Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Shikaku, who had been deep in thought over the recent Five Kage Summit, suddenly lifted his head in shock.
Thud!
The sound of footsteps hitting the floor.
As he looked up, two figures came into view—Minato Namikaze, someone he recognized instantly, and Jiraiya, who had only just left the village not long ago.
In one swift motion, he stood up and hurried forward, supporting Minato, who looked injured and weakened, while helping him hold up the unconscious Jiraiya.
"What's going on here, Minato?"
He asked, at the same time waving to the Anbu hiding in the shadows.
"Notify the Medical Division and have the hospital prepare an operating room—we've got patients outside requiring immediate care!"
Shikaku immediately saw that Jiraiya was in really bad shape. Minato's arm was covered in blood, but there were no serious wounds—the cuts had already stopped bleeding. But Jiraiya had a gaping, bloody hole right at the base of his neck; it looked like his head might snap off any second.
Luckily, for some unknown reason, the blood loss wasn't fast, and some mysterious force surrounded him, maintaining a kind of balance.
"Yes sir!"
An Anbu vanished on the spot, leaving the entire office eerily silent.
"It's Akatsuki," said Minato through a deep breath. "We'll talk more later. Let's get Jiraiya-sama to the hospital first."
Without another word, Shikaku joined Minato in lifting Jiraiya and dashing out the window toward the hospital.
He didn't ask anything else. He knew Minato had left the village earlier—he'd even received a message from him through the Anbu. And yet, the result still caught him off guard.
Even Jiraiya—one of the legendary Sannin—couldn't defeat a member of the Akatsuki Organization? In Shikaku's mind, Jiraiya was among the strongest solo fighters in the entire ninja world.
Looks like they needed to rethink the Akatsuki Organization entirely. After all, how many shinobi in the world had that level of strength?
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Konoha began to stir. Missions were rapidly issued, and countless figures leapt across rooftops.
As time passed, the village gradually went on high alert. Because of Minato's return, Konoha seemed to have entered a wartime state. Many lower-ranked shinobi who didn't know what was happening couldn't help but wonder if another war had broken out somewhere—and whether they would soon be called to battle. Though reluctant deep down, they understood: if things came to that, they wouldn't have a choice.
The village functioned like a machine now, set into motion—but most people still didn't know exactly what had happened. Still, a tense atmosphere began to spread.
At Konoha Hospital…
"Minato-sama, Jiraiya-sama's condition is critical. We've temporarily stabilized him, but the injuries are too severe—we can't be certain of his recovery…"
A medical ninja in a white coat hesitated as he spoke to Minato, who stood silently guarding the door.
Jiraiya's throat and the complex arteries and veins around it had sustained severe damage. Although there was no immediate danger, their current medical jutsu weren't enough to ensure a full recovery—any mistake could worsen Jiraiya's condition. The medical team didn't know what to do.
"Minato! Minato! Where's Jiraiya?!"
As the group fell quiet, a loud voice echoed down the hall. Moments later, heavy but steady footsteps approached, and someone pushed open the sealed corridor doors and strode in.
Golden ponytail swinging and wearing her long green robe, it was unmistakably Jiraiya's teammate—Tsunade!
Right behind her was Shizune, jogging closely to keep up with Tsunade's brisk pace, her face clearly anxious.
If they hadn't caught wind of what happened, the two would still have been on leave at home—Shizune had the day off today, and Tsunade had gambled away all her money yesterday.
"Tsunade-sama!"
The medical ninja, Shikaku, and Minato all gave slight nods, greeting the newcomers.
"The teacher is seriously injured and still undergoing emergency treatment inside, though..."
Minato looked toward Tsunade who had suddenly barged in; his eyes briefly lit up, only to darken again as if recalling something painful.
"I'll handle it!"
Without another word, Tsunade pushed open the operating room door and marched in decisively.
"But Tsunade-sama isn't..."
Shikaku looked toward Minato, hesitating mid-sentence. As one of Minato's closest advisors, he knew things most shinobi didn't—including a little-known secret: Tsunade secretly suffered from hemophobia, a condition almost no one outside their circle knew about.
