Konoha Notes

Chapter 338 Jiraiya

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

As a writer, he only entered a new phase after fifty-four years in Konoha.

He hasn't written anything new in five years since the publication of "Intimate Paradise".

While there are factors involved in accumulating and gathering inspiration.

But the most important reason is that he is Jiraiya, a ninja from Konoha.

Therefore, when Iwagakure made unusual moves at the border, he had to put down his pen and return to the vicinity of the village to be on standby at any time.

When news arrived that Tsunade was about to become the Fifth Hokage, he had to go back.

When information about Madara Uchiha came out, he had to stay near the village for longer.

Then came the shocking betrayal by Sunagakure, the tense deployment of troops by Iwagakure, the alliance of the five villages... until this year.

He hasn't been able to settle down and properly gather material for his writing for a long time.

Strangely enough, despite all these events, the ninja world has become increasingly stable.

Especially given the situation this year, it seemed like a major undertaking was about to begin, yet even the Cloud Village, which should have been the most eager, remained restrained.

After the successful conclusion of the last operation against the flying fortress, Jiraiya, who was originally assigned to provide support, returned to Konoha after the Land of Snow failed to make any further moves.

He also brought back the Cloud Village's intention to carry out martial arts exercises as scheduled, and hoped that the Joint Affairs Bureau could strengthen its defense during this period.

On the afternoon of his return to Konoha, Jiraiya went to the Hokage's office.

After explaining the matter of Yunyin, he heard about something that concerned him.

"Are they planning to withdraw the allied forces stationed in Amegakure?"

He was somewhat surprised when he heard Tsunade say that.

Tsunade nodded: "Withdraw the main force, let Amegakure return to normal operation, and leave one or two outposts."

Jiraiya said in a deep voice, "There are probably still Nagato's people in Amegakure."

Before the coalition forces set out, they were instructed to focus on control and minimize casualties. They were even instructed not to clean up the mess after taking the relevant intelligence.

This also means that as long as they didn't die in the wave when the Allied Shinobi Forces controlled Amegakure, most of the remaining personnel were those left behind by Nagato and his group.

“It’s irrelevant.” Another voice came from the office doorway.

Jiraiya turned around and saw Shuji standing there, holding a document in his hand.

“The strategic value of Amegakure to Akatsuki has fundamentally changed,” he said. “Its value as a covert base was lost the moment we completed our intelligence gathering and initial control.”

"As a human resource reserve? The quality of Amegakure's ninjas is not outstanding compared to the Five Great Nations. If they really need to carry out large-scale operations, they will not rely on these personnel left behind."

"The remaining role is as an intelligence point, but as long as they are active and choose to tip off others, it will allow us to indirectly learn about the movements of Akatsuki or Rinnegan."

Shuji walked up to the ninja world map hanging on the wall and pointed to the location of the Land of Rain.

"Conversely, restoring Amegakure to normal operation is not only manageable for us, but also has more practical and long-term benefits."

Shuji's finger traced from the Land of Rain towards the Land of Wind in the southwest.

"The Land of Rain is located at the junction of three countries, with a unique geography that results in abundant rainfall year-round, almost to the point of causing disasters. Meanwhile, its neighboring countries, especially the Land of Wind, suffer from drought and desertification year-round."

"If the Land of Rain is willing to negotiate with the Land of Wind to establish a water resource regulation and transportation system, the cost for the Land of Wind to maintain the oasis in the northeast, or even create a new oasis, will be greatly reduced."

"For the Land of Rain, this rainwater, which would otherwise only bring floods, can be transformed into tangible economic benefits—water resource exports, cross-border engineering cooperation, environmental governance projects... each of which can benefit the country's economy." "The project itself is based on a peaceful and stable situation, and mutual trust between countries and between ninja villages can be promoted and maintained."

"Once activated, it will become an important link in maintaining peace."

"For us, there are sufficient benefits, whether as the initial supporter of technology and funding or as the subsequent maintainer and coordinator."

Jiraiya looked at the map, following the direction Shuji's finger was pointing.

He thought of the current ninja world, which, despite suffering wave after wave of impacts, is still moving forward on a path different from the past.

The prophecy of the Great Toad Sage came to mind.

He will have a disciple, a child who will bring peace or destruction to the ninja world.

The long and arduous search, which seemed to lead to success time and time again, ultimately proved to be a futile effort.

He tried his best in his own way, using the power of a ninja to protect what needed to be protected, and using the pen of a writer to depict the possibility of understanding between people.

But the word "peace" remains like a mirage in the distance; its outline is visible, but it can never be truly reached.

But this plan...

“This plan,” Jiraiya finally spoke, “is really… complicated enough.”

"However, would Sunagakure be willing to sit down and negotiate properly with Amegakure? Given their nature, they probably would prefer to bring the Land of Rain under their complete control through the Joint Affairs Bureau, which would be much easier."

Shuuji nodded and said, "The leader of Amegakure is still outside. If Nagato still acknowledges his identity, he will probably have some concerns about the mutually beneficial agreement reached between Sunagakure and Amegakure."

"After all, the other party is now very free to act. No matter how strong the early warning network is, if someone is determined to retaliate, it will have a huge impact."

"Therefore, I will have a serious talk with Sunagakure about the risks that might arise from being too assertive in this matter."

Even this was taken into account.

Jiraiya chuckled and patted Shuji on the shoulder: "Perhaps...perhaps we can actually come up with something different."

Then, he changed the subject, his carefree smile returning to his face. He leaned closer and lowered his voice: "Hey, are you done with the business? It's almost time to go home, isn't it? I know a new place that's opened, the drinks are pretty good... wanna go for a bit?"

Before he finished speaking——

"Those who are not free should not disturb people's work, Jiraiya."

A foot landed squarely on his butt. Jiraiya yelled "Whoa!" and his body lurched forward uncontrollably. He frantically pulled open the door and stumbled into the hallway.

The door slammed shut behind me.

Jiraiya lay on the ground, stunned for two seconds, then burst into laughter. He slowly got up, dusted off his clothes, hummed an off-key tune, and swayed out the corridor.

As I walked out of the Hokage Building, the warm sunlight shone down on me.

He stopped, looked up, and squinted at the sky.

Thinking back, when I first picked up my pen and wrote my first story, I had a very simple thought in mind: the ninja world is full of fighting and misunderstandings. If there is anything that can help people understand each other's situations and feelings, even if it's just a little bit, it would be good.

The same applies to writing about intimate paradise.

Now it seems……

Someone found a more direct method, one that was even better than his.

"Although, that guy is not my disciple."

(End of this chapter)