Unless the user actively dispels it, the Flying Raijin mark remains permanently.

Moreover, the mark is extremely well-hidden and difficult to detect by anyone other than the caster. For example, Uchiha Obito had carried the mark for years without ever noticing it.

Of course, if someone had enough mastery over ninjutsu, they could theoretically break a Flying Raijin mark left on them. After all, no matter how powerful a jutsu is, it's still a jutsu, and all jutsu can be broken.

Ethan didn't know whether Obito could break the Flying Raijin mark, but since he hadn't even discovered it, there was no way he could break it.

After Minato was resurrected, he immediately sensed the mark he had left years ago. However, it was quite far away, so he wasn't in a hurry to act. After all, Minato wasn't a rash person. Even if he wanted revenge, he needed to explain everything clearly to everyone first.

He then learned about Konoha's situation over the years, the immense threat posed by the Akatsuki, and came to believe that the mysterious masked man who caused the Nine-Tails incident was a member of the Akatsuki. Uchiha Itachi's intel confirmed that the masked man was operating under the name of Uchiha Madara.

In this situation, even if Minato wanted revenge, he wouldn't act blindly. He would only move after thorough discussion and planning.

It was under these circumstances that Jiraiya proposed a reconnaissance mission to Amegakure to assess the Akatsuki's strength.

On the surface, it seemed Jiraiya wanted to gather intel, but there were deeper reasons. The Akatsuki's nominal leader, Pain, possessed the Rinnegan, which deeply concerned him.

Amegakure and the Rinnegan. These two keywords made it impossible for him not to think of the three students he had once taught.

According to Itachi, Pain didn't seem to be Nagato, but the Rinnegan wasn't something just anyone could obtain. Jiraiya couldn't shake the feeling that there was a connection.

His intuition was correct. The so-called Pain was actually a puppet controlled by Nagato through the Rinnegan. As for Nagato's real body, due to long-term injuries and the strain of using the Gedo Statue, he was too weak to move and had to stay hidden in special equipment.

In the original story, Jiraiya never got to see Nagato in person during his reconnaissance. He was ambushed by the Six Paths of Pain and died in Amegakure.

Although he uncovered the truth about Pain before his death and managed to send a message back to Konoha, his death felt too casual and unresolved to Ethan.

"You're going to Amegakure alone?"

"What's wrong?"

"Have you picked out a burial site?"

"..."

Jiraiya thought Ethan was joking, but he quickly noticed Ethan's serious expression.

"You think this is a suicide mission?"

"Isn't it?"

Hearing Ethan's words, and given his strength and accomplishments so far, Tsunade chose to trust his judgment and made a decisive decision.

"I disagree with this reconnaissance mission."

Even Itachi objected to Jiraiya's plan. As a former member of the Akatsuki, he didn't know everyone's abilities, but even the ones he did know weren't easy to deal with.

Amegakure also had Pain, whose abilities he couldn't see through, and the mysterious "Uchiha Madara." Jiraiya going alone was truly a suicide mission.

More importantly, they didn't even have detailed intel on the enemy's abilities or fighting style. Only after Minato's resurrection did they learn that the masked man could phase his body with space-time ninjutsu, making most attacks ineffective. That technique alone was already a nightmare to deal with.

Seeing everyone against the idea, Jiraiya dropped his usual lighthearted demeanor and said seriously:

"I must go."

"Why? Is there a reason you have to go?"

"Yes."

With that response, Tsunade knew there was no changing his mind.

Having known Jiraiya for so many years, she understood his personality well. He might seem easygoing, but he was extremely stubborn. Once he made up his mind, no one could sway him.

Even if they denied him permission now, he would just sneak off to Amegakure later. Rather than letting him go alone and unprepared, the safest solution Tsunade could think of was to have Ethan accompany him.

"If you absolutely have to go, then..."

"Alright, alright. Don't look so stressed. Since Jiraiya wants to go, I'll go with him. I've been pretty free lately. A little trip could be fun."

"Well actually, I think I can manage on my own."

Ethan looked at him with an expression that clearly said, "You'll die for sure if you go alone," until Jiraiya also began to feel he probably wouldn't make it solo. Only then did he shut up.

