Tsunade was quite direct, and her tone was equally blunt.
Yes!
Compared to her nominal disciple, Minato Namikaze, she, as a teammate, understood Jiraiya much better. After all, the two of them had grown up together since childhood, so her understanding of Jiraiya was naturally greater than anyone else's.
Minato Namikaze was taken aback, finding it somewhat difficult to understand.
After all, in his heart, Jiraiya was an easygoing person. He believed that as long as he sincerely tried to persuade him and presented all the evidence...
However, it was a pity.
Before he could even speak these words, Tsunade, as if guessing his thoughts, directly cut him off.
"Minato, give up."
"I can tell you with absolute seriousness that any ideas you have are meaningless."
"Don't be fooled by Jiraiya's usual kind and gentle demeanor; in reality, he is an incredibly stubborn person."
"Once he has made a decision, no one can change his mind!"
"Compared to Konoha, he trusts Mount Myōboku more."
"As long as that group of toads from Mount Myōboku speaks, Jiraiya would not hesitate to take action even if it meant moving against Konoha."
"I am not exaggerating on this point."
"Think about the 'Oil' character on his forehead protector, and you should understand in your heart that although he acknowledges his identity as a Konoha Ninja, in the deepest part of his heart, he still places Mount Myōboku first."
"However, it's understandable!"
"After all, the training Konoha provided him was limited. Think about Jiraiya's combat techniques; basically everything was taught to him by Mount Myōboku..."
At this point, Tsunade couldn't help but sigh.
Yes!
Her heart was very conflicted right now. After all, Jiraiya had once loved her. Although she never accepted him, she still considered him a friend.
Not just an ordinary friend, but a true heart-to-heart one!
But, unfortunately.
Now that Konoha and Mount Myōboku stood on opposite sides, they would surely face each other with blades next. How could her heart not feel conflicted?
She had certainly thought about changing Jiraiya's mind or even persuading him, but precisely because she understood her old friend too well, she knew she simply couldn't do it.
The reason was simple!
This old friend of hers had been completely brainwashed. Mount Myōboku appeared far too sacred in his heart; otherwise, he wouldn't have spent years searching for the Child of Prophecy.
The reason Tsunade chose to reject Jiraiya's pursuits in the past was exactly this. The so-called claim that Jiraiya was a lecher was merely an excuse.
After all, as long as Tsunade agreed, Jiraiya wouldn't have fooled around.
To put it bluntly...
Jiraiya's seemingly womanizing behavior was mostly just an attempt to numb himself and temporarily forget.
The real reason Tsunade rejected him before was simply because their worldviews were incompatible.
Just like now, at this very moment!
Tsunade stood with Konoha without hesitation, while Jiraiya was determined to stand with Mount Myōboku. This contradiction was inherently irreconcilable.
Similarly...
This was also why she was persuading Minato Namikaze, because other than wasting time and allowing Mount Myōboku to prepare in advance, it served no other purpose.
Minato Namikaze's face was full of bitterness.
After hearing Tsunade's words, he really didn't know what to say.
It wasn't that he didn't know Jiraiya was close to Mount Myōboku before, but he just didn't expect him to be so damn close to them.
He didn't understand!
He truly didn't understand.
After all, they were humans, and the others were just a group of toads. They weren't even the same damn species. Superficial politeness and respect were fine, of course...
But when it came to core interests, shouldn't everyone be firmly on the side of humanity?
As a human, siding with the toads was a behavior that made him scratch his head in frustration, yet he still couldn't quite comprehend it.
"Alright, let's leave it at that!"
"There's no point in trying to persuade Jiraiya. The fact that he is trusted by Mount Myōboku and was even treated as a pawn by Hagoromo himself..."
"...is enough to show how firm his heart is. So next, everyone, be ready for battle at any time."
"Tsunade, I'll have to trouble you with the daily operations of the Northern War Zone from now on."
"Tobirama, Minato!"
"The three of you, along with myself, will have the primary task of using the Flying Thunder God Technique to quietly and secretly transport all the experts we can gather back to Konoha."
"Time waits for no one. Let's get ready to move!"
Uchiha Jin settled the matter with finality.
After all, they didn't have much time to prepare. Since Senju Hashirama had a sense of crisis, it proved that the enemy would act soon.
Naturally, the three of them had no objections to his arrangements.
Subsequently.
With Uchiha Jin's orders issued, the entire Northern War Zone front line instantly became like a wound-up machine, immediately displaying incredible mobilization speed.
Batch after batch of people from the Three Great Shinobi Villages were quickly split into batches and reorganized, then accelerated to begin their constant departure...
Often, just two hours after the first batch left, the next batch was already prepared to go.
And to this,
Although the high-ups of the Three Great Shinobi Villages were confused, they still didn't dare to raise any questions. On one hand, it was because Konoha indeed had the right to be assertive, but more importantly, Uchiha Jin personally presided over the situation.
Yes!
In the current Ninja World, Uchiha Jin definitely belongs among the strongest.
After all, the spies of the various Great Shinobi Villages were not incompetent. They knew of Uchiha Jin's past clash with Senju Hashirama, his subsequent victory over the Six Paths of Pain, and even the fact that the White Tiger of the Akatsuki Organization was captured and has now even become Uchiha Jin's secretary...
Even when they visit Jin now, they can still see Konan, wearing the Black Robe with Red Clouds of the Akatsuki Organization. Doesn't that prove the reliability of that battle?
So, there was nothing to say!
Even though they knew there was something slightly wrong, since Konoha gave no explanation, they could only choose to wait slowly.
And Konoha didn't make them wait long. By the time the sun set the following afternoon, Senju Tobirama and Minato Namikaze had completely transferred all the experts back to Konoha, and most of the Ninjas and their families from the Three Great Shinobi Villages had been transferred to various places in the Land of Fire...
Uchiha Jin officially spoke, inviting the Kage of the Three Great Shinobi Villages for a detailed discussion!
Of course.
Since he didn't trust the three of them too much, Uchiha Jin naturally wouldn't tell them the whole truth.
"Fellow Kage, welcome!"
"I will not let you down regarding your decision to join Konoha."
"To truly put your minds at ease, I can give you some peace of mind now."
"I swear in the name of the Uchiha that after the various Great Shinobi Villages merge into Konoha, they will not face discrimination from any side."
"While the welfare and benefits for the Ninjas, Civilians, and high-ups of each village will definitely be a tier lower than those of Konoha-born Ninjas, the overall welfare and benefits will definitely be a bit higher than what they have now!"
"Anyone who faces discrimination can come to see me, Uchiha Jin!"
"This is my guarantee to you as the Hokage."