Hatake Tatsuya in Naruto

"That kid Minato is going to be the Fifth Hokage? Not bad. He's finally fulfilling his childhood dream," Jiraiya mused. "But I didn't expect Tsunade to abdicate. Well, it's not that surprising, I suppose."

In a small hotel located in a village to the north of Yunokuni, Jiraiya, a seasoned traveler, sat at a table, writing his latest pornographic novel. The letters Minato had sent, brought by a toad summon, were spread out in front of him. Minato had invited his former teacher to attend his succession ceremony as the Fifth Hokage.

As Jiraiya read through the letter, he couldn't help but sigh, seeing that his disciple was now qualified for such an esteemed position. Still, he had no intention of returning to Konoha.

How could he explain it? The lively atmosphere of the village just didn't suit him.

He'd also heard from Tatsuya that Konan, one of his disciples from the Rain Country, was now managing Rain Shinobi Village. As for the rest of the trio, Jiraiya didn't know. He was considering a trip to the Land of Rain to see how things were going there.

Thinking of Tatsuya, Jiraiya's mind wandered to his marriage to Tsunade and his second room with the Mizukage. This guy was living too comfortably.

"Look, what is that in the sky?!"

Suddenly, the sound of shocked cries from the villagers outside the hotel reached his ears.

"Huh?"

Jiraiya leaned over the window, resting his hands on the edge and peering out.

"What the—?!"

The scene that greeted him was enough to make his heart stop. The northern skyline was not just cloudy—it was ablaze. The sky was dyed a fiery red.

Staring at the distant horizon, where the sky seemed to be consumed by flames, Jiraiya could vaguely make out the fiery glow that appeared to scorch the very heavens.

"What's going on? Is it a fire?" Hiroshi asked, his voice trembling with fear as he stared at the distant horizon where an ominous red glow lit up the sky.

"How far has it spread?" Keiko's voice cracked with worry as she squinted her eyes trying to make sense of the smoke billowing in the air.

"Oh my God... I hope it doesn't come our way," Junko whispered, clutching her chest in panic. The intense heat from the flames was beginning to make the air feel thick and suffocating.

"Not necessarily, but we should prepare to evacuate," Takashi said, his tone grim yet steady. "It's better to be safe than sorry."

The villagers, frightened by the sight, rushed to their homes, gathering their belongings and preparing to take refuge in the village.

"Such an overwhelming heat in the air... could it be...?" Jiraiya's mind flashed back to the battlefield of the Third Ninja War. Swallowing hard, he thought, That direction... it's the Land of Thunder. Could it be...?

Without hesitation, Jiraiya leaped out of the window and sprinted northward.

"Hey! That white-haired oil guy! You haven't paid yet!" the shopkeeper shouted from behind him.

"Ah! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Jiraiya called back in embarrassment, quickly turning around to hand over a wad of banknotes before continuing his rush.

...

...

A few hours later...

"Is this guy for real?" Jiraiya muttered, wiping the sweat from his brow for what felt like the hundredth time. If he had ever watched Dragon Ball, he would surely sympathize with the agony of Chichi's father Ox King living atop Mount Frypan.

The Land of Thunder, a region known for its towering mountains and high altitude, was home to many villages built on these rugged peaks. Now, however, the entire mountain range had turned into an inferno.

As Jiraiya ventured deeper into the country, he realized that the situation near Yunokuni had seemed manageable compared to what awaited him. The closer he got to Cloud Shinobi Village, the more ferocious the flames burned. The hills surrounding the village were completely engulfed, their once green slopes now charred and consumed by fire.

"Ugh, up ahead is Cloud Shinobi Village," Jiraiya muttered, drenched in sweat. The heat was so intense that even his handkerchief, which he had tried to use to wipe his face, was soon discarded, burned by the surrounding flames.

From the mountaintop, he looked down. His eyes widened in horror.

"Hell!?"

What lay before him was far worse than anything he had imagined. The land was covered in ash.

Cloud Shinobi Village, built atop a series of mountain peaks, had been decimated. While the surrounding mountains were scorched by the flames, the village itself had been utterly reduced to ashes. The once proud homes and structures were now nothing more than smoldering ruins. The scorched earth and collapsed buildings lay in disarray.

Around the village, countless Cloud Shinobi ninjas were sprawled across the ground, lifeless and unmoving. It was impossible to tell whether they were dead or simply unconscious.

"W-what...?" Jiraiya whispered in shock.

The sound of children and women crying echoed in the air, their wails filling the silence.

"What about the Raikage? Where's the Raikage's office!?" Jiraiya shouted, desperate for answers.

Although Jiraiya was not a Cloud Shinobi, and despite the hostility between Cloud Shinobi and Konoha during the last Ninja War, the sight before him still struck a deep chord of fear. He quickly turned his head, scanning for the shadow administrative building—the symbol of the highest authority in Shinobi Village.

His gaze locked onto the tallest mountain in the range, and there it was: the large building emblazoned with the word "Thunder."

But before he could focus any further...

Bang!!!

In an instant, the top floor of the building exploded. Several figures were flung out and crashed to the ground below. Among them were several unfamiliar young faces, but one of them stood out—Jiraiya immediately recognized him.

It was Dodai, the right-hand man of the Third Raikage, known for his mastery of Lava Style Bloodline techniques. He had caused Konoha no small amount of trouble during the Third Ninja World War.

"Ha..." Jiraiya exhaled sharply.

Just then, a figure slowly emerged from the wreckage of the Raikage building. Following closely behind was a small, delicate figure.

"Tatsuya!?" Jiraiya gasped, his heart racing.

Though he had suspected Tatsuya's involvement when entering the Land of Thunder, seeing him in person still made Jiraiya's body shudder with unease.

"Hey, Jiraya." Tatsuya squinted, a casual smile on his face as he spoke. "This is the second time we've bumped into each other outside Konoha, right? Jiraiya, it's the first time we've met since I married Tsunade."

Jiraiya winced at the mention of Tsunade. He wasn't thrilled about hearing about her marriage—especially when it seemed to be a playful jab aimed at a man his age.

"…What the hell are you doing here?" Jiraiya demanded, stepping forward toward Tatsuya, his eyes scanning the devastated Cloud Shinobi Village.

With the strongest Raikage and two perfect Jinchūriki, even Tatsuya couldn't possibly have destroyed this place so thoroughly. Jiraiya's mind was racing with questions, especially about why Tatsuya would do something like this.

Behind Tatsuya, Hinata had quietly moved to stand, hugging his trouser leg. She had grown up hearing about the legendary Sannin, Jiraiya-sama, and was cautious, following Tatsuya's warning to stay away from him.

"Raikage and the two beasts are not here," Tatsuya said nonchalantly. "But even if they were here, the result would still be the same."

Tatsuya then called out to the back, and a figure emerged—Samui, who was mostly unharmed except for some mild burns.

"I hate explaining things," Tatsuya continued. "If you want to know anything, just ask her."

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