The yellow toad from Mount Myōboku had numerous bumps on its head, a chubby face, and a plump body, giving it a silly yet adorable appearance.
As the white smoke dispersed, the yellow toad appeared before Minato, its eyes red from crying.
"Gamaryū?" Minato recognized all the toads from Mount Myōboku, so he immediately identified Gamaryū at a glance.
"Big Brother Minato, Grandfather and Grandmother are dead." Gamaryū's eyes welled with tears, but what he said next completely stunned Minato.
"Jiraiya Boss is dead too."
Minato suddenly stood up so abruptly that he knocked over his chair.
"What did you say?" His eyes widened in disbelief at Gamaryū's words.
"Grandfather, Grandmother, and Jiraiya Boss are all dead." Gamaryū couldn't stop his tears from flowing. He had come specifically to inform Minato of this tragic news.
Hearing this, Minato's body trembled violently. He pressed both hands against his desk, slowly lowering his head, unwilling to believe that the two Great Sages and his mentor, Jiraiya, were truly gone.
The news came so suddenly that he was caught completely off guard. Just thinking about the death of his respected teacher, Jiraiya, sent sharp pains through his heart.
Even though he had witnessed death countless times and knew that being a ninja meant walking on the edge of a blade, the pain of losing someone important was still unavoidable.
This feeling of loss was unbearably painful. He had always regarded Jiraiya as a father figure. In his mind, memories of Jiraiya's hearty laughter resurfaced, along with the times he had ogled large-chested women. He also remembered the way Jiraiya had carefully unveiled the Rasengan to him, treating it as a treasured secret.
A single teardrop suddenly fell onto his palm. Then another. And another…
Minato stared blankly at his tear-soaked hands. He didn't even have the energy to think about how Jiraiya and the incredibly powerful Great Sages had died. His heart was overwhelmed by the rising tide of grief, making it difficult to bear.
He was not a man who cried easily, but in this moment, even trying to hold back his tears was useless.
Lowering his head, he allowed the tears to flow more freely…
After silently weeping for a while, Minato slowly lifted his head and looked at the still-sobbing Gamaryū.
"Was it Ye Zi?" he asked.
That was the only possible explanation. No, if Jiraiya had died, Ye Zi was definitely involved.
The letter he had sent to Jiraiya would never reach him now. Minato could even imagine that, knowing Jiraiya's personality, once he discovered that the Sharingan squad was linked to Ye Zi, he would never pass up the opportunity to investigate.
It was precisely because he had foreseen the possibility of Jiraiya taking a risk that Minato had tried to recall him. But he hadn't expected Ye Zi to act so quickly.
Now that the situation was irreversible, Minato refused to let Jiraiya's death be meaningless.
With a sobbing voice, Gamaryū said, "Dad said the Black Serpent did it."
Minato's expression turned icy. So it really was Ye Zi…
His hands, still pressed against the table, slowly curled into fists. A deep urge rose within him, the desire to lead an army and attack Ye Zi's base immediately. But he forcibly suppressed the impulse.
His position did not allow him to act on emotions.
"Gamaryū, you should go back now," Minato said, his gaze flashing with a sharp light.
Gamaryū hesitated, seemingly slow to react, and didn't notice that Minato's eyes looked vastly different from usual. Without much thought, he returned to Mount Myōboku.
Once Gamaryū was gone, Minato straightened his chair and sat back down. He placed his elbows on the desk, clasped his hands together, and rested his chin on them. After a moment of silence, he summoned the Anbu, instructing them to inform the relevant individuals of Jiraiya's death. He also ordered another Anbu to call Shikaku Nara to his office.
Reason told him he could not lose his composure over Ye Zi.
However, if eliminating Ye Zi as a threat required sacrifices, then so be it.
"We must make the other ninja villages realize just how dangerous Ye Zi and Amegakure are," Minato murmured to himself.
The major villages had always acted in their own self-interest. If there was no direct benefit, they would not take action.
If Ye Zi and Amegakure seriously threatened the interests of other villages, then no matter what excuse they used, it would be impossible to persuade them to mobilize against Ye Zi and Amegakure unless they saw a clear benefit.
Furthermore, trying to unite all the villages against Ye Zi and Amegakure had an obvious purpose: to spread out the cost of war. But without clear benefits, why would the other villages agree to it?
Especially when they were still in a period of recovery…
But Minato had no other choice. He would not allow Konoha to be the first to act alone. Otherwise, they might end up suffering heavy losses with no gain.
So, how to persuade the other ninja villages? That was a difficult problem. Even if he couldn't convince them, he still had to share the known intelligence, planting a subtle seed and at least giving the other villages a warning.
If the Great Toad Sage's prophecy came true, then Ye Zi would inevitably become the enemy of the entire ninja world. The only hope was that when that time came, the various villages would be able to unite in time.
When faced with difficult decisions, Minato only ever turned to Nara Shikaku for advice, never considering the two advisors, Homura and Koharu.
By the time Shikaku arrived at Minato's office, the news of Jiraiya's death had also reached Tsunade and the others.
"Lord Hokage." Shikaku stood straight in front of the desk and greeted him.
It was often said that like father, like son. His son, Shikamaru, was not yet old enough to enter the Academy but had already shown exceptional intelligence. However, in terms of personality, he was vastly different from his father.
Nara Shikaku always handled matters with seriousness and diligence, whereas his son, Shikamaru, had been lazy since childhood. No one knew how he had developed such a personality.
"I called you here because there is something important I need to discuss with you." Minato looked at Shikaku. He was Minato's most trusted aide. Since taking office, he had relied on Shikaku's assistance in many matters. In short, Shikaku was an outstanding and dependable right-hand man.
"Does Lord Hokage plan to take action against Ye Zi?" Shikaku asked.
Minato was momentarily surprised but then nodded firmly. In a deep voice, he said, "Ultimately, this threat must be eliminated. We can't keep hesitating."
Shikaku let out a quiet "hmm" and replied calmly, "Naturally. But the Land of Fire has always been a battleground, with concerns that other villages do not have. Even if we are to deal with Ye Zi and Amegakure, the village cannot bear the burden alone."
"I know. That's why I want to unite the other ninja villages," Minato said seriously.
Shikaku sighed and said, "Uniting the other villages would help share the risk and losses, but we are still missing an opportunity."
Hearing this, Minato was momentarily stunned.
If you want to read more...
Check out the patreon and get 55 chapters in advance -> SaintXI
Currently on Chapter 540 - The Six Pains Return to Konoha