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"Jiraiya, did you find the information you were looking for?"

An aged yet gentle voice sounded behind Jiraiya. He turned around and saw his teacher, the Third Hokage.

"I found it… Teacher." Jiraiya let out a sigh, looking somewhat dispirited.

The Third Hokage’s expression shifted slightly. He had not expected Jiraiya to truly find records on the Black Shadow Ninja. Did that not mean the Black Shadow Ninja really was a Konoha shinobi?

To be honest, the Third Hokage had not believed the Black Shadow Ninja was a Konoha shinobi at first. After all, the ninjutsu he used was completely different from Konoha’s. But out of trust in Jiraiya, he had allowed him to search through the archives.

Yet Jiraiya had actually found something. Did that not mean the Black Shadow Ninja was a rogue shinobi from Konoha?

With a rogue shinobi like this emerging, who else could take the blame besides him, the Third Hokage? It could hardly be the Fourth Hokage, who had not even held the position for two years.

Watching his teacher’s face turn pale, then green, Jiraiya immediately understood what he was thinking and suddenly felt a sense of hollowness.

Even at a time like this, is Teacher’s selfishness still so heavy?

"Don’t worry, Teacher. I don’t think anyone else will be able to connect the two." As he spoke, Jiraiya handed the documents to the Third Hokage.

The Third Hokage glanced at the documents in his hands. A moment later, an incredulous expression appeared on his face.

To be honest, it was not as though the Third Hokage had never seen geniuses who rose from the bottom. Jiraiya himself barely counted as one.

But those so-called "dead last" students had actually all been geniuses in disguise. When they were young, they were either careless by nature and slow to catch on, or their combat systems had yet to take shape, which was why they were called dead last.

But a shinobi like this—one who could not even be called dead last and could only be described as cannon fodder—growing strong enough in just six years to crush all of Konoha… he had truly never seen anything like it. It simply defied the logic of the shinobi world!

He did not suspect Jiraiya of lying. He knew his disciple’s character well enough.

Then could the reason someone like cannon fodder had turned things around under such circumstances be human experimentation?

At that thought, the Third Hokage looked at Jiraiya. "Jiraiya, has Orochimaru, whom you’ve been pursuing all this time, made any moves recently?"

Jiraiya froze for a moment, then quickly understood the Third Hokage’s meaning. "I haven’t found any trace of Orochimaru… But based on what I know of him, the Black Shadow Ninja cannot possibly be one of his test subjects."

The Third Hokage immediately looked at him with confusion. Jiraiya spoke at length. "Before Orochimaru defected from Konoha a few years ago, he was nowhere near as unrestrained as he is now. His experiments definitely could not have progressed to this extent."

"In the years since leaving Konoha, Orochimaru has lost a great deal of experimental data. He would also need to repurchase all kinds of advanced equipment, evade Konoha’s pursuit, and rebuild his experimental bases. There’s no way he could have achieved new results so quickly."

Of course, the most important reason was that Jiraiya felt Yota’s bearing was absolutely not something Orochimaru could cultivate. His strength was also far beyond Orochimaru’s ability to control. Then there was his ability to foresee the future and all kinds of secret intelligence. If Orochimaru truly knew those things, who knew how much turmoil he would have caused? How could he possibly be as quiet as he was now?

However, Jiraiya did not tell his teacher any of that. He had not even told him about the future he knew.

Upon returning this time, Jiraiya had clearly felt that his teacher was old and frail. He was no longer the shinobi hero he had once been. Not only had he become hesitant and overly cautious in his actions, but he had also lost the confidence befitting the strongest shinobi village in the world.

What use would there be in saying such things? Danzo, who was somewhat brainless, might even find out. If that happened, Konoha might decline even faster.

After hearing Jiraiya’s words, the Third Hokage nodded. Once he calmed down, he too felt that the Black Shadow Ninja could not be Orochimaru’s creation. Otherwise, given Orochimaru’s personality, he would have started causing trouble long ago.

But if that was the case, how exactly had the Black Shadow Ninja’s strength surged to such a level within six years?

Seeing his teacher deep in thought, Jiraiya continued, "What we should really be thinking about now is not why he became so strong, but how we should deal with him from now on!"

"He wants to establish rules for the shinobi world. And if he wants to establish rules for the shinobi world, he cannot avoid the Five Great Shinobi Villages. In other words, one day, we will face him!"

The Third Hokage frowned. "While I admit that the Black Shadow Ninja is extremely powerful, trying to oppose the entire shinobi world should still be beyond him."

"What you saw was the Black Shadow Ninja from over two years ago. Don’t forget, he stole so many things from Konoha. His current strength is definitely far greater than it was two years ago!"

"At the very least, when I face him now, even if I activate Sage Mode, I have no ability to fight back at all!"

At those words, the wrinkles on the Third Hokage’s face seemed to deepen. Jiraiya in Sage Mode could practically be called Konoha’s strongest trump card. If even he was helpless before the Black Shadow Ninja, then all of Konoha likely had no one who could stand against him.

Thinking of this, the Third Hokage let out a long breath. "Don’t worry. I still have ninjutsu that can deal with him."

With a turn of his mind, Jiraiya thought of the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. He wanted to remind him that the other party already knew of this technique and had clearly prepared for it, but seeing the grave expression on the Third Hokage’s face, he ultimately said nothing.

Even if he said it, what would it change? The current Third Hokage was no longer the shinobi hero of old, but a weary old man steeped in the twilight of his years.

As Jiraiya was thinking, the Third Hokage raised his head. "Jiraiya, are you still unwilling to take over as Hokage? You’ve been searching for the Child of Prophecy for more than ten years now, haven’t you?"

Jiraiya opened his mouth. Come to think of it, after reading the spoilers Yota had given him, he already knew the identity of the Child of Prophecy. There seemed to be little point in going out again.

But as for becoming Hokage, Jiraiya did not think he was suited for it!

As for simply staying in Konoha as an ordinary shinobi… if he remained in Konoha, it would be a signal in itself. Even if he temporarily declined the position of Hokage, many matters would still be beyond his control.

"Let me think about it a little longer!" In the end, Jiraiya could only say this helplessly.

But upon hearing that, the Third Hokage’s eyes lit up. "Good. Then stay in Konoha for a while first."