CHAPTER 202

A small shop on the side of the road in the Land of Water.

"Huh~! The taste isn't bad!" Setting down the soup bowl, he spoke contentedly to Lost Thousand Names.

He picked up a skewer of meatballs, took a bite, then glanced toward the door and said in the direction of Chao Yanqian: "Alright already, Lord Jiraiya! I'm not some beauty, you don't need to keep peeping!"

"You little brat, so you noticed me! Seems like you've made quite a bit of progress, huh? Not bad, not bad! This immortal is very pleased to see you, a little devil, grow into someone so capable! Haha! It's rare for an author to go out seeking inspiration and bump into an old friend like this. How delightful!" A middle-aged, white-haired man with a pervy smile walked in, sat down beside Chao Yanqian without hesitation, and began shoveling meatballs into his mouth.

Next, Jiraiya took a few sips of the red bean soup and sighed contentedly. "Nothing like a hot bowl of red bean soup when you're away from home!"

"Boss! Bring out a pot of your best sake!" Chao Yanqian called out.

"Yo! Starting the drinks already, eh? You're just my kind of guy!" Jiraiya said with a wide grin.

"It really is a pleasure to see Lord Jiraiya again," said Chao Yanqian with a smile, though inwardly he was pondering: Ever since Jiraiya left Konoha, he's been tracking Orochimaru. If he's shown up here in the Land of Water, then Orochimaru must be here too.

Looks like I'll have to speed up the plan, or else Kimimaro might get taken by Orochimaru first.

After drinking to his satisfaction, Jiraiya looked up and said to Chao Yanqian, "It's incredible your name's been popping up everywhere these past couple of years. If Tsunade knew her student had accomplished so much, she'd be proud."

Seeing Jiraiya's nostalgic expression, Chao Yanqian asked gently, "Has Jiraiya-sama seen Tsunade-sensei in the past few years?"

"No... It's been a long time," Jiraiya said with a sigh, a trace of longing in his eyes.

Although Jiraiya was known for his lecherous habits, his feelings for Tsunade were genuine and rare. Thankfully, Tsunade had kept a low profile when she left Konoha. No one really knew her whereabouts, which saved Jiraiya from the pain of facing her only to be rejected.

"Same here. I haven't seen Tsunade-sensei in ages. Maybe she's deliberately avoiding us," said Chao Yanqian thoughtfully. "After all, we old friends may just remind her of painful memories."

"You know about that?" Jiraiya asked in surprise.

"Yeah, we've talked about it before," said Chao Yanqian calmly.

For Tsunade, the death of her younger brother Nawaki and her lover Dan was a pain that never fully healed. That she spoke of it with Chao Yanqian showed just how much she trusted him.

Sure enough, Jiraiya's attitude softened even more after hearing that.

"Kid, I heard about your battle with Kumogakure. Konoha's victory was a big deal, but..." Jiraiya trailed off, hesitating.

"The Third Hokage already scolded me for it," Chao Yanqian replied. "Jiraiya-sama, you know as well as I do after the Nine-Tails incident, Konoha's strength was greatly reduced. Even Senpai Be Feng Shuimen... I'm sorry. I really did everything I could. I just wanted to end the war quickly. And looking at the results, didn't Konoha come out with the biggest gains?"

Jiraiya, shaped by the teachings of the Third Hokage, was far from heartless. Despite having blood on his hands as any shinobi did he still retained a core of compassion.

Over the years, traveling the world, Jiraiya had seen too much death and suffering. He deeply understood the flaws of the Five Great Nations system and had long hoped for change. That was why he placed his hopes in the Child of Prophecy.

For Chao Yanqian, Jiraiya was someone worthy of admiration one of the few Hokage-era figures he had genuinely respected in his past life.

"Sigh... Killing is a sin no matter the reason. Well, maybe one day you'll understand," Jiraiya said, finally letting it go.

He knew the will of a strong person was hard to shake. He couldn't persuade Chao Yanqian today. Besides, he hadn't come just to chat lhe had things to discuss.

"chao Yanqian, I heard you went to the Land of Rain a few years ago and had a clash with a mysterious organization?"

"Mm. That happened," Chao Yanqian said simply.

"I'll get to the point then. I've been tracking Orochimaru for years now. I discovered he's joined a mysterious organization..." Jiraiya began.

"Akatsuki," Chao Yanqian interrupted calmly.

"You know?" Jiraiya looked surprised, but then nodded. "Makes sense. You've probably clashed with them already and looked into them afterward."

"So, what about them? Orochimaru joined their ranks?"

"That's right. What do you think of the organization?" Jiraiya asked seriously.

"I don't know much," chao Yanqian said with a frown. "When I fought them, the three members I faced weren't particularly strong. But... in recent years, they've become very secretive. I haven't been able to gather much intel since I can't leave Konoha often."

Jiraiya grew solemn. "I've been investigating too. The organization has recruited many S-rank missing-nin. Orochimaru is just one of them. Rumor has it their leader is extremely powerful. But as you said, they're hard to track,no reliable intel so far."

"If they've gathered that many dangerous criminals, they must be planning something big," Chao Yanqian said firmly.

"Do me a favor pass this info to the old man. He needs to keep an eye on this," Jiraiya said seriously. Then he narrowed his eyes and asked suspiciously, "By the way, what are you doing in the Land of Water? Don't tell me you're scheming something!"

"Of course. I heard Kirigakure plans to move against the Kaguya clan. Their Shikotsumyaku Dead Bone Pulse is a very rare and powerful kekkei genkai," Chao Yanqian said lightly. "I've taken an interest in a particularly talented child."

"Tch. I bet Orochimaru's thinking the same thing," Jiraiya muttered darkly.

"Well, he's in for a disappointment. I'm interested in that child too," Chao Yanqian said with a smile.

"That would be ideal," Jiraiya said, smirking as he imagined Orochimaru being thwarted. Then he suddenly turned serious. "By the way, anything big going on in Konoha lately?"

"Kumogakure should be sending an envoy to Konoha soon," Chao Yanqian replied.

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