Chapter 114: Jiraiya's Question

Neither Aoba, Orochimaru, nor Jiraiya interrupted the reunion between Tsunade, Nawaki, and Dan.

After a long while, Nawaki and Dan turned to ashes in Tsunade's embrace, disappearing into the wind, leaving Tsunade kneeling silently on the ground.

Eventually, she stood, walked over to Aoba, and spoke.

"If you want me to go back and clean up this mess, fine. But I have one condition."

"Let's hear it," Aoba replied cautiously, refraining from agreeing immediately.

"I want you to be my Hokage assistant."

"...I…"

"You enjoy setting things up, only to watch others clean up the mess, don't you? That won't work with me. You may be smart, but from what I know through Jiraiya, you're quite lazy.

If I return to be Hokage, you're not getting away, either."

"…Fine, I'll do it."

"Good. Then we leave tonight." Having decided to become Hokage, Tsunade immediately resumed her straightforward demeanor, insisting on leaving right away.

"That's fine. But give me a little time; I need to take care of something first."

With that, Aoba walked over to Orochimaru.

Orochimaru's actions tonight had altered Aoba's view of him slightly. But a complete change was impossible.

Still, Orochimaru had his uses, so Aoba wouldn't act against him just yet.

"Orochimaru, I know a method that could heal your hands. Are you interested?"

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. He knew Aoba well. Aoba was known for being reliable but also never willing to take a loss.

If Aoba was offering something, it would require payment in return.

"So, what's the price?"

At this point, Jiraiya could no longer stand it and stepped forward to stop them, but Tsunade held him back.

"Don't interfere. Let him finish."

"But Orochimaru killed our teacher."

"Did he? Then why don't I feel any anger or sadness?" Tsunade's words left Jiraiya speechless.

He even wondered if he was out of touch with others. Why was it that, while he still held the Third Hokage in high regard, everyone else seemed to feel differently?

Meanwhile, Aoba and Orochimaru continued their conversation.

"This deal is different from before. Orochimaru, I don't know exactly how to cure you. I only know that a method exists. It'll be up to you to figure it out. The deal is that once you do, you'll share it with me."

"Agreed. Now, tell me what you know," Orochimaru agreed without hesitation. Healing his hands was his top priority, above all else.

"Seek out the sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan, specifically the highest-level research conducted by the clan's leader. I can tell you with certainty that the Uzumaki clan had developed a way to undo the Reaper Death Seal.

However, it requires a tremendous sacrifice, akin to the Reaper Death Seal itself. It's a forbidden technique that ordinary people can't use. But you, Orochimaru, are one of the few in this world who could."

Orochimaru didn't doubt Aoba's words; Aoba had a strong reputation for honesty in such matters.

"The sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan. Understood. By the way, Jiraiya… do you hate the old man even more now?"

With a mocking grin, Orochimaru left with Kabuto, leaving Jiraiya standing there, bewildered.

"Well then, Tsunade-sama—or should I say, Hokage-sama—shall we go?"

Aoba stepped forward, calling Tsunade to prepare to leave, ignoring Jiraiya. While Jiraiya's strength had been invaluable in the original story, he was no longer essential to Aoba.

Moreover, Jiraiya was an idealist deeply influenced by prophecy, which had caused a significant rift between him and ordinary people. Staying in Konoha as just a fighter was unlikely, and he could even become a liability. It might be better for him to wander freely.

But just as they were about to leave, Jiraiya suddenly spoke to Aoba.

"Aoba Kamikawa, in your mind… what kind of person was the old man?"

Aoba and Tsunade paused slightly, both understanding what Jiraiya was feeling.

A string of recent blows had shaken his faith.

Honestly, Jiraiya himself had no major faults. Even his devotion to the prophecy was his choice, and no one could fault him for it.

But the Third Hokage was a different matter.

"I think I understand what you're asking, Jiraiya. In your mind, your teacher was a competent Hokage, a respectable mentor, admired by everyone in Konoha. At most, he made a few small mistakes.

But you need to understand something: people aren't all the same. What counts as a 'small mistake'?

When I was a child, I once snuck into a neighbor's garden to take vegetables. That's a small mistake. Later, as a shinobi, I once cut corners while clearing out a river. That's a small mistake.

During the war, I even traded medical supplies for profit. Strictly speaking, that was a serious crime. But as you probably know, during the Third War, every clan engaged in that business.

Compared to what they did, my actions were only 'small mistakes.' Why? Because I was just a child, an ordinary shinobi.

But Hiruzen Sarutobi was different. He was the Hokage. A Hokage can make mistakes, but he must pay a corresponding price when he does.

The destruction of the Uzumaki clan may have been a small mistake to him. But to the Uzumaki, it was a catastrophe.

The death of White Fang may have been a small mistake. But to Kakashi, it was the root of his pain.

The experiments in Danzo's lab were small mistakes. But to those children, those shinobi, and their families, each 'small mistake' became a tragedy.

This is the difference between ordinary people and a Hokage. When we make mistakes, they are small because the damage we can cause is limited.

But each 'small mistake' a Hokage makes is a tragedy or even a disaster. The title of Hokage offers protection, but that protection is not eternal.

One day, when the consequences of those 'small mistakes' outweigh the protection, that will be his end."

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Currently on Chapter 154: The Box of Ultimate Bliss