Chapter 287 - 287: 286 - Jiraiya's doubts and goals!!

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As a ninja, Jiraiya had reached the peak of his career early on.

As a writer, though, he only entered a new stage in Konoha Year 54.

Ever since the release of Icha Icha Paradise, he hadn't put out a new book for five years.

Part of that was because he was collecting material and waiting for inspiration.

But the main reason was simpler: he was Jiraiya of the Hidden Leaf.

When Iwagakure started making unusual moves near the border, he had to set his pen aside and return to stand by near the village.

When news came that Tsunade was about to take office as the Fifth Hokage, he had to go back.

When intelligence about Uchiha Madara surfaced, he was forced to remain near Konoha even longer.

Then came the shock of Sunagakure breaking the alliance, the tension of Iwagakure mobilizing troops, the Five Village Alliance… and so on, straight through to this year.

It had been a long time since he'd been able to truly calm down, gather material, and write properly.

What was strange was that, despite everything that had happened, the ninja world was actually becoming more stable.

Especially this year: it looked like a major confrontation could erupt at any moment, yet even Kumogakure—the village that should have been the most on edge—kept its composure.

After the last operation against the Flying Fortress ended perfectly, and with the Land of Snow showing no further activity, Jiraiya—who had been on-site for joint defense—returned to Konoha.

He brought back Kumogakure's intention to carry out a routine combat exercise and their hope that the Bureau would strengthen joint defense during that period.

On the afternoon he returned, Jiraiya headed straight for the Hokage's office.

After reporting Kumogakure's situation, he heard something that concerned him.

"You plan to withdraw the allied forces stationed in Hidden Rain Village?"

He was genuinely surprised when he heard Tsunade say that.

Tsunade nodded. "We'll pull back the main forces, let Hidden Rain Village return to normal operations, and just leave one or two outposts."

"There are probably still Nagato's people inside Amegakure," Jiraiya said, his tone turning serious.

Before the allied forces set out, they'd been ordered to prioritize control and minimize casualties. They hadn't even conducted cleanup operations after securing the necessary intelligence.

Which meant that most of the remaining personnel were likely Nagato's people—assuming they hadn't died during the allied takeover of Amegakure.

"It's irrelevant." Another voice came from the office door.

Jiraiya turned and saw Rōshi standing there with a file in his hands.

"Hidden Rain's strategic value to the Akatsuki has fundamentally changed," Rōshi said. "As a secret base, it lost its worth the moment we finished extracting intelligence and establishing initial control.

"As a source of manpower? The quality of Amegakure's shinobi doesn't compare to those of the Five Great Nations. If Akatsuki needed large-scale forces, they wouldn't rely on the people still left there."

"Their remaining value is as an intelligence hub. As long as they keep operating and choose to leak information, we can indirectly track Akatsuki's movements… and the Rinnegan's."

Roshi stepped up to the map of the ninja world hanging on the wall, lifting a hand to tap the Land of Rain.

"On the other hand, letting Hidden Rain Village return to normal operations isn't just a risk we can control—it also offers more practical, long-term benefits."

His finger slid from the Land of Rain down toward the southwest, stopping over the Land of Wind.

"The Land of Rain sits at the junction of three great nations. Its geography is unique, with rainfall so heavy year-round it's practically a natural disaster. By contrast, its neighbors—especially the Land of Wind—are constantly plagued by drought and spreading deserts."

"If the Land of Rain is willing to negotiate with the Land of Wind and build a system to regulate and transport water resources, the costs for the Land of Wind to maintain its northeastern oasis—and even create new ones—would drop significantly."

"For the Land of Rain, that same rainfall that used to mean nothing but floods could be turned into real economic gains. Water exports, cross-border construction projects, environmental management… every part of it could feed back into their national economy."

"A project like this can only move forward and be sustained under a peaceful, stable environment, with mutual trust between nations and between their ninja villages."

"Once it starts, it naturally becomes a key link in maintaining peace."

"For us, there are plenty of benefits too—both as the initial provider of technology and funding, and later as the maintainer and coordinator."

Jiraiya's gaze followed the path Roshi's finger had traced across the map.

He thought of the current ninja world which, despite being shaken again and again, was still moving along a path different from before.

He remembered the Great Toad Sage's prophecy.

He would have a disciple, and that child would one day bring either peace or destruction to the ninja world.

His long search and relentless efforts had sometimes seemed to bear fruit, only to crumble in the end.

He had tried in his own way—using a ninja's strength to protect what needed protecting, and a writer's pen to sketch out the possibility of understanding between people.