"Don't worry, we should trust Tsunade-sama, one of the Sannin. She is the pinnacle of medical expertise in the entire Shinobi World. When Master Jiraiya is gravely injured like this, only Tsunade-sama can handle it properly!"
Minato offered a quick explanation to Shikaku while casting a glance at Shizune's anxious face.
At that moment, he had things he wanted to say to Shizune, yet soon fell silent again—he understood some truths reveal themselves naturally over time, and certain people will understand without needing others to point it out.
"Hokage-sama! Your arm—it's covered in dried blood. Let me help you treat it!"
A medical ninja who had not yet left noticed Minato's arm and gestured with obvious concern.
"Sure, thank you."
Minato lowered his gaze to look at his own arm.
It wasn't exactly life-threatening—a through-and-through wound, yes, and he'd bled a lot, making it look alarming. But nothing vital like bone had been pierced—it was just visually disturbing.
"I'll go in and assist Tsunade-sama."
After giving Minato a brief nod, Shizune turned and walked into the operating room.
She knew more than anyone about Tsunade's hemophobia, so she wanted to check in person—perhaps she could be of some help. Though her medical skills were not equal to Tsunade's, they surpassed those of ordinary Medical Division shinobi.
...
"Teacher!"
The moment Tsunade stepped in, she saw a familiar figure—one of her former apprentices: Rin Nohara. She hadn't expected that Rin would also be involved in treating Jiraiya, though judging from her skill, she indeed deserved to be here.
Nodding slightly, Tsunade said nothing else and stepped up to the operating table, gazing down at the familiar, weakened form lying upon it.
Two older medical ninja were tending to Jiraiya, their hands glowing green as they pressed against his injured throat.
Although the bleeding had long stopped, these efforts proved useless for Jiraiya's current condition. What had been damaged needed manual repair, but clearly no one in the entire Medical Division was skilled enough to perform such delicate work.
"Let me do it!"
Rolling up her sleeve slowly, Tsunade stepped forward and called out to the ninja performing the Mystical Palm Technique.
"Didn't we say not to interrupt during critical moments..."
One of the medics looked up in mild irritation, her voice edged with anger. But upon recognizing that it was Tsunade-sama who had approached, she stopped herself, offering an apologetic nod before stepping aside.
The other medical ninja also noticed who had arrived. He gave a slight nod, then followed Tsunade's gesture and ceased his efforts, stepping back as well.
"Jiraiya! You really are a troublemaker—you're still just as reckless!"
After muttering to herself, Tsunade prepared to begin.
But as she examined Jiraiya's wounds and saw those vivid colors, she instinctively bit down on her lip and trembled slightly—as though faced with something terrifying.
"Tsunade-sama?"
Shizune stepped closer and called out, noticing her mentor's condition and wondering whether she should step in.
"Mm. Shizune, go prepare some saline solution and anti-inflammatory medicine."
After a long pause, Tsunade seemed to steel her resolve. Slowly, she extended her hand toward Jiraiya, pale blue chakra beginning to gather.
[Scalpel]!
First, she needed to clean the wound and manually reconstruct the damaged tissue before proceeding further.
At first, her hands trembled slightly. The sight of blood from the wound unsettled her—bringing back memories that had haunted her for years. The same horror that had tormented her all this time surged back.
Yet, as time passed, her movements grew more decisive and her techniques increasingly skillful. The legendary medical expert within her was awakening again.
Faced with such a scene after so many years, Tsunade knew only she could save Jiraiya's life and spare him from death's grasp. She never wanted to relive that tragic past—the helplessness of watching someone precious die motionless right before her eyes. But now, there was still time to change things.
If she could overcome the fear buried deep within, she could save Jiraiya's life!
Beside her, Shizune exchanged a glance with Rin Nohara, both surprised by Tsunade's intense concentration. As they watched their teacher perform steadily and skillfully, they couldn't help feeling genuinely happy.
Yet at this moment, another thought stirred in Shizune's mind—very few ninja in the Shinobi World could have dealt Jiraiya such severe injuries. And judging from Jiraiya's conversation with Tsunade before his departure, he had gone to gather intelligence on Akatsuki. Among the Akatsuki members she knew, only a select few possessed such strength—one of them being Saitama Uchiha.
