Inside the study.
Namikaze Minato was calmly brewing tea, while Jiraiya sat opposite him, his face filled with complicated emotion.
Yes.
He had never imagined that after leaving the village for only a few years, he would return to find himself a "grandmaster" overnight.
Looking down at the three children below, Jiraiya felt a strange mix of nostalgia and disbelief.
"Sensei, have some tea."
Minato handed him a cup, smiling gently. His eyes were bright and sincere.
Unlike when he faced Sarutobi Hiruzen, the respect Minato held for the man before him came straight from the heart.
Jiraiya nodded.
After letting out a short sigh, he spoke while sipping the tea.
"I really didn't expect this…"
"When I left, you were still just a kid. Now you're the famous Yellow Flash of the ninja world."
"And you've even taken on three apprentices."
"Time really does fly."
"Little Minato… how have things been for you lately?"
His tone was casual, almost offhand.
Perhaps it was his nature. Though he had other disciples outside the village, Namikaze Minato had always been his favorite.
The reason was simple.
First, Minato was a shinobi of Konoha, just like him.
More importantly, it was Minato's character—sunny, upright, and brimming with a strong sense of justice.
Their personalities were remarkably alike.
Otherwise, Jiraiya would never have accepted him as a disciple in the first place.
Yet those casual words caused Minato to fall silent.
"What's wrong?" Jiraiya frowned slightly. "Are things… not going well?"
He was genuinely puzzled.
After all, that question was nothing more than polite small talk.
After a brief pause, Minato finally spoke, his voice low.
"…Yes."
"Life hasn't been good. On the contrary—it's been very difficult."
"Kai once said something that stuck with me."
"Sometimes, it's better for people to remain ignorant."
"The more you know, the less happy you become."
"Maybe… it really is better to live in confusion."
Minato's expression was heavy, his eyes clouded with confusion—and pain.
Yes.
The bright, cheerful Minato everyone saw was only a façade.
Even when facing Kai, he rarely let that mask slip.
But this was different.
The man sitting before him was Jiraiya—his teacher, the one person he trusted without reservation.
In front of him, Minato didn't want to pretend.
It was like a child finally seeing someone he could rely on.
Despite being the renowned Yellow Flash, in front of Jiraiya, he was still that civilian-born academy student who had nearly cried the first time they met.
So he spoke.
He didn't hide anything, recounting nearly all the troubles he had faced over the past few years.
The darkness of Konoha.
Danzo's inhumane experiments.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's tacit approval.
The oppression and isolation of the Uchiha clan.
One thing after another—countless, suffocating truths.
Of course, there were things Minato deliberately left unsaid.
Matters involving the Nine-Tails.
Kai's speculations.
Even his unease toward Mount Myōboku.
He kept all of that to himself.
Because he understood his teacher too well.
Jiraiya was outstanding in many ways—but when it came to Mount Myōboku, he was stubborn to the point of blindness.
If Minato spoke of it, Jiraiya would never believe him.
Worse still, he might immediately report it to the Great Toad Sage.
Jiraiya's faith in Mount Myōboku bordered on superstition.
"I see…" Jiraiya's expression shifted slightly. "Little Minato… you've truly grown up."
"Even I didn't expect you to uncover so many ugly truths on your own."
"That really puts me in an awkward position."
"Do you feel now that the real Konoha is different from what the academy and I once taught you?"
"But… there was no choice."
"Teacher won't lie to you—many things are simply too filthy."
"I couldn't bear to let you know them back then."
"You were still too young."
"If you had learned all this too early, it would only have driven you to extremes."
"So… don't blame me. Alright?"
Jiraiya spoke seriously.
This time, there was no evasion, no jokes.
His expression was solemn, his tone sincere—almost painfully so.
He rarely looked like this.
Even a trace of bitterness crept across his face, his eyes filled with deep, lingering sorrow.
Yes.
Minato knew.
How could Jiraiya not know?
But he had no choice.
He couldn't change his own teacher—so he chose to flee, placing all his hopes on the so-called Child of Prophecy.
"I don't blame you, Sensei," Minato shook his head. "I know you meant well."
"But these things are wrong. Even so, I understand your dilemma."
"Still… I will change them."
"Sensei—will you support me?"
"Yes."
"These shadows should never exist."
Minato's resolve was firm.
Facing his teacher, he didn't retreat in the slightest.
He understood clearly.
Jiraiya's unwillingness to act, his choice to escape, all stemmed from his position as Hiruzen's disciple.
How could he openly oppose his own teacher?
But Minato was different.
He couldn't tolerate Konoha's darkness.
So he chose resistance.
Jiraiya fell silent.
He stared at Minato's serious expression for a long time before finally nodding.
"…Good."
"As your teacher, of course I'll support you."
"I don't have the ability to change Konoha myself anymore."
"So I'll leave that burden to you, Minato."
"Perhaps you truly are the Child of Prophecy—the one the Great Toad Sage spoke of."
"The ninja world is wrong."
"And Konoha is even more wrong."
"I believe that with your efforts, we can create a world where people truly understand one another."
He paused, then shifted the topic.
"Alright. Let's talk about something else."
"The Kai you mentioned earlier—the Uchiha genius."
"How well do you know him?"
Yes.
Jiraiya had already decided to support Namikaze Minato.
In truth, even if Minato hadn't spoken up, Jiraiya had already begun preparations for the coming Fourth Hokage selection.
As one of Konoha's Sannin, even after leaving the village, his influence remained immense.
And he firmly believed Minato was the prophesied child who would change the ninja world.
That was why his support would be absolute.
But now—
He was even more interested in the "Kai" Minato had mentioned.
Could that strange, rising genius truly be the "son of the devil" foretold by the Great Toad Sage?
As a Toad Sage…
As Jiraiya of the Sannin…
He would never ignore a threat to the peace of the ninja world.
If Uchiha Kai truly was the son of the devil—
Then even at the cost of his life…
He would eliminate him.
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