The morning sunlight spilled across the land.
The once-thriving border town in the Land of Cedars now lay in ruins under the golden rays of dawn.
What was once a prosperous town had been completely destroyed. Flames still burned amidst the scattered rubble of collapsed buildings, painting a scene that resembled a hellish purgatory.
Fortunately, the residents and tourists in the town had largely avoided harm.
However, as they stared at the devastation before them, their expressions were filled with shock and disbelief.
"This is bad."
In the forest near the town, Jiraiya stared at the distant ruins with a grim expression. He then lowered his gaze to the unconscious Fourth Raikage, who lay with one arm severed, and felt a wave of despair wash over him.
"It's definitely bad," Kakashi said, his face stiff as he nodded in agreement.
Tsunade, however, couldn't hold back her frustration any longer.
"You're all a bunch of idiots! A perfectly fine town has been completely destroyed, and now the Fourth Raikage is in this state. You might as well have killed him!"
"If we killed him, we'd spark a Shinobi World War," Kakashi said with a sigh, rubbing his white hair.
Kitagawa Minamoto nodded as well, adding, "Exactly. With so many witnesses, killing him would definitely lead to war. But since things are already this bad, should we just..."
Minamoto made a slicing motion across his neck, causing Tsunade to stare at him in shock.
"Wait, you're not seriously considering it, are you?"
"Don't joke about that, Minamoto," Kakashi said, clearly exasperated as he interrupted.
"Let's focus on what to do next."
"Agreed," Jiraiya said, walking over with a defeated look. He couldn't bear to look back at the ruined town.
"What should we do about the Fourth Raikage? Look at the state he's in."
This was a critical issue. They couldn't exactly bring the Raikage back to Konohagakure.
Sure, capturing him would boost the village's prestige and deal a heavy blow to Kumogakure's morale.
But the Raikage was the ultimate symbol of his village. Taking him prisoner would only invite more trouble.
Not to mention, Minamoto had severed the Fourth Raikage's arm.
How could they possibly explain that? Invite him to Konohagakure as a guest?
"This is such a headache," Tsunade muttered, though her gaze eventually shifted to Minamoto.
"But still, this kid is incredible."
The battle between Minamoto and the Fourth Raikage was deeply etched into her memory.
Especially since this white-haired boy excelled in swordsmanship and even mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique.
It was hard not to think of her granduncle, the Second Hokage.
Konohagakure had produced yet another genius.
"Anyway, I'll start treating him now," Tsunade said, shaking her head to clear her thoughts.
Though she was curious about Minamoto, there were more pressing matters to attend to.
"Jiraiya, I already know why you came looking for me. Orochimaru is part of that Akatsuki organization, isn't he?"
"Yes," Jiraiya replied, glancing at Kakashi. After seeing Kakashi nod, he continued,
"I've already gotten some intel from Orochimaru. The situation is more serious than we thought."
"What do you mean?"
"The Akatsuki is far more dangerous than we imagined. Even Hanzō the Salamander and Danzō Shimura have lost to them."
"Hanzō? Danzō?"
Tsunade's expression turned serious, while Minamoto raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
What's going on? What did Orochimaru say?
As Jiraiya recounted Orochimaru's words, Minamoto's eyes widened in disbelief.
That snake really didn't lie, but when you piece together all this fragmented intel, it paints a terrifying picture.
"Not only did he reveal information about the Akatsuki, but he also exposed some of Danzō's dealings. Damn, he really threw Danzō under the bus!"
Minamoto couldn't help but recall the connection between Orochimaru and Danzō. This move was ruthless—were the two now enemies?
"Danzō, Hanzō..."
Tsunade frowned deeply, pondering the situation before finally speaking.
"It seems this is indeed a serious problem. The Akatsuki might be more dangerous than we thought."
"Exactly," Jiraiya said with a bitter smile. The situation was far more troublesome than he had anticipated.
"Perhaps I need to visit the Land of Rain and see what's going on with Hanzō.
But that's for later. I'll need to discuss it with the old man first.
By the way, Tsunade, will you come back with us?"
"Hmph."
Tsunade snorted, casting another glance at Minamoto before turning her attention to the ruined town.
"What else can I do? Damn it, such a good place with so many casinos, and you lot destroyed it all.
Now I don't even have anywhere to relax. Besides, I need to keep an eye on the Fourth Raikage. If he dies, I won't be able to escape the fallout."
"That's good to hear," Jiraiya said, forcing a smile.
