A few days later, a weary traveler arrived at Konoha Village on a sunny spring morning.
It was Jiraiya, disguised and incognito.
Before even entering the village, Jiraiya noticed the changes in Konoha.
Outside the village, some forests had been cleared and transformed into fields. To his surprise, the workers in the fields were not farmers but Konoha ninja.
They rolled up their pants and pushed small machines through the fields, quickly planting seedlings easily.
Curious, Jiraiya approached one of the ninjas and struck up a conversation, quickly learning the details:
It turned out that these machines were called rice transplanters, powered by the ninja’s chakra. They could automatically plant seedlings, significantly improving efficiency and quality.
These machines, developed by Konoha’s Scientific Ninja Tools Department, replace manual planting with semi-mechanized methods, significantly boosting productivity.
These fertile fields were created using Earth Release and then irrigated with Water Release. The rice they produced was now sufficient to make Konoha self-sufficient.
It seemed Konoha had indeed changed a lot.
Jiraiya couldn’t help but marvel.
He had thought that they wouldn’t be much different from Danzo after the Uchiha clan returned to Konoha. After all, the Uchiha were known for their belligerence and had been declared by the Second Hokage as “a naturally evil clan.”
He assumed that under Dan, the Uchiha leaders would embark on a campaign to conquer the ninja world, bringing endless pain and suffering.
But to Jiraiya’s surprise, after their return, the Uchiha immediately declared Konoha a permanently neutral village and launched extensive reforms, rapidly developing with a peaceful and open attitude.
For six months, the Uchiha had remained in Konoha, and there had been no conflicts with the outside world.
Following the prophecy of the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku, Jiraiya had been searching tirelessly for the Child of Prophecy—Naruto Uzumaki.
During this time, he constantly heard about the changes in Konoha from various sources and saw people from different nations and villages flocking to Konoha.
Finally, passing by Konoha this time, Jiraiya couldn’t resist any longer.
He decided to put the search for Naruto on hold and spend a few days personally checking out Konoha.
Before he knew it, Jiraiya had reached the village entrance.
Is this really the Konoha I remember?
What he saw was a grand village gate, ten meters wide and seven or eight meters high, allowing people and merchant carts to come and go.
Surrounding the gate were extensive residential areas and several construction sites, with many Uchiha ninjas wearing yellow safety helmets, busily using Wood Release to build.
In the distance, bustling streets were filled with people, and a nine-story tower stood at the end of Ichiraku Avenue. Even the mountains behind Konoha now had tall buildings.
The village was completely transformed.
Jiraiya was impressed by the significant changes in Konoha in just six months, surpassing those of the past several decades.
After standing at the entrance for a while, Jiraiya collected himself and walked into the village.
Walking down the familiar Ichiraku Avenue, he was surrounded by bustling crowds and activity sounds.
He noticed that there were many more shops lining the streets, each one busy with customers. Almost every store had a line of people waiting outside.
The most popular stores sold various new electronic devices like computers, cameras, and wireless radios.
The village now had streetlights and utility poles, with ninjas installing wiring and testing networks.
Konoha had not only grown larger and busier but also more electrified.
At that moment, Jiraiya noticed a tour group approaching.
Led by two beautiful Konoha kunoichi with loudspeakers, they enthusiastically introduced Konoha’s culture and history to the tourists.
The tourists, from all over the ninja world, included elderly people in their sixties and young children. They waved small flags, chatting and laughing as they passed Jiraiya.
From their discussions, Jiraiya learned they were headed to the Uchiha clan’s Naka Shrine and planned to buy many souvenirs.
Items like the Uchiha clan’s blue high-collared robes, fans with the Uchiha crest, and limited-edition kunai.
Since defeating the Allied Shinobi Forces, the Uchiha had become the undisputed top clan in the ninja world.
Not only were they immensely powerful, but they were also stylish. Their attire and appearance were top-notch in the ninja world.
As a result, many “fans” of the Uchiha clan had emerged.
The Uchiha’s negative image from decades past had been completely reversed.
Jiraiya sighed again.
After parting ways with the tour group, he saw a patrol from the Police Force maintaining order on the streets.
The patrol included members of the Hyuga clan and civilian ninjas. They were polite and patient, maintaining order and assisting Konoha residents and tourists.
As he walked,
Grumble, grumble.
His stomach protested, reminding him it was lunchtime. Jiraiya decided to visit Ichiraku Ramen, a familiar place.
Ten years ago, when the shop first opened, he had eaten there and never forgot the wonderful taste.
Every time he returned to the village, he had a ramen bowl.
“Boss, a bowl of miso ramen, please.”
Jiraiya sat down and called out.
“Coming right up, please wait a moment.”
Teuchi, the owner, smiled and wiped his forehead before diving into the kitchen to prepare the order.
After a couple of minutes, a steaming bowl of fragrant ramen was placed in front of Jiraiya.
Slurp.
Jiraiya eagerly took a bite, his eyes widening in delight. He put down his chopsticks and gave a thumbs up, “Boss, your cooking keeps getting better. The noodles are perfectly cooked.”
“You flatter me.”
Teuchi humbly explained, “It’s because the wheat used for the noodles is a new variety developed in Konoha. It’s top quality.”
Surprised, Jiraiya examined the noodles more closely.
At that moment,
The sound of chattering children filled the air as several schoolkids walked into Ichiraku Ramen and sat next to Jiraiya.
They were students from the Ninja Academy.
Jiraiya listened quietly to their conversation.