With Ethan going, even if the Akatsuki really did have Uchiha Madara hidden among them, they wouldn't be able to do much.

As Ethan continued to show powers beyond imagination, Tsunade and Jiraiya became more convinced of his earlier claim—he was a god from another world.

Minato also wanted to go. He was eager to uncover the identity of the masked man. But he had other responsibilities now: teaching Naruto how to properly use the Nine-Tails' power.

After being trapped in the Shinigami's belly for so long, Minato's greatest achievement was that he had fully subdued the half of the Nine-Tails sealed within him. That meant he was now a perfect Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and knew how to use the Nine-Tails' power effectively.

Once he mentioned this, Tsunade and Jiraiya finally realized that what Ethan had said before about "Naruto befriending the Nine-Tails" wasn't just nonsense.

"Before the Akatsuki make a move, we should gather intel and prepare."

"What? With me going, shouldn't we just wipe out Amegakure?"

"..."

Everyone present suddenly felt that Ethan was even scarier than the Akatsuki. At least the Akatsuki only targeted Tailed Beasts and their motives were still unclear. Ethan just casually talked about erasing an entire ninja village?

Although Amegakure couldn't compare to the Five Great Nations, it was still stronger than the smaller villages and had a reputation only slightly below the Five Great Nations.

"Ethan... we're just going to investigate the Akatsuki..."

"Is there any difference between the Akatsuki and Amegakure at this point?"

"..."

Everyone in the room was smart. Based on the intel from Itachi, they could easily deduce the relationship between the Akatsuki and Amegakure. But outsiders didn't know that, so they couldn't act recklessly. Otherwise, a single misstep could trigger a Great Ninja War.

"That's why I wanted to go alone."

Jiraiya's status was special. While he was a Konoha ninja, he had been away for many years. In the eyes of most, he was just a wandering sage.

If he appeared in Amegakure, he could easily come up with an excuse.

If a currently active Konoha jonin suddenly appeared in Amegakure, it would look like an act of war: is Konoha sending people to invade?

If Konoha took action against Amegakure, the surrounding Great Nations would immediately be on alert. Countries like the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind might think Konoha was about to attack them. The slightest incident could ignite a full-blown Great Ninja War.

And once war broke out, it wouldn't be something easily stopped. Even if no one wanted to fight, the situation would force them into conflict.

That's why Jiraiya had originally intended to handle the matter as discreetly as possible.

"If we attack Amegakure, we'll likely be surrounded by several great nations afterward."

"That's easy to handle too!"

Just as everyone was curious about what kind of solution Ethan had, they heard something that left them all speechless.

"When they show up, just kill them all."

"..."

"Why are there so many factions in such a small place? While we're at it, we should wipe out those useless daimyo too. Let everyone know that this territory now belongs to Konoha."

"..."

If they didn't know how terrifying Ethan really was, everyone would think he was insane. Was this guy actually the real mastermind behind the Akatsuki?

"Don't look at me like that. If I were really planning something like that, I'd do it openly. Do those rats from the Akatsuki who only hide in the shadows deserve to be compared to me?"

Itachi suddenly felt a twinge in his knees, but he pretended to be silent, acting like he was overthinking things.

"Let's be serious now."

"I am being serious."

Tsunade ignored him. She had somewhat grasped Ethan's personality by now. When he suddenly started spouting nonsense, the best thing to do was just ignore him.

Just as she was about to bring up another topic, a subordinate came in to report an emergency.

The Fire Temple had been attacked, and nearly all of the monks had been slaughtered. Only a few managed to escape.

According to one of the survivors, the attackers were members of the Akatsuki. The distinctive black cloaks with red clouds made their identity obvious.

The report was placed on Tsunade's desk. Conveniently, the most important people in Konoha were all present. They exchanged glances, and their eyes finally turned to Itachi.

"An organization like the Akatsuki needs a lot of money to operate. Based on the survivor's description, the attackers were Kakuzu and Hidan. Kakuzu is the one responsible for the group's finances."

"So... they were targeting the monks in the Fire Temple who had bounties on their heads."

Just as they came to this conclusion, Asuma, who had just learned of his comrade's death, suddenly arrived.

(To be continued.)

◇◇◇

◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.

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