After securing Jiraiya (and that meant ensuring he remained in a coma—alive, but with his chakra network destroyed, special seals embedded in his skin, some even penetrating his internal organs like the heart, and wrapped like a mummy in specialized bandages), the group didn't even stop to rest. They immediately turned around and headed back to Kumo as fast as possible.
They didn't know whether Jiraiya had dismissed all the toads in the surrounding area. If those slimy creatures realized their contractor had fallen, they might take action or report back to Konoha.
The first would be terribly annoying, but since Mount Myoboku had already been aligned with Konoha for decades, Kumo wouldn't care that much.
As for the latter, as long as they denied everything to the very end, what could Konoha even do?
Start a war over Jiraiya?
What a joke!
Even if they knew it was true (because the toads strongly supported Jiraiya and wouldn't joke about something like that), to the rest of the world it would just be "your word against mine." They could even turn the situation around and ask what he was doing so close to their border.
What happened with Neji's father was a dangerous precedent.
Maybe Konoha just wanted another excuse to go to war?
But no one was focused on that matter at the moment.
"—The Daimyo of Snow is pregnant?!"
"—Sensei is going to be a father?!"
"—I-I'm going to be an aunt?!"
The kunoichi were so shocked they almost dropped "the package" on the ground.
Chad anticipated it and kicked Jiraiya back into place.
"I still feel my body a bit off after using that Suna guy's technique," Chad thought, rolling his shoulders.
Everyone ignored the groan and the sound of breaking bones. The bandages would keep the blood inside and the bones more or less in place.
"But I thought you were delaying it?" Mabui asked in confusion.
Honestly, she hadn't expected to become an aunt for at least another four or five years. Now she felt a bit of pressure to find a partner herself…
"Life doesn't always go the way we expect. We can't control every aspect and moment to our liking," Chad replied with a shrug. He couldn't exactly say that subduing and controlling Black Zetsu had eased a lot of his paranoia.
Of course, he hadn't completely lowered his guard, but having that group under his command was undeniably reassuring.
"Hibui, Kiyui, and the other kunoichi are going to go crazy," Yugito thought, biting her thumbnail. "Now then… how could I…?"
Samui remained silent, processing the news on a loop in her mind.
"Alright, let's leave this conversation for when we get home," Mabui cut in, trying to calm herself and stop imagining a chubby-cheeked mini Chad. "Brother, what are we going to do with Jiraiya in the end?"
"We'll start by extracting information about Konoha from his mind. He's a disciple of the Third Hokage—he must have plenty of valuable intel for the village," Chad raised one finger before continuing. "Once his head has been emptied, I'll open him up and examine his insides." There was a reason many ANBU destroyed bodies on the spot after taking down a rogue ninja—Chad would personally extract that information. "When I'm done, we'll just need to deliver the finishing blow, then reduce his body to ashes and scatter them by the roadside."
They had no intention of giving Jiraiya a proper burial. Anyone who wanted to would have to ask him first. Naturally, he also wasn't going to leave behind biological remains that could be used for Edo Tensei.
Like it or not, when you know techniques like that exist, you can never take enough precautions to avoid future problems.
Damn Tobirama, always saying the Uchiha were inherently evil—but who was the one researching techniques to revive the dead through human sacrifice?!
As for his plan to have Jiraiya "exchange experiences" with sailors in the northern seas of the Land of Lightning, he abandoned it for one simple reason: some prophecy-loving elder toad might locate him and send someone to rescue him.
No—no rescues. Jiraiya wasn't going to get some cliché comeback that made him stronger.
He was going to die. Whether it was him or Mabui who carried it out, he wasn't leaving Kumo alive.
And if anyone (like certain councilors) intended to suggest using him as a hostage to bargain with Konoha, the Raikage would have to decide who their successors would be—or whether it was worth offending him and his sister.
Of course, ideally, the Interrogation Department would begin its work before Konoha learned of Jiraiya's fall.
…
The Raikage looked at the bandage-wrapped, blood-stained mummy that was Jiraiya with a huge grin.
"Those spatial seals didn't go to waste," he thought as he ordered the Sannin of Konoha to be taken directly for mental extraction—top priority. "To think the idea actually worked—I never realized how much this guy relied on toad summoning!"