“My sister got into the Chunin class with top ten grades and earned a full scholarship. She says she wants to study until she graduates as a Jonin and then do research at the academy. Aren’t you guys jealous?” one boy boasted, wiping his nose.
Someone immediately retorted, “What’s so great about that? Your sister is amazing, but you’re just a dead last. Focus on passing the midterm exams. They’re reshuffling classes based on grades after the exams. I need to seize this chance to get into the elite class!”
“Me too!” a girl chimed in, her face full of dreams. “I heard there’s an Uchiha Sasuke in the elite class. He’s from the top clan in the ninja world, aces all his classes, and is super handsome. When I get into the elite class, I want to sit next to him.”
Another girl quickly mocked her words: “Stop dreaming. Sasuke is a top student who only focuses on training. He has no interest in girls and won’t like you.”
The kids chatted on, and Jiraiya learned more about the changes and reforms at the Ninja Academy, growing more and more surprised.
After a while,
Swish.
The curtain of Ichiraku Ramen lifted, and three more students walked in.
They were Suigetsu Hozuki, Chojuro, and Haku.
“Hey old man, are you done? Move over.”
Suigetsu picked his nose, seeing no empty seats, and urged Jiraiya to make room.
“Oh, sorry.”
Jiraiya smiled, stood up, and made space for the three.
He overheard the other students whispering:
“Look, those are elite class students. Their grades are second only to Sasuke’s.”
“Of course, I heard they’re disciples of the Fifth Mizukage from Kirigakure, sent here to study.”
“Do you think they’ll go back to Kirigakure after graduation, or will they stay in Konoha? After all, Konoha is way better than that crappy village.”
Suigetsu raised an eyebrow, grinning at the kids with sharp teeth, “What are you talking about? I didn’t hear clearly. Care to repeat?”
“We…we didn’t say anything.”
The kids, terrified, quickly finished their ramen and fled.
“Even if they get into the elite class, they’ll still be at the bottom,” Suigetsu scoffed.
Exchange students, huh?
Jiraiya learned about Suigetsu and his friends’ identities, amazed.
Who would have thought that genius youths from other villages would come to Konoha to study? And influenced by Konoha’s culture, they might stay and contribute to its development.
Jiraiya knew these significant reforms at the academy were initiated by the Sixth Hokage, Uchiha Dan.
A truly far-sighted and terrifying individual.
Ten minutes later,
Jiraiya wandered Konoha’s streets again.
He had learned that Tsunade was now the head of Konoha’s Medical Department, so he planned to visit the hospital and hope to see her.
Tsunade was always the light of his heart.
Not far from the hospital,
Jiraiya noticed a commotion on the street, with many people gathered around.
What’s happening?
He squeezed through the crowd to find an old man who had fallen and was bleeding from his head, unconscious.
The onlookers hesitated to help, fearing they might worsen his condition.
Jiraiya frowned, ready to step in.
Though not a medical ninja, he had assisted Tsunade on the battlefield, capable of providing basic emergency treatment.
But just then,
“Make way, please.”
Several ninjas in white coats arrived, quickly examining and diagnosing the old man.
One ninja gently held the old man’s head, emitting a soft blue chakra from his palms, healing the wound visibly.
That’s… the Mystical Palm Technique.
Jiraiya watched, astonished yet again.
He had heard about Tsunade training a batch of medical ninjas, boosting Konoha Hospital’s reputation and attracting patients from across the ninja world.
Seeing it in action now, he was impressed.
After stopping the bleeding, a small slug emerged from a medical ninja’s pocket, climbing onto the old man and transferring chakra to him.
Then, the ninjas carefully placed the old man on a stretcher.
Applause erupted from the crowd, with enthusiastic discussions:
“Amazing!”
“When my child becomes a Chunin, I want them to specialize in medical ninjutsu, studying under Tsunade-sama to become a respected Konoha doctor.”
“Tsunade-sama has been so busy lately, juggling the hospital and teaching. She’s done so much for Konoha.”
Hearing this, Jiraiya hesitated.
Since Tsunade was so busy, maybe… he shouldn’t bother her.
As the crowd dispersed,
Jiraiya felt a bit lost and wandered to Konoha’s central square.
He saw a 30-meter-tall white jade statue of Uchiha Dan.
The statue’s chiseled features reflected Dan’s stern demeanor. He stood tall like a mountain, gazing into the distance, seemingly a prophet envisioning Konoha’s future.
Many villagers gathered at the statue’s base, reverently admiring and praying.
Uchiha Dan had become a spiritual symbol for many.
Jiraiya could understand why.
After all,
Once colonized and struggling, Konoha had revived under Dan’s leadership and had become better than ever in just six months.
Much better.
Embracing permanent neutrality, avoiding major power struggles, and pursuing peaceful, open development. Implementing bold reforms, developing new uses for ninjutsu and chakra, utilizing ninja power for production and daily life.
Dan’s ideas and methods proved correct, achieving great success in practice.
Standing beneath the statue, Jiraiya pondered deeply, questioning himself:
Is what I’m doing really right?
Should I find Naruto Uzumaki, help him defeat Uchiha Dan, and “save” the ninja world?
And is his mentor, Hiruzen Sarutobi, right in wanting to revive past Hokage and retake Konoha from the Uchiha?
In that moment,
Jiraiya experienced unprecedented confusion.
Half a month passed in a blur.
Without realizing it, Jiraiya had spent over ten days in Konoha, finding himself captivated by life there.
Realizing his mission, Jiraiya knew he couldn’t stay any longer.
He left Konoha once more, resuming his long journey to find answers…
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