"It's urgent! He's a legend from that era—snatching Nagato's eyes would be child's play for him! And if he was able to control the Third Mizukage and Yagura, then controlling Nagato would be just as easy…"

Jiraiya shot back, voice edged with impatience.

After hearing Tsunade's briefing the previous night, then spending a whole night thinking it over, he knew exactly what that intelligence meant.

For someone to uncover so much…

And most importantly—

Kyoichi had even unraveled the traps laid by Madara, rescuing both the Third Mizukage and Yagura. Though only partially saved, not fully restored, the feat was still extraordinary.

After all—

The enemy was Uchiha Madara. A living legend!

If it had been Nagato, Yahiko, and the others in that situation, they wouldn't have stood a chance.

As their teacher, Jiraiya naturally felt more anxious than anyone.

Kyoichi only gave him a flat look.

"Being anxious won't help. The real problem is whether Nagato himself would even come to Konoha. Don't forget—Yahiko and Konan are still in Amegakure. If Nagato leaves on his own, what do you think they'll feel about it?"

"But still—"

"And even if their bond with us is good enough to persuade Yahiko and Konan to let Nagato come, will Nagato himself agree? You think you're acting in his best interest, but have you considered how he sees it? Especially someone like Nagato—quiet on the surface, but once he decides on something, he won't easily turn back."

"…I, well, you—But we can't just sit on our hands and do nothing, can we?"

Jiraiya raked his fingers through his hair in frustration.

He had to admit, Kyoichi was right.

As a teacher, he had never truly considered Nagato's own will. He'd simply assumed that since he meant well, Nagato would naturally follow his advice.

But the truth was—

Both Yahiko and Nagato had their own convictions. There was no guarantee they'd accept his view of what was "for their own good."

"So, you'd rather risk making a mistake than do nothing at all?"

"Ahem… isn't that why I dragged you along? You've always been better at this than me—your schemes and crazy ideas outnumber mine tenfold! I can't see a way, but you'll definitely come up with something!"

Jiraiya grinned, utterly shameless, as if nothing about what he'd said was even remotely problematic.

Kyoichi let out a sigh.

"…I'm starving. First, I eat. Then once my chakra's recovered, we'll talk business."

"I've got ration p—uh, no, I mean—I'll treat you!"

Jiraiya almost blurted out "ration pills," then realized how poor an offer that sounded given he needed Kyoichi's help right now.

"You're treating?"

"Yes! My treat!"

"That's… not right, making you spend—"

"No, no, no! I insist!"

Practically dragging Kyoichi by the arm, Jiraiya hauled him off to Ichiraku Ramen.

The bowls that arrived were the deluxe set—piled high and steaming.

Only after Kyoichi had eaten his fill and leisurely recovered some strength did the two of them finally set out from Konoha, taking their time along the road. The walk served as both a way to digest and to restore chakra, while they also shared their intel and thoughts.

"We're not going straight to persuade Nagato and the others. First, we'll meet Hanzō. Work our way from the top down."

"…You're thinking of turning this into an inter-village alliance against Madara?"

Jiraiya's brows furrowed in thought.

If their goals aligned on a village-to-village level, things would indeed go far smoother. And honestly, Kyoichi was the only one capable of pulling that off.

Everyone knew—

He was essentially half a Hokage already. In the shadows, his influence in Konoha exceeded even what Danzō once held.

"Exactly. Not just Amegakure. After that, I'll work on Sunagakure. They won't be able to refuse—I hold something critical over them."

Kyoichi smiled faintly.

The Third Kazekage's puppet corpse.

No one could say no to such a weapon. And if Suna refused, Konoha could always study Magnet Release in secret—Suna would suffer either way.

Though truth be told, Magnet Release didn't impress Kyoichi much. Even if they mastered it, he'd spread it to the wider shinobi ranks. Beyond its symbolic value, the puppet itself was the real bargaining chip. Konoha couldn't exactly use it openly anyway.

If he could use it to secure an alliance, that was the best outcome.

As for Sasori—well, returning the puppet wasn't on the table.

After traveling for some time, Kyoichi's chakra had mostly recovered. Even his Sage chakra was replenished by more than half—while not yet at peak, it was enough.

He cracked his neck, then clasped Jiraiya's shoulder. The seal marks and prepared ninjutsu flared—Jiraiya's vision spun.

The Flying Thunder God.

In the blink of an eye, the scenery shifted.

Jiraiya steadied himself, kunai already in hand, body taut and ready.

Ahead stretched endless clouds, dark and heavy. Not far off, rain was falling. Yet here, under clear skies, sunlight broke through.

The border of the Land of Rain.

A moment later, Kyoichi appeared at his side.

"Let's go."

"…When did you plant the formula here?"

"This area is a critical patrol zone for the Anbu—conflict is most likely to flare here. So I had them inscribe seals in these places for quick support."

Kyoichi's answer was matter-of-fact.

Jiraiya was quietly stunned.

This guy… had already taken Flying Thunder God to this level of deployment?

He had no idea about the Flying Thunder Formation—it was still classified, known only to Kyoichi, the Sandaime, Tsunade, and select Anbu.

So naturally, he assumed Kyoichi had trained numerous Anbu operatives to use the technique themselves.

"…Let's move."

"Ah—right, right."

Jiraiya snapped out of his daze, his feelings complicated.

The Flying Thunder God—made common.

Even the Second Hokage hadn't achieved that.

Kyoichi had already surpassed him.

No—more than that.

If he continued like this, Konoha's prosperity was assured. He might one day not just match the Shodai, but surpass even him—becoming a new standard, a living legend of the village.

This guy…

He was starting to look more like the Child of Prophecy than anyone else.

The thought flickered across Jiraiya's mind, and before he could stop himself—

"Kyoichi…"

"Hm?"

"…Do you think… could it be that you're the Child of Prophecy?"

"…."

Kyoichi shot him a sideways glance, utterly exasperated.

What the hell was this guy thinking all day long?

"…If you want to believe that, fine. As for me, I think the whole 'Child of Prophecy' thing is pretty ridiculous. Anyway, let's go. Once we're in the Land of Rain, I don't have any more seals down."

Even he wouldn't dare tag Hanzō's territory with Flying Thunder God marks—that'd risk sparking war outright. Unless it was absolutely necessary, Kyoichi wouldn't resort to something so extreme.

And so, the two stepped across the border into the Land of Rain.

Rain pattered endlessly from the skies.

Though Amegakure had begun land-clearing projects, the effort was still small in scale. The climate hadn't shifted much—it remained a land of constant downpour.

But—

The river's waterline had dropped noticeably.

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