Jiraiya sat on the rooftop of a secluded building, gazing at the Hidden Leaf Village bathed in the soft glow of the moon. The night air carried a cool breeze, but his mind was anything but calm. The recent discovery of the shrine and the monstrous entities that lurked within it weighed heavily on him.
The battle had proven that there were forces at work beyond their current understanding. The shattered heart at the core of the shrine had been the key to their survival, but what worried Jiraiya the most was its mere existence. Someone—or something—had created these beings, and they had been waiting.
"Something on your mind, Jiraiya?" Tsunade's voice cut through the silence. She landed beside him gracefully, her golden hair catching the moonlight.
"Yeah," Jiraiya admitted. "I can't shake the feeling that we only scratched the surface of something much bigger."
Tsunade sighed. "You and your gut instincts. They've gotten us out of trouble before. What's different this time?"
Jiraiya shook his head. "We destroyed the heart, but I don't think it was the true source. That thing was just an extension of something deeper, something older."
Orochimaru's voice slithered into the conversation as he stepped into view. "Then perhaps we should stop worrying and start investigating. Knowledge is power, after all."
Jiraiya frowned. "That's the plan. But we need to be careful. If someone else is pulling the strings, they already know we're onto them."
Tsunade crossed her arms. "So what do we do now?"
Jiraiya exhaled. "We dig deeper. If this village was erased from history, someone in Konoha must have covered it up. I plan to find out who."
---
The next morning, Jiraiya made his way to the Hokage's archives. He had requested permission to go through classified mission reports, using his connection with Hiruzen Sarutobi to gain access. As he sifted through decades of documents, something became clear—certain records had been deliberately erased. Missions related to the abandoned village were either missing or heavily redacted.
He frowned. The Third Hokage wouldn't have hidden something like this without a reason.
A rustling sound caught his attention. He turned to find Orochimaru leaning over a separate pile of scrolls, eyes scanning them hungrily. "Find anything useful?"
Orochimaru smirked. "Only more questions. Whatever was erased from these reports, someone didn't want us to ever find it. But, as you know, I do enjoy a challenge."
Jiraiya rolled his eyes. "We don't need a challenge—we need answers."
Orochimaru tapped a scroll. "Then perhaps we should pay a visit to the man who ordered these redactions."
Jiraiya's expression darkened. "Hiruzen won't like this."
"Then we make him talk."
Later that evening, Jiraiya and Orochimaru stood before the Hokage's desk. Hiruzen Sarutobi watched them in silence, his expression unreadable. The pipe in his hands smoldered slightly, sending a thin wisp of smoke curling toward the ceiling.
"You've both been prying into something dangerous," he said finally.
Jiraiya stepped forward. "We fought against something not of this world, Sensei. We need to know what's going on. What aren't you telling us?"
Hiruzen sighed heavily. "It was before your time. A mistake we thought was buried."
Jiraiya clenched his fists. "That shrine wasn't just a relic—it was a warning. Someone was using it, and those creatures were waiting for something. If we don't act now, we might be too late."
Hiruzen looked at both of them, his old eyes filled with regret. "The creatures you faced were the remnants of a failed experiment. A forbidden jutsu meant to create perfect shinobi, unburdened by human limitations. The technique went horribly wrong, twisting the subjects into something... unnatural. They became mindless entities bound to the chakra of their creator."
Jiraiya's heart pounded. "Who created them?"
Hiruzen hesitated. "A former shinobi of Konoha. Someone we thought was dead."
Orochimaru leaned forward. "And their name?"
Hiruzen's voice was barely above a whisper. "Shinno."
Jiraiya's blood ran cold. Shinno—an infamous rogue medic-nin who had dabbled in forbidden techniques, presumed dead decades ago. If he was still alive…
"Where is he now?" Jiraiya asked.
Hiruzen exhaled. "We don't know. But if he has resurfaced, Konoha is in grave danger."
---
Jiraiya left the Hokage's office feeling the weight of the revelation. If Shinno had returned, then the village was in for dark times. His experiments had once nearly destroyed an entire battalion of shinobi. Now, with decades to refine his techniques, who knew what he was capable of?
Tsunade and Orochimaru joined him outside. "So, what's the plan?" Tsunade asked.
Jiraiya took a deep breath. "We find Shinno before he makes his next move. And we stop him—for good."
Orochimaru smirked. "This should be interesting."
As the trio prepared for the mission ahead, Jiraiya couldn't shake the feeling that they were already too late. Somewhere in the shadows, Shinno was watching.
And he was waiting.
