Given that Habara didn't have the habit of sporting a small mustache on his upper lip, his "impromptu speech" likely lacked pure demagoguery. However, he wasn't pursuing that kind of incitement anyway; he was simply conveying his own emotions and thoughts fully and genuinely.
The ninja present could all grasp his meaning and expressed their approval.
Truthfully, what Habara said amounted to little more than broad statements. Summed up, his message was essentially, "Let's all work hard together to build a strong new Konoha." Grand and vague—what real significance did it hold? Yet, one couldn't separate a person's words from their actions. Considering what Habara had done previously and what he was currently doing—the changes he had brought to Konoha as a whole, particularly for the common ninja—wasn't everything indeed moving towards improvement?
Habara's actions prevented his words from sounding like mere platitudes. On the contrary, he had already earned the trust of the shinobi. Therefore, his words represented a genuine goal, a practical blueprint for action.
When he arrived at the Hokage's office, Tsunade was in the process of treating the injured Jiraiya. Prior to her medical attention, Jiraiya's wounds had clearly received some basic first aid, as there wasn't a trace of blood visible on him.
Upon entering, Habara happened to overhear Jiraiya's "confession."
"The original owner of those Rinnegan eyes… I think I know him. Or perhaps I should say… Tsunade, you too have met him once." Jiraiya's face was somewhat pale, and his spirit seemed a bit crushed. However, considering the period he had just endured and the topic under discussion, this reaction was quite normal.
"Me? I've seen the Rinnegan?"
The statement struck Tsunade as unbelievable. She had absolutely no memory of such an encounter, which clearly defied logic… If she had indeed seen the Rinnegan before, how could she possibly forget such a uniquely characteristic feature? "Yes," Jiraiya continued. "Do you remember? Towards the end of the Second Shinobi World War, we encountered three orphans in the Land of Rain. To help them survive in those chaotic times, I stayed behind in the Land of Rain for a period afterward, leaving only after I had trained them into qualified ninja."
Tsunade frowned, sifting through her memories. She finally recalled the incident and quickly reviewed the images of the three orphans in her mind. She immediately concluded, "Could it be the red-haired child… Is that why you went to the Land of Rain this time?"
She had seen the faces of Konan and Yahiko. The red-haired Nagato had always kept his eyes hidden behind his hair. If the owner of the Rinnegan was limited to these three, Tsunade naturally knew what conclusion to draw.
Jiraiya nodded, affirming Tsunade's deduction.
"Since you knew he possessed those eyes, why didn't you bring him back to Konoha?" Tsunade's personality wouldn't allow her to ask, "Why didn't you eliminate him humanely?", but in her current capacity as Hokage, she had every reason to question Jiraiya about why he hadn't brought such "Eyes of the Sage of Six Paths" back to Konoha. This placed her firmly on the moral high ground.
Jiraiya shook his head but offered no explanation. Nagato's parents had been killed by Konoha shinobi. Regardless of any manipulation involved, at least in Nagato's eyes, that was the reality. His parents were killed by Konoha ninja, and then he killed those Konoha ninja… So how could he possibly come to Konoha? "So the one currently threatening Konoha… is a student you once taught?" Tsunade didn't press Jiraiya further but posed an even more uncomfortable question.
The statement was correct, though the current Jiraiya didn't believe it yet. After all, he hadn't even seen the "Deva Path."
"Precisely because that child possessed such eyes," Jiraiya explained, "I believed him to be the person prophesied by the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku—the one destined to save the ninja world. After I left the Land of Rain, those three children began gathering like-minded individuals, striving to end the conflict plaguing their country. They punished the wicked, aided the weak, spread ideals of benevolence, and sowed the seeds of peace… I thought they were living up to my teachings."
There was nothing wrong with that account either, but… one could only say that people change.
"It doesn't sound like they would be people who would take action against Konoha. What happened next?"
"Next… Later, they died during the internal strife in the Land of Rain, along with their ideals. During the Third Shinobi World War, I received news of their deaths," Jiraiya said after a brief pause.
