Konoha: Naruto of Sekiro

Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan first met Jiraiya near the end of the Second Great Shinobi War.

At that time, Jiraiya had just been bestowed the title of 'Sannin' by Hanzo of the Salamander, and Yahiko and his friends were merely street urchins, stealing food to survive.

Time had flown by. Both their appearances and their statuses had undergone immense changes.

The master was still the master, but the street urchins of yesteryear had become the leaders of Amegakure, truly possessing the strength to carry out their convictions.

"Jiraiya-sensei, we haven't disgraced you, have we?" Yahiko asked with a smile.

Looking at their greatly changed yet still familiar faces, Jiraiya was filled with emotion. Who could have imagined that his unintentional act back then would actually nurture such towering trees?

"You've all grown up. Yahiko, you've truly followed your convictions. Nagato, you're no longer as shy as you once were. And Konan, you've indeed grown into a great beauty," Jiraiya said with a proud smile.

"Over these years, I've constantly heard of your deeds. I never thought…"

Listening to the conversation between the master and his three disciples, the two Konoha Jonin behind Jiraiya exchanged a subtle glance, both seeing the surprise in the other's eyes.

Although they had reviewed the relevant intelligence before coming, witnessing it firsthand still left them in awe.

To spend three years teaching someone who would become the leader of a hidden village.

Just thinking about it felt legendary.

Even if Amegakure was weak, it was still a hidden village established with an entire nation as its foundation.

Years of separation had not caused the bond between master and disciples to fade; instead, like fine wine, it had only grown richer and more mellow with time.

Watching the four of them, their atmosphere growing increasingly harmonious, neither the masked Naruto to the side nor the Konoha Jonin accompanying Jiraiya interrupted. They simply watched quietly.

For Hyuga Wada and Nara Kugi, they couldn't be happier if the four chatted a little longer. The deeper the bond between Lord Jiraiya and Yahiko's group, the more advantageous it would be for the matters they were about to discuss.

Konoha had not ceased its infiltration efforts into Amegakure since the end of the Second Great Shinobi War.

Geographically, the Land of Rain was a natural battlefield for the three great nations of Fire, Wind, and Earth. Amegakure, as the local power, might seem insignificant most of the time, but when the conflict between the three major powers reached a stalemate, Amegakure's strength became critically important.

Especially for Konoha, which often had to fight against multiple opponents, the need to secure this force was far greater than that of the other two great hidden villages.

However, due to the presence of the 'Demigod' Hanzo of the Salamander, Konoha's infiltration had never achieved a breakthrough.

But sometimes, life worked in wondrous ways.

Who could have predicted that Lord Jiraiya's casual act of kindness back then would lead to such a dramatic turn of events?

Even before it happened, no one would have thought that the disciples he had taught for only three years would actually overthrow Hanzo of the Salamander's rule in Amegakure.

Upon learning of this situation, Konoha's Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, made a decisive move, ordering the Hokage's advisor, Shimura Danzo, to hand over all matters concerning the Land of Rain to Jiraiya.

Playing the sentiment card, though old-fashioned, was highly effective—at least more effective than Shimura Danzo's underhanded tactics.

And so, the current situation had come to be.

"Yahiko, have you ever considered forming an alliance treaty with Konoha?" Though the conversation was lively, Jiraiya hadn't forgotten their mission.

From their chat just now, he realized that the relationship between the three hadn't changed much since he left.

The strongest among them was still Nagato, but the true soul of the group remained the cheerful Yahiko.

"An alliance treaty…" Yahiko scratched his head. He wasn't a three-year-old child. After experiencing so much, he had already harbored some suspicions about his teacher's timely arrival.

"It's not the kind of treaty with a master-subordinate relationship. Konoha and Amegakure will be completely equal," Jiraiya explained, seeming to sense his apprehension. "If you're worried, we can start with some simple intelligence sharing and economic exchanges in the initial stages."

"Additionally, Konoha can help Amegakure train its ninja."

"What kind of numbers are we talking about?" Yahiko quickly asked. He was severely short-handed right now.

And Konoha's ninja training program was renowned throughout the entire shinobi world. In the First and Second Great Shinobi Wars, Konoha hadn't relied solely on its top-tier powerhouses to fight one against four; the quality of its low and mid-level ninja, far surpassing those of other hidden villages, was also a factor not to be ignored.

"One hundred Genin, ten Chunin, and one Jonin," Jiraiya said with a grin. This was what he had fought for on behalf of his disciples, especially the Jonin slot.

According to the old geezers' thinking, they would rather train several more Chunin than help Amegakure train a single Jonin.

"A new batch every two years," Jiraiya added, holding up two fingers.

"…Thank you, Jiraiya-sensei." The immense benefits left Yahiko feeling dizzy. He understood that Jiraiya-sensei had fought for all of this for them.

Otherwise, given Amegakure's current state, it wouldn't be worth Konoha paying such a hefty price to sign an equal alliance treaty.

Even the most incompetent merchant wouldn't make such a losing deal.

"Oh right, I forgot to introduce you." Jiraiya pulled his accompanying subordinates to his side. "This is Hyuga Wada, and this—Nara Kugi. You can have someone liaise with him later regarding the specific details of the treaty."

Their gazes swept over the two, lingering for a long time, especially on Hyuga Wada's pair of Byakugan.

This was a dojutsu kekkei genkai comparable to that of the Uchiha clan!

Although Nagato had the Rinnegan, seeing it often had built up a sort of immunity.

The Byakugan was different. It was their first time seeing it up close—it was novel! "Konan, you and Elder Mimura will be in charge of this matter," Yahiko said, retracting his gaze and turning to Konan.

Konan nodded slightly, indicating her understanding.

When it came to killing, Naruto, Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan each had their own methods. In terms of management, only Yahiko and Konan, with their experience managing Akatsuki, were capable. As for managing an entire hidden village…

There wasn't a single one among them truly up to the task.

Therefore, considering practical needs, the elder positions for Mimura and Shinba had been retained.

Compared to Kazuhiko, these two had the significant advantage of knowing how to adapt to circumstances and understanding their own position. For so long, neither had tried to hold out for a better offer like Kazuhiko, seeking to further their own careers.

Their treatment now was the same as it had been under the old Amegakure.

In fact, due to Kazuhiko's demise, their power had increased rather than decreased as they took over some of his duties.

"By the way, have you finished your work?" Jiraiya asked.

"Is something the matter, Jiraiya-sensei?" Yahiko glanced at the documents on the table, feeling a little sheepish.

"Your teacher hasn't eaten yet."

Yahiko glanced at the sky. "Come on, Jiraiya-sensei, I'll take you to try some Land of Rain specialties!"

Watching them leave, Naruto formed a sword finger seal with his hand and vanished from the spot.