Jiraiya reached out and took the intelligence report from Tsunade, flipping through it casually.
"What's this? Ninja records? No—attack analysis?"
Initially somewhat absentminded, Jiraiya gradually became more surprised as he read. Finally, he went over both individuals' information thoroughly from beginning to end. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and asked quietly, "Where did you get this from?"
"The other battlefield from today's operation," Tsunade replied.
"Oh right—the squad led by Mizuki, cooperating with Sunagakure and Iwagakure on that bait mission?"
"Correct. We really reeled in some big surprises," Tsunade confirmed. "However, now I'm wondering if this action was too hasty."
"Hmm." Jiraiya pondered for a moment, then jumped down from the windowsill and walked closer, placing the documents onto the desk before continuing, "It's hard to say yet whether it was reckless. The Third's long-term policies had caused much lingering damage to Konoha that needed repairing. However, your methods were indeed poorly considered."
Pausing briefly, Jiraiya continued, "I've heard rumors about these two guys multiple times among bounty hunters in the underground world. Just never expected they'd be members of Akatsuki too—and such strange characters at that..."
"Tch," Tsunade clicked her tongue lightly. "Those who can stand beside Orochimaru as comrades—how bad could they be?"
Upon hearing Tsunade's words, Jiraiya's expression darkened slightly. He turned around and walked toward the window, glancing downward at the occasional Anbu patrols passing under the night sky. "Putting Orochimaru aside for now, Tsunade—the real issue here is, when facing attackers of this level, if we still received such detailed intelligence reports, then that means we've won, right? At least managed to repel the enemy successfully while holding the advantage?"
"That's exactly true," Tsunade nodded.
Hearing her response, Jiraiya asked with confusion, "I've seen Mizuki's squad configuration, along with the joint forces from Iwagakure and Sunagakure. They stood no chance against those two, right? Did something unexpected happen? Or was it a joint operation gone awry?"
"There was no extra force left for reinforcements—not with the time we had," Tsunade smiled bitterly. "You also made one mistake—you said 'two,' but there are actually three—including Red Sand of the Desert, mentioned earlier in the intelligence report."
As she spoke, Tsunade pulled another stack of documents from beneath the files and handed them to Jiraiya.
"Read carefully. It's all clearly written here."
Accepting the report from Tsunade, Jiraiya studied it for a long time before finally exhaling deeply.
"So it turned out to be shocking but harmless in the end. Didn't expect the heaviest price would be paid by Sunagakure itself. At least Konoha came out of this unscathed."
"You're finished already?" Tsunade tapped the table in dissatisfaction, reminding Jiraiya not to act clueless.
"What do you mean?" Jiraiya shrugged helplessly, waving the report slightly in his hand. "There's just way too much worth noting in here. Which part did you want to ask about specifically?"
"You know how some secrets are only meant for people at our level," Tsunade said, clearly annoyed by Jiraiya's evasive attitude. "What about Sage Mode? Don't tell me you've got nothing to say on that?"
"What do you want me to say, Tsunade? This time it really has nothing to do with me."
Hearing Jiraiya's words, Tsunade replied, "I'm not saying you're directly responsible, but I think you were too quick to judge that Rain Village kid. Someone managed to master Sage Mode without even a whisper of it, despite Orochimaru's failure. Considering you were the only one who knew about it, naturally people would come to you for answers."
"It wasn't me," Jiraiya said with solemn conviction.
As Jiraiya kept denying involvement, Tsunade looked at him suspiciously.
"Really wasn't me," Jiraiya repeated. "About two months back, I ran into Mizuki again and we had a quick chat. He asked me several questions back then."
"Oh? What kind of questions?"
"First, how many people know Sage Mode—I gave him an answer. Then he continued asking why so few people mastered it. I couldn't answer that one."
"That's all?"
"Yeah," Jiraiya replied. "You should know that Sage Mode was never deliberately hidden. Although most people just treated it as some bizarre tale, determined individuals will always find ways to learn about it."
