Hokage: Immortal, I Open Unlimited Eight Gates

Back in Konoha, the three of them headed straight to the Hokage Building.

However, before they even reached the mission hall, they could hear Jiraiya's voice ringing out from inside.

"Old man, do you have any simpler B-rank missions?"

Jiraiya, as usual, paid no mind to the formality of the setting and addressed Sarutobi Hiruzen in a manner that would seem disrespectful to outsiders.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was flipping through some files, didn't seem the least bit bothered—he was used to it by now.

"No. Even if I had one, I wouldn't give it to you. Your team has just graduated. You should continue with non-dangerous missions for now."

Hearing this, Jiraiya frowned in dissatisfaction. "Old man, do you even consider logic when you lie? You just mentioned a B-rank mission! Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"Or do you think I'm incapable of bringing my students back safely?"

"It's good that you acknowledge that," Sarutobi Hiruzen replied without hesitation. "With your personality, I really do have some concerns. If you were more like Orochimaru, I'd feel more at ease giving you a B-rank mission."

Jiraiya felt slightly embarrassed upon hearing this, as Sarutobi Hiruzen had spoken the truth—his personality was indeed a bit reckless, unlike Orochimaru, who was cautious and meticulous.

However, with his students watching, he couldn't afford to show weakness. "Old man, let me ask you again—will you give me a B-rank mission today or not?"

"If you're free, take your students and complete some missions to gain more experience. Don't waste my time here," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, clearly annoyed.

Lately, he had been under a lot of stress. Ever since Uchiha Chiba provided a method to keep Jinchūriki alive, Senju Sousuke had approached him the very next day to discuss the matter.

The biggest issue wasn't the method—it was deciding who would be responsible for severing one of the Nine-Tails' tails.

Everyone knew that tailed beasts were not only capable of unleashing devastating Tailed Beast Bombs, but they were also extremely resilient, making them difficult to harm with ordinary weapons.

In the past, sealing techniques were the primary method of dealing with tailed beasts.

As a result, this decision had been weighing on Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind, leaving him sleepless for days.

"Jiraiya-sensei, let's not bother Hokage-sama any further. I think it would be best for us to complete a few C-rank and D-rank missions first," Namikaze Minato, who had been standing behind Jiraiya, spoke up, sensing his teacher's awkward position.

After speaking, Minato subtly signaled to his teammates.

"Jiraiya-sensei, I agree with Minato. We still need to gain more experience," Shiranohuma added, catching on to Minato's intent.

"See? Your students are more level-headed than you," Sarutobi Hiruzen said sternly. "Now, leave."

Jiraiya scowled but, seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen's unwavering stance, he knew that getting a B-rank mission today was impossible.

With no other choice, he randomly selected a C-rank mission from the mission hall staff and led Minato and the others outside.

As they exited, they nearly bumped into Uchiha Chiba and his group.

"Orochimaru, Chiba, Nawaki—are you here for a mission too?" Jiraiya greeted them.

"No, we're here to submit a completed mission," Orochimaru replied, shaking his head.

Chiba and Nawaki greeted Jiraiya in unison. "Brother Jiraiya."

Jiraiya nodded in acknowledgment before turning toward his students. "Let me introduce you. This is my disciple, Namikaze Minato, and these two are my students, Shiranohuma and Tamaki."

Uchiha Chiba studied the three young ninjas with curiosity.

First was Namikaze Minato, whose golden hair resembled Tsunade's. While his looks weren't quite as striking as Tsunade's, Minato had an infectious, warm aura that made him instantly likable.

Then there were Shiranohuma and Tamaki, both of whom Chiba recognized. He also knew that Namikaze Minato would one day serve as a member of the Hokage's bodyguard unit.

"We have a mission to complete, so let's not delay," Jiraiya said after finishing the introductions.

With that, Jiraiya led Minato and the others away.

Once they had left, Orochimaru and his team proceeded into the mission hall.

Orochimaru ignored Sarutobi Hiruzen and went straight to the staff member handling mission submissions.

"I'm here to submit a completed mission. Here's the mission report."

"Understood," the staff member said, accepting the document.

However, as soon as he read through it, his eyes widened in shock. The contents, though extensive, could be summarized as follows:

"Mission completed. The individuals responsible for attacking the Nara clan's business were identified as members of the Fenglan clan from Kumogakure. Additionally, during the mission, we encountered a rogue ninja from Takigakure. Genin Uchiha Chiba successfully eliminated him single-handedly."

"Lord Orochimaru, is this report accurate? A Genin took down a rogue ninja?" the staff member asked in surprise.

It was an understandable reaction. In his view, only Jōnin-level ninjas had the capability to survive after defecting from a village.

Genin or Chūnin who went rogue would be captured almost immediately.

For a Genin to kill a rogue ninja was unheard of.

"It's true," Orochimaru confirmed with a nod.

Even though he disliked admitting it, Uchiha Chiba had indeed handled the mission exceptionally well.

"Lord Orochimaru, please wait a moment. I need to bring this report to Hokage-sama," the staff member said, standing up and taking the document to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Chiba observed the staff member and guessed that he was likely a civilian ninja—perhaps a Chūnin at best.

Anyone from a well-established ninja clan would have already known about Chiba's battle prowess, especially after his duel with Orochimaru.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had overheard the conversation and was curious about the contents of the report.

As he skimmed through it, he handed it back to the staff member.

"The report is accurate. Go ahead and record it," Sarutobi Hiruzen said calmly.

He wasn't at all surprised that Uchiha Chiba had taken down a rogue ninja—after all, he had personally witnessed Chiba's skills.

With Sarutobi Hiruzen's approval, the staff member returned to his desk and quickly finalized the mission records.

Once the process was complete, he retrieved a document and handed it to Orochimaru.

"Lord Orochimaru, please take this document to the Finance Department to collect your mission reward."

Orochimaru nodded and took the document before turning to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Teacher, I'll be taking my leave now."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded in acknowledgment, making no effort to stop him.