Actually, when Jiraiya received that news, Tsunade had still been by his side, though she didn't remember the specific event. People died every day during the war; Tsunade couldn't even keep track of all the deceased from Konoha, let alone foreign orphans she had met only once.
"Since they died, then the Rinnegan…"
"Presumably fell into someone else's hands."
Habara reached up and rubbed the tip of his nose. Setting aside Jiraiya's "Touching Tales of Amegakure Collection," were they just assuming the Rinnegan was some kind of hot-swappable, transferable high-tech weapon?
At this moment, Jiraiya was personally immersed in regret and sorrow. But for Tsunade, listening to the story, it amounted to nothing useful… Before the story began, she didn't know who the Rinnegan's owner was. When the story started, she confirmed the owner's identity and marveled at how small the world was. But by the story's end, she still had no idea who possessed the Rinnegan now.
In short, it might have been better not to tell the story at all.
"At the very least, we can roughly determine the enemy's hiding area. It's highly likely they are in the Land of Rain, possibly even hidden within Amegakure itself," Habara interjected, concerned that a tragic scene of a doctor assaulting a patient might unfold before his eyes.
"Amegakure… Hiding right under Hanzo's nose?" Tsunade felt this presented difficulties, but it was indeed a classic 'darkest place is under the lamp' scenario. She nodded, then asked, "Habara, what about Orochimaru?"
"Too slippery. He managed to get away… This body ultimately isn't mine; I'm still getting used to it," Habara offered an excuse whose truth only he could verify.
Nagato wasn't hiding under Hanzo's nose; he was hiding amidst the grass on Hanzo's grave mound. One could only say Tsunade still viewed things through a "childhood filter." After all, Hanzo was the one who had bestowed the title "Sannin" upon them. In Tsunade's memory, Hanzo remained a powerful, tyrant-like figure.
Who could have predicted that the tyrant would be no match for a cheater, killed off as easily as chopping melons and vegetables?
"It's highly likely Orochimaru has joined forces with this Rinnegan-wielding enemy. We don't know what they intend to do, but it certainly won't be anything good," Jiraiya stated.
"Regardless of their intentions, they are most likely still in the planning or power-accumulation stage right now. My advice remains the same: do not alert the enemy unnecessarily. The reason is simple: we currently cannot deal with the Rinnegan. We need to focus more on strengthening Konoha's power to prepare for the potential disaster that could engulf the entire ninja world in the future," Habara said.
Actually, in his current state, Habara could attempt to challenge Nagato again. The worst possible outcome would merely be dying once more, only to shamefacedly revive after a few years… He'd be a strapping hero again in three to five years. For the current Habara, eighteen years was enough time to be a stalwart hero at least six times over, possibly as many as nine.
Furthermore, because the Gedo Mazo sealed Tailed Beasts according to size order, Habara didn't even need to worry excessively about being directly "eaten" by the statue.
But he chose not to take this path because he recognized this as an excellent opportunity. In times of external peace, when the threats facing the ninja world remained the same "traditional threats" as in past decades, Konoha severely lacked the pressure needed for reform. The Ninja Wars had intermittently raged for decades, yet had Konoha ever truly faced an existential crisis? The answer was that the Five Great Ninja Villages remained the Five Great Ninja Villages.
But the Rinnegan was different. It was a sudden appearance, an immeasurable, colossal threat—a very intimidating target to rally against.
Forced by this pressure, Konoha had to begin operating at high speed. The thought "If we don't get stronger, we perish" surely must have entered the Hokage's mind. This wasn't to say Tsunade was easily fooled; simply knowing that a technique like the Super Shinra Tensei was hanging over Konoha's head made it impossible for her to remain indifferent…
The Hokage feeling pressured was actually a good thing for Habara.
Previously, the Hokage had worried about Habara stirring up trouble indiscriminately. Now, the Hokage would have to urge him to stir up trouble diligently… If he didn't stir things up, how would they deal with the Rinnegan? Through Talk-no-Jutsu?
Tsunade fell silent, clearly accepting Habara's suggestion to "not alert the snake and focus on internal cultivation."