"So after all these years, do you have any answers yet?" Tsunade shifted gears. "After being on the road for so long, did you find what you were looking for?"
"I found something, but whether it's exactly what I wanted is unclear. However, now that the destined child is nearby, this is a good opportunity."
"What exactly are you striving for?" Tsunade asked. "Even Orochimaru failed, though I despise his methods, his intelligence is undeniable. Do you think you can surpass him?"
"Do you think Orochimaru didn't discover anything either? Whether he failed or intentionally held back remains uncertain. But if you think others should give up just because Orochimaru couldn't do it, I totally disagree." Jiraiya threw the report on the desk and said earnestly, "Take a look—someone managed to master it entirely on their own!"
"When he asked me those two questions, I knew he wasn't an ordinary man. Yet Jiraiya, First's question haunted The Second for years until his death, yet he never found the key. Look at the Uzumaki clan and Senju clan—combined, only two confirmed masters existed."
Whether they were destroyed or disbanded, willingly or unwillingly, the two once-prominent noble families in the ninja world ended up in tragic fates—nearly facing total extinction.
"Maybe it's still too early to talk about that. The ninja world has never lacked brilliant minds, not to mention those who chose darker paths—it's more than just a few here and there. Looking at Hidan and Kakuzu, didn't that make you think of something?"
"[Immortal Body]—just appearing so openly like that?"
"Don't forget [Impure World Reincarnation] from over a month ago," Jiraiya reminded her.
"Can we really give up then?"
"I just feel this kind of thing is too dangerous."
"Our fate mustn't be manipulated by others," Jiraiya showed an unprecedented serious expression, "no matter who it is."
"Alright then, should I celebrate gaining another comrade-in-arms who doesn't know his own limits?"
"Of course. But recently, we might not have the chance to meet again. Let's talk about it when I return."
"Be careful with the Land of Water. The intelligence Kakashi Hatake brought back indicates that the situation there has deteriorated badly."
"Don't worry, my Grand Tale of Heroes is far from completion. This time, let me see what exactly the blood mist land has been up to while staying closed off for so many years."
...
The very next morning, before dawn had fully broken, Mizuki woke up early and climbed onto a giant tree with an excellent view, quietly waiting for sunrise.
As dawn broke over the east, a nimble figure suddenly appeared beside Mizuki.
"What's going on, Mizuki?" The newcomer was none other than Yamashiro Aoba.
"Come sit down. Let's enjoy the view properly."
The last time they watched sunrise was at the Hokage Rock, which ended with a fight against Kabuto Yakushi. Hopefully nothing foolish would interrupt them this time.
Yamashiro Aoba pushed his glasses up along the bridge of his nose and sat down as suggested.
"Why did you wake up so early? Didn't you also sleep very late last night?"
"I remembered something, Aoba," Mizuki said calmly.
"What happened? You always seem preoccupied with strange thoughts."
"Strange? Maybe so. Sometimes it's better to think more carefully. Didn't you also mention having a bad feeling during our previous casual chat?"
"Who can tell with a ninja's intuition?" Yamashiro Aoba shrugged casually. "That's just how being a ninja is—few actually make it out alive or unbroken."
"Yeah," Mizuki sighed in agreement.
At that moment, rays of sunlight finally pierced through the distant horizon, where thin mist seemed to cover the skies. Slowly rising between mountain ridges, the sun instantly dispelled what had been a somewhat gloomy atmosphere. Warm sunshine bathed their bodies, blending with fresh morning air and a slight coolness, bringing boundless pleasure on this summer morning.
"You seem troubled?" Yamashiro Aoba frowned slightly before asking, "You can talk to me if anything's bothering you; maybe I can help."
Recently, Mizuki indeed experienced some issues with his mental state. Yamashiro Aoba, who knew Mizuki well, gradually sensed something was wrong. Being familiar with spirit techniques, he wanted to ask Mizuki what exactly was going on.
