Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

"You! How long were you eavesdropping outside?" Tsunade asked, rubbing her temples in exasperation.

"Not long," Jiraiya replied sheepishly, scratching his head with a grin.

"Not long? You mean the entire time, even before I arrived," Natsuro interjected bluntly, selling Jiraiya out without hesitation. Natsuro had sensed someone outside from the very beginning and confirmed it was Jiraiya even before entering the Hokage's office. Afterward, he paid it no mind.

Still, Natsuro was slightly surprised, Jiraiya knew about these matters?

Upon further thought, it made sense. Jiraiya had traveled extensively across different nations and had a knack for gathering intelligence. While his official purpose during the Third Hokage's tenure had been to search for Orochimaru and write his books, he had undoubtedly gathered significant intel for Konoha as well.

So, it wasn't too surprising that Jiraiya would know something.

"Jiraiya!" Tsunade's temper flared after Natsuro's remark. She glared furiously at the now-trembling Jiraiya.

Seeing Jiraiya's apologetic smile, Tsunade could only sigh in frustration. She knew even if she scolded him, it wouldn't change anything. Exasperated, she said, "Spit out everything you know already!"

Jiraiya let out a sigh of relief, glad to avoid another beating, and his expression turned serious as he began recounting his past experiences.

The rogue ninja Natsuro described, the one with immortality, reminded Jiraiya of something he encountered during his travels in the Hidden Hot Springs Village.

The village was known for its peaceful nature, abundant natural resources, and lack of interest in warfare. It had even earned the nickname "The Village That Forgot War."

The village's women were especially gentle, and there were countless hot springs and baths....

BAM!

Jiraiya was sent flying into the wall with a single punch from Tsunade. Natsuro sighed at the sight, slightly speechless. Even during a serious conversation, Jiraiya had somehow managed to veer off-topic and indulge his perverted tendencies. Of course, he deserved to be punched.

"No one's interested in your lecherous tales!" Tsunade said, flexing her wrist.

Shizune looked at the cracks forming on the wall and sighed. More repair costs. As for Jiraiya, there was no need to worry, this level of punishment wouldn't even leave a scratch on him.

"Anyway..." Jiraiya coughed twice as he stood up, brushing himself off as though nothing had happened. He continued his story.

During his time in the Hidden Hot Springs Village, he had been warmly welcomed by the locals. Through conversations with the women there, he learned that while the village seemed peaceful, it harbored a cult known as the Jashinists. Their doctrine revolved around slaughtering everyone around them.

Jiraiya hadn't investigated further at the time but had heard outrageous claims from the cult's followers, such as promises of immortality for those who joined.

At the time, Jiraiya dismissed it as nonsense. Immortality was obviously impossible. After enjoying his stay in the village, he moved on without giving it much thought.

"And that's it?" Tsunade's fist clenched, and she looked ready to pummel Jiraiya again. "How is that any more useful than what Natsuro already told us? You added a little background, that's all!"

"Ahaha, well, there's one more thing," Jiraiya said hastily, his tone growing serious. "The villagers mentioned one crucial detail about the Jashinists: never let them obtain your blood."

"At the time, I didn't think much of it. Plenty of cults and organizations claim to wield divine powers. But now, hearing about this 'immortal' ninja from Natsuro, I'm starting to think the rumors might have been true."

"Hm, now that you mention it, that guy did seem particularly fixated on my blood," Natsuro added casually. After all, no one had seen the details of his fight, so he could shape the narrative however he wanted.

"Is that so?" Tsunade frowned thoughtfully.

"I'll investigate further in the Land of Rivers," Jiraiya offered.

"Alright. What about the other ninja?" Tsunade asked, agreeing to Jiraiya's proposal since small countries like the Land of Rivers posed little risk to him.

"The other one, his abilities don't ring a bell. But from Natsuro's description, I'm reminded of a renowned bounty hunter named Kakuzu," Jiraiya said. "He's incredibly powerful, with a long record of killing shinobi from various villages listed on the bounty boards."

"A bounty hunter, huh? Troubling, but it's still useful information," Tsunade said, though she seemed unimpressed. Names weren't as important as understanding an opponent's abilities.

"Jiraiya, gather information on Kakuzu while you're at it," Tsunade ordered after some thought.

"Leave it to me," Jiraiya replied without hesitation. This kind of task was his specialty.

"Natsuro, those four were undoubtedly powerful, but do they have the ability to restrict your Flying Thunder God Technique?" Jiraiya asked. Though he couldn't use the technique himself, he had seen Minato use it, and now Natsuro as well, so he was quite familiar with its capabilities.

