Land of Waves. A group of proud and vengeful individuals gathered in one place…
Kitagawa Gen's words were nothing short of a blatant hint!
There was no way Kakashi and Jiraiya wouldn't understand—it was just that they still found it hard to believe.
What kind of person, what kind of power, could suppress those arrogant individuals?
Even if only a superficial peace existed, the fact that no one was stirring up trouble and they were even cooperating in battle was already beyond imagination.
"Could it really be true?"
Jiraiya's expression grew heavy, though a trace of hesitation lingered in his eyes.
If it was true, the situation was far more serious than expected!
"We can't be sure… but we can't rule it out either."
Kakashi fell silent for a moment before finally speaking in a low voice.
"When we encountered Uchiha Itachi and Biwa Jūzō earlier, I already felt something was off. But things were urgent, so I didn't think too much of it at the time."
"Looking back now… it really does seem like something was seriously wrong. And combined with your intel, Jiraiya-sama, I'm afraid things might be exactly as we suspect."
Jiraiya went quiet. After all, everything seemed to point toward a conclusion he didn't want to face.
The timing, the location—even the organizational structure overlapped. That alone was a major red flag.
"This organization… is even more terrifying than we imagined."
He rubbed his temples, clearly troubled.
"Uchiha Itachi, Biwa Jūzō… and if we include Orochimaru as well, that makes three S-rank rogue ninja. What is this organization trying to do?"
"Whatever it is, it won't be something simple."
Kitagawa Gen blinked from the side, suddenly remembering Kakashi's earlier mission. He lowered his voice and asked: "Also… haven't you noticed how close the Land of Waves is to a certain other place?"
"Very close."
Kakashi reacted instantly, something clicking in his mind.
"You mean… the Land of Water?"
"Kakashi-sensei, I've been thinking about something."
Kitagawa Gen nodded and continued, blinking as he spoke: "For such a powerful organization… who could possibly afford to hire them? Obviously, the Land of Waves doesn't have that kind of power."
"Of course, there are exceptions. But I think it's very unlikely they'd have access to people like this. Take that rich merchant Gato we were planning to rob, for example—"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa—robbing a merchant?!"
Before Kitagawa Gen could finish, Jiraiya's eyes went wide.
"Kakashi, what on earth have you been teaching this kid? That kind of thinking is seriously dangerous!"
"Stop spouting nonsense, Gen."
Kakashi groaned and rubbed his forehead. Gen hadn't brought this up at all during their journey—he had almost forgotten about it himself. And now it had resurfaced again.
Such a strong fixation…
"Who knows where he picked up that idea. But what he said makes sense—ordinary rich merchants usually wouldn't be able to get in touch with an organization like that."
Kakashi shook his head. As absurd as Gen was, he had just pointed them in the right direction.
"An organization like this would either only accept jobs through the black market… or directly operate through villages, handling wartime commissions. Iwagakure loves hiring such groups for suppression missions, so…"
"So they're probably in the Land of Waves because they were commissioned by Kirigakure?"
Now that they had reached this point in their analysis, Jiraiya's thoughts became clearer.
His eyes flickered slightly, as if making a decision.
"Jiraiya-sama… you're not thinking of going to Kirigakure yourself, are you?"
Seeing that look in his eyes, Kitagawa Gen immediately guessed what he was planning.
"Jiraiya-sama, please don't act recklessly!"
Kakashi also reacted right away, lowering his voice with urgency.
"If our suspicions are correct, then charging in on your own would be incredibly dangerous. Especially since Kirigakure is surrounded by ocean on all sides—it'd be nearly impossible to retreat!"
"Indeed… There's the lingering hatred from the past wars, and now a mysterious organization that may have recruited Uchiha Itachi, Biwa Jūzō, and possibly even Orochimaru—and can suppress them all."
Kitagawa Gen nodded along as he added this.
"Kakashi-sensei often visits the memorial stone to mourn his fallen comrades. Maybe next year we'll have to burn a few more offerings."
"…"
Jiraiya's eyelid twitched. He shot a sharp glare at Kitagawa Gen—why did this brat have to talk like that?
