Conversation

"You...how is this possible? Aren't you dead?" Jiraiya stumbled a few steps back, his mouth wide open. "Have you been hiding here all along? Do you know how devastated Hiruzen was when he couldn't find you? Just what the hell is going on?"

"Calm down, Jiraiya." Fukasaku sighed.

"How can I be calm?!" Jiraiya shouted, basically ripping out chunks of his hair. "A dead man came out of his grave."

"I haven't actually been in a grave yet." Zeus finally entered the conversation, his deep voice echoing throughout the vicinity. "And no, Jiraiya, I haven't been hiding here the whole time. Your friend Orochimaru kidnapped me a few years ago and I have only recently escaped."

"Orochimaru did?" Jiraiya stopped acting confused and actually took Fukasaku's advice, calming down. "So...Danzo and Orochimaru were working together? Hiruzen thought that Danzo might have hidden you somewhere, but he has actually given you to that bastard?"

"Well, life is unpredictable sometimes." Zeus shrugged it off. "I know that you may be still confused, but I also want some information. I have been in the dark for the last few years. What happened after I left? From your words, I can already understand that Hiruzen found out the truth about Danzo."

"Mhmm..." Jiraiya stared at Zeus, the confusion and amazement still clear in his eyes. He respected Zeus's wishes, for this man had suffered at the hands of his former comrade. "You might want to sit down for this conversation. It's going to be quite long."

Zeus nodded, plumping down onto the ground as if he had lost all the strength in his hands. Gamaton also placed his belly on the ground, rolling closer to the conversation. With that, Jiraiya began his explanation.

"I haven't been in the village when this incident took place, so my story might be a bit of a bystander. However, I believe I have most of the facts right." Jiraiya started talking, lifting one of his fingers up. "When Hiruzen found out about your disappearance, they also found some traces of Danzo being there. I am not sure, but the evidence was unequivocal. Hiruzen gathered all the strongest warriors, including Uchiha shinobi, despite their conflict at the time, and they infiltrated Root quarters together."

"However, the plan didn't go as planned. Danzo was a step ahead. He had gathered all his Root members, but instead of running away, Danzo attacked the Uchiha clan. Danzo managed to kill quite a lot of talented Uchiha shinobi before Hiruzen and Fugaku confronted him. Nobody understood why Danzo decided to attack the clan, but they assumed that Danzo just had a natural hatred towards them from his childhood." Jiraiya continued. "In the end, Danzo was inflicted with a deathly injury, but he managed to retreat in the end. However, he also took all the killed Uchiha bodies with him. Nobody has heard from him ever since, but Danzo had been deemed as one of the biggest enemies of the Leaf Village. Besides, Danzo stated that he will inevitably come back to the village and make it great once again, for it has become a joke with Hiruzen in charge."

Jiraiya coughed a few times, his throat hurting from talking for so long. "Since then, nothing notable happened in the village. Hiruzen felt responsible for both your disappearance and Danzo's betrayal, while also feeling the death of Uchiha shinobi on his shoulders. However, this incident also had its plusses. The confrontation between the Uchiha and other clans had finally ceased, as they have found a common enemy. Besides, Danzo was the one fueling this conflict, thus, without him, everything turned out for the better."

"So, besides causing Hiruzen some depression, my disappearance has actually improved the state of the village?" Zeus asked, his eyebrows raised.

Jiraiya was clearly startled by such a question, laughing it off. "I mean, you could say it like this. Honestly, I still can't believe that you are alive. Hiruzen will go crazy out of happiness when he hears this news. It has been extremely hard for him to balance his despair and being the Hokage."

Zeus nodded, rising back to his feet. "Thanks, Jiraiya. You are really different compared to your Sannin friend. I have heard enough to understand what is happening. And about Hiruzen...I would appreciate it if you would not tell Hiruzen anything yet."

"Not tell?" Jiraiya frowned. "But why?"

"To begin with, I have no plans on coming back to the village yet, and I want to make it kind of a surprise," Zeus answered with honesty. "Besides, Hiruzen is a human that sometimes worries too much. I don't think that his heart will be able to keep up if he knows that I am trying to kill Orochimaru. I hope that you will respect my wishes."

Jiraiya frowned even further. "I will...but are you really going to seek revenge on Orochimaru? He is really strong... even I am not sure I could defeat him in a proper battle. Also, he is really sly. You have just escaped from his imprisonment. Aren't you afraid that you might get caught again?"

Some killing intent escaped from Zeus's deep soul, causing wrinkles to spread across his face. "I have been caught because I lacked strength at that time. However, it is much different now. There is no way for Orochimaru to defeat me now."

"Zeus...I have seen a lot of men like you in my life. Clouded by the notion of revenge, only to die in the end." Jiraiya scowled, remembering something unpleasant. "Yes, you might have attained some control over senjutsu, but will that be enough?"

Fukasaku was about to step in to say something when a laugh escaped from Zeus's mouth. Smiling, Zeus said. "Jiraiya, you are getting some things confused. I am not clouded by revenge. I just want to kill a snake that has gotten on my nerves. And...you are quite perplexed about my current strength."

Finishing his words, light blue circles surrounded Zeus's sights, causing a rush of energy to escape from his body. Jiraiya took a step back, his eyes opened wide as he felt the unnatural amount of energy rushing from Zeus's body. "I have mastered Senjutsu, Jiraiya."

"How...how is this possible, Fukasaku?" Jiraiya mumbled.

Fukasaku smirked in response. "If only I knew."

"In fact, Jiraiya, I haven't had any proper sparring partners in a while." A crazy smile formed on Zeus's face, his eyes glittering with natural energy. "I have always heard of the monumental feats the Sannin achieved during the Third Shinobi War, yet I have never been able to test it out for real."

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Gif: Memories

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