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"Tsunade, this is the first time I've seen you praise someone so highly," Jiraiya said with emotion, teasing. "Anyone who didn't know would think you were talking about a teacher, not a student."
"Hmph, how could that old man compare to him?" Tsunade said without hesitation. "If you said my grandfather, then maybe." Jiraiya was even more surprised by her words. He knew Hashirama Senju's place in Tsunade's heart. It was unmatched. Besides strength, there were also emotional factors. But he hadn't expected Sasame to be compared to him. Not simple.
Jiraiya laughed heartily. "It seems I'll have to stay a few more days to properly get to know him."
"He won't disappoint you," Tsunade's lips curved slightly. "Although I'm not sure if he's the Child of Prophecy you speak of, he certainly has the qualifications to be one."
"Hmm," Jiraiya nodded. Putting everything else aside, he greatly acknowledged Sasame's strength. He was experienced and had seen many Tailed Beasts. Each one possessed destructive power and deterrence beyond ordinary people's reach. The number of people who could defeat them in the entire ninja world was truly few.
"Tsunade, I've noticed your temper has improved quite a bit," Jiraiya observed her, smiling.
"Is that so?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "When no one bothers me, I naturally don't lose my temper."
"Alright, it seems I'm the one who bothers you," Jiraiya's smile turned into a wry one.
"You? I haven't been bothered by you for a long time," Tsunade's lips unconsciously curved into another smile. "You see, Sasame is so outstanding now, but he used to be quite mischievous." Jiraiya was slightly startled. Tsunade's expression was simply too happy. It reminded him of when Nawaki was still alive. Is she treating Sasame like a younger brother? Jiraiya realized this. No wonder the evaluation is so high, to the point of being distorted. In Tsunade's words, Sasame was not only immensely powerful but also exceptionally skilled in managing Konoha's affairs. He could be called an all-around invincible being, practically an enhanced version of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Minato Namikaze.
"Tsunade, it seems your retirement life is going pretty well," Jiraiya took a sip of water. "I'm a little envious, but unfortunately, I can't retire yet." Tsunade glanced at him, knowing he was referring to Mount Myōboku. Her opinion of the Great Sage Toad was actually rather neutral. Because it meddled in too many affairs, it was hard to call it merely a summoning animal anymore; it was more like a faction. At the same time, being its summoner was undoubtedly the busiest job. Or rather, being driven around. Tsunade herself, as the summoner for Shikkotsu Forest, lived quite freely. Orochimaru was the same; aside from using the snakes from Ryūchi Cave in battle, he was almost unrestrained in his daily life. Only Jiraiya was busy all the time.
"Do you want to stay for dinner?" Tsunade collected her thoughts and asked with a smile. "Sasame's cooking is excellent; you can try it." She knew the importance of Mount Myōboku in Jiraiya's heart. Therefore, she understood that anything she said would be useless. If it were truly useful, Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't be at a loss with him either. As a ninja, he constantly disregarded the Hokage's orders and ran off. Fortunately, he was the Hokage's student; otherwise, he would have long been considered a rogue ninja.
"No need," Jiraiya, for some reason, felt a little resistant. Perhaps he noticed Tsunade's excessive concern for Sasame. It made him feel a strange sense of loss. But he had no right to say anything. Because he was busy with Mount Myōboku's missions, he felt a little indebted to Konoha Village. After all, he was absent during many critical moments. For example, the Nine-Tails' attack. If he were just a Konoha ninja, he certainly wouldn't have been absent and would have had the chance to save his student, Minato Namikaze.
"I'll come over another day. I'll treat you to sake then," Jiraiya stood up. "I'll be in Konoha for a while." Tsunade nodded.
"Then, I'll take my leave," Jiraiya waved his hand, opened the door, and stepped onto the street. He exhaled, thought for a moment, and decided to first confirm whether Sasame was the legendary Child of Prophecy. So Jiraiya leaped, and in a few bounds, arrived at the Sarutobi clan compound.
"Yo, old man, fishing? Can you actually catch anything?"
"What? You just got back and you're already mocking me, your teacher?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, holding a pipe in one hand and a fishing rod in the other.
"What are you talking about?" Jiraiya sat beside him, glanced at the bucket, and couldn't help but laugh. "How come there's not a single one?"
