{🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please support me.🥰 You can access upto 100+ advance chapter through Patreon by using the link: https://patreon.com/Oreski}
Terumi Mei suddenly appeared on the live broadcast because she had arrived at Ryūchi Cave.
"Lava Style…"
The outer edge of Ryūchi Cave was pierced by her boiling lava, and Terumi Mei's figure emerged, having reached the location through physical travel. As usual, she wore her signature blue fishnet outfit, with her long legs on display—elegant, powerful, and confident.
A bold woman with a striking presence.
"AB."
"Surprised?"
"It's Lava Style and Boiling Shield."
"Of course, if you don't mind..." Terumi Mei began, but Kitahara Hitoshi cut her off.
"I mind. No one wants to be kissed, bitten, and melted."
She paused, remembering the ongoing live broadcast. It wasn't the right place to tease in front of generations of Hokage.
"I'm not giving you any blessings." She pouted.
Had anyone else behaved this way, it would've been awkward. But Kitahara Hitoshi found it charming—because it was Terumi Mei.
"Orochimaru's base has been searched?" he asked.
"Mmm~" Terumi Mei lit up. "Orochimaru really is something. The students at his base—both the quantity and quality—are remarkable. With another 3–5 years of training, they'll be reliable graduates of Kirigakure's elite academy. Many are talented with Water Style."
"He developed a curse mark too, likely derived from Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode. While not as pure as the original, several Genin survived the application and gained significant power. It's like they gained an extra source of Chakra—like a white portion of energy. It's impressive."
"I never imagined Kirigakure would have hope again," she sighed. "Among the Five Great Nations, with Sunagakure already eliminated, Kirigakure should've been next. But this raid on Orochimaru's Sound Village gave us hope. If we wait a few years, Kirigakure will rise again."
Yet disappointment lingered in her eyes.
Even if she poured ten more years into rebuilding, Kirigakure had no suitable heir. No worthy successor. She still held onto her wish—hoping Kitahara Hitoshi would join her in Kirigakure, even offering to share her bed without hesitation.
But she knew he likely had no love for Kirigakure.
So its future—was hazy even to her.
"Is what I asked for ready?" Kitahara Hitoshi inquired.
"Ah... yes."
Terumi Mei quickly snapped back to reality. She hadn't forgotten his request.
The ninja were hers, but the research materials, literature, and equipment from Orochimaru's lab belonged to him. She understood their value—only someone with true vision could. Kirigakure simply couldn't keep up. She was already satisfied with just gaining new ninjas.
"Hmm."
Kitahara Hitoshi accepted the two large scrolls she handed over.
"This Orochimaru's data room?"
She nodded.
"Then I'm heading back."
Despite his dark reputation, Orochimaru was an unparalleled researcher. His work on Forbidden Techniques resembled Tobirama's style—perfect for the Second Hokage's review.
Senju Tobirama sneezed somewhere.
Senju Hashirama blinked. "Huh? Tobirama, do you have a cold?"
Tobirama narrowed his eyes. "Impossible. But I do feel a chill on my back."
As Kitahara Hitoshi returned to Konoha, Sasuke and Naruto began their special mission as a duo. Although called "special," it was also a test.
"Sure you don't want me to fly you there?" Naruto offered.
He still retained his Six Paths powers, including Six Paths: Planetary Devastation, and the flight ability inherited from Hagoromo and Ashura's Chakra.
Currently, he was flying—while Sasuke ran along the ground.
"No need," Sasuke replied. "I want to test my strength. I'll rely on my own legs."
"Alright..." Naruto said. "But I should probably tell you something."
"What?"
"Huh?" Sasuke glanced up.
"I've been lost since we started."
"..."
Sasuke froze.
"Are you an idiot!"
Despite Naruto flying and Sasuke running, Naruto had taken the wrong direction—and Sasuke had followed it, assuming he was right.
"I'm sorry!" Naruto descended quickly. "We've been heading the wrong way the whole time!"
"..." Sasuke clenched his fists.
"I literally just bragged about finishing this mission. And now I'm lost!" Naruto admitted.
"Uzumaki Naruto... I really don't get along with you," Sasuke muttered, full of frustration.
Me neither!
"I thought you knew the way," Naruto said. "I thought you were heading this direction on purpose."
Kitahara Hitoshi remained silent.
He had just left Ryūchi Cave, circled around Sasuke and Naruto, and saw the same result—those two were still lost.
Namikaze Minato murmured thoughtfully, "Hmm... sure enough, Ming Bao was still too green for a solo mission on his first try."
Kakashi replied, "I'm going after them now."
Minato nodded. "Please, Kakashi."
So Kakashi left the village as well.
Five days passed quickly. During those days, Tobirama finally realized why he'd been feeling a chill on his back.
Kitahara Hitoshi brought back Orochimaru's research materials for him to examine. According to Tobirama, it wasn't about tailoring lessons to students but rather about compatibility—he and Orochimaru were naturally aligned in approach.