Kumo's ANBU looked at what remained of Jiraiya, and when they sensed his internal condition while transporting him, they began sweating beneath their masks.
They knew Chad was the best medical ninja in the village, but keeping someone alive in this state… respect!
"Good work!" the Raikage praised, clapping Chad energetically on the shoulder. "This will help lift the village's morale again."
The Raikage's words struck Mabui as strange, and she couldn't help but ask:
"Did something happen in the village while we were away, Raikage-sama?"
"A group of foreign ninja infiltrated the village and massacred Councilor Tenro's clan—him included." The Raikage's good mood collapsed as he shook his head. "The funeral was yesterday. We identified the attackers as rogue ninja from the Hidden Lock Village. I've already sent a scroll to the Land of Keys demanding an explanation."
Everyone looked at the Raikage, expecting him to continue—but he didn't.
"Are you kidding?" Samui was the first to speak. "Even if the entire Hidden Lock Village attacked that clan, they'd still end up on the losing side!"
That village had some skill in handling information, but in terms of combat, their leader was at best a jonin. As for the rest, they could barely be considered chunin.
"Do you think I'd joke about something like that?" The Raikage felt like smashing his desk with a punch but held back, remembering the carpenter who made his furniture was on vacation this week. "Not only do I have the village clans fighting among themselves to fill the vacant council seat, I've also got half the village trying to figure out how those people got in!" He secretly felt relieved noticing Chad looked just as surprised and confused as everyone else—if this had been his doing, it would've been truly problematic. "By the way, Chad, you'll need to find a new deputy director for the hospital."
"Understood," Chad replied distractedly—who knew what he was thinking? He shook his head and refocused. "And you didn't think of appointing someone to the council seat?"
"Are you volunteering?" The Raikage raised an eyebrow, eyeing Chad suspiciously. "I don't think that's a good idea—you're already too busy."
Translation: The other councilors would be afraid of Chad joining their ranks.
"No, not me." Chad wouldn't take the position even drunk—he really had too much on his plate. "But maybe you could consider my sister."
"Huh?" Mabui looked at Chad in confusion, just like everyone else.
"Hmm…" The Raikage considered it seriously, to his secretary's surprise.
Although the council seats in Kumo usually ended up in the hands of clan representatives, lately they had been pushing too hard, and the civilian-origin councilors were in a bad position.
Mabui could help balance things.
As for whether she was qualified… maybe she barely met the line, but she was already better than many current councilors. Adding Chad's backing and her other close connections, she would form a small but notable faction within the village.
"As Raikage, I can make direct appointments, though that authority hasn't really been used since my father's death," he thought. "At the same time, the situation is very different if I appoint her instead of her running for the position."
But…
"Mabui, if I appointed you as a councilor of Kumo, would you still want to serve as my secretary?" the Raikage asked seriously.
Chad looked at his village's Kage, speechless.
Is that your biggest concern?
Are you seriously worried about losing someone to handle paperwork?!
Mabui didn't respond with something like "Why would I want to be a councilor of Kumo?" Instead, she tried to understand why her younger brother was proposing her for the role.
As the Raikage's personal secretary, she had a much clearer view of the council's influence in Kumo and how it affected the village.
So it didn't take her long to realize the benefits—not just for herself and her family, but also for the village that had taken care of them after their mother's death.
As for whether she would remain the Raikage's secretary if she became a councilor…
"You won't need to look for a replacement, Raikage-sama."
In truth, aside from some meetings, most councilors didn't have much else to do. Mabui preferred to think of it as an extension of her current duties—with the added benefits that came with the extra responsibility.
"Excellent!" Having a councilor like Mabui—someone who would bring real intelligence to the table instead of political games—would be a great relief. "I need to prepare the paperwork and—ugh! Whose idea was it to bureaucratize everything?!" he cursed while rummaging through piles of documents on his desk.
"Uh, Raikage-sama, may we take our leave?" Yugito asked.
"Yes, yes." The Kage waved them off. "By the way, Chad, let's go on another hunt in two days. We're running out of meat!"