"Jiraiya-sama, Kushina-sama, it's terrible…"
Just as the two were chatting under a tree, a Konoha's Chunin suddenly ran over, frantic and anxious: "We just received a distress signal from Orochimaru-sama! It seems he encountered Yuki Sora! The signal was sent very hastily, the information is incomplete, but the words 'Yuki Sora' were clearly visible!"
After speaking, the Konoha's Chunin handed a report full of numbers and katakana to Jiraiya.
Jiraiya took it, looked down, and his expression instantly changed drastically.
The code in this report contained elements only he, Tsunade, and Orochimaru understood. These codes were only used in extremely urgent situations.
'It seemed Orochimaru had really encountered major trouble this time.'
Jiraiya put away the report and immediately walked towards the camp behind him without looking back. He needed to prepare his equipment. If the opponent was Sora, it would undoubtedly be an extremely difficult, perhaps even suicidal, battle.
But…
Even so, he couldn't abandon the bond with Orochimaru. Jiraiya simply couldn't stand by and watch his comrade in a desperate situation.
"Notify the Ninjas in the camp. It seems a tough battle is coming."
Kushina's expression, however, was very grave. She issued commands methodically, her ice-cold composure a complete contrast to her usual [Red Hot Habanero] fiery image.
Clearly,
After the devastating defeat at Tenfu Gorge, Kushina had also experienced the pain of war and had matured considerably.
"Let's move out…"
"To rescue Orochimaru-sama!"
Kushina's tone was very firm. As long as she lived, she would absolutely never abandon a single comrade. Striving to change this world, to save this world… this was her promise to Kurama, and her own redemption.
…
However,
The path to redemption probably had little to do with the Will of Fire.
By the time Kushina and Jiraiya, leading over a hundred Ninjas, arrived at the battlefield, they were far too late.
"We're too late…"
Jiraiya sighed, his expression gloomy, his gaze sweeping back and forth across the ravaged battlefield, searching for any sign of Orochimaru.
But piercing through the mist hanging over the ruins, he could only see the corpses of the Root's Ninjas, their deaths gruesome. Some were shattered and scattered, others remained locked in poses of mutual slaughter even in death, their swords piercing their comrades' hearts.
The terrifying corpses left behind made the faces of the Konoha's Ninjas who had come to rescue turn very pale.
Root's members were often cold-blooded and emotionless, operating outside the village's regular Ninja System. But even so, they were still Konoha Ninjas, still colleagues.
Now,
Seeing their colleagues meet such a miserable end, the feelings of many Konoha's Ninjas were quite indescribable.
"These are all Root's Ninjas. Judging by the number of bodies, it's over fifty people. So…"
"Is Elder Danzo here?"
A Hyuga Clan's Jonin, after assessing the battlefield situation, suddenly posed a shocking question.
'Danzo…'
'Is here?'
Silence fell.
Suddenly,
The expressions of the hundred-plus Konoha Ninjas present became horrified and utterly astonished. Their gazes trembled, considering an incredibly crazy possibility.
Even Kushina fell silent. Looking at the ferocious state of the battlefield, she knew what had likely happened here was another one-sided massacre by Sora against the Konoha's forces.
Regardless of Danzo's high status within the village, his authority second only to the Hokage, from a purely Ninja perspective, Danzo's expertise in Wind Release would likely inflict little damage on Sora.
Especially since he lacked Kushina's Nine-Tails' Chakra Mode, Minato's Flying Thunder God, or Orochimaru's unique Substitution Technique.
So, if he truly engaged in a fight to the death with Sora, Danzo would probably be the hardest-pressed to escape among Konoha's top-tier combatants.
Everyone fell silent, their trembling gazes searching the field.
After a long while, Jiraiya suddenly breathed a sigh of relief: "There are no bodies of Elder Danzo or Orochimaru on the battlefield. With their strength, they might have managed to escape and survive."
