23 Report

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his office, surrounded by stacks of paperwork. It seemed like the more he completed, the more piled up on his desk. He let out a sigh, rubbing his tired eyes with his wrinkled hands.

Just as he was about to resume his work, the door burst open and Anko Mitarashi stormed in, a look of urgency on her face.

"Anko, what's the matter?" Hiruzen asked, slightly taken aback by her sudden entrance.

"Lord Hokage, I found traces of that man!" Anko exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement.

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. "Orochimaru..."

Orochimaru had long been a thorn in his side. He had been his favorite student, yet his betrayal was like a ticking time bomb - waiting to detonate and bring harm to Konoha.

Although he regretted it, he had thought that he would never see him again after their last encounter, but it seemed that he was back. Hiruzen stood up, his back straightening as he glared at Anko.

"Are you sure?" he asked in a serious tone.

"Positive," Anko replied confidently. "I felt the searing pain from my seal, and noticed an abnormal chakra signature in the Grass ninja Genins. After a simple temptation, who would have thought he would reveal himself- if it wasn't because I was worried about the Genins, I would have fought him right then and there!"

Hiruzen's expression softened as he took a deep breath. "Very well. We must be cautious. Follow his trail and observe him from a distance. Do not engage him unless absolutely necessary."

Anko's eyes widened in confusion. "Observe him? Lord Hokage, why can't we just take him out now?"

Hiruzen gave her a stern look. "Orochimaru is not to be underestimated. He is a master of deception and is always planning something. We need to gather as much information as we can before we make a move."

"But, sir! Isn't his goal clear already? It is the Jinchur-"

"Not necessarily. He was one of my proudest stu-," Hiruzen paused and sighed, "I know him best. His goal is never as simple as a Jinchuriki. Perhaps his interest lays elsewhere. We can't startle the snake until we confirm his goal, lest he goes back into hiding. A snake under the sun is much less dangerous than a snake in the shadows."

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Anko clenched her fists but could only nod and obey orders. "Understood, Lord Hokage. I'll make sure to track him down and stay hidden, but I request permission to initiate battle if the genins are in danger."

"Permitted. Proceed with caution and try not to show abnormality in the eyes of other villages. We do not want to give them excuses to intervene. Report back to me with any new information as soon as possible," Hiruzen instructed before dismissing her.

As Anko left the room, Hiruzen sank back into his chair, surrounded the weight of his responsibilities as Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village. He couldn't help but feel a sense of unease at the thought of Orochimaru being back. He knew that he needed to be cautious and prepare for the worst.

He was a wise and experienced leader, but even he couldn't help feeling a sense of unease at the decisions he had made. As he pulled out his smoking pipe and began to smoke, he turned over to the window behind him and stared out at the scene of Konoha.

The village was bustling with activity as ninja and civilians went about their daily lives. Hiruzen watched as children played in the streets, vendors sold their wares, and shinobi patrolled the perimeter of the village. It was a peaceful scene, but the Hokage knew that danger always lurked in the shadows.

After a few moments of silence, Hiruzen spoke aloud, his voice carrying a weight of certainty. "Do you think my decision was the right one?" he said to seemingly no one in particular.

As if on cue, a figure suddenly flipped through an open window of the Hokage's office, attracting Hiruzen's gaze. The figure landed gracefully on the floor, revealing himself to be a tall, muscular man with broad shoulders and a chiseled physique.

His fair skin was smooth, but it was his hair that drew attention - waist-length and spiky, a shock of white that he usually kept tied back into a tight ponytail. Two shoulder-length bangs framed his face, drawing attention to the red lines that ran under his eyes and extended all the way down to his jaw. Wrinkles formed around the corners of his mouth as a wart sat unapologetically on the left side of his nose.

His attire was typically functional, consisting of a green short-sleeved kimono, a red haori adorned with two yellow circles on each side, and matching pants. Underneath, he wore mesh armor that could be glimpsed at his wrists and ankles. A large scroll is carried on his back, containing the secrets of his jutsu and other important documents.

On his head, he wore a horned forehead protector emblazoned with the kanji for "oil," signifying his affiliation with Mount Myoboku.

This was Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin.

Despite his rough exterior, Jiraiya had a kind and caring heart, and his warm smile could light up a room. He was known for his jovial personality and his love of women, but beneath the surface, he was a fierce warrior, a seasoned intelligence collector, and a wise mentor… of multiple powerful and dangerous existences in the past, present, and future.

As he dusted himself off, Jiraiya raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Doubting your own decisions again? Your age is catching up to you, old man."

Hiruzen shook his head. "I know, I know. When did you come back?"