Could it really be Saitama Uchiha again?
Shizune clenched her fists, then picked up a wet towel and gently wiped Tsunade's forehead, wiping away the sweat.
As Tsunade continued with the operation, Jiraiya's breathing indeed became smoother. His labored breaths, like wind howling through a broken window, gradually steadied, and his extremely pale complexion regained some color...
No wonder she's Tsunade-sama!
The surrounding medical ninja watched as Jiraiya quickly regained vitality under Tsunade's care. Deep in their eyes flickered admiration. Just moments ago, they had barely kept Jiraiya's life stable despite their all-out effort. Now, Tsunade had brought him back from the very brink of death! Perhaps this was the true power of the Sannin—the Legendary Three Ninja! Then, what kind of enemy could possibly wound someone as strong as Jiraiya-sama?
...
"Tell me what happened," Tsunade said. "How did Jiraiya get injured so seriously? Was it that Akatsuki group again? Or... was it Saitama Uchiha?"
Inside the Hokage Office, a visibly exhausted Tsunade didn't rest immediately but followed Minato and others over, deeply concerned about the details of Jiraiya's recent mission.
"I'm not entirely clear on the specifics either," Minato replied solemnly. "But when I arrived, I saw the master already surrounded by Akatsuki. The one attacking him must have been their leader—the one with the legendary Rinnegan."
"The master?!"
Shikaku frowned in shock. An enemy possessing the Rinnegan was actually Jiraiya's own student? And no one had ever heard of this person before—it couldn't possibly be someone from Konoha Village.
Tsunade froze, frowning deeply, looking both puzzled and contemplative.
"Was it a red-haired ninja?"
She suddenly recalled something: during the Second Shinobi World War, she and Jiraiya, along with Orochimaru, once carried out a mission in the Land of Rain. Jiraiya stayed there for two years because he met three kids and decided to teach them—those three orphans he took as students.
Among them, wasn't that red-haired child the one who possessed the Rinnegan?
It was only recently, before Jiraiya left for Amegakure Village, that he mentioned this to her. Previously, she knew that Jiraiya had trained three apprentices, having met them once before but never really getting to know them. Back then, Jiraiya unexpectedly brought it up, mentioning that the boy had ultimately died during subsequent conflicts, which was truly regrettable.
"Red hair? No—he was all yellow-haired!"
Minato thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"All?"
Both Tsunade and Shikaku looked confused. "All" implied that more than one of those enemies possessed the Rinnegan?
"Yes, I personally saw five enemies with Rinnegan eyes," Minato confirmed gravely. "I didn't see any red hair! Maybe there's someone else hiding behind them?"
Shikaku let out a sharp gasp. Five individuals with Rinnegan eyes?! Was this even real?
He'd always thought this legendary eye technique (Rinnegan) was purely mythological—an anomaly, not something that could be passed down. Yet today, instead of encountering just one, he was now hearing about multiple instances at once? Could the Rinnegan also be an inherited bloodline like the Sharingan, passed down through a certain ancient clan in the Shinobi World?
That's truly incredible!
"It looks like the situation is quite complicated! We'll have to wait until Jiraiya wakes up to understand the full details. By the way, what about the two Frog Sages who fought alongside Jiraiya?" Tsunade thought of the frogs that should definitely have fought with Jiraiya—they surely knew some critical information.
"Oh right, I completely forgot about Master Fukasaku and the others!" Minato slapped his bandaged palms together, looking somewhat comical.
He had actually forgotten the two sages who fought alongside Master Jiraiya. Because Master Fukasaku had returned directly to Mount Myoboku to rest earlier, and so many things had happened at once, he was momentarily unable to process everything clearly, causing him to overlook something this important.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
With both hands forming hand seals, Minato quickly executed the ninjutsu. As white smoke rose, a short green figure appeared before them.
"Hmm? It's you, Minato. How is Jiraiya doing?"
As soon as Sage Fukasaku appeared, he immediately asked about Jiraiya's condition. After resting back at Mount Myoboku, he had already regained much of his energy.