After a while, she asked one final question, "Should we notify Hanzo in Amegakure? Amegakure is also our ally…"
This time, Habara didn't even need to speak. Jiraiya immediately gave a negative judgment. "No need. If the Rinnegan isn't in Hanzo's hands, then he is likely already a puppet under the Rinnegan user's control. We cannot risk transmitting intelligence under such circumstances."
Uh, that assessment was largely correct but flawed in the details. Habara's body could become a Pain puppet because Nagato bore him no ill will. But Nagato's feelings towards Hanzo? That was truly a hatred difficult to dispel. Make him a puppet? Was Hanzo worthy? Grinding his bones to dust and scattering the ashes wouldn't be enough to appease that hatred.
Late at night, Naruto once again appeared before the giant cage.
This time, however, Naruto wasn't afraid. His mother, Kushina, had told him that through the seal, the fox couldn't harm him. He needed to learn to tame this fox, to make it serve his own purposes. That was the fox's destiny… Good grief. That was textbook robber logic: illegal confinement plus forced labor. What would the Association for the Protection of Tailed Beasts say if they found out? A pity. Tailed Beasts ultimately possessed no rights, regardless of whether they had one tail or nine.
"Who are you? Why are you inside my body?" Naruto immediately asked upon seeing the standard (castrated) version of the Nine-Tails.
Naruto had previously been placed under a gag order, forbidden from speaking about the Habara-turned-fox or fox-turned-Habara incident. He hadn't really grasped what a Tailed Beast was, only remembering the key point that it was "very useful." He hadn't given much thought to things like seizing chakra; at this moment, he simply equated taming a Tailed Beast with taming a pet.
Once he tamed the standard Nine-Tails, he could ride the fox into battle! Then he could step on Neji and punch Sasuke! Let's see who in the kindergarten would dare laugh at him for wetting the bed then!
"Who I am isn't important," the Nine-Tails said. "What's important is that I can lend my power to you."
But before it could even set the trap, Naruto actively jumped right in. "I know! You hate Habara! I don't like him either! If I get strong enough, I'll definitely beat him black and blue!"
When a Tailed Beast has a strong Jinchuriki, the world outside the seal is like a black box to it. If the Nine-Tails wanted to extend its perception outwards, to see what Naruto experienced, it wasn't entirely impossible… provided Kushina Uzumaki died, leaving the Eight Trigrams Seal with only its most basic functions, unable to prevent the Nine-Tails' chakra from forcibly overflowing. Then, anything was possible.
Unfortunately, the current Eight Trigrams Seal was under the systematic management of Uzumaki chakra. This meant the Nine-Tails stayed locked in the dark seal, purely serving jail time, unable even to watch some entertainment.
Perhaps if the Nine-Tails' chakra flowing out through the gap in the Eight Trigrams Seal could flow back inwards, it might grant some degree of external perception. However, how could that be possible? Pluck feathers from a passing goose—why return something borrowed fair and square? Although the Nine-Tails' intelligence wasn't high, it wasn't foolish enough to be deceived by Naruto's clumsy acting. But what choice did it have? By trying to induce some changes, the possibility of reclaiming its chakra increased, even if only by a minuscule amount. Otherwise, it would remain stuck in its current state forever.
In any case, try to let this body adapt more to its own chakra. Perhaps it could find a way to control this body…
"Very good."
So, even though Naruto's acting skills were worse than those clumsy martial arts frauds, practically sub-sea level, the Nine-Tails still gave this reply.
The new session of the Chunin Exams was about to begin. This was extremely important for the "State Lord." To gain the recognition of surrounding nations and break the Land of Fire's isolation within the ninja world, this joint Chunin Exam could not afford any mishaps. The Land of Wind, having accepted the gift, absolutely had to cooperate properly with Konoha. Otherwise, they could go explain their lack of cooperation to the First Hokage down below.
Therefore, even though Tsunade felt severe external pressure, there would be no major internal movements within Konoha until this event concluded. There was no rush at this particular moment; everything had to prioritize the smooth achievement of political objectives.