Though there were countless problems, at least they had reached a somewhat positive outcome.
"But... we weren't the only ones involved. He started it," Minamoto said, unable to hold back any longer.
He pointed at the unconscious Fourth Raikage before giving Tsunade a strange look.
"If it's really that bad, can't we make him pay for the town's reconstruction?"
"..."
Minamoto's suggestion left everyone speechless.
"You cut off his arm, and now you want him to pay for the damage?"
"Also, I heard from Jiraiya-sama that Tsunade-sama owes a mountain of gambling debts."
"Hey, Jiraiya, are you trying to get yourself killed?!"
Tsunade immediately grabbed Jiraiya by the collar, causing him to panic.
"But isn't this a good thing?" Minamoto interjected.
"Now that the town's destroyed, doesn't that mean the debts are gone too?"
"...Huh?"
Konohagakure
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his office, feeling unusually relaxed as he reviewed some documents.
With Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Minamoto out on a mission, the village had finally quieted down.
"The village feels so much more peaceful," he mused.
Although these three were valuable assets to the village, their antics often gave him headaches.
Given the high-stakes missions they frequently undertook, he also worried about their well-being.
Especially Minamoto.
"That kid has had a rough upbringing and has been constantly taking on high-difficulty missions since becoming a ninja.
This mission gives him a chance to unwind."
Jiraiya might seem unreliable most of the time, but when it came down to it, he was someone Hiruzen could trust completely.
Letting Jiraiya take Minamoto on this mission, with Kakashi as backup, seemed like the perfect arrangement.
"Lord Hokage, urgent report!"
Just as he was lost in thought, an Anbu suddenly rushed in, carrying a small toad.
"..."
The moment Hiruzen saw the toad, his heart sank.
"Here, Jiraiya asked me to deliver this to you. Mission accomplished, I'm off!"
The toad spat out a scroll before vanishing in a puff of smoke.
"This can't be good..."
Hiruzen's hand trembled slightly as he picked up the scroll, a sense of foreboding settling over him.
"All they had to do was find Tsunade. What could possibly go wrong?"
But as he unrolled the scroll and read its contents, his vision darkened.
They had encountered the Fourth Raikage and Orochimaru?
Destroyed an entire town in the process?
Orochimaru revealed critical intel involving Danzō?
The Fourth Raikage was defeated and had his arm severed?
These revelations hit Hiruzen like a hammer. His head spun, and he struggled to stay upright.
"The Akatsuki... and Danzō?"
Though overwhelmed, he forced himself to remain composed.
The situation with the Fourth Raikage was dire, as it could easily escalate into war.
But for now, he needed to focus on Danzō.
"Danzō has been meddling with such dangerous people and never said a word.
If he's planning revenge, things could get even worse!"
Determined, Hiruzen left his office with the Anbu in tow.
He needed to confront Danzō immediately.
But not long after he left, a white figure appeared silently in the shadows.
"So, Orochimaru leaked our intel to Konohagakure?"
Amegakure, within the Land of Rain
In the rain-soaked village, Pain stood with a cold expression, facing Obito Uchiha.
"Yes. He revealed quite a bit, but not too much. That guy knows his limits," Obito replied, nodding.
He had sent Zetsu to gather intel on Danzō Shimura, only to stumble upon this mess.
Initially, Obito had planned to suppress the information, but after Black Zetsu's advice, he decided to inform Pain.
"Actually, even if Orochimaru hadn't said anything, Danzō is already investigating.
According to the intel, he's planning to contact Hanzō the Salamander."
"You're worried he'll come to Amegakure?" Pain asked coldly.
"If he does, I'll personally..."
"Kill him?"
Obito interrupted with a sneer, parroting Black Zetsu's earlier suggestion.
"And let all of Konohagakure know we're here? Don't forget the Iwagakure situation."
Pain fell silent.
Though he believed the Iwagakure incident hadn't exposed much, rumors of Deidara's involvement with Konohagakure made him uneasy.
"So what do you suggest?"
"We won't let them off the hook, but it can't happen here in the Land of Rain."
Obito smirked, his voice low and calculating.
"They're currently in the Land of Cedars. With the Fourth Raikage involved, they won't be leaving anytime soon.
So..."
"We stage an 'encounter' there during a mission?"
Pain quickly grasped Obito's plan. It was a sound strategy, albeit frustrating.
"Still, this all traces back to one man.
Danzō Shimura..."
"You truly deserve to die!"
(End of Chapter)
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