"It seems the leader is the correct answer to this question."
Uchiha Itachi was momentarily stunned. He assumed it must have been Jiraiya who infiltrated Amegakure, only to be discovered by the leader. A fierce battle likely broke out—and Jiraiya, outmatched, was killed.
As expected... the leader's strength even surpassed Jiraiya-sama's.
Nagato's gaze shifted toward the screen, his eyes darkening.
So in the future, I will be the one who takes his life…
That knowledge weighed heavily on his shoulders, like a burden he couldn't set down.
"Answer Space, for this question, I choose: C. Uzumaki Nagato."
> [Correct answer. Displaying analysis...]
"Display!"
> [Option A: Namikaze Minato, Jiraiya's fourth disciple, was taken in before the Third Great Ninja War. He died during the Nine-Tails Rebellion. Though he is later "resurrected" in the Fourth Great Ninja War, he had no intersection with this event. Answer: incorrect.]
[Option B: Uzumaki Naruto, Jiraiya's fifth and final disciple, and the one he chose as the Child of Prophecy. He grew close to Jiraiya during the Chūnin Exams. This answer is also incorrect.]
[Option D: Uchiha Obito orchestrated the Nine-Tails Rebellion, which led to the death of his own sensei, Minato. However, he has no direct connection to Jiraiya. Answer: incorrect.]
[Correct answer: Option C – Uzumaki Nagato. After the Second Great Ninja War, the Three Sannin encountered three orphans in the Rain Country. Jiraiya, moved by compassion, stayed behind and mentored them, giving up his return to Konoha and his chance with Tsunade. He trained them in hopes of bringing peace. Years later, upon investigating Akatsuki in Amegakure, Jiraiya—now older—declined Tsunade's love confession and left the village once again. There, he discovered that the organization's mysterious leader was none other than Nagato, his former student. Though Jiraiya activated Sage Mode and fought valiantly, he was ultimately killed. Before dying, he engraved vital intel on Fukasaku's back, passing on hope to Naruto.]
As the truth unraveled, Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed with insight.
"The dead… resurrected?"
Kabuto.
The implications were undeniable. Orochimaru recalled the strange "resurrection" mentioned in the analysis. It fit neatly with the forbidden techniques and fragments of research he had passed on to Kabuto.
Though the Answer Space hadn't explicitly revealed his involvement in the Fourth Great Ninja War, Orochimaru now knew—with certainty—that he played a critical role.
A sly smile curved his lips. "So... I am necessary to the future."
His gaze drifted toward Minato's name.
Only he, of all people, understood where the Fourth Hokage's soul was sealed.
Without extracting it from the Shinigami's belly, resurrection was impossible.
Heh. So my hypothesis... was right.
Even gods can be deceived.
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed in satisfaction. This strange Answer Space had brought him no tangible power—yet it had confirmed what once were mere guesses. That alone would save him years of experimental time.
---
Meanwhile, in the Hidden Cloud Village—
"Namikaze Minato... is resurrected?!"
The Fourth Raikage, Ay, slammed his fist into the armrest, eyes wide in disbelief.
"How the hell is a dead man still participating in the war?!"
Minato's speed—he still remembered it. No one in the world matched it. Not one.
It was Raikage Ay who first admitted Minato's superiority. It burned at his pride, but facts were facts.
"He was too fast... a freak of nature," he muttered, scratching his head in frustration.
Now the dead were joining the battlefield?
A chilling thought slithered into his mind:
Is Konoha resurrecting its legends one by one?
That... would be a disaster.
---
Back in the Hidden Stone—
"Damn it! You again?! YOU again?!"
Onoki roared, slamming the table in rage.
He couldn't take it anymore.
Just as he started to feel some relief—that Konoha's current shinobi didn't have anyone capable of dominating the Fourth Great Ninja War—a dead one showed up.
Onoki ground his teeth.
Minato was a nightmare even the Stone couldn't erase. If he was truly back, not just in name but in power, he could fight—and win—another war all by himself.
It was infuriating.
"This is insane…" Onoki groaned.
Honestly, Tsunade becoming the Fifth Hokage didn't surprise him anymore. Compared to this, that seemed like a footnote. Sarutobi Hiruzen, for all his love of power, had to let go eventually. And Orochimaru and Jiraiya were either rogue or free-spirited.
Tsunade, of noble blood, was the obvious choice.
Still… Onoki sighed bitterly.
The Sarutobi line had countless successors ready to inherit the mantle.
But him?
He wanted to step down. He longed to retire. But there was no one to take his place.
A classic case of: in the drought, crops wither; in the flood, they drown.
---
Back in Konoha...
"Wait... Lord Jiraiya is dead?!"
"Can we eat now?"
The boisterous chatter came to a screeching halt.
All eyes turned to the source of the voice—a chubby boy clutching a stack of food in both hands. His cheeks were already puffed out with bites of high-calorie snacks.
Standing beside him, a beautiful girl with a high ponytail covered her face with a sigh.
"Choji, seriously?"
He blinked. "What? I was just asking."
A harsh voice chimed in. "Shouldn't we be focusing on Uchiha Obito, the guy who triggered the Nine-Tails attack?"
Choji's cheerful expression faded, replaced by something darker—somber.
His eyes narrowed. "Yeah… Obito…"
He was only a year old when the Nine-Tails attacked Konoha.
But he remembered the stories. His father, the head of the Akimichi Clan, had told him the cost they paid that night. Their clan's size and strength made them frontline defenders.
His uncles… gone. One after another.
That was the night his father barely came home alive.
Choji clenched his fists.
The Sharingan was behind it all. That much was clear.
Even during the Uchiha Massacre, when the clans had readied themselves for war, none lifted a hand.
The cries of that night—his father still remembered them.
Choji might be fat, but he wasn't dumb.
He knew what Obito did.
He wouldn't forget it.