Jiraiya's eyes rolled as he replied with an honest face, "Just now."

Hiruzen glanced at his lascivious disciple, knowing all too well of his deeds, but he didn't mention it, "You heard everything? What do you think?"

Jiraiya's playful expression was gone - his expression serious. "There's not much to work with at the moment," he said. "I need to understand the situation before I can offer any advice. Orochimaru… he's a difficult one – especially with all the life-saving methods he had researched. I've been chasing him all these years, and it's clear he won't reveal himself unless he is confident-"

"But, if I were to guess what he is after," Jiraiya paused as he took out a scroll and handed it to his teacher, "I have collected some intel from that organization. It seems Orochimaru had lost to Uchiha Itachi when he first joined."

When the Jiraiya finished, there was a long moment of silence as Hiruzen considered his words while reading through the scroll.

"Was it right for me to risk their future?"

"It's a tough call," Jiraiya said finally while hesitantly scratching his hair. "But I think you made the right decision, old man. He is finally willing to come out from the dark, we should understand his motives as much as possible. This will allow us to handle the situation accordingly. With me and you here, and so many other Konoha ninjas, he can't make waves alone."

Hiruzen sighed, his shoulders slumping in relief as he placed the scroll on his desk. "Thank you, Jiraiya. Your words give me some peace of mind."

Jiraiya grinned. "Hey, although I don't support many of your methods, but Konoha is still my home, and I won't let anyone bring harm to it – not even if he is…"

Jiraiya then paused, his eyes imperceptibly glanced at the old man. Noticing the old man's hesitating expression, he shook his head in distress. Still indecisive at this time? Is Orochimaru really that much better than him? Why has the treatment always been so different when it comes to himself?

Hiruzen read the emotions on his disciple's face, but could only lament inside. He hesitated a bit, wanting to defend himself, but in the end, the words spoken were different, "How long will you be staying this time?"

Jiraiya paused for a moment before he mumbled hesitantly, "Sa… who knows. This time, I came back to see Minato's child – he should have grown up by now. I heard he is participating in the Chunin exam?"

Hearing this, Hiruzen hesitated a bit before sighing in acquiesce, "Just don't startle the snake. Do it moderately, or someone will come clamoring to take the Jinchuriki away again."

"Tsk. I still don't understand how you can tolerate him, old man, after all he had done," Jiraiya expressed his dissatisfaction as he hopped onto the window sill, "Okay, you're the Sandaime, and you have your own thoughts. I won't care about these, I'll just do what I do best."

When Hiruzen heard Jiraiya say this, a strange expression arose on his face as he stared at Jiraiya with look that men would understand. He cleared his throat and shamelessly asked, "Ahem. When is the next book coming out?"

"Don't worry, I'm going to gather material now. As long as you don't drop dead suddenly, you'll be able to read it, old man," Jiraiya rolled his eyes and leapt out the window.

Hiruzen choked on the smoke coming from his pipe a couple of time as he cursed inwardly. However, moments later, he shook his head. An imperceptible smile arose on his face as his expression softened.

Walking over to the open window, he leaned against it as a chuckle escaped his mouth. Moments later, his expression turned solemn and serious.

"I won't- not anytime soon. As long as I'm here, he better not jump around. Tell him this," Hiruzen muttered out loud as he locked his eyes on a bug hiding near the window sill.

As if understanding that it had been discovered, the bug took off into the air and disappeared into the city.

Hiruzen watched it go, squinting his eyes as his thoughts turned to the Aburame clan. He couldn't help but mutter, "Aburame clan… but since when did they develop insects that can camouflage?

Despite the intrigue, he shook off the thought, muttering to himself, "Hm. It doesn't matter, as long as it can get my message over to him."

Hiruzen closed the window with a composed demeanor, his footsteps calm and measured as he strolled to his chair. He reached for the scroll Jiraiya had brought back, his brows furrowed with every word he read.

Pinching his forehead in consternation, Hiruzen couldn't help but mutter, his voice low and contemplative, "There's movement from Akatsuki, and Orochimaru shows up at the same time – is this a coincidence or premeditated?"

A sudden intensity flickered in Hiruzen's eyes as he muttered, his words pregnant with meaning, "Danzo... you better not be a part of this. There is only so much I can tolerate."

Unbeknownst to the characters entangled in their own affairs, an ominous storm loomed on the horizon, its brewing fury a secret yet to be unleashed. And yet, for some, even the most transparent of signs are disregarded, their eyes refusing to see what lies ahead.

Just like a certain transparent bug who was unwittingly ignored. Blind to the impending tempest, he let it return to its mother nest safely, an unwitting harbinger of the coming chaos.