For Jiraiya, reuniting with disciples long separated on the battlefield—disciples rumored dead—
And seeing them grow enough to stand on their own and find their own path…
That should have been a moment of deep comfort.
But if those disciples were standing alongside a man who held open hostility toward Konoha—
And if the "path" they found was likely something that man had planted in them—
Then the nature of the situation changed entirely.
Jiraiya had not been directing Konoha's war against Kirigakure.
But that didn't stop him from learning what he needed through the constant stream of intelligence sent from the village.
And what that intelligence painted was the image of a shinobi who had rapidly become Konoha's greatest enemy.
Kaguya Ren—
On his first appearance on the war's stage, he surpassed Hatake Kakashi, the "new star" of Konoha.
At the Land of Whirlpools, when Konoha pursued Mist traitors, Ren nearly annihilated an ANBU squad—and even injured Namikaze Minato, whose fame was rising like the sun.
Then came Kannabi Bridge—Ren revealing a new trump card, Sage Mode, and fighting two-on-one against Minato and Uzumaki Kushina.
Kushina still lay bedridden, recovering.
And after that…
Ren infiltrated the Land of Fire alone.
Root's elite were wiped out.
And Shimura Danzō's corpse was taken to the black market for bounty.
After a chain of absurd feats like that, Ren's name in Konoha was already approaching Minato's fearsome reputation in Iwagakure.
Some even believed that if Ren hadn't vanished for so long, Kirigakure would already be sitting at the negotiation table—demanding land and reparations with a hardline attitude.
But if that disappearance meant Mist gained a fully mastered Sage Mode user—
A young man with ambitions to become Mizukage—
Then Jiraiya would rather Ren had remained active at the front lines.
At least then, Kirigakure might have torn itself apart internally because of him.
"…What's going on, kid Jiraiya?"
The toad perched on Jiraiya's left shoulder—Shima—looked thoroughly unalarmed. She sounded mildly annoyed, like someone yanked away from lunch.
"You suddenly called us out. Me and the old man were just about to eat…"
On Jiraiya's right shoulder, Fukasaku's gaze snapped immediately to Ren standing beside Nagato. His expression became serious.
"Kid Jiraiya… is the enemy a Ryūchi Cave sage, and a Rinnegan wielder?"
"A-Ah—no, it's not like that…"
Jiraiya tried to explain—
But Nagato stepped between Jiraiya and Ren, arms spread, blocking their mutual wariness.
"Jiraiya-sensei," Nagato said earnestly, "Ren-kun isn't here with hostility today."
"Please don't take such a hostile stance before even speaking. Okay?"
"Nagato…"
Nagato's eyes softened.
"Please trust me, Jiraiya-sensei."
"I learned an Uzumaki clan chakra-sensing method from a member of my clan."
"In my sight, Ren-kun's chakra isn't as bright as yours… but it has warmth—like a bonfire flickering."
Ren lifted a brow slightly at that.
Uzumaki clan chakra sensing… sensing warmth and cold?
That sounded eerily like the sensing technique Karin would use in the future.
And Nagato learned it from another Uzumaki…
Ren's eyes shifted.
He turned his head toward Yahiko, who was watching with a conflicted expression.
"You're Yahiko, right?"
"Huh?" Yahiko blinked. "Yeah. I'm Yahiko."
He cleared his throat and lowered his voice slightly, trying to keep things friendly.
"I'm Akatsuki's founder. Nagato's friend since we were kids."
"What—need something?"
"But I'll say this upfront—I can't sense chakra warmth and cold like Nagato can. If you want me to speak for you, it won't be very convincing."
"I'm not shameless enough to need a stranger to plead for me," Ren replied, tone easy. He pointed lightly at Nagato's red hair. "I just want to know—when Nagato returned from the Land of Whirlpools…"
"Did he bring back someone else with red hair?"
Yahiko's eyes widened slightly.
"You know the woman named Uzumaki Karin?"
"…More or less," Ren sighed, and internally raised an invisible middle finger at his own system.
"No wonder Nagato said meeting you was full of coincidence."
Yahiko shook his head, then pulled out a chair beside him and gestured.
"Want to sit and talk?"
"Sure," Ren replied, sitting as if he belonged there. "I've also got some things I want to discuss—about your idea of pursuing peace through methods other than violence."
As Ren casually took a seat beside Yahiko and the two of them began speaking about war and peace with increasing momentum—
The basis for Jiraiya and Nagato's standoff naturally began to dissolve.
"You're not worried anymore, Jiraiya-sensei?" Nagato asked quietly, watching as Shima began scolding Jiraiya with full gusto.
"How could I not be worried?" Jiraiya replied, half-heartedly murmuring "Yes, yes, yes" to Shima while sighing at Nagato. "But if you and Yahiko want to solve this through dialogue… how can I insist on staying the unpleasant one?"
"Then come over," Nagato said, reaching out and grabbing Jiraiya's hand before he could refuse. "If it's you—someone who's seen so many wars and traveled so many lands—you can offer viewpoints we lack."
"I get it, I get it, stop dragging me—"
Jiraiya stumbled as Nagato hauled him back to the meeting table.
After scolding him to satisfaction, Shima vanished back to Myōboku to continue preparing food, leaving only Fukasaku perched on Jiraiya's shoulder to remain.
Seeing Jiraiya sit opposite him, Ren paused his conversation with Yahiko and looked at him with mild surprise.
"So," Ren asked, tone teasing, "you're not worried I'll suddenly strike without warning anymore, Jiraiya-senpai?"
"No…" Jiraiya shook his head, emotion tangled in his eyes as he looked at Ren—who Fukasaku had already judged to have received Ryūchi Cave senjutsu. "I'm just… feeling a bit complicated."
He exhaled.
"You've met Orochimaru, haven't you?"
"Yeah," Ren replied. "And thanks to him, I had to leave the front line to find a way to solve a problem."
Jiraiya didn't ask what problem.
He simply shook his head, voice heavy.
"Orochimaru spent who knows how much time and effort just to barely control Manda enough to fight for him."
"And you vanished for only two months and already became a Ryūchi Cave sage…"
He gave a wry laugh.
"That difference is so big it makes me feel old."
Ren's gaze flicked briefly over Yahiko and Nagato—both smiling—then he spoke slowly.
"The younger generation has to do what the older generation couldn't," Ren said, voice calm. "Otherwise the elders will never be able to hand the world over with peace of mind."
He smiled faintly—something sharper hiding beneath.
"But the world also has plenty of old men who are already outdated, yet refuse to surrender power to the next generation."
"When you meet those people…"
Ren's tone turned quietly meaningful.
"You have no choice but to use unconventional measures."
He looked directly at Jiraiya.
"Don't you agree, Jiraiya-senpai?"
Jiraiya knew Ren was likely referring to Mist's Third Mizukage.
But for reasons he couldn't explain, the moment those words landed—
The faces that rose in his mind weren't in Kirigakure.
They were in Konoha.
Mitokado Homura.
Utatane Koharu.
And Sarutobi Hiruzen—
Growing older, day by day.
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