Traveling through Nagato, from conquering Konan to dominating the ninja world

It was noon, the sun was shining brightly, and the cicadas were chirping.

In the shady backyard, Sarutobi Hiruzen was wearing home clothes, sitting on a chair, reading the "Ninja World Daily".

The above reported the incident of tombs being robbed in Iwagakure Village.

It is impossible to hide such a sensational event from the well-informed newspapers in the ninja world, but the details are not something they can know.

Hiruzen picked up the pipe at hand and put it in his mouth, puffing out thick smoke.

"First there was trouble with Kumogakure, and now there's trouble with Iwagakure. The ninja world has been really unstable lately..."

"Swoosh!" At this moment, a golden light flashed, and Minato, wearing a Hokage cloak, appeared in the backyard of Hiruzen's house.

This was allowed by Hiruzen after the attack, to leave Minato's Flying Thunder God mark in his house to facilitate communication in emergencies.

"Oh~ It's Minato."

Hiruzen put down the newspaper and greeted him with a smile.

"It's the middle of the day, and you didn't go home to report on time, but came to my place... Aren't you afraid that Kushina will complain?"

Minato scratched his head and smiled, "I have informed my family, and I came here specially to bring you a watermelon to cool you down!

After saying that, Minato put down the big watermelon he was carrying in the bag.

Hiruzen put down the pipe in his hand, held the big melon, and felt its full weight, "Hmm... It's hard for you to think of giving me a melon, and such a big one at that!"

"Biwako~!" Hiruzen turned around and shouted into the house.

"Here I am, isn't this Minato?" Hiruzen's wife, Biwako, came to the courtyard in plain clothes, "Why don't you spend time with Kushina when you have time to visit the retirees? Don't think you can slack off before the second trimester. You must not let your guard down every day during pregnancy!"

"Yes, Lord Biwako's teaching is..." Minato scratched his head and smiled apologetically.

Hiruzen said, "Alright Biwako, go cut the watermelon~ Remember to get some ice~."

Soon, Biwako brought the sliced ​​​​ice-cold watermelon over. "Cut it in half, and I put the remaining half in the refrigerator. Don't spit the watermelon seeds. Spit them in the basin and I will clean them up later. Then, you two can chat."

Biwako said sternly and closed the door.

Minato said stiffly, "Master Biwako, you are as strict as ever. What a terrifying aura you have."

"The so-called wife is the most important thing, that's what it means, no matter how powerful and powerful you are as a ninja or a Hokage, when you return home, there will always be someone who is above you."

Hiruzen took a drag from his pipe and smiled, "Minato, when you reach my age, you will understand it more deeply."

Minato smiled happily and said, "In fact, I have already experienced it deeply now..."

Hiruzen picked up the watermelon and tasted it, "You put aside your official duties and family affairs and came to see me. It must be more than just eating watermelon, Minato."

Minato nodded and said, "Well, to be honest, there are some things I should tell you."

Hiruzen chewed the watermelon flesh with his teeth firmly, crushing the seeds and swallowing them!

"Is Jiraiya back?"

Minato chewed slowly, spitting the watermelon seeds into the bowl one by one.

"You already know about this. The teacher has been living in my house these days!"

"Oh~! How strange... He is not in a hurry to go out to collect materials! Could it be that he has thought it through? He is willing to stay in the village and fulfill his duties as a Konoha ninja."

"The teacher didn't reveal this matter, but he should stay in the village in the near future. After all, he hasn't been back for many years."

Hiruzen's eyes darkened, "He didn't even come to see me, his teacher. Is he still blaming me for not being able to keep Orochimaru?"

Minato put down the watermelon rind and said seriously, "That's not the case, Sandaime. The teacher probably doesn't know how to hide the fact that he was injured in front of you."

Hiruzen paused in mid-air as he picked up the pipe. "Hmm? Injured? Jiraiya, injured?"

"Not long ago, he went to the Hidden Rain Village. Not only was he injured, but he almost lost his life there..."

"What... did you say?" As Minato finished his words, the ashes in Hiruzen's pipe fell out.

"He, he went to offend Hanzo-sama?"

"This is exactly one of the important things I want to tell you. The era of Yugakure and Salamander Hanzo is over!"

"What!? That Hanzo, actually..." Hiruzen's pupils trembled violently. He lifted his pipe with his trembling hands and took a deep puff. The smoke rolling in his throat and lungs covered up the tremor in his eyes...

"Who was it that ended Hanzo's rule?"

Minato said in a low voice, "He is Nagato, one of the three disciples that Jiraiya accepted in the Hidden Rain Village in his early years. Nagato possesses the power of the Six Paths Sage Samsara Eye."

Hiruzen took a few more puffs of his cigarette and said, "Was he the one who injured Jiraiya?"

"Yes. To be honest, I have met Nagato himself..." Under Hiruzen's incredulous gaze, Minato naturally raised his hands and supported his chin, "Based on my observation, he doesn't seem to be a vicious person."

Hiruzen said, "The enemy that attacked Konoha not long ago had strange ripples in their eyes. Don't you find it suspicious, Minato?"

"You have discovered it as well." Minato said calmly, "I also had my suspicions about this, and I once questioned Nagato in person, but he didn't admit it. Well... regardless of whether it is him or not, he is now officially recognized as the legitimate leader of the Hidden Rain Village. If we want to make trouble, the dispute will not be between the village and the individual, but between villages."

Hiruzen picked up the towel and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

This icy watermelon not only fails to relieve the heat, but makes me feel even hotter the more I eat it.

"Minato, your judgment is correct. At this juncture, it is indeed not appropriate to create a powerful enemy for Konoha. As long as he does not invade Konoha again, we should handle this matter conservatively..."

Minato's eyes flickered slightly, and his gaze became sharp: "No, in fact, what really made me choose to be conservative was the secret of something that Nagato revealed to me."

Hiruzen put the pipe in his mouth again: "Secret, what secret?"

Minato said, "Hanzō of the Salamander launched a siege against the Akatsuki organization led by Nagato and the teacher's other two disciples, Yahiko and Konan, nearly half a year ago."

Hiruzen said, "Akatsuki, I have heard of it too. It was a new organization that emerged in the Hidden Rain Village during the war and absorbed a group of young people dedicated to peace. It mediated in the war between Konoha and Iwagakure and achieved corresponding results, but it was short-lived and disappeared after the war. So... the leader of Akatsuki is Nagato, Jiraiya's disciple?"

Minato shook his head slightly and said, "No... The leader of Akatsuki was Yahiko. He died in Hanzo's encirclement and suppression of Akatsuki."

Hiruzen's eyes dropped, "Ah, I see. So Nagato chose to end Hanzo's rule out of revenge?"

Minato said in a deep voice: "That's right. But... according to Nagato, Hanzo actually had an accomplice in the action that day. He is... the leader of our Konoha Root, Mr. Danzo Shimura!"

"Pah!" As soon as Minato finished speaking, the pipe in Hiruzen's hand fell to the ground...