Jiraiya slammed his palm into Kakuzu's stomach, releasing the seal and breaking the toad's stomach binding him.
"You've done well. You can return to Mount Myōboku now," Jiraiya said, ending his summoning technique.
The three massive toads nodded before vanishing in puffs of smoke, returning to Mount Myōboku.
"From now on, stop working as a bounty hunter. Use the money you've accumulated to recruit powerful shinobi," Jiraiya said with a smile.
In the original timeline, all of Kakuzu's hard-earned money had been spent by Konan to buy explosive tags, leaving him with nothing. A pitiful fate, indeed.
"Your goal has been to build a peaceful shinobi village, but now that you're with me, you don't need to hoard your money. Our mission is to conquer the entire shinobi world," Jiraiya added. "Once we unify it, every corner of the world will be like the village you envisioned."
Worried that Kakuzu's love of money would hold him back, Jiraiya pressed further,
"Besides, if you refuse, I'll just take your money after you're dead. Either way, I'll get it."
Kakuzu frowned. "I don't trust that you'll have the strength to unify the world. If I spend all my money and you fail, I'll have nothing to show for it."
He had worked too hard to build his fortune, and there was no way he'd give it up so easily.
"I have a plan. I guarantee you'll see results within three years. I'll become Hokage, and with the strength of all of Konoha behind me, we'll achieve our goal," Jiraiya said, his voice firm.
"I'm serious, Kakuzu. You have no right to refuse unless you'd prefer to die."
Kakuzu quickly nodded. "Your idea sounds great. I'm fully on board."
It was clear there was no real choice. At least this way, he could enjoy spending some of his money.
Jiraiya handed Kakuzu a ring. "Wear this at all times. It'll allow me to contact you whenever I need."
The ring was a communication tool Jiraiya had obtained through a signing bonus. No matter how far apart they were, it would allow instant communication. In a world with such poor communication technology, the ring was incredibly valuable.
"Interesting," Kakuzu said, slipping the ring onto his finger.
He pulled out several summoning scrolls and released a few beating hearts. Black tendrils extended from his chest, wrapping around the hearts and pulling them into his body.
"The current Hokage is in his prime. He's not stepping down anytime soon. How do you expect to become Hokage in three years? Planning to assassinate him and stage a coup?"
"I've heard this Hokage is the strongest in history. Even with Sage Mode, it won't be easy," Kakuzu said, eyeing Jiraiya skeptically.
"How I become Hokage is my business. You don't need to worry," Jiraiya said coldly.
The truth was, Hiruzen Sarutobi was already grooming him to be the next Hokage. If Jiraiya earned enough merit and respect during the Second Great Ninja War, his succession would be all but guaranteed.
Jiraiya's only concern was that Sarutobi might oppose his plan to unify the shinobi world. Peace-loving as he was, Sarutobi would never support a war for unification.
Jiraiya was fully aware of this obstacle.
He saw two potential paths: either convince Sarutobi with his vision—a nearly impossible task given Sarutobi's teachings from the First Hokage—or imprison or kill him.
Yet, the idea of killing Sarutobi was repugnant. His strength was undeniable, and killing him would be a waste.
"The Fire, Wind, and Earth countries are about to invade the Land of Rain. It will soon become a war zone. You can infiltrate the Land of Rain now and start recruiting powerful shinobi," Jiraiya instructed.
After Jiraiya returned to the village, he planned to re-enter the Land of Rain for battle. With Kakuzu's strength, he would have critical backup when needed.
"Understood," Kakuzu said, parting ways with Jiraiya to head for the Land of Rain.
Jiraiya continued toward the village, defeating several groups of bounty hunters along the way without much effort. Ordinary bounty hunters posed no threat to him anymore.
When he finally arrived at the village, he noticed how quiet it had become. Many shinobi and civilians had already been sent to the front lines, leaving the village eerily empty.
Jiraiya headed straight to the Hokage's office to report to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Well done, Jiraiya," Sarutobi said, beaming as he looked at the Rain Village headbands on the table. Jiraiya had taken down five jonin—far more than Sarutobi had expected.
"Any success I have is thanks to your training, Sensei," Jiraiya said humbly.
He didn't mention Danzo's attempt to ambush him. Even if he told Sarutobi, Danzo wouldn't be punished. At most, Sarutobi would scold him and reduce his authority slightly. With war on the horizon, Konoha needed every capable shinobi—especially Danzo, despite his ruthless methods.
And then there was the deep bond Sarutobi shared with Danzo. Unless absolutely necessary, Sarutobi would never kill him.
Even in the original timeline, when Danzo ordered an attack on Sarutobi, the Hokage had chosen to forgive him.
So there was no point in telling Sarutobi. Jiraiya would deal with Danzo on his own terms.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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