"Our background made you suspicious, while Minato Namikaze's background put you at ease."
"Or perhaps, deep down, you were unwilling for Nagato to lead the Ninja World because it might harm Konoha's interests."
"I never expected that even you, Teacher Jiraiya, would harbor such narrow-minded thoughts. It's one thing for others, but... you are the person meant to cultivate the Prophecy Child!"
"Isn't the Prophecy Child you cultivate supposed to lead the entire Ninja World? Why would you want him to be obsessed with Konoha?"
"Are you cultivating him with this ideology because you want him to change the Ninja World into one dominated by Konoha?"
Yahiko looked at Jiraiya, with disappointment in his eyes.
If you think about it carefully, Jiraiya was indeed not a good teacher, nor did he live up to his responsibility of educating the Prophecy Child.
In the original work, the reason he took Nagato and the two others as disciples was because he valued Nagato's Rinnegan.
He believed Nagato might become the Prophecy Child, which is why he taught the three of them; Yahiko and Konan were merely "free gifts."
Yet, after teaching Nagato, he abandoned them and paid them no mind for decades.
If not for the appearance of Pain, he would never have remembered these three disciples, completely forgetting about them.
If they were just ordinary teacher-disciple relationships, it would be understandable to let the fledglings venture out on their own once they'd grown.
Yet, since Nagato possessed the Rinnegan and was very likely the Prophecy Child who would change the Ninja World, this "hands-off" management style was somewhat irresponsible.
There was also Minato Namikaze, another disciple whom Jiraiya valued, and whom Jiraiya also considered a man who might become the Prophecy Child.
And what did Jiraiya do?
After Minato Namikaze became the Fourth Hokage, he left Konoha to travel the Ninja World.
If Jiraiya had been in the village when Uchiha Obito attacked Konoha, perhaps everything would have changed.
If Jiraiya had been by their side when Uchiha Obito schemed against Nagato and the others, then Nagato would not have gone down the wrong path.
As the teacher of the Prophecy Child, he did not fulfill his responsibility of assisting the Prophecy Child.
Upon closer inspection, Jiraiya's approach seemed to be a wide net, constantly searching for people who might become the Prophecy Child.
Like a womanizer, he would cast them aside after 'doing the deed,' and continue searching for the next target.
Those who were 'done with' were left to fend for themselves. If they died, it could only mean they were not the Prophecy Child.
This line of thinking is very dangerous. No wonder Tsunade looked down on him.
Yahiko slowly said: "Nagato was captured by those two strange things, and we don't have the power to save him."
"And the Akatsuki organization we jointly created now feels more like a joke. I have decided to leave the Land of Rain for a period of time."
Jiraiya frowned: "Where do you plan to go?"
Yahiko's expression was determined: "I want to go to Kirigakure to find Yagyu. What he said just now has given me great inspiration. Perhaps from him, I can find the answer to realize my dream."
Jiraiya remained silent, unwilling for his disciple to seek out his enemy.
However, thinking of the rift that had already appeared between him and Yahiko, he sighed softly and nodded.
...
Kirigakure (Village Hidden in the Mist).
Since Yagyu suppressed the Kaguya clan, the entire Kirigakure had become much more harmonious.
After Yagyu returned, he went straight to the Third Mizukage's office and tossed his sealing scrolls to him.
"Inside are the corpses of Uchiha Madara, the Third Raikage, and Chiyo of Sunagakure. Take them and have someone examine them."
"A ninja's corpse is an important treasure trove. See if you can get anything useful from them."
The Third Mizukage caught the scrolls Yagyu threw over. He was about to ask what they were when he heard Yagyu's explanation, causing his hand to tremble slightly.
"Whose corpses did you say?"
The Third Mizukage's face showed absurdity, and he asked in disbelief.
"The legendary figure of the Ninja World, the Ashura of the Ninja World—Uchiha Madara!"
"The controller of Kumogakure in the Land of Lightning—The Third Raikage!"
"Sunagakure's strongest puppeteer and strongest toxicologist—Chiyo!"
Yagyu spoke casually. The names he uttered made the Third Mizukage's eyelids twitch.
The Third Mizukage unsealed the scrolls, and three corpses appeared in his office. The familiar faces made the Third Mizukage's eyelids twitch even more violently.
The Third Raikage and Chiyo were well-known figures in the Ninja World, and the Third Mizukage naturally knew what they looked like.
"This impossibly old man, is he Uchiha Madara?"
"Considering his age, it makes sense for Uchiha Madara to look this old."
"How did you find the elderly Madara? How did you confirm his identity?"
The Third Mizukage calmed down somewhat, asking with curiosity.
"I didn't find him; he came looking for me on his own initiative."
"At the time, he used a forbidden technique to restore his youthful state."
"Unfortunately, even so, he still wasn't my opponent."
"As for the Third Raikage and Chiyo of Sunagakure..."
"They noticed my battle with Uchiha Madara and wanted to take advantage of us fighting to the death."
"Unfortunately, they miscalculated my strength. Not only did they fail to take advantage of the chaos, but I directly killed them."
Yagyu spoke casually, making the Third Mizukage smile bitterly.
"The Third Raikage and Chiyo of Sunagakure, they are all important figures!"
"Now that you've killed them, those two villages won't just let this go."
The Third Mizukage was helpless, but not overly worried.
With Yagyu here, Kirigakure had nothing to fear.
"And what if they won't let it go?"
"I even trounced Konoha Village. Why should I fear them?"
"Furthermore, shouldn't I be the one who won't let it go?"
"This matter is clearly their fault."
"They came to take advantage of the chaos, and I was merely acting in self-defense."
"Send messages to Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure!"
"They must give us an explanation for this matter."
Yagyu sneered repeatedly, completely disregarding the three Hidden Villages.
"Iwagakure?"
The Third Mizukage was stunned. What did Iwagakure have to do with this?
"Oh! Õnoki of Iwagakure also tried to take advantage of the chaos, but I didn't kill him. I cut off one of his arms and let him go back."
Yagyu spoke casually, as if talking about a trivial matter.
"You really are..."
The Third Mizukage sighed, looking helpless.
"Stop with the nonsense!"
"Hurry up and send them to the interrogation division to see if we can unearth any useful intelligence."
"As for how to demand compensation, it won't be too late to discuss that later!"
Yagyu curled his lip and glanced at the three corpses.