Putting aside the many stray thoughts running through his mind, Ryūjin quietly switched places with his Shadow Clone and resumed his patrol through Konoha as a member of the Konoha Military Police Force.
For Ryūjin, who used to live the miserable life of a corporate slave in another world, this job felt almost unreal.
He could stroll around the village every day, chat and brag with his coworkers, and still receive a steady salary.
Honestly, it was wonderful.
While Ryūjin and several other members of the Military Police were casually chatting during their patrol, a sudden commotion erupted ahead of them.
"Ah!"
"Ah!"
The startled cries came one after another.
Ryūjin and the others immediately stopped talking. Their expressions changed as they hurried toward the source of the noise.
When they arrived, the scene in front of them made everyone freeze for a moment.
A large number of women were running out of a nearby bathhouse in panic.
Some of them were still wrapped only in bath towels.
It was quite the chaotic spectacle.
Just then, a figure suddenly leapt out of a window on the side of the bathhouse.
Whoosh!
The man dashed away like a gust of wind, moving with astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, he had already disappeared into the distance.
The members of the Konoha Military Police Force exchanged awkward looks.
Cold sweat slowly formed on several foreheads.
"That... the person just now was Lord Jiraiya, right?" one of them asked hesitantly, swallowing nervously.
"Probably... maybe... most likely..." another replied with equal uncertainty.
Ryūjin stood there silently.
Jiraiya really was an impressive eccentric.
Still, now that Jiraiya had returned to Konoha, the village would undoubtedly become much livelier.
The patrol ended without further incident.
Later that afternoon, inside a barbecue restaurant in Konoha.
Ryūjin sat at a table together with Kakashi Hatake, Might Guy, and Kurenai Yuhi.
"Kakashi, these two are my best friends too, so don't keep such a gloomy face! Youth should never look so lifeless!"
Might Guy enthusiastically gave Kakashi a thumbs up.
Everyone in Konoha knew that Might Guy and Kakashi were best friends who trusted each other with their lives.
Ryūjin only trained with Guy after finishing his work at the Military Police. During the rest of the time, Guy usually spent his time competing with Kakashi.
Because of that, Ryūjin did not actually know Kakashi very well.
To be honest, aside from occasionally wondering what Kakashi's face looked like under that mask, Ryūjin did not feel much curiosity about him.
After all, this was the same guy whose statue on the Hokage Rock still had a mask carved onto it.
One year earlier, Kakashi had lost Rin Nohara.
The loss had struck him deeply.
Unable to cope with the pain, Kakashi joined the Anbu and buried himself in an endless stream of missions, using work to numb his mind.
Even now, the wounds had not healed.
As Kakashi's closest friend, Might Guy had deliberately invited everyone out to eat. Guy even insisted on paying for the meal himself, hoping that Ryūjin and Kurenai could help cheer Kakashi up.
Kakashi understood Guy's intentions.
However, he truly was not in the mood to socialize.
After greeting Ryūjin and Kurenai politely, he fell silent again.
"Kakashi, the barbecue here is really good. Eat quickly before Ryūjin and Kurenai finish everything!"
"Kakashi, my strength has improved a lot recently. After we finish eating, do you want to have another youthful competition?"
Throughout the entire meal, Might Guy tried his best to lift Kakashi's spirits.
Unfortunately, the results were not very encouraging.
Kakashi remained quiet and distant.
"Kakashi, is Lady Kushina about to give birth?"
Kurenai suddenly asked a question that immediately caught Ryūjin's attention.
"Yes," Kakashi replied calmly. "My master's wife should give birth in less than three months."
As Minato Namikaze's student and subordinate, Kakashi naturally had more contact with Minato than most people.
Because of that, he knew the situation clearly.
Besides, the pregnancy itself was not exactly a secret within the village.
"Oh, so it's really that soon?" Might Guy said casually while eating.
Hearing this, Ryūjin felt a faint stir in his heart.
Less than three months.
That meant the Nine Tails attack on Konoha was approaching.
He quietly sighed to himself.
Was Minato Namikaze's fate about to reach its end?
Ryūjin already knew what would happen in the future.
However, he had no intention of interfering.
To him, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki were simply names. They were not people with whom he had any personal connection.
Unless it involved his own family or close friends, such as a certain thick eyebrowed and overly passionate bowl cut youth, Ryūjin had no interest in interfering with the fate of others.
He never considered himself a hero.
Of course, when the Nine Tails was eventually released, Ryūjin would definitely make a move to suppress it.
Doing so would allow the Sign in System to generate Kurama's location.
That alone might change certain events.
As for whether Minato lived or died, that would depend entirely on his own luck.
Before long, the meal ended.
Might Guy's attempt to cheer Kakashi up had clearly failed. Kakashi still looked distant and melancholic.
He barely spoke.
As everyone prepared to leave, Ryūjin suddenly took out two movie tickets.
"Kurenai, there's a new movie tonight. Want to go watch it together?"
"Sure, sure! Since we have nothing to do after dinner, let's all go watch the movie together!" Might Guy suddenly shouted excitedly.
Kurenai immediately shot Guy a fierce glare.
Was this guy an idiot?
Even Kakashi, who was still feeling depressed, could not help lowering his head and pressing a hand to his forehead.
What kind of friend had he ended up with?
"Guy," Ryūjin said with a calm smile, "can I ask you a favor?"
"Of course! Ryūjin, just say it! With our friendship, I will definitely help you!" Guy proudly patted his chest.
A loud thump echoed.
"Then please do me a favor and gracefully get lost. Preferably somewhere very far away."
"W What?"
"Guy, let's go."
Kakashi finally lost his patience. He grabbed Guy by the collar and dragged the confused man away.
Once the two disappeared down the street, Ryūjin looked back at Kurenai.
"Alright, the troublemaker is gone. Kurenai, let's go watch the movie."
Kurenai nodded softly.
A faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
That night, after enjoying his pleasant nightlife, Ryūjin returned to his room.
He spent two hours practicing Mental Meditation as usual.
However, instead of going straight to sleep afterward, Ryūjin sat quietly and began planning his next moves.
The Nine Tails attack, which would happen in a little more than two months, was already a guaranteed opportunity.
There was no need to worry about that event.
All he needed to do was wait for the Nine Tails to be released, then suppress it.
What required careful planning were the other matters.
In truth, Ryūjin had already thought about most of it during his patrol earlier that day. Now he simply needed to organize his thoughts and finalize his decisions.
After thinking everything through, Ryūjin finally reached a conclusion.
"Yagura Karatachi," he murmured quietly.
"It looks like we will meet again very soon."