Fire Country
Konoha Village
Kyōsai had already returned to Konoha, all because of Hiruzen's sudden decision.
All three battlefronts were pulled back.
The hard-won strategic advantage was abandoned.
Along the borders of the Land of Grass, the Land of Frost, and the Land of Rivers, only a thousand troops were left behind for defense.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru and Tsunade were stationed near the Rain Country border with four thousand men.
Everyone else was ordered back to Konoha, waiting and watching.
This decision even made Kyōsai wonder if Hiruzen had secretly activated some kind of cheat.
If Kyōsai hadn't already known that something was wrong in the Rain Country—if he hadn't known that Uchiha Madara might be hiding there—he would never have understood how Hiruzen could reach such a conclusion based on pure instinct.
The original storyline had already been twisted into a complete mess. There was nothing left to reference.
As for strategy, Kyōsai was completely clueless.
Seven parts understood, six parts blocked, one part blank.
In short—he didn't understand at all.
So he could only obediently follow Hiruzen's orders.
Wherever the Hokage pointed, he would fight.
Hokage Building – Conference Room
Kyōsai lay sprawled across the table, lazily drawing circles with his finger.
Not only him.
kaoru , Jiraiya, and Sakumo Hatake were all present as well.
Now, the entire border of the Fire Country was under strict lockdown. Any disturbance had to be reported immediately.
If a large-scale invasion occurred, only high-level fighters could respond in time.
kaoru had been working nonstop, forging batches of Flying Thunder God kunai and sending them to every border outpost.
That way, if anything happened, elite forces could arrive instantly.
Because of this, Hiruzen ordered the four of them to remain in the Hokage Building.
He was certain the allied forces wouldn't give up so easily.
The war had already reached this point. There was no turning back.
Not for the alliance.
Not for Konoha either.
Danzo had been missing for a full week.
No news. No signals.
He was almost certainly dead.
None of the Konoha ninjas who entered the Rain Country had returned either.
That entire unit had been wiped out.
Someone who could trap Danzo so thoroughly couldn't be just Hanzo and the Rain Village.
That meant Hiruzen's earlier guess about the Third Kazekage had been correct.
He really was in the Rain Country.
After all, Rain bordered Wind, Earth, and Fire. The Kazekage could easily slip in without alerting Konoha.
Ōnoki likely did the same.
The only uncertainty was whether the Raikage was there as well.
Inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen stared at the world map with knitted brows.
No matter what…
Even if he died.
Even if Sakumo died.
As long as Kyōsai lived, Konoha still had hope.
Temporary victory meant nothing.
Even constant defeat meant nothing.
As long as they won the final battle.
That was all that mattered.
Of course, if he could keep winning, that was even better.
Hiruzen gazed out at the village, his eyes filled with complicated emotions.
This war…
He had to win.
He must win.
Under his leadership, Konoha would rise again and stand above all others.
Knock, knock.
"Come in."
The door opened.
A short figure carrying an iron staff walked inside.
The Fourth Mizukage—Yagura Karatachi.
To be safe, Hiruzen had summoned him as well.
"Lord Hokage. Long time no see. I've missed you."
Yagura spoke politely, though caution flickered in his eyes.
This old man had personally led the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki to annihilate the Iwagakure forces in the Land of Grass, then crossed thousands of miles to raid Sunagakure.
No one expected that kind of ferocity from someone his age.
Hiruzen ignored the pleasantries and casually chatted before sending him to the conference room.
The Land of Water was practically Fire Country's subordinate now. He didn't need to be overly courteous.
Yagura, understanding his position, left without complaint.
He had come alone.
He knew that a decisive war was approaching.
Bringing subordinates would only get them killed.
Before leaving, he had already arranged everything in the village and entrusted power to Ao.
He was prepared.
When Yagura entered the conference room, he immediately saw the person he disliked most.
Uzumaki Kyōsai.
"Yo, Mizukage. Long time no see."
Kyōsai greeted him enthusiastically.
Yagura responded coldly.
"Mm."
Kyōsai wasn't offended. He simply shrugged and lay back down.
Yagura possessed a unique technique.
Water Mirror Technique.
It could perfectly copy an opponent's attack and cancel it out.
During the Fourth Great Ninja War, his Edo Tensei body once used it to replicate Naruto's Rasengan and Killer B's Lariat.
A very interesting ability.
Just as Kyōsai settled down, someone approached.
Jiraiya.
"What do you want?"
Kyōsai glanced at him.
"We need to talk."
Jiraiya's expression was complicated.
"Not interested."
Kyōsai turned away.
Then someone poked his waist.
kaoru .
She looked troubled.
Kyōsai sighed inwardly.
"Fine, fine. Let's go. Rooftop."
There was an outsider here. He didn't want to make a scene.
Hokage Building – Rooftop
The wind brushed through Kyōsai's hair.
He leaned against the railing, irritated.
"Speak."
Jiraiya stared at him.
"You destroyed Kusagakure. Didn't you?"
Kyōsai's eyes narrowed.
"Yes. And?"
Jiraiya fell silent.
"I know what happened to that girl…"
"But there were innocent people there. Families. Couples. Children—"
"Enough."
Kyōsai cut him off.
"You think they were innocent?"
"They were protected by those scum!"
"Their peace was built on Mika's suffering!"
"You're too self-righteous, Jiraiya."
His voice turned icy.
"They had families. Friends. Lovers."
"So Mika deserved to die?"
"Do you know what Vitality Healing means?"
Kyōsai pulled up his sleeve.
A clear bite mark showed on his arm.
"I have it too."
"If someone bites me, they recover."
"At the cost of my life force."
"Use it enough times, and I'll die."
"Mika was covered in these marks."
"Do you know what that means?"
"When I found her, she was half-naked…"
"Being bitten by five or six strangers."
He stared straight at Jiraiya.
"I'm Uzumaki. So was she."
"I avenged my clan. What's wrong with that?"
Silence.
Then Kyōsai turned away.
He didn't care anymore.
As he passed by, Jiraiya spoke softly.
"Kyōsai… you know…"
"Ninjas endure everything."
Kyōsai stopped.
His crimson eyes locked onto him.
"Endure?"
"Then why don't you endure me?"
—
Boom!
A fierce kick sent Jiraiya flying.
He plummeted straight off the rooftop.
Kyōsai didn't look back.
He walked away.
In the hallway, kaoru was waiting.
She had heard everything.
"Sorry…"
Kyōsai pulled her into his arms.
"Did I make things hard for you?"
She rested her head on his shoulder.
"Sensei has his thoughts. You have yours."
"But… I don't want you two to fight…"
"…Okay."
Kyōsai agreed without hesitation.
She hugged him tightly.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya limped back upstairs.
Someone blocked his way.
"Jiraiya. Let's talk."
Sakumo Hatake smiled gently.
Jiraiya gave a bitter laugh.
"First my student hits me. Now my teacher?"
Sakumo supported him back to the rooftop.
He gazed at Konoha.
"Jiraiya… Kyōsai is Uzumaki."
"He lost his clan soon after arriving."
"He was six. Alone. In a strange village."
"Can you imagine that loneliness?"
Jiraiya stayed silent.
"Mika knew him before Konoha."
"She was his last connection."
"And she was tortured."
"How do you think he felt?"
"He's reckless, yes."
"But he protects his people."
"He once stormed Kirigakure alone for Nao's Byakugan."
The wind blew.
"Try thinking from his perspective."
"And… think about kaoru ."
"She's hurting too."
Jiraiya closed his eyes.
He had no answer.
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