"How long were you eavesdropping out there?" Tsunade rubbed her temples, already tired.
"Not that long," Jiraiya said, scratching the back of his head with a laugh.
"By 'not that long,' you mean the entire time. Including before I arrived," Fujimoto Tōma said flatly, selling him out without hesitation.
He'd sensed someone outside the office from the very beginning. After confirming it was Jiraiya, he hadn't bothered paying attention.
What surprised him wasn't the eavesdropping. It was the fact that Jiraiya clearly knew something.
Thinking it over, it made sense. Jiraiya had traveled through countless countries over the years. Intelligence gathering was practically second nature to him. Back when the Third Hokage was still in power, Jiraiya might have claimed he was chasing Orochimaru or "researching novels," but he'd never stopped feeding Konoha information.
"So he really does know," Tōma thought.
"Jiraiya!" Tsunade snapped, a visible vein popping on her forehead as she glared at him.
Jiraiya stiffened, smiling ingratiatingly as if bracing for impact.
In the end, Tsunade could only sigh. She knew lecturing him was pointless. "If you know something, spit it out. Now."
Jiraiya visibly relaxed. He cleared his throat, his expression turning serious.
"The immortal shinobi Tōma mentioned," he began, "the one who wouldn't die no matter how much damage he took. I've been to his home village."
"Yugakure," he said. "A strangely peaceful place. Rich land, hot springs everywhere. Most of their shinobi have no interest in war. People even call it the village that forgot conflict."
He paused, then grinned. "And the women there are gentle, too. Really gentle. Plus the baths are—"
Boom.
Tōma watched silently as Jiraiya was sent flying across the room and embedded into the wall.
Cracks spiderwebbed outward.
"…We are not interested in your personal memoirs," Tsunade said, flexing her fist.
Shizune glanced at the damaged wall and sighed. More repair costs. As for Jiraiya, she didn't bother worrying. This barely qualified as a bruise for him.
"Cough, cough." Jiraiya pulled himself free, dusting off his clothes like nothing happened. "Right. Back to the point."
"When I was in Yugakure, I heard rumors. The village isn't as peaceful as it looks. There's a secret cult that worships some kind of evil god."
Tōma listened carefully.
"Their doctrine is simple," Jiraiya continued. "Kill everyone around you. Absolute slaughter."
Tsunade frowned.
"I didn't investigate deeply back then. All I heard were ridiculous slogans. Join the cult and gain immortality. At the time, I thought it was nonsense."
He looked up slowly. "But now… after hearing Tōma's description, I think those rumors were real."
"One thing the Yugakure shinobi emphasized," Jiraiya said grimly, "was that under no circumstances should cult members obtain your blood."
That lined up perfectly.
"That guy was obsessed with my blood," Tōma said calmly. No one had witnessed the exact fight anyway. He could say this without issue.
Tsunade's expression darkened. "So it's blood-triggered."
"I'll head to the Land of Rivers and investigate Yugakure more thoroughly," Jiraiya said.
"That's fine," Tsunade agreed. "It's a small country. Low risk."
She paused. "What about the other one?"
"The man with black tendrils," Jiraiya said. "I don't recognize the technique, but the description matches a famous bounty hunter. Kakuzu."
"A troublesome type," Tsunade muttered. "Mercenaries only care about money."
"The name itself doesn't matter," she continued. "What matters is what he can do."
"I'll gather more intel on him too," Jiraiya said easily. "That's my specialty."
Then he looked at Tōma. "Those four were dangerous, sure. But none of them should've been able to stop Flying Thunder God. So what actually trapped you?"
Tōma's expression finally turned serious.
"They didn't," he said. "Someone else did."
The room went quiet.
"He never attacked directly," Tōma continued, voice steady. "But the pressure alone was overwhelming. Stronger than anyone I've ever faced."
Tsunade and Jiraiya both stiffened.
"He had the same eyes described in legend," Tōma said slowly. "The Rinnegan."
Jiraiya's eyes went wide.
Tsunade turned to him immediately.
"…That can't be," Jiraiya muttered. "That can't be them."
Tōma tilted his head, feigning confusion.
Tsunade explained quietly. "During the Second Great Ninja War, Jiraiya trained three war orphans in the Rain Village. One of them possessed the Rinnegan."
Tōma's gaze sharpened. A legendary eye like that didn't just appear randomly.
"Describe him," Jiraiya said urgently. "What did he look like?"
"Short orange hair," Tōma replied.
Jiraiya's breath hitched.
Nagato had long red hair. But another student…
Tsunade frowned. She vaguely remembered the same.
Tōma continued, listing details. Black metal piercings embedded in his face. A scratched Rain Village forehead protector.
Jiraiya's face drained of color.
"…Yahiko."
That was the name he didn't say out loud.
"One more thing," Tōma added. "I used soul perception on him. Unless the Rinnegan has unknown properties, what I sensed wasn't a living soul."
"He was a corpse."
Jiraiya froze.
A body. Those eyes.
Everything spun together into something unbearable.
"Jiraiya-sensei," Tōma said firmly, "don't go to the Rain Village alone. You can't beat him. Even with Sage Mode."
Jiraiya didn't answer.
Tōma looked to Tsunade.
She nodded once, then punched Jiraiya squarely on the head.
"Wake up," she snapped. "As Hokage, I order you not to investigate the Rain Village without my permission. Disobey, and you'll be treated as a rogue ninja."
"Tsunade, but—"
"No buts."
Jiraiya stared at her, then smiled bitterly. "…Understood."
Tsunade let out a quiet breath. She couldn't bear losing anyone else.
Then Jiraiya blinked. "Wait. You said soul perception. Don't tell me you mastered the Spirit Transformation Technique?"
"I did," Tōma replied.
Tsunade snorted. "And you still call yourself his teacher?"
Jiraiya laughed loudly. "What can I teach him anymore? He's already surpassed me."
He glanced at Tōma with complicated eyes. That technique meant something special to Tsunade. Combined with Ino being Tsunade's student, it was clear Tōma occupied a unique place in her heart.
Whether as family or successor, Jiraiya approved.
After reporting the deaths of Deidara and Sasori, Tōma left the Hokage's office. The details would wait until Kakashi and Sasuke returned.
Stepping into the corridor, he didn't expect to meet yet another Hokage waiting for him.