Chapter 160: Intelligence
Konoha.
The Hokage's Office.
"Sensei, it's been a long time," Jiraiya said with a grin directed at Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Indeed. Does your return this time mean you've wandered long enough and wish to stay in Konoha?" Hiruzen asked.
Jiraiya had sent word a few days ago that he would be returning to look into a few matters. He had been wandering for years, which was a bit of a headache for Hiruzen. As one of Konoha's primary combat assets, Jiraiya had played no role in the Third Great Ninja War. If he weren't his own student and Hiruzen didn't know his temperament so well, the Hokage might have considered him a rogue ninja and had him hauled back to the village.
He sincerely hoped that this time, Jiraiya's return wasn't just a temporary stop.
"Sensei, I wasn't just 'wandering.' I was searching for the Child of Prophecy who will bring change to the shinobi world. Only by finding them can we save this world from the cycle of war," Jiraiya replied, scratching his head with a serious smile.
The reason was, admittedly, a bit far-fetched.
"Is that so? And yet I hear you've also managed to publish a series of books called Icha Icha Paradise throughout the Land of Fire," Hiruzen noted dryly.
Jiraiya laughed. "Ahaha! Does Sensei read my work as well? That's wonderful to hear!"
"Let's end the small talk. I know your nature; you can't stay still. What is it that actually brings you back this time?" Hiruzen cut straight to the chase.
At this, the playful grin vanished from Jiraiya's face, replaced by a look of gravity.
"The Great Toad Sage had a prophecy. A 'variable' has appeared in the path of the Child of Prophecy. I don't know yet if the person I have in mind is truly the one, but if a variable has appeared in the prophecy, then something significant must be happening somewhere in the world. I need your help, Sensei."
Jiraiya's purpose was indeed the Great Toad Sage's vision. Although the Sage said the variable wouldn't hinder the search and might even help the Child of Prophecy, Jiraiya couldn't rest easy. Even if he didn't interfere, he couldn't remain ignorant.
As the Hokage of Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at the center of the most extensive intelligence network in existence.
"Hmph. Still obsessing over the Child of Prophecy? You didn't even return for the Third War; do you have any idea how much Konoha lost?" Hiruzen snorted. His students had all grown up and found their own wings—Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya alike.
"Forget it, there's no use dwelling on the past. In terms of anomalies over recent years, a leader with the Rinnegan has appeared in Amegakure. He calls himself a god."
Hiruzen continued, "According to the historical records of the Land of Fire, the Rinnegan was the eye of the Sage of the Six Paths, the founder of the Shinobi Creed. Aside from that, an underground organization has been surfacing in the smaller surrounding nations. This has caused the number of missions being outsourced to Konoha to gradually decrease. You've been traveling for years; you must have some insight into this."
Aside from the Nine-Tails incident, the death of Minato, and the Uchiha massacre, Hiruzen hadn't felt many other anomalies. And Jiraiya already knew about those events.
"The Rinnegan?"
Jiraiya immediately thought of those three children; one of them had possessed the Rinnegan. Was he now the leader of the Hidden Rain? Was he the Child of Prophecy the Great Toad Sage spoke of?
The Sage had said that every era produces a Child of Prophecy who changes the world; the First Hokage, founder of the Leaf, was one of them. A person with the Rinnegan certainly fit the profile. Perhaps he truly could change destiny.
No, perhaps not. He couldn't assume it was him based on eyes alone; he had to keep searching.
"That's right. This information comes from a Konoha Jonin named Tonbo Tobitake," Hiruzen explained. "A few years ago, there were internal shifts in Amegakure. I sent several Anbu squads to infiltrate, but they all failed. It wasn't until I sent Tonbo Tobitake—the current Head of the Analysis Division—that we gathered any intelligence. He actually fought the current leader of the Rain, that man who calls himself a god."
Hiruzen went on, "As for that organization in the smaller nations, Tonbo was also the first to sense the shift. Combined with the decreasing mission count, Konoha finally took notice."
Tonbo Tobitake's reliability was the reason Hiruzen was so lenient with him. Whether it was his flexible hours, leaves of absence to be with his kids, or applications for restricted ninjutsu, Tonbo was given a green light across the board.
...Except for the times he bragged about how easy it was to raise children.
"Tonbo Tobitake?" Jiraiya remembered the fellow from earlier. With a genjutsu of that caliber, he would indeed be a master of infiltration. But he hadn't expected the guy who sabotaged his "material gathering" to be capable of fighting the Rinnegan.
Was the man with the Rinnegan actually Nagato?
"Yes. To be precise, he set a trap and managed to escape. The power of those eyes is indeed formidable." Hiruzen recounted the details of Tonbo's mission and the enemies his team had encountered. Jiraiya was a vital source of external intelligence, so he needed to be informed. Besides, Jiraiya was one of the few people Hiruzen trusted implicitly with such secrets.
"It seems Konoha has produced another exceptionally talented individual," Jiraiya mused. He recalled the way Nagato learned ninjutsu—his talent was a peerless match for even Sarutobi's own genius. No matter the jutsu, Nagato mastered it instantly.
Could the "variable" the Great Toad Sage mentioned be Tonbo Tobitake? He shook his head. Impossible. Tonbo grew up in Konoha; his entire growth trajectory was documented. He couldn't be a variable.
What was it then? And what was the goal of this "Akatsuki" organization moving through the nations? Was that the variable? Orochimaru had already left that group; perhaps the change started there.
Analysis Division.
"The global tycoon Gato has engaged in a turf war with another company. Both sides suffered heavy losses, but Gato has managed to reclaim control over the Land of Waves' port," Tonbo noted, scanning the report.
Years ago, after Gato took over the remains of the Hagoromo clan, his shipping company expanded aggressively. As the injured party, the interests of a company backed by the nobility of the Land of Hot Springs were at stake. They had a massive skirmish a few days ago.
"Immortal humans... a cult..."
The records showed that among the ninjas hired by the Land of Hot Springs were "immortals" who could only be dealt with via sealing. Gato's hired ninjas, lacking intel, suffered devastating casualties. It was only by throwing bodies at the problem that they gathered enough information to find a counter-measure. This had cost Gato dearly. The Land of Hot Springs, having also taken too many losses, had temporarily halted operations.
The cult where Hidan comes from!
Intelligence on the Land of Hot Springs' ninja factions, especially the cults, was incredibly scarce. Even Konoha didn't have much. It seemed the reason Zabuza would eventually be able to kill Gato so easily was likely linked to this string of draining conflicts. And Hidan had probably emerged from that cult around this time.
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