------
The sun had barely risen, but Jiraiya was already on the move. He had gathered the team—Tsunade, Orochimaru, and himself—for a mission that would take them deep into the wilds of the Land of Fire. Their target: Shinno, the rogue medic-nin whose forbidden jutsu had turned an innocent experiment into a nightmare.
They knew very little about Shinno's whereabouts, but the intelligence gathered from the Hokage archives pointed them toward a secluded mountain range on the outskirts of the village. A place where no one dared venture. Jiraiya felt a pit form in his stomach. If Shinno was there, it meant he was preparing something terrible.
"What's the plan, Jiraiya?" Tsunade asked, her tone serious as always. Her eyes were sharp, though the weariness from the previous days' events still lingered. She wasn't a fan of secrets, and the ones surrounding Shinno had her on edge.
"We need to move quickly," Jiraiya said, his voice low. "This mission isn't just about stopping Shinno. It's about stopping the threat he represents before it spreads."
Orochimaru spoke up, his voice dripping with curiosity. "And what if we're too late?"
Jiraiya met his gaze, unwavering. "Then we stop him before he can complete whatever plan he's been hiding for so many years."
The three of them stood in the early morning light, their determination clear. Jiraiya had led many missions before, but this one felt different. His sense of urgency, his gut feeling that something was wrong, had only grown stronger.
---
The journey through the mountain pass was difficult. The land was unforgiving, with jagged cliffs and narrow pathways. Tsunade and Orochimaru were the first to lead the way, with Jiraiya following closely behind. They moved with caution, knowing that Shinno was likely watching their every move.
As they climbed higher, the air became thinner, and the terrain more treacherous. The once-dense forest had given way to sparse vegetation, and the only sounds were the occasional gusts of wind or the distant cries of wild animals.
Orochimaru looked over his shoulder. "This place is... strange. I can feel something in the air. A residual chakra."
Jiraiya nodded. He could feel it too. The presence of something dark, something that had been lingering for a long time.
Finally, after hours of trekking, they arrived at a clearing that overlooked a valley. In the distance, a crumbling structure lay half-buried in the earth, its broken walls still standing tall despite the passage of time.
"This is it," Jiraiya muttered. "Shinno's hideout."
The group moved cautiously toward the ruins, their senses heightened. As they neared the entrance, Jiraiya noticed something strange—a faint glow coming from within.
"Be on guard," Jiraiya warned. "There's something in there."
They stepped inside the ruin, the air growing colder as they descended into the depths. The walls were lined with strange markings, symbols Jiraiya had never seen before. His mind raced, trying to piece together what they could mean. Shinno's experiments had been based on forbidden knowledge, but this... this was something far older.
---
As they ventured deeper, the markings grew more intricate, and the presence of chakra grew stronger. It was as if the very structure itself was alive with energy, pulsing with a malevolent force.
Finally, they reached a massive chamber at the heart of the ruin. The room was dark, save for the eerie glow of a single crystal that sat atop a pedestal. It was shaped like a heart, its surface covered in cracks, yet still glowing with a faint, unnatural light.
Jiraiya's eyes widened. "This is it. The source of Shinno's experiments."
The chamber was silent, save for the sound of their footsteps. Suddenly, the crystal began to pulse, its glow intensifying. The air became thick with oppressive chakra, and Jiraiya felt a shiver run down his spine.
From the shadows, a figure emerged—a man cloaked in dark robes, his face hidden beneath a hood. He stepped into the light, revealing his cold, calculating eyes.
"So you've come, Jiraiya," the figure said in a voice that was both familiar and foreign. "I've been expecting you."
Jiraiya's blood ran cold. He recognized that voice.
"Shinno."
The man before him was no longer the medic-nin Jiraiya had once known. His appearance had changed—his skin was pale, his eyes unnaturally sharp, and his chakra felt... wrong. The experiments had clearly taken their toll on him, but it was his presence that unnerved Jiraiya the most. This man was not just a rogue shinobi; he was something far worse.
"I see you've found my little sanctuary," Shinno said with a twisted smile. "But I'm afraid you're too late. The power I've unlocked is beyond anything you could imagine."
Jiraiya stepped forward, his eyes narrowed. "We're not here to play games, Shinno. We've come to stop you."
Shinno's smile widened. "You think you can stop me? The power I've gained is limitless. I've surpassed the limitations of human beings. I'm... beyond even the greatest of shinobi."
Jiraiya's fists clenched. "You're playing with things you don't understand. The human body is not meant to be manipulated like this."
Shinno's eyes narrowed. "Perhaps. But I've already crossed that line. And now, I intend to finish what I started."
Suddenly, the crystal flared, and the chamber was filled with a burst of dark energy. Jiraiya was thrown backward, his body slamming into the stone wall. He gritted his teeth, shaking off the disorientation.
The battle had begun.