Chapter 157.1 : Travel!!

"Kagetsu? I didn't expect you to come looking for me." Jiraiya was surprised to see Kagetsu standing before him.

"Orochimaru-sensei couldn't leave." Kagetsu replied.

The two met at Jiraiya's home. It was clearly the residence of a bachelor—completely devoid of any warmth or signs of daily life.

"What's this? A mission?" Jiraiya curiously took the scroll Kagetsu handed him. After reading it, he looked at Kagetsu with a strange expression.

"I'm leaving. What about Kirigakure?"

"Kirigakure can be left to the two advisors and Clan Leader Fugaku for now. What do you think, Jiraiya-san?"

In response to Jiraiya's question, Kagetsu explained. 

This decision had already been approved by the Third Hokage, and Shisui, who had returned to the clan, would transfer the Hokage's tasks to Fugaku.

After Anko returned to the village and completed her mission handover, she parted ways with Kagetsu and Shisui, heading back to her clan to see her family.

"I have no objections." Jiraiya pondered for a moment before nodding slowly. Although Konoha was in a precarious situation right now, that was precisely why finding Tsunade could greatly boost the village's morale.

As the head of the Medical Corps, Tsunade's role in wartime was crucial. Her presence could significantly reduce Konoha's casualties and ensure that the village's elite forces were not depleted too quickly.

Jiraiya was surprised that Orochimaru had suggested searching for Tsunade. During the Second Shinobi War, the bond between the three of them had been at its strongest, but after the war ended, things changed.

At the very least, when Jiraiya returned from training Nagato and the others in Amegakure for three years, he found that everything felt unfamiliar. 

Tsunade had changed. Orochimaru had changed. The relationship between the three of them had grown distant and cold.

Perhaps among the three of them, the only one who still remained true to himself was Jiraiya.

For someone as carefree as him to clearly sense the changes in the other two, it was easy to imagine just how unfamiliar they had felt when they reunited.

One was deeply trapped in grief for the dead, unable to free themselves.

The other had grown even colder toward the fading of life.

Jiraiya wanted to ease the situation, to restore their bond to what it once was. But neither Tsunade nor Orochimaru were people he could persuade so easily.

"It's a good idea, but Tsunade isn't that easy to convince."

Jiraiya felt both happy and helpless. Accepting the mission wasn't difficult. Finding Tsunade wasn't difficult. What was difficult was making her change her mind and willingly return to the village.

"Fate is uncertain, but effort shapes outcomes. You have to try, don't you?"

"Yeah, you have to try."

Jiraiya echoed the words, faintly sensing that Kagetsu had a deeper meaning behind them. But right now, his mind was filled only with the thought of finding Tsunade and convincing her to return.

"This is my first time leading Orochimaru's squad on a mission." Jiraiya smiled, looking at Kagetsu, who was now completely different from the young child in his memories. 

Then he continued, "You all have one day to rest. Meet outside the village at seven in the morning. That okay?"

"I have no problem with that." Kagetsu nodded.

"Also, is Shisui coming too?" Jiraiya suddenly asked. The mission details had already mentioned Shisui's eyes, and one of the reasons for finding Tsunade was to see if she could heal them.

"No problem. Although Shisui's strength has been significantly affected, he can still protect himself in battle." Nara Kagetsu spoke on Shisui's behalf.

"Bringing him along is a good idea. If Tsunade refuses to return, we can at least have her check on him." Jiraiya nodded.

...

Back home, the Nara clan's shinobi, including Nara Shikakichi, were all out on missions outside the village. At this point, Konoha had already deployed nearly all available combat-capable shinobi.

Compared to civilians, shinobi clans had some advantages—some of their underage children were allowed to remain in the village. Important figures, such as the main family members of the Hyūga clan, rarely ventured onto the battlefield.

After Kirigakure ambushed a Hyūga main family member and stole a Byakugan, even the active battlefield shinobi, Hyūga Hiashi and his brother, were recalled to the village and the rear lines.

The next morning.

At dawn.

When Kagetsu's three-man squad arrived outside the village, they saw Jiraiya dressed in a wandering ninja's outfit. Even his forehead protector had been replaced with one bearing the kanji for "oil."

"Looks like everyone's here. Let's go!" Jiraiya waved his hand and took the lead, swiftly leaving the village.

"Is there any news on Lady Tsunade?"

As they followed closely behind Jiraiya, Kagetsu's squad asked along the way.

Jiraiya deliberately slowed his pace, allowing them to catch up. Hearing Kagetsu's question, he gave a thumbs-up.

"I only have a rough idea. Konoha's Anbu has traced her activities to the Land of Iron and the Land of Hot Water. We'll start by investigating there."

"The Land of Iron and the Land of Hot Water, huh?"

Kagetsu had no doubts about Jiraiya's intel. Among the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya was undoubtedly the best at gathering intelligence.

As long as they could narrow down her location, Jiraiya's familiarity with Tsunade would make finding her much easier.

In this war-torn era of the ninja world, there were very few places left that could still offer peace.

Aside from neutral countries, only a few remote locations remained.

The Land of Iron, recognized as a neutral nation by the Five Great Ninja Villages, was one such place. It had a large number of samurai and a harsh environment.

The Land of Hot Water was another. With its rich hot spring resources, a strong preference for peace, and the ability to be self-sufficient to some extent, it had managed to remain relatively undisturbed.

Given Tsunade's hemophobia and her dislike of war, it was highly likely that she had spent time in one of these two regions.

"Tsunade-sama? I haven't seen her in a long time."

For any female ninja from Konoha, Tsunade was someone to be admired and respected. Anko was no exception.

She was both beautiful and incredibly strong!

"Hahaha! She's got a terrible personality, though!" Jiraiya laughed heartily, speaking about Tsunade's flaws without any hesitation.

"But I think Tsunade-sama is very reliable!" Anko pouted in dissatisfaction but didn't dare argue with Jiraiya, so she just puffed up her cheeks and muttered angrily.

"Hahaha." Jiraiya laughed again, and the initial awkwardness among the group faded significantly.

The four of them crossed the border of the Land of Fire and entered the Land of Iron. Information in this country was easy to gather, as any ninja activity would quickly be noticed and warned against by the samurai. There were also few entertainment options in this land.

Once they confirmed that Tsunade wasn't there, the group quickly resupplied and immediately booked a boat to the Land of Hot Water, an island nation.

The journey was smooth, and when they arrived at the port, they disembarked and passed through a security check by the Hot Water ninja before officially entering the country.

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