A week later, Minato led Kakashi's team to destroy Kannabi Bridge. Victories followed on every front, and the Third Great Ninja War seemed ready to close. Konoha had once again proved it still stood at the peak of the shinobi world. If not for the Nine Tails incident in years to come, its dominance might have remained unshaken.
Kumogakure, bloodied by repeated clashes, showed no inclination to keep bleeding. Their Third Raikage had died after holding off ten thousand Stone ninja alone so his comrades could escape, and the Cloud's war machine drew back to recover.
Sunagakure had already taken heavy losses after losing the strongest Third Kazekage, then being struck by the Land of Lightning. Rasa held the line using Magnet Release: Gold Dust and saved the village, but the damage was done.
Iwagakure halted after its battle with Konoha. The other great nations stopped as well. Kirigakure alone had stayed outside the conflict.
The war looked finished.
No one knew that far across the sea, the Hidden Mist had gathered an elite unit to crash the victory parade. Seven jonin moved like a blade through the border and knifed toward the Land of Fire's interior.
Meanwhile, Minato had sent his three students back to the village. He had another assignment, but first there was a place he needed to visit.
"Summoning Technique!"
He formed seals and slammed a palm to the earth. POOF! Smoke billowed, and a toad appeared.
"I am counting on you."
The toad gave a very human nod, gulped Minato down in one bite, then vanished with another POOF!.
When Minato stepped out of a toad's mouth again, he was on Mount Myoboku. The thick natural energy brought back the days he had trained here.
A tall man with waist-length white hair and a forehead protector marked with the kanji for "oil" waved with a grin. Jiraiya the Gallant.
"Yo, Minato, long time no see."
Jiraiya slung an arm around his waist, and they walked toward the hall.
"How are things on your front, Lord Jiraiya?"
"The war is the war," he sighed. "Talk later. Did you really find someone using Wood Release?"
Minato's look turned serious. "Yes. I went to the forest it created. When I arrived, it still held a strong trace of senjutsu chakra."
He had learned Myoboku's sage arts under Jiraiya, so he knew that aura. Only the three great sanctuaries taught senjutsu. Whoever used Wood Release might have trained at one of them.
Judging by the aura, it did not match Myoboku. It could be from Ryuchi Cave or Shikkotsu Forest. Given what he knew, Shikkotsu seemed most likely. Its slug sage was Tsunade's summoning beast. Asking Tsunade directly would be best, but she had left the village long ago, and no one knew where she was.
So he had cut a twig and leaves from the site and sealed them in a scroll to ask the Two Great Sages, Fukasaku and Shima. If they could not place it, they might need to trouble the Great Toad Sage, who rarely woke except when he dreamed the future.
"Never thought I would hear about Wood Release again in my lifetime," Jiraiya murmured. A face rose unbidden in his mind. How was this tied to her?
Tsunade came first to mind. She was the First Hokage's granddaughter and the most likely to awaken Wood Release.
"Let's ask the two sages first. I can find Tsunade, but it will take time."
He exhaled, thinking of her.
They reached the toad hall just as Shima stepped out carrying a basin.
"Oh my, Minato and little Jiraiya. What rare guests." She beamed. "I thought my sensing was off. Perfect timing, I am cooking. Stay for a meal."
"Maybe we should skip the food..." Minato said quickly, face darkening at the memory of her insect dishes. Those could kill a man.
"Dear, bring them in," Fukasaku called from inside. The sages knew these two would not come without cause. Dinner could wait.
"All right. You two do not run off. Eat before you go," Shima called back, bustling to the kitchen.
After Minato explained, he took out a small scroll.
"Release."
A healthy branch appeared on the table. Fukasaku cupped it in both hands. A faint senjutsu chakra still lingered and kept it alive.
"It is not Myoboku's senjutsu chakra," he said at last. "I have never seen Shikkotsu's with my own eyes either."
Jiraiya and Minato tensed.
"But I can tell you it is not from those stinking snakes at Ryuchi."
Myoboku and Ryuchi had no love for each other. Toad and snake were natural enemies. Fukasaku knew a snake's aura when he felt it.
"Which means this senjutsu chakra most likely comes from Shikkotsu Forest?" Minato asked, hope bright in his eyes.
"Should be. Outside the three sanctuaries, there is little real senjutsu. Maybe it exists, but not at this level."
He raised the branch for emphasis. Only the three could produce control this refined.
"The only path to Shikkotsu runs through Tsunade," Minato said. "If we find her, we ask who went there."
"Maybe you do not need to go that far," Jiraiya said, eyes narrowing. "Before the Second War ended, I barely left Tsunade's side. If anyone got access to Shikkotsu, I would have known. Which means this person can only have done it after the Second War. We can start by checking who had contact with her before she left the village."
If it happened after she left, then yes, they would have to find her. Since the trail touched Tsunade, Jiraiya would not sit this one out. He had found her before she departed. In those days she haunted gambling dens and bars. With that routine, the search had a compass.
Back in Konoha, Chiya had no idea an investigation into his identity had already begun.
Just then Shima's voice rang from outside, urgent. "Dear, bring little Jiraiya and Minato out here, quick."
Minato's face darkened again. Was he doomed to eat that food today?