In the previous battle, he hadn't sustained significant injuries either—only having used up some spiritual energy and chakra from helping Jiraiya enter Sage Mode and fighting against Pain. With proper rest, he had mostly recovered.
"Jiraiya will be fine now—it just needs time to recover. He should wake up probably tomorrow. However, since the injured area was rather critical, there might be some lingering effects."
Tsunade said calmly, standing tall as she turned to face the elderly frog sage perched on the office desk.
"You are…Tsunade?" Sage Fukasaku looked over and hesitated slightly.
They had met before through Jiraiya, though that was many years ago since they were all inheritors of the Three Sacred Lands.
"Yes, that's me. Hello, Sage Fukasaku." Tsunade replied politely, showing respect to these 'sages' who came from the orderly and virtuous sacred lands.
"Master Fukasaku, we summoned you here today because we wanted to first learn more about our enemies, especially Master Jiraiya's opponent—the enemies with Rinnegan." Sitting beside the desk, Minato explained the reason for summoning him, speaking at a steady pace while watching the crouching frog.
"Pain?!"
Sage Fukasaku extended his paw and gripped his beard, stroking it up and down with a serious expression.
"Pain is the name those enemies with the Rinnegan called themselves. Among them, the leader appears to be one of Jiraiya's former students named…Yahiko! Each of them has a unique system ability—for example summoning creatures, or manipulating gravitational forces…Wait a second, come to think of it, there's still one thing I almost forgot!"
"Yahiko?"
Tsunade muttered the name. She had heard Jiraiya mention it once—two years ago when he returned from his teaching mission, he had casually told her about a boy named Yahiko who possessed extraordinary talent for Water Release, just like The Second—her great-granduncle.
Boom!
Suddenly recalling the item his wife had given him before coming here, Sage Fukasaku directly used the Summoning Jutsu to bring it over and placed it onto the table.
"What is this, Elder Fukasaku?" Minato asked, puzzled.
"When you came before, we believed Pain had only five members. But in reality, there are six enemies in total. The missing one may have been sealed within this scroll—he was already killed by young Jiraiya. This person's ability is the [Summoning Jutsu]! He can summon many large messenger animals as well as others bearing the Rinnegan. Whether he has other abilities remains unknown for now!"
Elder Fukasaku signaled for Minato to take the scroll as he explained.
Upon hearing Fukasaku's words, the three people inside the office all tensed up and turned their gazes toward the scroll, eyes filled with both solemnity and curiosity.
Was an enemy possessing the Rinnegan sealed inside?
"Understood."
Minato took the scroll but didn't immediately hand it over to the Intelligence Division for mind-reading techniques. Instead, he remained seated, looking at Fukasaku.
"You said earlier that Jiraiya-sensei found something suspicious and ended up staying too long because of it?"
Tsunade asked while digesting everything Elder Fukasaku had previously said.
"That's right! Jiraiya-sensei discovered something odd but wasn't sure about it, so he reappeared to confirm it—which led to his serious injuries. Also, he mentioned that the enemy he killed was someone he had encountered earlier. The scar on that enemy's forehead was inflicted by him back then."
Nodding, Elder Fukasaku shared everything he knew without omitting a single detail.
"Then thank you very much, Elder Fukasaku. Please go back and rest first. I'll notify you when Jiraiya-sensei wakes up." Holding the scroll, Minato smiled toward Fukasaku.
"Well then, I'll head back first! The missus is waiting for me at home for dinner." Fukasaku squinted happily, yet quickly shifted his expression to face Minato seriously. "Listen, Minato, you must be careful! A Rinnegan wielder isn't easily dealt with. Plus, I feel the ninja who ambushed you before hides power no weaker than Pain himself. Be wary of him too!"
After saying those words, Elder Fukasaku vanished in a puff of white smoke, leaving Konoha behind.
"Shikaku, I'm handing the corpse over to you. Let Inoichi extract all possible information using mind-reading techniques—we must obtain everything necessary!"
Looking at the scroll, Minato passed it to Shikaku and arranged the next steps.
Among those trustworthy for such tasks, Inoichi was the most capable. Hopefully, they'd get the intelligence they needed.
"Fine. I'll go watch over Jiraiya at the hospital. You handle your work first. If anything happens there, I'll inform you right away!"
