Chapter 337: Root Siege - Conclusion.
Jiraiya had just finished dispatching the last of the Root ninja in his way, his breath coming in controlled but heavy bursts. He stood in the aftermath of the battle and was surrounded by the unconscious and defeated bodies of Danzo's operatives. He turned his head in a certain direction and he began moving cautiously through the dimly lit corridors.
There was something about the way the Root operatives battled that bothered him. 'They hadn't been fighting me to kill. It's as if they had been herding me, guiding me somewhere specific… Maybe a trap? A kill box?'
Jiraiya's instincts told him that whatever awaited him was connected to the strange surge of chakra he had sensed nearby. 'Two people… Strange. I can't identify their chakra signatures… That's being masked.'
The next second, the toad Sannin felt the two chakras disappear in an instant and a moment later in their place was another unfamiliar but strong energy. 'That's a powerful chakra. Who is that?'
As the white haired ninja got closer he identified a particular aspect of that individual. 'That chakra… Strong water nature. Is he the one sensei told me to avoid?'
Jiraiya remembered the strange warning the Hokage had given him prior to the siege.
''If you come across a masked ninja with a powerful water nature chakra then avoid him.''
''Why? Is he an enemy?''
''No, he's an ally. But his identity is special and I want to keep it a secret for as long as possible. You need to trust me on this Jiraiya.''