Fleeing from Konoha

To Jiraiya, this so-called top-secret S-Class Mission is closely related to the turmoil in the Land of Demons.

After all, the matter is so significant and widely publicized, and being highly skilled in intelligence gathering, he naturally couldn't miss such news.

Receiving the scroll, Jiraiya felt it incredibly hot, almost wanting to discard it.

Yet, recalling the hunched and aged figure of his teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, when he passed through Konoha a year ago, a trace of unease flashed through Jiraiya's eyes.

His teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, has grown old. Gone is the distinguished stance of the 'Ninja Professor' he once knew.

Moreover, the Uchiha massacre, Uchiha Itachi's defection, and the mysterious death of another Uchiha genius, Uchiha Shisui... all these made Jiraiya sigh deeply.

How can a thirteen-year-old child possibly wipe out the entire Uchiha Clan?

If the Uchiha Clan were easily annihilated in Konoha, they wouldn't have been feared by ninjas from various nations during the past Ninja Realm wars.

Even the Sannin in their prime would avoid confronting the entire Uchiha Clan head-on.

Not even a sneak attack could be accomplished by a mere thirteen-year-old brat. Additionally, it took till the next day for the Anbu to detect the massacre, which is unlikely given the operational strength of the Hokage's direct Anbu within Konoha Village.

If Root wasn't involved in this, he simply couldn't believe it.

And what role his teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, played in it, Jiraiya dared not imagine.

He immediately ceased his investigation into the Uchiha Clan massacre incident.

He feared that at the end of the probe, he would uncover the village's darkest side and would never be able to look at his teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the same way again, nor preserve the memory of his once kind and benevolent mentor.

This is the ruthlessness of time.

What will he become at that age?

Would he change his original aspirations?

Or perhaps...

Jiraiya shook his head, deeming it too early to ponder such things.

He's not yet fifty and doesn't need to be melancholic at this stage.

He looked at the scroll in his hand, contemplating whether to accept his teacher Hiruzen Sarutobi's invitation to join in on the top-secret S-Class Mission, becoming a participant.

The high-level officials planning this S-Class Mission seemed to be in utter chaos; otherwise, they wouldn't act so hastily.

"Alas, if only Minato was still here..."

Minato...

The mention of this name suddenly awakened Jiraiya's mind, as if he had remembered something.

It was a matter from long ago, when Sakumo had not yet committed suicide, the Third Ninja Realm War hadn't started, and the three Chiba Hakushi were still ninjas who believed in the Will of Fire...

Concerning the 'Destruction' prophecy made by the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku.

The hand behind overturning the Ninja Realm is hidden in Konoha.

All along, he hadn't found such dangerous figures within Konoha.

Later, when the three Chiba Hakushi defected, he faintly felt that one of them was the 'Son of Destruction' predicted by the Great Toad Sage.

Representing absolute destruction, becoming the Ninja Realm's nightmare, bringing untold pain and bloodshed, and immersing the Ninja Realm in endless war.

And this person, in his view, the likelihood of being Chiba Hakushi was the highest.

Mysterious, unknown, adept at hiding true nature; it was only upon defection that his sinister nature was revealed, causing Konoha significant damage.

Compared to the already prominent Uchiha Ruri and Hyuga Ayane in Konoha, Chiba Hakushi was quite unnoticeable, leaving only the impression of being the Uchiha's son-in-law, a medical ninja skilled in Medical Ninjutsu, with good educational abilities, a member of the White Fang Squad, highly valued by one of the Sannin, Tsunade... beyond this, people knew nothing about him.

Ninjas adept at concealing their true nature are always synonymous with danger.

Chiba Hakushi perfectly fits this concept.

Subsequent actions also proved his extreme riskiness.

Jiraiya rolled up the scroll and casually placed it aside.

"Seems there's no choice but to agree..."

More than the mission itself, he wished to verify the answer to a question that had troubled him long.

Could the future of the Ninja Realm still tread the right path?

If the scenes predicted by the Great Toad Sage really appeared, he, who bore the responsibility of guiding the 'Child of Prophecy', had the duty to stop such disasters from occurring.