Yet the word "peace" still felt like a distant mirage—its outline visible, but forever out of reach.

But this plan…

"This plan," Jiraiya said at last, "is really… quite complicated."

"Still, would Sunagakure really be willing to sit down and negotiate properly with Amegakure? Knowing them, they'd probably rather just bring the Land of Rain completely under control through the Bureau. That'd be simpler."

Roshi nodded. "Amegakure's leader is still out there. If Nagato still recognizes that identity as his own, then a mutually beneficial agreement between Sunagakure and Amegakure should at least make him think twice."

After all, the enemy was still moving freely. Even the tightest warning network would suffer if someone was truly determined to take revenge.

"Which is why I'm going to have a proper talk with Sunagakure about the risks of being too aggressive in this matter."

He had already factored that into his plan.

Jiraiya chuckled softly and clapped Rōshi on the shoulder. "Maybe… maybe we can actually negotiate something genuinely different this time."

Then he shifted gears; the familiar, cynical grin tugged at his lips. Leaning in, he lowered his voice. "So, we're done with official business, yeah? Isn't it about time to call it a day? I know a new place with great sake… want to go grab a drink?"

Before he could finish—

"Unemployed people shouldn't come here and bother those who are actually working, Jiraiya."

A foot slammed into his backside. With a yelp of "Waaah!", Jiraiya pitched forward, scrambling for the handle as he was booted straight through the doorway and into the corridor.

The door slammed shut behind him.

He lay there for a couple of seconds, dazed, then burst out laughing. Pushing himself up, he brushed off his clothes, started humming an off-key tune, and wandered down the corridor toward the exit.

When he stepped out of the Hokage Building, the sun greeted him with a warm glow.

He stopped, tipped his head back, and squinted up at the sky.

He remembered the first time he'd picked up a pen to write a story. Back then, his thoughts had been simple: the ninja world was full of conflict and misunderstanding. If there was anything that could help people understand each other's circumstances and feelings, even just a little, then it would be worth trying.

It was the same when he wrote Icha Icha Paradise.

Now, it seemed… someone else had found a more direct way—and a better one than his.

"Even if that person isn't my student."

—

Morning light pierced the thin veil of clouds, spilling across the stone steps of the palace in the southern country.

A paper butterfly glided down in silence. The moment its wings touched the ground, they unraveled into an ordinary sheet of folded paper. Konan bent to pick it up. As her fingertips slid over the surface and her chakra flowed into it, the report bled into view like ink soaking through.

"The Allied Forces have withdrawn."

Pain's Deva Path stood by the window, his back outlined against the harsh, too-bright light of the southern sky. He didn't turn around, continuing to stare out at this distant, prosperous, and peaceful land.

"A trap," he said flatly.

"One of their aims could be to test us," Konan replied, walking to stand at his side.

"The Allied Forces know our true power doesn't lie in Amegakure. Loosening restrictions to tempt our people into moving and making contact, then using that to track us down—that would be a logical move."

Her eyes moved further down the report, and a faint crease of puzzlement formed between her brows.

"What is it?"

"Before they left, the Konoha shinobi asked whether the village would be willing to trade with Sunagakure."

Trade… with Sunagakure? Pain's Deva Path took the intelligence report from her hands.

"Resource exchange?"

Behind the Deva Path, Nagato also frowned in confusion. "...We already control Amegakure. Why would they come up with a plan like this?"

Are they trying to provoke those who stayed behind into betraying us?

His thoughts drifted back to Yahiko's death—how Hanzō had trapped them under the banner of "peace." On that day, the old Akatsuki that had pursued peace through non-extreme means had been destroyed.

"This is a trap," Nagato said again, his tone firm.

"Should we reply?" Konan asked.

"There's no need. With a deception like this, once they see it has no effect, they'll drop the act and show their true colors."

With no word from their "God" and "Angel," the people left in Amegakure could only stall in response to Konoha's proposal. When Sunagakure actually sent representatives to discuss the matter, they met them with as much politeness—and empty, noncommittal answers—as possible.

They talked, nodded, and agreed where they had to, all the while simply waiting for Konoha and Sunagakure to reveal what they were really after.

However, the days slipped by.

The envoys from Konoha and Sunagakure showed no impatience. No large force of shinobi suddenly appeared at dawn to seize Amegakure again.

Instead, they laid out detailed cooperation plans. They asked the local officials and shinobi of Amegakure to assist in surveying the Land of Rain's waterways and terrain, so they could draft more practical engineering plans for the next stages.