Neither the Jashinist nor Kakuzu seemed capable of countering such a powerful space-time jutsu.

"No, they couldn't," Natsuro replied, his expression growing serious. "What restricted my Flying Thunder God was someone else, a person who, while not directly intervening, is likely the strongest individual I've ever encountered."

Hearing this, both Tsunade and Jiraiya's expressions turned grave. If even Natsuro held such high regard for this opponent, the person must be extraordinary.

"They possessed the same eyes as the legendary Sage of Six Paths, the Rinnegan!" Natsuro revealed.

Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock, and Tsunade turned to look at him.

"Impossible… It can't be them," Jiraiya muttered to himself.

Natsuro feigned confusion, glancing between Jiraiya and Tsunade.

Tsunade quickly explained, "During the Second Shinobi War, Jiraiya took in three orphans from the Hidden Rain Village as his disciples. One of them had the legendary Rinnegan."

Natsuro turned his gaze to Jiraiya. The Rinnegan was such a mythical ocular power that its appearance almost guaranteed the identity of the wielder.

"Natsuro, you must have seen this person. Can you describe their appearance?" Jiraiya asked, clinging to a sliver of hope. Perhaps this was someone else, another wielder of the Rinnegan?

"Yes," Natsuro nodded. "The person had short orange hair."

Jiraiya felt a slight relief at first. His former student Nagato, the original Rinnegan wielder, had long red hair. But then Jiraiya remembered another disciple, Yahiko.

Orange hair... Could it really be him?

Tsunade also paused, uncertain. Though her memory of that time wasn't perfect, she recalled that Nagato's hair wasn't orange.

Natsuro continued, describing the individual's black facial piercings and the rogue forehead protector of the Hidden Rain Village.

As Natsuro spoke, Jiraiya's expression darkened. The more details he heard, the more certain he became that the person Natsuro described was Yahiko, his other student.

Had something happened that caused Yahiko to inherit Nagato's Rinnegan?

"And one more thing," Natsuro added, his tone even more serious. "Using the sensory capabilities of the Spiritual Transformation Technique, I examined the individual's soul. If not for a unique Rinnegan ability, they seemed to be... just a corpse, devoid of any soul."

"What?!" Jiraiya exclaimed, his eyes widening further. A corpse... with the Rinnegan?

Jiraiya was now overwhelmed with confusion, his mind racing to piece everything together. He felt an irresistible urge to go to the Hidden Rain Village and uncover the truth himself.

"Jiraiya-sensei," Natsuro said firmly, "do not even think about going to the Hidden Rain Village alone. You are not his match, not even in Sage Mode."

Jiraiya didn't respond, still lost in his emotions and thoughts.

Natsuro turned to Tsunade, who gave a nod of understanding. She clenched her fist and slammed it down on Jiraiya's head, snapping him out of his stupor.

"Jiraiya, you're a grown man. Don't make the younger generation worry about you," Tsunade scolded. "As Hokage, I'm ordering you: Do not investigate the Hidden Rain Village without my permission. If you disobey, I'll consider you a rogue ninja."

"But Tsunade, I—" Jiraiya tried to protest.

"No buts. My decision won't change," Tsunade interrupted Jiraiya firmly.

Jiraiya stared at her for a moment before letting out a resigned sigh and offering a small, wry smile. "I understand."

"Good." Tsunade nodded, relieved to see Jiraiya relent. She didn't want to lose another close friend to the dangers of the world.

"Wait a minute, Natsuro," Jiraiya suddenly said, his thoughts catching up with the earlier conversation. "You mentioned the Spiritual Transformation Technique? You've actually mastered that jutsu?!"

"Yes, I learned it a while ago. Honestly, you're not exactly the most attentive teacher," Tsunade interjected with a teasing smirk.

"Haha, well, what can I say? Natsuro's already surpassed me. I don't have much left to teach him," Jiraiya replied with a hearty laugh, though there was a trace of genuine admiration in his eyes as he looked at Natsuro.

Jiraiya knew how significant the Spiritual Transformation Technique was to Tsunade, and given Natsuro's connection to Ino, Tsunade's student, he likely held a special place in Tsunade's heart. A younger brother? A treasured junior?

Whatever the relationship, Jiraiya was glad for it.

Afterward, Natsuro reported the deaths of Deidara and Sasori to Tsunade, though he left the finer details for Kakashi and Sasuke to provide upon their return.

As Natsuro left the Hokage's office, he found himself unexpectedly approached by someone else... Another former Hokage.

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Currently on Chapter 262 - Awakening the Mangekyō