Thus, Tobirama absorbed Orochimaru's research and began utilizing it. However, while the theory sounded elegant, it was tremendously complex in execution.
Tobirama, known as an all-rounder Hokage with exceptional talent in forbidden jutsu research, found even Orochimaru's data overwhelming. Years of findings couldn't be mastered overnight.
After five days, Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi returned at the same time.
Though Kakashi worried that Naruto and Sasuke hadn't fully used their Six Paths-level Planetary Devastation, their opponent hadn't managed to seal them effectively either.
The group brought back the Uzumaki clan's legacy from the Land of Whirlpools.
Books, artifacts—
"Because we weren't sure what was useful," Naruto explained, "we decided to hollow out the entire ruins of Vorin Village and relocate everything."
"It took a ton of sealing scrolls," he added.
Sasuke then unloaded a dozen giant sealing scrolls from his back.
Kitahara Hitoshi stared in silence.
It was obvious their understanding of "useful relics" was insufficient.
He glanced at Kakashi.
Kakashi scratched his cheek. "I tried to stop them, but I couldn't. The two of them got carried away and went all in."
In other words, Naruto and Sasuke deliberately overused sealing scrolls to burn off excess chakra. It was like they felt itchy if they didn't expend that energy.
It seemed they needed a new way to channel that power.
Just then, a figure appeared in the center of the office.
Wearing a fox mask, purple hair, twin daggers—this was an Anbu operative.
It was Uzuki Yugao.
Kitahara Hitoshi had later learned that during the Chūnin Exams, Moonlight Gai had died tragically.
Worse still, Gai had been on the verge of leaving Anbu and becoming an official Special Jōnin. A promising seed cut down before he could bloom.
In the original timeline, Uzuki Yugao had been an Anbu operative and childhood sweetheart of Moonlight Gai. His death hit her hard.
Even now, history repeated itself.
As the only casualty in the Chūnin Exams, Moonlight Gai's death was still a cruel twist of fate.
Yet Yugao didn't falter. She held her Anbu position firmly, showing no sign of collapse.
Tobirama acknowledged her emotional strength. In his time, ninjas faced death constantly—comrades, brothers, all could be gone in a blink. One could only accept it and move on.
That was part of why Tobirama remained single—some people just pour themselves into their work to mask the pain.
But now wasn't the time to console her.
"Jiraiya has returned to the village," she reported.
"What!" Tobirama stood up immediately.
In the Ninja World Chat Group:
Big Pillar Hanhan commented, "Oh right, Jiraiya returned to Konoha a week ago."
Minato added, "You can't really blame him. He returned on foot, after all. Of course, he was slow."
Tobirama analyzed, "If he's walking back rather than using Reverse Summoning or Flying Thunder God, then he's severed ties with Mount Myōboku."
Tobirama tagged Jiraiya.
Minato followed: "@Jiraiya, Teacher Jiraiya!"
A new user responded, "Who is this Jiraiya you're talking about?"
Minato clarified, "He was my former teacher."
Tobirama added, "And my disciple's disciple."
The new member, identified as the Sage of Six Paths, muttered in confusion.
The timelines, the deaths and resurrections—it was all too chaotic for him.
Was it really so easy for the dead to return in this era?
Then—
A beep sounded.
Jiraiya, now named "The Loyal Dog of Mount Myōboku," had come online.
He looked confused.
"My title changed?"
Another beep.
The system announced his new title: "Dragon Returns to the Sea – Jiraiya."
Tobirama and Minato congratulated him.
But then—
Black Zetsu logged in.
He sneered, "Congrats. Looks like you finally escaped Mount Myōboku's scam."
Sage of Six Paths asked, confused, "What scam?"
Big Pillar Hanhan jumped in:
"You don't know? The Great Toad Sage is a fraud. Black Zetsu explained it before."
"Jiraiya wasted his whole life chasing the so-called Child of Destiny."
"He gave his youth, his future, all of it. A good ninja—wasted."
"And now everyone knows the Great Toad Sage lied to him."
"It lives forever. We ninja have short lives. And yet he was misled for decades."
Big Pillar Hanhan repeated angrily, "It's really annoying!"
Sage of Six Paths blinked. "Huh? Ehhh?"
Another beep.
"Congratulations to Sage of Six Paths for the new title: The Faithful Dog of Mount Myōboku."
Silence followed.
Tobirama and Big Pillar Hanhan were stunned.
Even Jiraiya was shocked. "Isn't that my old title?"
One comment stirred a storm.
Big Pillar Hanhan responded instantly.
"Sage of Six Paths, ancestor of ninjas, even you were tricked by the Great Toad Sage!"
Jiraiya stared at the screen, silent.
Black Zetsu clicked his tongue. " Just as I said."
{ Enjoying the chapters? Please Support me on Patreon and unlock 100+ advanced chapters, with 3 new chapters released every two days!
The fanfic is also available for one-time purchase on Patreon – unlock lifetime access to the full collection, no membership needed! Don't miss out –support and own it forever!
patreon.com/Oreski}