"I just started!" Hiruzen Sarutobi glared at him. "And keep your voice down; don't scare my fish."
"Alright, alright, alright," Jiraiya lowered his voice and said no more. Half an hour later, Hiruzen Sarutobi still had nothing. He threw down his fishing rod and said, "It's all your fault; I didn't catch a single fish."
"..." Jiraiya's eyes widened. "Old man, you're being unreasonable. I didn't say a word."
"Speak, what is it?" Hiruzen Sarutobi skillfully used his topic-changing technique.
"About Sasame," Jiraiya's expression became serious. "Old man, what do you think of him?" Hiruzen Sarutobi was startled, clearly not expecting this question. He took a puff of smoke and said emotionally, "He is a truly despairing genius."
"In terms of strength, yes," Jiraiya nodded. "What about his character? For example, the Will of Fire that you're most skilled at?"
"Not bad either," Hiruzen Sarutobi thought of something, rose, and entered the room, quickly returning with a pile of documents.
"What's this?" Jiraiya took them, confused.
"Sasame's understanding of the Will of Fire during his time at the academy. In some places, I was even surprised myself," Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a smile. "No matter his character, everything he has done so far has been beneficial to Konoha."
"I'll take them back and look them over," Jiraiya put away the documents and added, "I heard Tsunade say he's very skilled in political affairs."
"Indeed," Hiruzen Sarutobi's face showed admiration. "Let's talk about the Konoha Military Police Force for a start." After listening, Jiraiya had only one feeling: this was definitely the legendary Child of Prophecy. In Jiraiya's view, simply having strength was certainly not enough to be the Child of Prophecy; wisdom had to be added. After all, he was the one who would bring peace to the ninja world. Peace, relying solely on strength, could not last. One only needed to look at Hashirama Senju to know this.
"To what extent is Sasame's strength?" Jiraiya thought for a moment and asked. Speaking of which, he still had a slight worry. If Sasame was the one who would destroy Mount Myōboku, it would be a huge joke. However, whether he was or wasn't, it was quite easy to discern. Just look at his strength.
"Very strong," Hiruzen Sarutobi mused. "Sage Mode plus Wood Release. In terms of destructive power, he's only slightly inferior to the First Hokage." His judgment came from various legends of Hashirama Senju. For example, Madara Uchiha, even with the Nine-Tails, couldn't defeat him. Especially since he had learned more detailed information from Mito Uzumaki. Hashirama Senju held the absolute upper hand. And the most powerful Tailed Beast, the Nine-Tails, was like a little chick in his hands, completely harmless. In contrast, Sasame fighting Shukaku didn't seem so outrageous. He even used the True Several Thousand Hands and the Wood Golem's Great Forest, considered forbidden jutsu within Wood Release. Hashirama Senju would definitely not have needed them.
"Can he compare to the Sage of Six Paths?" Jiraiya secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but just in case, he asked again. Because according to Great Sage Fukasaku, only the Sage of Six Paths could possibly destroy Mount Myōboku.
"That's naturally incomparable," Hiruzen Sarutobi was startled, then remembered a very old prophecy, and asked, "Are you still looking for that ninja who might destroy Mount Myōboku?"
"Yes," Jiraiya sighed. "But there's no trace of him."
"So you suspect Sasame?" Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned and asked, "He's the Hokage now. As a Konoha ninja, how can you make such a conjecture?"
"Sorry," Jiraiya gave an awkward smile. "I was just asking casually. Sasame doesn't have special eyes, so it definitely won't be him."
"I still have to remind you, you are a Konoha ninja," Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at him, shaking his head, but said no more.
"I understand," Jiraiya said earnestly.
"Come on, I'll treat you to a meal. It's been a long time since the two of us got together," Hiruzen Sarutobi rose, a smile returning to his face.
"Old man, I need to make a trip to the Uchiha clan compound," Jiraiya said, scratching his head apologetically. "I'll eat with you when I get back."
"Is it for that so-called prophecy again?" Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand, a little displeased. "Go on then." Jiraiya turned and left. Not long after, he arrived at the Uchiha clan compound.
"I'm sorry, Lord Jiraiya, for making you wait so long," Mikoto Uchiha took a deep breath, making sure no abnormality could be seen on her face, then pushed open the door and entered. She had been battling with Sasame earlier and was supposed to be resting, but upon hearing the news of Jiraiya's visit, she was startled awake. After quickly changing clothes, she rushed over. She didn't even have time to bathe.
