Jiraiya trailed behind the group, his expression somewhat distant, lost in thought. He couldn't understand how his once kind-hearted students had turned out that way.
"Yahiko… Nagato… Konan…"
He snapped back to reality with a quiet sigh. His mind drifted to the time he met Naruto, and how firm the boy's belief in becoming Hokage had been—how deeply he loved the village.
"Maybe… that's what Nagato and the others were missing…" Jiraiya muttered under his breath.
He had to get to the bottom of this. If his students had gone down the wrong path, then he bore the responsibility to set things right.
With that, Jiraiya quickened his pace to catch up with the others.
Just then, a researcher wrapped tightly in protective gear brushed past him.
Jiraiya felt a strange, familiar aura coming off the person. His body froze slightly—just long enough that the two collided.
"Ah! I'm sorry, so sorry!" the researcher quickly bowed and apologized.
Jiraiya felt a slip of paper slide into his sleeve but said nothing, pretending nothing had happened.
"No problem," he replied casually.
He caught back up with the group and walked over to Hyuga Gakuya.
"Lord Mokushū, I need to use the restroom."
Tsunade, overhearing the request, rolled her eyes with a groan.
"You really are the type who always needs to go."
Jiraiya just scratched his head and laughed awkwardly.
"Ahahaha, what can I say? Nature calls."
Of course, Gakuya knew exactly why Jiraiya was making this request. The researcher who bumped into him had been arranged by Gakuya himself.
He nodded and smiled.
"Understandable. Kimimaro, take Lord Jiraiya to the restroom. Once he's done, bring him straight to the conference room."
"Yes, sir." Kimimaro nodded and turned to Jiraiya. "Right this way, Lord Jiraiya."
"Thanks," Jiraiya replied.
The five Kage all exchanged subtle glances. The Federation was taking precautions this seriously? Escorting someone even to the bathroom? There was no doubt now—this place was hiding something big. The monstrous army from the Federation's war with the Land of Wind years ago… this had to be where it all started.
...
Jiraiya followed Kimimaro to the restroom. Kimimaro didn't enter, simply waiting outside.
Once inside a stall, Jiraiya pulled out the note and unfolded it.
It read, in clear handwriting:
"Lord Orochimaru became Chiba Mokushū's puppet eight years ago. Mokushū has much bigger plans. Be careful."
Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock.
His first instinct was disbelief. How could that be possible? Eight years ago—that would be before the Konoha Crush.
If Orochimaru had already become Chiba Mokushū's puppet back then, then who killed the Fourth Kazekage? Who lured Sasuke Uchiha away?
It made less and less sense the more he thought about it. Could this be a ploy by the Akatsuki to sow discord? But that familiar aura from the man who handed him the note… it did resemble Orochimaru's. That kind of thing couldn't be faked.
The use of "Lord Orochimaru" implied the messenger might've been a former subordinate of his.
The deeper he thought, the more questions surfaced. But lingering too long would only raise suspicion.
Jiraiya immediately tore the note into pieces and flushed it down the toilet. After composing himself, he stepped back out.
"Let's go, Kimimaro," he said calmly.
Kimimaro nodded and escorted him back to the conference room.
All the while, Jiraiya turned over countermeasures in his mind. Regardless of whether the intel was true or false, he had to be cautious. He couldn't let anyone notice anything unusual about him.
...
Back in the conference room, the discussion was already heated.
Hyuga Gakuya was summarizing the current crisis.
"Our enemies are the Akatsuki… and the potential threat of extraterrestrial invaders arriving at any time."
"But for now, the Akatsuki are our immediate problem. From what we've gathered, the alien presence in ninja history is separated by two events, each a thousand years apart. We suspect even alien communication over such distances would be limited."
"If not, then reinforcements would've come during their internal conflicts a millennium ago—not now."
"That's why our top priority must be stopping the Akatsuki from collecting the Tailed Beasts. Right now, the only ones still in our possession are the Nine-Tails in Konoha, the Eight-Tails and Two-Tails in Kumogakure, and the Six-Tails in Kirigakure."
Jiraiya entered just in time to see Gakuya delivering his speech with passion and righteousness, his words full of concern for the future of the shinobi world.
For a moment, Jiraiya wavered. Maybe that warning really had been the Akatsuki trying to divide them...
Mei Terumi's expression darkened. "The Six-Tails' jinchūriki has already defected. He's no longer in Kirigakure."
In fact, ever since she took power, the village hadn't had control of a single Tailed Beast. The Three-Tails disappeared with Yagura's death, and the Six-Tails' host had deserted.
That was why she'd been so eager to capture the Three-Tails during that recent skirmish.
Tsunade's face twisted in anger. "So we've basically handed the Six-Tails to the Akatsuki ?"
Gakuya nodded grimly.
"I propose that all six of our nations immediately begin searching for the Six-Tails' jinchūriki. We can't afford to lose another Tailed Beast to the Akatsuki."
"And we must also protect the ones we still have. At this point, I believe we need to put past grievances aside and pool our strength."
Ōnoki spoke up. "We agree with the first part. But what exactly do you mean by pooling strength? Are you suggesting we allow each other's shinobi into our villages to bolster defenses?"
A sharply defiant voice cut in—Raikage A.
"No way. I'm not letting foreign forces set foot in the Land of Lightning."
No one could blame him. No nation would willingly allow another's military to march in. That would be surrendering your homeland's fate to someone else—unthinkable.
Ōnoki snorted. "Still clinging to national interests? How are we supposed to unite like this and fight off a greater threat?"
"What did you say? Should we just pack up and move the Tailed Beasts from Kumogakure into Iwagakure for safekeeping?" A roared, his voice thundering with fury.
Kumogakure and Iwagakure had always been at odds—cooperation between them was a pipe dream.
Gakuya stepped in to ease the tension.
"Then let's take a different route. We can supply each village with our specialized tech-ninja tools to enhance your shinobi."
"Of course, they won't be free. You'll need to purchase them at cost."
"I'm in favor," several of the Kage agreed quickly.
They'd been eyeing the Federation's tech for a while now. If this was their chance to get the real deal, none of them would pass it up.
Gakuya smirked inwardly. With their current industrial capabilities, reverse-engineering these tools was out of the question.
...
Just then, a knock echoed from the door.
For someone to interrupt a meeting of this scale—it could only mean something urgent.
"Come in," Gakuya ordered.
Kabuto entered, followed by a shinobi from Kumogakure.
The moment the Kumogakure ninja saw the Fourth Raikage, he dropped to one knee.
"Lord Raikage! Half a day ago, the Akatsuki attacked our border outpost… They've captured the Two-Tails' jinchūriki."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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