Following Shikaku, Tsunade stood up, left those words behind, and hurriedly walked outside.
Jiraiya would awaken either tonight or early tomorrow. With her treatment, those injuries won't be a serious issue. Still, the damage to his throat would leave some mild aftereffects—at least initially, his breathing would feel different, which Jiraiya would probably find really annoying.
"Alright then, Tsunade-sama, please go ahead. I'll visit my teacher when I have time."
Minato knew Jiraiya's injuries wouldn't cause any significant problems anymore, so he felt quite reassured about his teacher and spoke toward Tsunade's retreating figure.
Although Jiraiya's injuries had been severe, he was recovering quickly under Tsunade-sama's care. Moreover, Tsunade-sama seemed to have finally overcome her longtime fear of blood because of this.
All of these were blessings in disguise!
"Haa! What a tiring day!"
Watching the two leave, Minato turned his gaze toward the window.
It was already very late. Since rescuing Jiraiya, he hadn't taken a single break—just shuttling nonstop between the Office and the Hospital.
Poof!
Minato vanished from the spot. When he reappeared, he was already standing on the rooftop outside. He only used the Flying Thunder God inside the village when there was no other choice.
Besides, the distance from the Hokage Building to his home wasn't that far. He could use this time to observe how the village had changed, watch the daily routines unfold, and relax his mind.
It was already past seven o'clock at night. The sky was dimming, with a streak of evening glow scattered across the distant horizon, casting mesmerizing hues onto the ground.
Merchants wrapping up their day, ninjas returning from missions, children laughing and playing—seeing all these smiling faces filled Minato's heart with joy.
"You're home already?"
Kushina's voice sounded in Minato's ears—familiar and warm. Lifting his head, he saw Kushina already standing by the doorway, quietly watching him.
"Dad!"
Naruto stood behind Kushina, wearing the exact same bright smile as Minato, filled with innocent childish charm.
"Sorry I'm late—something happened in the village."
Apologetically, Minato walked forward, pulling Kushina gently into an embrace before reaching out and patting Naruto's head.
"How are your injuries?"
Kushina had learned some details earlier from the Anbu who delivered news, so she didn't act playfully now, instead looking at Minato's arms with concern. Her eyes, slightly red, shone with worry.
"It's nothing serious. Just minor issues." Minato waved his hands lightly, swinging his small arms wrapped tightly in bandages through the air, producing a swishing sound.
"Let's eat first. We can talk about other things later."
Deciding not to dwell further on these matters, Minato pulled both of them along as the family entered the house, where delicious aromas were already drifting out.
Recently, Kushina had been chatting about cooking with her girl squad, really leveling up her skills. Both Naruto and Minato loved her dishes.
Although the recent incident had much to do with Kushina, Minato, as both Hokage and her husband, was determined to shield everything dangerous away from them, showing only his gentlest side.
Naruto hadn't initially noticed Minato's injuries until Kushina pointed them out. His usual goofy look softened the moment he realized his dad had really gotten hurt.
Without speaking, a brief seriousness flickered across his blue eyes. Then, he hurried ahead into the kitchen, washing the bowls and chopsticks before bringing them out. This was all the little boy could think to do right now—or maybe he'd train super hard at ninjutsu tomorrow.
...
"Yo, you're back?"
As Saitama rounded the hallway corner, he found himself face-to-face with Sasori.
"Something you need?"
Saitama looked somewhat surprised but not shocked.
"Some questions have come up. I'd like to discuss them with you. Got some time? Come with me, it's easier than standing here talking." Sasori shrugged and turned forward, walking ahead as if he knew Saitama would follow.
"Heh."
Saitama had already guessed what Sasori wanted. Without hesitation, he simply followed along.
Nagato would probably explain everything about Pain sooner or later. With a major battle approaching, trust among comrades is a necessary 'kizuna' (emotional bond or connection between allies). Even though the Akatsuki never really came together for the same reasons, at least for now, they were all going in roughly the same direction.
Of course, Nagato probably wouldn't stay hidden forever under these circumstances.
Of course, that was just Saitama's personal opinion; Nagato might not necessarily act that way.
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