"It's alright," Jiraiya observed her. Her face was flushed, and she seemed full of spirit, suggesting she had emerged from the shadows of the clan massacre. In that case, it made it easier for him to ask questions.
"Mikoto, I've come here today to ask you about something," Jiraiya weighed his words. "How did you all escape that night? Was it related to that mysterious Wood Release user?" Mikoto Uchiha immediately remembered the various conditions she had agreed to with Sasame earlier. Some of them were quite outrageous. She sat on a chair, unconsciously crossing her long legs. She felt as if something was about to slip out. Mikoto Uchiha suppressed the unease in her heart, took a deep breath, and said, "That question has been clearly answered in the intel submitted to Konoha."
"Sorry," Jiraiya thought she was displeased about bringing up a painful topic, so he explained, "It was indeed stated, but I'd like to know more details."
"What kind of details?" Mikoto Uchiha forced a smile and asked. Jiraiya suddenly felt a little guilty. But for Mount Myōboku's sake, he had to ask.
"After he saved you, did you notice his motive?" Jiraiya suppressed his emotions and asked.
"I felt it was for the Mangekyō Sharingan," Mikoto Uchiha thought for a moment. "Now that I think about it, he often used various means to help us awaken our eyes."
"But didn't he already obtain Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan?" Jiraiya asked, confused.
"Perhaps there are even more powerful eyes beyond that," Mikoto Uchiha speculated. Jiraiya's first reaction was disbelief. He remembered that Madara Uchiha also seemingly only had the Mangekyō Sharingan. But upon closer thought, it seemed reasonable. How could just a Mangekyō Sharingan destroy Mount Myōboku? If a higher level of eyes truly existed, its power would undoubtedly be world-destroying.
"Of course, that's just my personal opinion," Mikoto Uchiha shook her head. "Years have passed, and he realized that none of us had the talent to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, so he abandoned us."
"Abandoned?" Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. "Although it's a bit presumptuous, I still want to ask, this person shouldn't be very kind. Why didn't he kill you? Is it related to his identity?" He was now thinking that this person might be from the Uchiha clan; otherwise, he wouldn't know so much about the Mangekyō Sharingan. Mikoto Uchiha's face showed hesitation. Seeing this, Jiraiya's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly said, "Don't worry, I won't tell a second person about today's matter."
"He mentioned a name, but I don't think it's possible," Mikoto Uchiha said hesitantly. "He said his name was Madara Uchiha, and he was our ancestor, so he didn't kill us."
"Madara Uchiha?!" Jiraiya rose abruptly, his face filled with shock. Although Madara Uchiha was not as great as Hashirama Senju, he was also a legendary figure of his generation in the ninja world. The important thing was, even if he were alive, he would be almost a hundred years old by now. At such an old age, he should be lying in bed waiting to die. How could he be as agile and active as that mysterious powerhouse? Moreover, he didn't believe anyone could survive Hashirama Senju. Jiraiya frowned and sat back down. However, if Madara Uchiha were alive, he would indeed fit the conditions. Evil and powerful. Possessing special eyes, from Konoha, yet hating Konoha. Attacking Mount Myōboku also seemed logical. No matter what, the top priority was to find him.
Jiraiya recovered and asked, "Mikoto, in these past few years, besides him, have you met any other strangers?"
"Strangers?" Mikoto Uchiha's face showed a thoughtful expression. Jiraiya didn't rush her, waiting quietly. Although he was quite anxious. After all, knowing just a name wasn't enough to find someone. Especially Madara Uchiha.
A moment later, Mikoto Uchiha seemed to remember something and said, "There was indeed one person, but I only saw him once, so the impression isn't deep."
"What did he look like?" Jiraiya's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked.
"He was a ninja wearing a black trench coat embroidered with red clouds and a straw hat with wind chimes attached," Mikoto Uchiha paused, then added, "He was a rogue ninja, but I don't remember the headband. It had a downward-pointing arrow."
"Takigakure!" Jiraiya immediately grew excited. Mikoto Uchiha, due to her status as the clan head's wife, rarely ventured out, so she didn't know much about small ninja villages. But he was different; he knew it was Takigakure as soon as he heard it. And this was undoubtedly a very definite clue.
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