Amegakure.
Konan walked into Yahiko's office and saw him hurriedly stashing something away, looking slightly flustered.
"What are you looking at?" she asked as she approached.
"Ahem, nothing—just some reports. Anyway… didn't Konoha send people to buy a lot of grain? We, Amegakure, were responsible for handling the transaction."
"Then why are you hiding something?"
"Hiding? Me?"
Konan eyed him suspiciously. "It wouldn't happen to be a love confession letter from some girl, would it?"
Yahiko's face instantly turned red. "What nonsense are you talking about? Of course not!"
Konan reached out her hand. "Then let me see it. If it's related to finances, I should be able to look at it too."
Yahiko, however, tried to divert the topic. "There's nothing to see. Oh right, about this year's Chunin Exams…"
Before he could finish, he saw Konan staring at him expressionlessly.
Realizing he couldn't avoid it, Yahiko let out a sigh and slowly retrieved the letter from under the desk.
After hesitating for a moment, he finally admitted, "It's… a letter from Jiraiya-sensei."
Konan was momentarily stunned.
She took the letter and glanced at it before asking, "Have you… always been in contact with Jiraiya-sensei?"
Yahiko replied, "Sort of. But we only exchange letters once in a long while."
Konoha was actively hunting down Jiraiya, and not long ago, the Hokage had personally warned them about it.
The contents of the letter were simple—Jiraiya had decided not to come to Amegakure and told Yahiko and the others not to worry about him.
Konan recalled Jiraiya's previous letter and immediately furrowed her brows.
"Did you say something to Jiraiya-sensei?"
"..."
Yahiko remained silent.
Previously, Jiraiya-sensei had sent them a letter, saying he wanted to visit Amegakure to see them.
Yahiko had refused.
Though she questioned him, Konan could understand Yahiko's concerns.
After some thought, she asked, "Is there no way to make Konoha lift the bounty on Jiraiya-sensei?"
Yahiko sighed helplessly. "How is that possible? Have you forgotten what Jiraiya-sensei has done?"
Konan couldn't help but say, "But Jiraiya-sensei was once one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha."
Yahiko fell silent.
The Legendary Sannin… Was that still a title of honor anymore?
"For now, let's not tell Nagato about this."
"..."
"There will be a way, Konan. Believe me—I will find a way to protect Jiraiya-sensei!"
..............
Inside the Hokage's Office.
Makoto was reviewing the report delivered by the Anbu—it contained information on Jiraiya's whereabouts. On his desk, there was also a newly published novel by Jiraiya, Icha Icha Paradise.
"The Land of Hot Water, huh? He sure knows how to run."
"Shall we send someone to capture him?" the Anbu inquired.
"No need. Even if we send people, they won't be able to catch him. They all have space-time ninjutsu to escape."
Makoto casually tossed the report onto the desk.
"Pass down the order—this kind of inappropriate literature is now banned in the Land of Fire. Any copies found are to be confiscated and sealed."
"Yes, sir."
"Oh, and send this copy to Tsunade."
Jiraiya and Namikaze Minato—Makoto had received reports on their whereabouts more than once, but even when he sent Hakumen to capture them, it was always a futile effort.
To successfully apprehend them, he needed a method to counter space-time ninjutsu.
But Minato himself was a master of sealing techniques—ordinary sealing barriers wouldn't be effective at all.
That was the real problem.
Makoto could only temporarily set aside his concerns about them, treating them as nothing more than two fugitives on the run.
Besides, they hadn't done anything that directly harmed Konoha—at least, not yet.
Half an hour after the Anbu left, Tsunade came to him on her own accord.
She had resumed her position at the hospital as the head of a department.
However, she was lazy as ever, pushing most of the work onto her subordinates.
Still, given her status among medical ninjas, no one dared to express any dissatisfaction.
"Is there something you need?" Makoto asked.
Tsunade had hurried over, but once inside the Hokage's office, she suddenly composed herself.
"Did you receive news about Jiraiya?"
"Yeah."
"What do you plan to do?"
"What else can be done with a rogue ninja? Bring him back to the village or execute him on the spot."
Tsunade's heart tightened. "I think… maybe the charges against Jiraiya could be reconsidered with a bit more leniency. After all, he's done a lot for the village. He was once one of its greatest heroes."
Makoto cast a calm glance at her and said, "If he surrenders himself and returns to the village obediently, the death penalty isn't necessarily the only option."
"What I mean is—"
Makoto cut her off directly. "The village has already made its decision regarding Jiraiya. If you have nothing else to say, you may leave."
Tsunade was stunned into silence.
She looked at Makoto, who had already returned to his paperwork, completely uninterested in further discussion.
In the end, she could only leave in frustration.
Jiraiya was strong, and with Minato by his side, they wouldn't be killed so easily…
Tsunade tried to comfort herself with that thought.
But the Hokage had the Seven Crown Guards under his command.
The fact that Hyuga Hakumen had once defeated Minato was already well known throughout the ninja world.
Now, she was stuck in the village, unable to leave, and had no way to contact Jiraiya—not even a means to send a message.
She returned home in a daze.
"Lady Tsunade? You're back so early?"
It was only then that Tsunade remembered she was supposed to be at the hospital working.
But at this moment, she couldn't be bothered.
With a hint of irritation, she said, "It's nothing. I just felt like coming back."
"Lady Tsunade, you can't keep treating work like this. People will start complaining."
Tsunade lay down on the sofa, her mind still preoccupied with thoughts of Jiraiya.
What was the Hokage trying to tell her by giving her that book?
At that moment, Shizune walked out.
She was wearing her forehead protector and a ninja vest—though the design was slightly different, with an additional red armband on her sleeve.
Tsunade found it strange. "Why are you dressed like that? Are you going on a mission?"
Shizune shook her head. "No, this is the uniform for volunteers."
Tsunade didn't quite understand.
"The new Chunin Exams are about to begin. Lord Hokage said this year's exam will be bigger than ever before, with more guests from outside the village. A lot of staff will be needed."
This was the first time Konoha would be showcasing its expanded village to outsiders, so naturally, they wanted to introduce new elements.
Hearing it was about the Chunin Exams, Tsunade immediately lost interest.
What was so exciting about a bunch of kids fighting?
But after lying on the sofa for a while, she suddenly sat up.
"Shizune!"
"Yes?"
"The Chunin Exams… Amegakure will be participating, right?"
Shizune slowly nodded upon hearing this. "Yes, Amegakure has a very close relationship with us now. They send participants to every exam."
However, Tsunade kept muttering to herself, "Amegakure... Amegakure..."
Jiraiya's three students—weren't they all in positions of power in Amegakure now?
There's no way they would completely ignore Jiraiya's situation.
Perhaps she could use them to get in touch with him.
With this idea in mind, Tsunade's mood suddenly brightened.
"Shizune, when does the Chunin Exam start?"
"The first written test has already ended. Lady Tsunade, how do you not even know that?"
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