Orochimaru and Kabuto traveled towards Konoha, but their destination was the abandoned Uzumaki clan temple. Trees passed in blurs around them as they leaped from branch to branch with impressive speed.
"Puff!"
A small snake appeared on the Sannin's shoulder, spat out a scroll, and disappeared in a cloud of white smoke.
Orochimaru caught the scroll in the air without slowing his pace, unrolling it with practiced movements. His golden eyes swept over the contents quickly, but then something made him stop.
"What?!"
Orochimaru suddenly stopped on a tree branch, his body freezing in position as he reread his spy's report in Konoha. Kabuto almost collided with him, stopping just a few meters ahead before returning.
"Danzou was neutralized by Neji Hyuuga..."
The words left his mouth as an incredulous whisper. The image of the boy in the Forest of Death, those hungry eyes asking for the curse mark, appeared in his mind with crystal clarity.
That look was not of an ordinary boy. There was something more there, something Orochimaru had noticed but not given due importance at the time.
"Interesting..."
He murmured, his tongue flicking out and licking his pale lips in anticipation. A disturbing smile formed on his face.
"Orochimaru-sama, is this really possible?"
Kabuto, who listened beside him, questioned with genuine surprise in his voice. He had participated in the operation on Danzou because of Orochimaru's deteriorated state and knew very well the strength the old man had gained with the implant of Hashirama's cells and Sharingans.
Danzou was not an easy target. He was a living legend, someone who had survived three Great Wars and accumulated power through forbidden methods. And a seventeen-year-old boy had defeated him?
"Now I'm more interested in Konoha... hehehehe."
Orochimaru increased his speed, his body moving like a snake through the trees. Kabuto followed him, adjusting his glasses as he processed the implications.
'Now everything makes sense.'
Orochimaru thought as he leaped. Someone who managed to deal with Danzou could easily eliminate his four Sound subordinates who had mysteriously disappeared.
'It seems one of my experiments ended up hindering me a bit...'
There was irony in it. He had helped strengthen Danzou, and now that power had been used and defeated by someone Orochimaru wanted for himself.
In Konoha, after a few days, the village was calm.
At least on the surface. Even though the high-level meeting was discreet, some gossip was already spreading through the village. Stories about Neji Hyuuga protecting the Fifth Hokage against Danzou Shimura spread like wildfire, each version more exaggerated than the last.
Some said Neji had summoned demons. Others spoke of forbidden Hyuuga clan techniques. The theories were endless.
In the Hokage's office, newly rebuilt after the battle, a more private meeting was taking place.
"That's all we extracted from him, Hokage-sama."
Inoichi said, his voice tired. Entering Danzou's mind had been like navigating a labyrinth of darkness and paranoia. The old warrior had built mental barriers over decades, and breaking them had come at a high cost.
He placed a thick report on Tsunade's desk before turning and leaving, clearly exhausted.
"So he was involved with Orochimaru... damn it, now everything makes sense."
Jiraiya, who had returned to the village a few days earlier, spoke with palpable hatred in his voice. His fists were clenched, veins bulging in his temples.
"That's why he did nothing during sensei's death."
Tsunade, head bowed, contemplated. Her hands trembled slightly as she held the report. Danzou's betrayal went deeper than she imagined. He had allowed Hiruzen to die, perhaps even facilitated it, all to seize power.
'Orochimaru again, huh.'
Li Shang, meditating in the corner of the room as had become his habit in recent meetings, thought. His breathing was constant, Yuan Qi circulating through his meridians as he consolidated his recent advancement.
But his divine consciousness was attentive to every word spoken.
"And did you discover anything? How was the training with Naruto?"
Tsunade changed the subject, clearly not wanting to delve deeper into Danzou's betrayal at the moment. She looked at Jiraiya, seeking some positive news.
"I had some clues about the Akatsuki, but nothing definite yet."
Jiraiya replied, crossing his arms. His expression grew more serious.
"They are moving, that's for sure. Collecting information about the Bijuus. It won't be long until they start moving actively."
He then turned to the corner of the room and looked at Li Shang, his eyes evaluating the young man with new perspective.
"About Naruto's training, I thought he was doing well, but I see he still lags behind him."
Jiraiya gestured towards Li Shang with his thumb.
"Defeating Danzou alone, I don't even think I could do it without the help of the old ones."
It was an impressive admission coming from one of the Legendary Sannin. Jiraiya was not one to underestimate himself, nor exaggerate the capabilities of others. If he was saying this, it was because he truly believed it.
