Truth be told, Jiraiya had been wrestling with a tempest of emotions lately.
His encounter with Menma in the Land of Spring, which escalated into a full-blown brawl, had been a harsh wake-up call. It made Jiraiya truly understand that his "grandson" was past the point of no return. Menma wasn't just some brainwashed kid who couldn't find his way back; he was someone who had made a conscious choice. He didn't want to come back, and he never would.
It was exactly like his old friend from all those years ago.
Both of them had made their choices with absolute, unshakeable conviction.
Because he had lived through this exact scenario before, when Jiraiya locked eyes with Menma in the Land of Spring, he recognized that familiar, chilling resolve staring back at him.
The realization hit Jiraiya with a crushing wave of heartache, guilt, and profound regret.
Before, he hadn't fully grasped the gravity of the situation.
But on that day, Jiraiya truly understood the catastrophic consequences of his own irresponsibility—of his constant running away.
But he couldn't change the past.
All he could do was move forward.
He understood Tsunade's decision. He knew that if things continued down this path, the ultimate fate of the Hidden Leaf would be something neither of them could stomach.
Despite his goofy, laid-back exterior, the Hidden Leaf was always Jiraiya's top priority.
Even if it meant betraying Minato and Kushina.
Even if it meant breaking Naruto's heart.
Jiraiya had made his choice. He had to be here, right now, to permanently end the threat Menma posed.
Within the current Hidden Leaf, aside from Tsunade, he was the only one capable of pulling it off.
And yet, Jiraiya still clung to a microscopic sliver of hope. He still wanted to see if he could somehow talk Menma down.
At the very least, he wanted to see if there was a way to spare the boy's life.
After all, Menma carried the true bloodline of the Uzumaki clan.
Extracting the Tailed Beast didn't guarantee death.
If Jiraiya could capture Menma himself, extract the Nine-Tails, seal his chakra, and keep him under permanent house arrest... well, Jiraiya considered that the best possible outcome.
But looking at the situation now...
The odds of pulling that off were astronomical.
I didn't expect the kid to hold back that much against me... to think he could actually beat the Fourth Raikage in a straight fight, Jiraiya thought, shaking his head slightly.
Jiraiya knew that in his base form, he couldn't beat the Fourth Raikage. He'd have to use Sage Mode to even stand a chance.
The Fourth Raikage's reputation wasn't just hot air. Over the past twenty years, he had carved his status into the ninja world with his own two hands. The fastest man alive. It was the highest praise anyone could receive.
And yet, this overwhelmingly powerful Kage had fallen to Menma. The entire Cloud vanguard had been routed. Just like Shikaku said, they needed a complete re-evaluation of Menma and his forces.
"Yeah, let's go with Shikaku's plan," Jiraiya said, nodding slowly. "But on top of that, we need to ramp up our search for Orochimaru. Shikaku, get in touch with those Root bastards. Tell them to make this their top priority. They should understand what's at stake here."
His tone was heavy with unspoken implication.
Shikaku, as well as Kakashi, Inoichi, and the others, immediately picked up on it.
"Understood, Lord Jiraiya," Shikaku said with a firm nod.
"Good. Kakashi, Inoichi, I'm putting you two in charge of reconnaissance. Keep your distance and don't take any unnecessary risks. Gather whatever intel you can, but our main objective right now is to stabilize the situation. Don't overextend yourselves. Got it?" Jiraiya commanded, turning to the two Jonin.
Even without his Sharingan, Kakashi remained one of the Hidden Leaf's elite Jonin.
In fact, losing the Sharingan was, in many ways, a blessing in disguise at this stage in his life.
Sure, in the original timeline, the Mangekyo Sharingan and the Susanoo gave him a massive power boost during the final war—a level of power standard jutsu couldn't match.
But for years, that basic Sharingan had been a massive drain on his chakra, constantly bottlenecking his true potential. This was a guy who made Jonin at twelve years old.
Now, free from the Sharingan's constant chakra tax, Kakashi's true strength was finally being unleashed.
Whether he'd reach Kage level remained to be seen, but he was undeniably sitting comfortably at the quasi-Kage tier.
He was the perfect man to lead a recon mission.
And Inoichi Yamanaka was one of the Leaf's top sensory ninja. Pair him with a Hyuga branch family Jonin, and their intel gathering would be practically foolproof.
"Yes, Lord Jiraiya," Kakashi and Inoichi answered in unison, standing up.
"Remember, do not push your luck," Jiraiya reiterated, clearly still worried. Menma wasn't the same kid he used to be. He wasn't even the same Menma Jiraiya had fought in the Land of Spring.
They had to proceed with extreme caution.
"Understood!" Kakashi and Inoichi nodded gravely.
Kakashi, more than anyone, understood the danger. He had nearly died by Menma's hand at the Valley of the End.
He harbored no illusions about the situation.
Guilt? Regret?
Maybe he felt those things.
But his duty was to himself, and to the Hidden Leaf.
Kakashi had hardened his resolve. This was the reality of being a ninja. In this world, debating right and wrong, or justice versus evil, was pointless. Loyalties and interests were the only metrics that mattered.
His only real concern was Naruto.
Kakashi's lips parted as if to speak, but he swallowed the words back down. Whatever he was thinking, he decided against saying it.
He and Inoichi bowed to Jiraiya and strode out of the tent.
The others quickly dispersed to carry out their respective orders.
Jiraiya was left alone in the command tent. He stared eastward, toward the Land of Waterfalls, his eyes swirling with complex emotions.
"Damn it..."
A long, heavy sigh escaped his lips.
The fallout from the Cloud's catastrophic defeat was unprecedented.
Because of their proximity, the Leaf's vanguard was the first to receive the news, but it was spreading at a terrifying speed.
Within less than twenty-four hours, virtually every nation and ninja village—save for the most isolated outliers—had heard the reports.
The news was so shocking that almost everyone who heard it assumed it was a massive, elaborate prank.