Still, he wasn't angry, because he knew it was the truth. He just couldn't accept it so easily.
"Jiraiya-sama… how about coming back to Konoha with us?"
Seeing Jiraiya remain silent, Kitagawa Gen exchanged a glance with Kakashi before continuing.
"Clearly, this situation has already gone far beyond the scope of your personal investigation. If Kirigakure really is involved, going back to the village means we'll at least have allies to help."
"That's right, Jiraiya-sama."
Kakashi nodded in agreement. He truly didn't want Jiraiya to go off and do something reckless.
"This organization is unusually complex—and its strength seems overwhelming. This is not something we can handle carelessly."
"And Gen's right. If Kirigakure is involved, the village is our best option. If you return with us, there's no doubt the Hokage will lend their support."
"After all, whether it's Orochimaru or Uchiha Itachi, they're rogue ninja from Konoha. There's no way the village would turn a blind eye to an organization that dangerous."
Kakashi's words held weight, and Jiraiya once again fell into thoughtful silence.
He really didn't want to go back—but given how far things had gone, there didn't seem to be a better option.
"Alright. I understand."
He finally gave a reluctant nod.
"Unbelievable… I never imagined it would all get so complicated—and in the end, I'd have to sacrifice my freedom. Dammit…"
Hearing that, both Kakashi and Kitagawa Gen visibly relaxed.
Kakashi had been genuinely worried that Jiraiya might act on impulse. If their deduction was correct, going to Kirigakure alone would've been suicide.
In the shinobi world, no one could take on an entire village by themselves—
Except, perhaps, the legendary First Hokage.
But that was just legend…
"Done and dusted!"
As for Kitagawa Gen, it was all much simpler. He just wanted Jiraiya to return and see the 'cherry blossoms blooming in his hometown'.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone through so much effort to guide both Kakashi and Jiraiya step by step.
Of course, tricking Jiraiya into going back to Konoha also happened to help stir up some fun for Uchiha Obito—not a bad bonus.
After all, Kakashi's exclusive mission was still sitting there, waiting. Gen couldn't afford to miss any chance!
'In fact, if he really had gone there, he might've even run into Uchiha Obito.'
Kitagawa Gen was actually curious—when, exactly, had Uchiha Obito lost control of Kirigakure? The original story never said.
But he figured it must have been in recent years—marking the point when Obito completely lost his grip over the village.
One clue was Biwa Jūzō's death. Another was Kisame teaming up with Uchiha Itachi.
'Maybe… this exclusive mission will even speed up a little.'
Gen murmured softly to himself. And just then—his system finally flashed.
When he saw the reward, Kitagawa Gen instantly understood—Jiraiya, that old man, had just triggered a gold drop!
[Side Mission Complete: "Jiraiya-san, the Cherry Blossoms of Home Are in Bloom."]
[Reward Acquired: Jiraiya's Sage Mode]
'Sage Mode... Jiraiya's Sage Mode.'
Upon seeing this reward, even Kitagawa Gen—who had seen and experienced a great deal—couldn't help but feel his breathing quicken.
Sage Mode!
This was the trump card used by Prince Naruto himself, and even the legendary First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.
Even a monstrous being like the Ten-Tails likely had chakra of this nature coursing through its body.
When Naruto faced the Ten-Tails, Kurama had once told him—
The Ten-Tails' power was none other than the natural energy that flows through the world. And that power... was endless.
Naturally, Kitagawa Gen had long been interested in such power. But at the time, for one, he had only just awakened his bloodline.
And more importantly, he simply didn't have a method. After all, recklessly absorbing natural energy could very well turn you to stone on the spot.
Still, no matter how dangerous, it remained the pinnacle of power in this world. And now, he finally had a chance to get his hands on it.
'Though Jiraiya's Sage Mode was more for show than anything else, the real treasure is his knowledge of sage chakra.'
Knowledge was priceless.
Feeling the influx of information in his mind, Kitagawa Gen was deeply satisfied.
With this experience in hand, and coupled with his own bloodline, mastering Sage Mode didn't seem all that far-fetched anymore.