Jiraiya's gloomy expression lightened slightly, but an Elite Jonin next to him analyzed rationally: "I'm not so sure. That Yuki Sora is the most cold and ruthless. It's possible he killed Elder Danzo and Orochimaru-sama and took their bodies back to Kirigakure. After all, these two are high-ranking figures of our village. Even dead, they hold great value for the Village of the Bloody Mist."
As soon as these words were spoken, Jiraiya, who had just relaxed slightly, darkened again.
The other Konoha's Ninjas nearby also stared at the Elite Jonin as if he were an idiot, 'Everyone knew about Jiraiya-sama's brotherly bond with Orochimaru-sama. Was this guy just stirring up trouble for no reason, or was he talking nonsense?'
"In any case…"
After a long silence, it was Kushina who spoke up, breaking the deathly still atmosphere. She said gravely, "First, report what happened here to Hokage-sama. This incident is too major. We are no longer sufficient to make the correct decisions."
The Root Organization was nearly wiped out. Orochimaru and Danzo were missing, suspected dead. One could say the losses Konoha suffered this time were even greater than the previous defeat at Tenfu Gorge.
If they truly lost two Kage-level combatants, Konoha would really suffer a crippling blow this time.
Don't forget, Konoha's enemies aren't just Kirigakure… Kumogakure, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure are also watching like tigers eyeing their prey!!!
…
The news soon reached Konoha.
"What did you say? Danzo and Orochimaru are both missing!??"
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen, who had just received the intelligence report from the Anbu, showed a face of utter shock and disbelief. Then that shock quickly transformed into a complex mix of astonishment, horror, fear, bewilderment, and even a sense of relief.
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
The Third Hokage's direct Anbu knelt on one knee and reported: "Jiraiya-sama and Kushina-sama at the front have already organized a large number of personnel and begun searching locally. But they haven't found any trace of Elder Danzo or Orochimaru-sama. Furthermore, all intelligence on Yuki Sora has been completely lost. I'm afraid the situation… is not good."
'Has the situation really developed to this extent?'
Hearing this, the expression on Hiruzen's face grew even more complex. If Danzo and Orochimaru were truly killed by Sora, the village's loss would be too great.
This was true from an interest standpoint, and even more difficult to accept emotionally.
Even though Orochimaru and Danzo belonged to different factions and could be considered political rivals, one was his most beloved student, and the other was a comrade who had shared countless hardships with him.
If anything happened to these two, it would certainly deal a heavy blow to Hiruzen.
In the office, the elder, Utatane Koharu, after a brief moment of shock and astonishment, immediately reacted decisively: "Hiruzen, no matter what, we must keep this matter confidential. It absolutely cannot leak out. The search must also be conducted secretly, without revealing any hints. This is the most critical matter!"
After taking a deep breath, Homura also said gravely: "Konoha is currently in a turbulent period. We absolutely cannot withstand another blow to morale. Moreover, first Namikaze Minato and Uchiha Fugaku were seriously injured in succession, and now even Danzo and Orochimaru have gone missing. If other Ninja Villages get this intelligence, the consequences would be unimaginable!"
"The more critical the moment, the more stable we must be, the more we must avoid chaos. Even if we have to use some extraordinary measures, we must maintain stability!"
Homura's firm statement repeatedly emphasized that, even by extraordinary means, they must suppress the impact of Danzo and Orochimaru's disappearance.
This was a matter of the highest priority. It must be remembered that both Danzo and Orochimaru held considerable influence within the village. Especially Danzo, who controlled the Root and had extensive interest exchanges and checks and balances with the great clans.
If something happened to Danzo, there was no guarantee that the Ninjas within Root, or certain clans, wouldn't develop divided loyalties, leading to even more unimaginable disasters.
"Indeed…"
"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. The time has come to make a decision!"
After pondering for a long time, a remarkably determined expression suddenly appeared on the aged face of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. It seemed he had reached some decision… a very crazy one.