Bab 101: Chapter 101: Jiraiya’s Mission
Like most of Konoha, Jiraiya hadn't slept at all last night.
For the majority, yesterday's tragedy was the loss of a Hokage.
But for Jiraiya, the one who died was not only the Hokage but also his teacher, mentor, and family.
What pained Jiraiya the most was that, aside from him, no one in Konoha seemed to mourn the Hokage's death.
The Hokage should have been the village's strongest, most respected figure. Yet somehow, over the years, the Third Hokage had lost that aura.
He had changed. Under his leniency, Konoha had seen too many mistakes, and all of them ultimately led to today's crisis.
For the first time, Jiraiya regretted staying away from the village for so long.
Footsteps echoed from behind him, and without looking, Jiraiya sensed it was Aoba Kamikawa.
"Couldn't wait to start settling accounts with the Hokage's legacy, could you?"
Jiraiya's tone was bitter. In principle, Aoba's actions were justifiable. But on a personal level, this man was one of the reasons his teacher was dead, so it was impossible for Jiraiya to show any kindness.
Aoba was unfazed by Jiraiya's attitude.
People are complicated, especially someone with two faces like the Third Hokage. To people like Aoba, Kakashi, and the Uchiha, he deserved his fate.
But to Jiraiya and the Sarutobi clan, he was a good man and a good Hokage.
Unfortunately, they had become the minority somewhere along the way.
"I'm here because there's a mission that only you can complete, Jiraiya."
"Hmph, and what role are you assuming to give me a mission? Hokage?"
"No, not yet. But if this mission fails, I might have to be."
"…"
Jiraiya was silent for a moment, then spoke.
"You want me to find Tsunade and bring her back to be Hokage?"
"That's right, but there's more. You saw the fight between the Hokage and Orochimaru. Orochimaru escaped, but he's badly injured. He'll likely seek Tsunade for treatment."
"Tsunade would never heal him—he just killed her teacher! There's no way…"
Jiraiya refused to believe that Tsunade would help Orochimaru, who had just killed Hiruzen Sarutobi. But Aoba knew that Orochimaru had plenty of tricks up his sleeve.
"Heh, let's look at it from another angle. Tsunade is Hiruzen's student—what did she actually inherit from him?"
Aoba didn't mention the possibility of Orochimaru using the Reanimation Jutsu. Instead, he posed a question Jiraiya hadn't expected.
This caught Jiraiya off guard.
"She…"
Thinking it over, Jiraiya found himself at a loss for words. Tsunade's renowned skills weren't passed down from Hiruzen at all.
It was different for him and Orochimaru, who had both developed their own systems over time. Still, both were highly skilled in elemental jutsu, particularly during their early days.
Even now, Jiraiya and Orochimaru were exceptional with elemental jutsu, a talent inherited from Hiruzen, known for his expertise in the Five Elements. His Five-Element Grand Slam had once been feared throughout the ninja world.
But Tsunade… her fame came from her medical ninjutsu and monstrous strength, neither of which Hiruzen could teach her.
Jiraiya vaguely understood what Aoba was implying but didn't want to delve into it.
"What are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying that I taught Sasuke lightning release and swordsmanship because he shares my affinity for lightning, and his talent can carry that legacy.
I taught Naruto the Rasengan because… it's his technique to inherit. And the reason I have him train with Shadow Clones is that he's the type who grows best through combat.
I took on Sakura as a student because, like me, she has a strong theoretical background and excellent chakra control, which allows her to take over my research.
See, the bond between a teacher and a student often has a straightforward purpose—passing down knowledge. So, what exactly did Hiruzen hope Tsunade would inherit? In terms of fighting style or leadership philosophy, they couldn't be more different."
Jiraiya found himself growing more and more averse to conversing with Aoba; this man had a way of striking where it hurt and, worse, he couldn't argue against it.
Aoba's point was clear: Hiruzen's reasons for taking Tsunade as a student might not have been entirely pure. Jiraiya didn't want to admit this or tarnish his teacher's memory, but he couldn't refute it either.
What's more, Tsunade's attitude toward Hiruzen seemed to support this line of thought. Jiraiya was afraid to think about it further, sensing he couldn't bear the answer.
Aoba himself wasn't entirely sure about his theory. But it didn't matter; Hiruzen was dead, and he just needed to sway Jiraiya.
"You know, if it were me, I might have done the same thing.
The Senju clan co-created Konoha, and Tsunade, as the clan's last princess, holds an inherently unique position of power.
Her status is even more unique because the Senju clan has largely dissolved. She's the last openly recognized Senju.
So, for anyone sitting in the Hokage's seat, having someone in the village with that level of authority would be hard to accept.
The simplest solution would be to kill her. But anyone with a shred of decency wouldn't do that.
The alternative is to make her subordinate, to make her part of a lower generation..."
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