On the viewing screen, the young boy and Jiraiya walked toward Fenglin Town.
The contrast between the two—one large, one small—was striking.
But upon closer inspection, something even more shocking emerged.
At some point, Jiraiya had fallen half a step behind Yefire.
Half a step.
Don't underestimate it.
That single step represented respect—true respect from the bottom of his heart.
"...That child is a natural-born leader. Incredible."
Hashirama Senju couldn't help but admit it.
He had been completely convinced by the boy.
Despite possessing extraordinary talent—rapid progress in both ninjutsu and taijutsu—he showed no arrogance.
He didn't rush to take missions or earn money.
Instead, he grounded himself, identifying problems step by step.
Calmly, steadily, he pursued what he believed needed to be done.
If a ninja in Konoha had such talent, they would have been placed on a pedestal long ago.
"What research? What investigation? In this world, only the strong hold power! What's the point of studying civilians and merchants?"
Madara Uchiha scoffed coldly.
"If you're going to investigate anything, investigate powerful shinobi!"
"Civilians only need to provide resources under the protection of the strong. This is a complete waste of time."
The Fourth Raikage added impatiently.
Both men, who revered strength above all else, felt an inexplicable irritation.
To them, not engaging with the strong was almost an insult.
What could be learned from civilians?
Aren't they just living under the wings of the strong anyway?
"What nonsense are you two spouting?"
Kushina Uzumaki snapped.
"I think that boy is absolutely right. Strong? Civilians? What does that even mean?"
"Were you born strong? Weren't you civilians once too?"
"And if you dare say something like that in front of the Nine-Tails, I'll punch you flat!"
"That child carries a certain… power,"
Tobirama Senju said in a low voice.
"A kind of influence that makes people believe in him. It's something others don't have."
"But it's also extremely dangerous."
"I agree with my teacher."
Hiruzen Sarutobi added.
"If someone like that appears, it's best to leave them to Danzo."
"Hey! Say what you want, but why drag me into this?!"
Danzo Shimura growled.
In the shinobi world, what mattered most was obedience—and completing missions at any cost.
Anything that deviated from that was suppressed.
From childhood, every village instilled this belief.
Every student graduating from the ninja academy had been shaped by it.
And yet—
Yefire's sudden appearance made them deeply uncomfortable.
"I think what he's doing is right… what he's saying carries weight."
Gaara stood atop a high rock, gazing over the endless desert of Sunagakure, his voice low.
As the Fifth Kazekage, he had borne responsibility since childhood.
The poverty and dissatisfaction within the village had forced him to mature early.
Yet he still had no real solution.
After all, previous Kazekage had walked the same path.
But Yefire's words…
They made him feel as if he was beginning to grasp something—though not clearly.
"No investigation, no right to speak…"
The phrase struck him deeply.
Because he had never conducted such investigations himself.
Was this what it meant to be out of touch?
"The Akatsuki claim to pursue peace… yet we've never truly paid attention to the lives of ordinary people in the Land of Rain."
Konan said quietly.
"We don't even know what they feel, living under constant pressure."
"They only need to fear us. Submit to us. We protect them—that's enough."
Nagato replied hoarsely.
"Nothing else matters."
Konan glanced at Nagato's emaciated figure.
She wanted to say—
We were civilians once too.
But the words never left her mouth.
Yahiko's death had frozen their hearts long ago.
Yet a terrifying thought took root within her:
If Yefire led the Akatsuki… what would the world become?
And once that thought appeared—
It never faded.
"…Let's keep watching. Only by discovering the problems can they be solved… and become the driving force for revolution."
Unconsciously, Konan echoed Yefire's own philosophy.
[Inside a tavern in the border town]
Jiraiya sat with two hostesses, laughing loudly, already half-drunk as if he had forgotten everything from before.
"Kid, see? This place is pretty lively! Hahaha—drink up!"
He had deliberately brought Yefire here—his own territory.
After all, he was one of the Legendary Sannin.
Being constantly lectured by a child?
He had to regain some ground.
But—
"Ahh, this boy is so cute! He'll definitely be handsome when he grows up!"
One of the women pinched Yefire's cheek affectionately.
"So cool! Like a little prince—come on, smile for your big sister, I'll give you candy!"
The other pulled him onto her lap, teasing him.
Jiraiya froze.
What… was going on?
Shouldn't he be the most popular one here?!
"Big sister, your hands smell so nice. Are you using perfume?"
Yefire sniffed innocently.
"Haha, not at all. We can't afford that. It's just flower petals soaked in water."
Her eyes lit up as she spoke.
"Jiraiya, give them 100 ryo. Such pretty big sisters can't even afford cosmetics."
Jiraiya went numb.
I only paid 100 ryo for both of them combined! And now you're just casually spending my money?!
But in the end, he obediently handed it over.
The two women beamed, each planting a kiss on Yefire's cheek, leaving lipstick marks behind.
Jiraiya's heart bled.
That's my money! And you—stop acting so innocent!
He wanted to scream:
This kid is a wolf in human skin!
"Big sister… why are you looking at me like that?"
Yefire asked, putting on an innocent expression.
The atmosphere suddenly fell silent.
One of the women gently stroked his hair after a moment.
"If my child hadn't died… they'd be about your age."
"…Mine too."
Yefire shot Jiraiya a glance—then looked toward the alcohol.
Jiraiya instantly understood.
And just like that, the truth surfaced.
The two women had once relied on their beauty to get close to local shinobi.
But after becoming pregnant—
Those men had abandoned them without a word.
"Maybe… he felt ashamed that I was just a civilian."
One of them muttered bitterly after taking a drink.
"Please. He just thought knowing ninjutsu made him superior. Now I see it clearly."
The other scoffed angrily.
At that moment, Jiraiya blurted out:
"Why didn't you report it?"
The response he received—
Was a look as if he were an idiot.
After leaving the tavern, Jiraiya felt utterly ashamed.
Beside him, Yefire calmly wrote something in a small notebook.
"You don't seem surprised at all," Jiraiya said.
Back then, Jiraiya had wished he could crawl under the table and disappear.
"Surprised about what?"
Yefire replied indifferently.
"I've only confirmed a hypothesis."
He closed his notebook.
"…This rotten world has only revealed the tip of the iceberg."