to Nagato's.
Jiraiya stared at the rippling purple patterns in Masashi's eyes, speechless for a long moment.
Identical.
"Do you have the same abilities as Nagato?" Jiraiya asked, unconsciously taking a sip of tea.
"I tested them. The basic abilities of the Rinnegan are the same, just like with the Sharingan," Masashi replied. "But its chakra consumption is actually lower than that of the Sharingan."
He didn't mention the connection between his Rinnegan and Matatabi's chakra. That wasn't something to discuss in the Hokage's office, it would only cause trouble. As for chakra consumption, that was a half-truth. When using the Rinnegan, only half the chakra came from himself; the other half came from Matatabi.
Of course, it still consumed more than the Sharingan, much more. But in this setting, he chose to lie.
Jiraiya was someone who placed the village above everything. He would even act against Tsunade for the sake of Konoha. But Masashi wasn't certain what "Konoha" meant in Jiraiya's heart.
"Oh…" Jiraiya rubbed his chin. He wanted to analyze it thoroughly, but his knowledge of the Rinnegan was too limited. In the end, he achieved nothing but confusion.
"By the way, Hokage-sama, I've brought back the registration lists from several villages." Masashi retrieved a few scrolls from his storage pouch, official documents from his visits to various ninja villages.
"Well done, Masashi."