"It's nothing—it's just part of the lasting complications," Mizuki smiled, trying to indicate there wasn't any significant issue, hoping to reassure Yamashiro Aoba.
However, although he appeared indifferent, Mizuki himself also realized these situations were unavoidable since beginning Sage Mode training. Especially this time, with unexpected incidents constantly arising, he deeply understood how important control becomes with increasingly powerful strength.
"Just take care then." Since Mizuki didn't want to say more, Yamashiro Aoba didn't press further but instead changed topics to other matters.
"Did Neji say anything to you last night?"
"You noticed, huh?" Mizuki replied with a smile. "There was an incident in Iwagakure, but it has nothing to do with us. I don't really feel like getting involved."
"Oh, well then that's fine." Yamashiro Aoba felt relieved since Mizuki had already judged there to be no danger. "Still, Mizuki, it would be better if nothing else happened recently."
Mizuki's condition clearly stemmed from the effects of that powerful battle mode. If this kept happening, it wouldn't just result in mild spiritual discomfort anymore.
"Thanks, Aoba," Mizuki appreciated Aoba's concern, but truth be told, even he didn't fully understand what was going on — so there wasn't much he wanted to say about it.
The physical damage caused by uncontrolled Natural Energy was self-evident. However, what concerned Mizuki most was its insidious effect on his spirit. Silent harm was truly terrifying. This time, Mizuki could clearly feel his thinking was affected, and his mental fatigue was worse than before. Right after exiting Sage Mode, he momentarily felt so dazed that he almost collapsed and never got up again. Fortunately, as the influence of Natural Energy faded over the following hours, he gradually improved. This subtle spiritual change made Mizuki even more cautious. He must use Natural Energy more carefully in the future. That unrestrained Sage Mode must never be used again. As for other possible issues, he needed to thoroughly examine them later — for example, that cursed seal which had embarrassed him upon appearing must not be left unchecked any longer.
Additionally, there was also the issue of Mizuki's lifespan that required proper handling. Now, he basically possessed the conditions necessary to resolve this problem.
Not long after, a very fast homing pigeon flew straight toward Mizuki. Understanding immediately, Mizuki stretched out his arm and the bird landed.
"It seems orders have arrived," Mizuki smiled, removing the tiny scroll tied to the bird's leg and unfolding it.
[Just as expected.] "Did they send any reinforcements?"
Satisfied, Mizuki flicked his fingers and sent a spark of flame, turning the scroll into flying ashes.
"Mizuki, what did the village say?"
"After finishing their business in the village, they'll be able to send people to help."
"Oh, that's good news. What about our mission?"
"It's already completed."
"That's great." Yamashiro Aoba finally relaxed. "If that's the case, I'm heading back first. Those two genin should be waking up soon. Also, I need to monitor the activities of the other two ninja villages."
"Go ahead, Aoba. Don't rush. I think this joint mission will end here anyway. Just focus on doing our own part well."
...
Tsunade's decision as the Fifth Hokage didn't surprise Mizuki at all. Almost every detail of this battle had been reported thoroughly by him. The one exception was his actions involving Shukaku of Sunagakure. Mizuki intentionally avoided mentioning this point. Without direct evidence, he definitely wouldn't admit to anything. Mainly because revealing his involvement with the tailed beasts would have serious repercussions. Even among the Five Great Ninja Villages, such exposure would create thorny problems for all. Even if someone suspected something, no one would ever know too much.
Mizuki refused to admit guilt, and Sunagakure lacked sufficient evidence. Gaara remained alive and well, and Shukaku stayed safely sealed within him. In fact, without Mizuki's help this time, even containing Shukaku would have been difficult. Betraying a powerful ally like this—Sunagakure wasn't daring enough to do that.
Next, as if by silent agreement, the three ninja villages chose not to bring up their plan to resume the journey from yesterday. All of them were stalling, waiting for something. Close to noon, someone finally arrived.
The first to arrive were representatives from Sunagakure. As soon as Mizuki saw the lead figure, he could already feel a headache brewing.
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