Li Shang slowly opened his eyes, his Tenseigan glowing softly in the office light. He stood up with a fluid movement, his ANBU clothes perfectly adjusted to his body.
"Jiraiya-sama honors me with your words."
He said respectfully, but there was a touch of amusement in his voice.
Jiraiya laughed, but his eyes remained serious.
"I saw the report. I saw the descriptions of your summons. This is not just surviving battle, this is real power."
He approached, studying Li Shang more closely.
"Those eyes... they're not normal Byakugan, are they?"
Li Shang exchanged a quick glance with Tsunade, who nodded almost imperceptibly. Her trust in Jiraiya was absolute.
"Tenseigan."
Li Shang replied simply.
"An evolution of the Byakugan, just as the Rinnegan is of the Sharingan."
Jiraiya whistled softly. "So the Hyuuga also had this kind of hidden potential..."
His face became thoughtful.
Li Shang watched Jiraiya with renewed attention, his Tenseigan eyes studying every micro-expression on the Sannin's face.
"You don't seem very surprised."
He commented, tilting his head slightly. There was something about Jiraiya's reaction that was different from the others. It wasn't shock or disbelief, but rather... recognition?
Jiraiya sighed heavily, walking to the office window. He looked at the village below, his hands in his pockets, his expression laden with old memories.
"Because it's not the first time I've seen something like this."
He began, his voice lower, more personal.
"During the Second Shinobi War, I was in Amegakure. It was there that I found three orphans... Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato."
Tsunade straightened in her chair, paying full attention. Li Shang remained silent, allowing Jiraiya to continue.
"I trained them for a few years. Yahiko was the born leader, full of dreams of peace. Konan was gentle but strong. And Nagato..."
Jiraiya paused, his eyes distant.
"Nagato had the Rinnegan. Both eyes, since childhood. I thought he was the boy of prophecy, the one who would bring revolution to the shinobi world."
"Rinnegan?"
Li Shang was genuinely surprised. He knew of the Rinnegan's existence from the history he had studied, but meeting someone who had actually seen it was different.
"The legendary dojutsu of the Rikudō Sennin?"
"The same."
Jiraiya confirmed, turning to face him.
"Eyes that can control the five basic elements, summon impossible creatures, manipulate life and death. Nagato was just a child, but the power he carried was..."
He shook his head.
"It was something beyond comprehension. That's why, when you mention Tenseigan, when I see power that defies logic... I'm not as surprised as I should be."
"You mentioned a prophecy?"
Li Shang asked, his curiosity genuinely piqued. Prophecies were common elements in his cultivation world, but he didn't expect to find them here.
"Ah, yes."
Jiraiya laughed bitterly.
"The prophecy of the Great Toad Sage, Gamamaru. He is one of the elders of Mount Myōboku, where I learned Senjutsu. He's over a thousand years old, that old toad."
He sat on the edge of Tsunade's desk, ignoring her irritated look at his informality.
"Gamamaru called me when I was young, right after I signed the summoning contract with the toads. He told me that I would travel the world and write books, and that one day I would find a student who would change the shinobi world forever."
"And you thought it was Nagato?"
Li Shang asked.
"Yes. A war orphan with the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths? It seemed obvious."
Jiraiya rubbed the back of his neck, uncomfortable.
"But the prophecy didn't say whether this change would be for better or worse. It didn't say whether this student would bring peace or destruction. And after I left Ame, I lost contact with them. I don't know what happened to Nagato and the others."
He looked directly at Li Shang.
"But lately I've been wondering... what if I was wrong? What if the prophecy wasn't about Nagato, but about someone else? Naruto, perhaps. Or..."
He left the sentence unfinished, but the implication was clear.
"You think I could be part of this prophecy?"
Li Shang asked, incredulous.
"I don't know."
Jiraiya admitted honestly.
"But eyes that have evolved beyond normal, power that rivals legends, appearing exactly when the world is on the brink of great changes? It would be foolish to ignore the possibility."
Tsunade tapped her fingers on the desk, processing everything.
"Jiraiya, are you saying there could be multiple 'boys of prophecy'?"
"Or the prophecy is more complex than I initially understood."
He replied, shrugging.
"Gamamaru speaks in riddles. Interpreting his words is like trying to hold water with your hands."
Li Shang remained silent, absorbing this information. A prophecy. A thousand-year-old elder. A lost disciple with the Rinnegan.
The pieces of a much larger puzzle were beginning to reveal themselves.