The matter at hand definitely couldn't be dismissed as a mere face-saving project.
Habara wasn't responsible for the specific affairs of this joint Chunin Exam. However, he had heard Daigo complain several times that as foreign ninja continuously arrived in Shadow Leaf City, her surveillance burden grew increasingly heavy. Maintaining "full city alert" occupied too much of her "bandwidth," forcing her to temporarily suspend other work.
On this day, the genin from Amegakure also arrived in the new capital of the Land of Fire, led by a Jonin squad leader. Habara glanced at them from a distance but chose not to approach.
However, his presence was still observed.
"This is… impossible. Could he still be alive?"
The aloe-headed Zetsu, mingling within the crowd and preparing to gather intelligence in Shadow Leaf City, unexpectedly witnessed a shocking scene.
"Calm down," Black Zetsu's composed voice interjected. "Faced with an event like the joint Chunin Exams, it's impossible for Konoha's highly renowned and deterrent Jonin Habara not to make an appearance… assuming he were still alive. Clearly, Konoha doesn't wish to lose this element of deterrence, especially when facing Sunagakure." His self-assured brain began its calculations once more.
"You mean to say, this is Konoha's smokescreen? They're pretending this ninja is still alive?"
"What else could it be? He already died at Nagato's hands. His corpse was even utilized by Pain. The chakra of this 'Habara' now is distinctly different from before; I can sense it."
"Konoha has fallen so low, resorting to such petty tricks… Should we test him?"
"Don't create unnecessary complications. Our objective is to reconnoiter this new town. Blind actions will only increase the possibility of exposure. Remember, evading the perception of the Uzumaki clan is already no simple task."
"I understand. Does the matter of his 'resurrection' need to be reported to the 'leader'?"
"Of course, it can be. As a Konoha joke."
"Hehe…"
Events unfolded exactly as Habara had predicted. The enemy had no reason to doubt the authenticity of his death. He had other work to attend to. After briefly glancing at the newly arrived Chunin Exam participants, he quickly returned to the Hokage office building.
He arrived at his own office, passed through several hidden doors, navigated multiple layers of barriers, and underwent identity verification by several ninja before entering the "tree core" section surrounded by the office building. This area housed the precious physical components of the "Chakra Infinite Library."
Vast numbers of top-secret documents were stored here, including intelligence reports, ninjutsu scrolls, forbidden technique records, and more. He waited here for a short while until two ANBU shinobi arrived as scheduled. They brought with them the Infinite Library's most important guarded item.
"Jonin Habara, please inspect."
Habara took the giant scroll from them. After confirming that the multiple seals upon it were intact, he accepted it.
Once the handover was complete, the two ANBU operatives immediately departed. Habara carried the item deeper into the library stacks. He opened a large wooden chest and placed the giant scroll inside. Before closing the lid, he glanced once more at the characters affixed to the massive scroll…
The Scroll of Seals
This was Konoha's treasure, the ultimate heirloom passed down through generations of Hokage.
Some people might never see it in their entire lifetime. Those who saw it could never open it. Yet, some individuals who knew next to nothing could, through sheer clumsy skill, invade the Hokage's office, steal it, and rip it open… One could only say it was all "fate". If you had the affinity, it was possible; if not, it wasn't. It had nothing to do with personal constitution, identity background, blood relations, or Hokage favoritism. It was entirely nature's selection.
After setting up several more layers of seals, Habara finally turned and walked away.
As the manager of the "Infinite Library," a vast number of Konoha's forbidden techniques and ninjutsu were now under Habara's administration. Annoyingly, when he had desperately needed these techniques before, he couldn't access them. Now that he didn't need them quite as much, he could seemingly take whatever he pleased.
But undoubtedly, having the backing of these ninjutsu and forbidden techniques solidified Habara's status as a recognized, important figure within Konoha. His duties were incredibly vital, so much so that later, some would say he was "the man who knew all the Hokage's secrets."
The statement was somewhat improper, yet no one could deny it was, in a way, factual…
Alright, perhaps not just "somewhat."