By this point, Amegakure's representatives realized the other side seemed genuinely serious. Yet the more "sincere" the talks appeared, the more suspicion and unease gnawed at their hearts.

They used the reserved channel once more, sending all the new information to their two leaders overseas.

After Konan finished reading the report, she lifted her head and met the Deva Path's Rinnegan gaze.

"Let them cooperate," she suggested calmly. "If it's a trap, no matter how deep the negotiations go, once it reaches the implementation stage—where real funds are spent and manpower is mobilized—the disguise will be hard to maintain. At worst, we'll only waste some time."

Deep within the palace, Nagato closed his eyes.

He knew Konan was right. Whatever Konoha and Sunagakure were scheming, as long as it didn't touch Akatsuki's core strength, there was little risk in letting the people remaining in Amegakure play along. On the contrary, it might expose their true intentions.

Even so, the sense of wrongness in his chest only grew heavier.

Why? Why would Konoha and Sunagakure go to all this trouble? If they wanted the Land of Rain's resources, they could simply take them by force—just as Hanzō had done to Akatsuki back then. If they wanted to lure Akatsuki out, there should be more direct, efficient methods.

"Maybe..." Konan murmured, "this is Jiraiya-sensei's idea."

"The possibility of a trap still cannot be ruled out," Nagato replied.

"What if... in the end, they really are willing to go through with it?" Konan's voice held a trace of hesitation.

Nagato did not answer. Only doubts filled his mind.

What exactly were Konoha and Sunagakure planning?

Konoha, Hokage's Office.

The cicadas outside the window screeched, loud enough to be a headache. Kakashi set a report down on Tsunade's desk.

"During the negotiations, the people from Amegakure made moves to transmit intelligence. Judging from the situation, they should've used some kind of Space–Time Ninjutsu," Kakashi summarized the gains they'd made over this period beyond the talks themselves.

"We still can't pinpoint Nagato's location from this. They're being extremely cautious."

"Just keep observing," Tsunade said. "Finding Nagato would just be a bonus. This plan mainly depends on Sunagakure."

"Yes." Kakashi nodded, his gaze drifting to the other side of the office.

Roshi's desk was empty, but the mountain of documents stacked on it hadn't shrunk at all. It was obvious their owner had left without the slightest intention of finishing them. A thin film of dust had even gathered on the edges of a few open scrolls.

"Roshi isn't here?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah." Tsunade leaned back in her chair. "He said Kirigakure still hasn't officially replied about the exchange student matter. The other four Great Shinobi Villages have all joined in; they're the only ones left. We have to keep up appearances on the surface, so he went to ask them in person."

"For something like that…" Kakashi said slowly, "does he really need to go himself? Kirigakure has a permanent representative at the Bureau. An official document would've been enough."

After all, once four parties were in, the odds of the last one agreeing were already very high. It was the same old pattern.

"Hmph, that guy clearly has ulterior motives."

He was obviously going to see if there was any chance to get his hands on some Tailed Beast chakra or something along those lines.

"It's also possible," Tsunade added, "that he just took the chance to go on vacation. Our Lord Roshi is very popular—once he leaves the village, he gets treated like an honored guest wherever he goes."

Kakashi didn't answer. He simply gave a salute and turned to leave the office.

"Everyone else gets to run off," Tsunade muttered under her breath. "I'm the only one who has to stay in the village…"

The silver-haired jōnin unconsciously sped up his steps, as if afraid she'd call out in the next second to declare she wanted to quit.

—

Roshi was indeed receiving "hospitality," but it could hardly be called pleasant. Ever since Kirigakure learned that Akatsuki had been the power behind the Land of Snow, they had pushed their vigilance to an extreme.

On top of carrying out retaliation in the daimyō's name, their wariness toward ninja from other villages had climbed back up to almost the same level as during the Bloody Mist era.

Even shinobi from the Five Great Ninja Villages now had to go through the strictest level of verification before being allowed inside the village.

Mei Terumī could only feel troubled.

"I really hope you haven't brought me even worse news this time, Roshi-kun."

"The only remaining matter is the Exchange Student."

"As for any other purposes, there are indeed some," Rōshi said, "but they're limited to just looking around."

"Oh my, does this mean you're coming to probe for the Hidden Mist's secrets, Roshi-kun?" Mei asked with a smile. "If that's the case, I'll have to accompany you the entire time.

"After all, if I were to let Roshi-kun see something he shouldn't, it would be a dereliction of duty on my part as the host."

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