A few minutes ago.
Jiraiya, serving as the Provisional Hokage, was lying on his desk in the office.
Staring at a map of Konoha while fiddling with it.
He'd been mulling over where and how large to build the newly planned mega mixed bathhouse.
But just halfway through his planning,
Underneath the desk ahead,
A small snake suddenly leaped up, lunging toward Jiraiya with a bite.
Quickly reacting, Jiraiya easily grabbed the snake mid-air.
And immediately sensed a very familiar chakra from it.
"Orochimaru? Is that you?"
In the next moment,
The snake opened its mouth and expelled a scroll.
Then, with a forceful twist, broke free from Jiraiya's grasp and fled.
Jiraiya dropped his playful expression, scratching the back of his head, puzzled why Orochimaru would contact him all of a sudden.
Still, one thing was clear—this definitely wasn't something minor!
Unrolling the scroll, Jiraiya carefully examined its contents.
Moments later, his face paled.
The message inside was short and direct.
It simply said:
Today, the Akatsuki Organization will launch a large-scale attack against Konoha. Their leader is Pain, who wields the [Rinnegan]. In addition, Orochimaru and Uchiha Shimoku will also be joining the assault.
Hope Konoha survives this crisis.
Only then can Orochimaru personally come destroy Konoha himself!
After receiving this warning,
Jiraiya instantly suspected the [Rinnegan] mentioned must likely be connected to his former student, Nagato.
But wait—weren't those three already dead?
How could they have anything to do with the [Akatsuki]?
No time to think further.
He needed to inform the old man immediately!
If this were true, the village might face total annihilation!
Without hesitation, Jiraiya rushed off to report everything to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
...
In truth,
Orochimaru did still hold a tiny bit of affection for Konoha.
But only by the slightest margin.
What he truly couldn't bear,
Was watching familiar comrades and teachers like Jiraiya, Hiruzen, and Tsunade die by someone else's hand!
At the very least, they should witness his glorious achievements, his scientific truths with their own eyes before dying!
Konoha itself—
Should fall by his hands alone to bring him any real satisfaction!
So how could he allow the [Akatsuki] to reap all the rewards?
Besides, giving Konoha a slight warning to let them prepare—
Would definitely make things far more thrilling!
If Konoha fell to Pain in an instant, he'd gain nothing from it at all!
This was precisely why Orochimaru sent out that warning.
...
Upon confirming the message Jiraiya possessed,
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression turned graver than it had ever been before.
Based on the intelligence Orochimaru provided,
On the Akatsuki's side, counting the Six Paths of Pain, there were at least eight Kage-level fighters.
If they added Uchiha Shimoku and Orochimaru himself into the mix,
It could be at least ten Kage-level combatants!
Such strength wasn't merely enough to handle [Konoha]—
It could crush any Hidden Village with overwhelming force.
On the side of Konoha...
Even gathering five Kage-level fighters was a huge stretch.
How could they dare to engage in a head-to-head battle with the enemy?
No wonder Jiraiya was so desperate to find him...
As for the credibility of this intelligence.
Neither Sarutobi nor Jiraiya harbored much doubt.
After all, they were among those who knew Orochimaru best.
They clearly understood he wouldn't fabricate information like this, nor would he resort to false threats or intimidation against Konoha.
"Hmph! That brat Orochimaru hasn't completely forgotten his roots!"
"If it weren't for the warning he sent us, the entire village might've been instantly destroyed without warning..."
Hiruzen sighed deeply.
To be honest, Orochimaru had once been his most outstanding disciple.
Even after Orochimaru defected, he had felt immense grief and regret.
He often wondered why he hadn't been strong enough back then to stop Orochimaru by any means.
Yet deep down, he just couldn't bring himself to do it!
Even afterward, he seldom dispatched large forces to hunt Orochimaru down.
Who would've thought Orochimaru would send such a vital warning now?
At least everything I taught him wasn't completely forgotten...
"Old man, what's your plan now?" Jiraiya seriously asked.
Even someone as usually carefree as him had dropped his playful expression.
Just seeing him like this said enough about how serious things were.
"We have no choice but to trust this intelligence."
"Now, the village faces its greatest threat ever..."
"No room for hesitation."
Hiruzen's eyebrows furrowed tightly, his expression severe.
"Shin'nosuke, move out now! Mobilize all Anbu and Root forces, coordinate with close-combat and defense squads—evacuate every villager!"
"Get them to the underground shelters!"
"Understood!"
Sarutobi Shin'nosuke accepted the order immediately and rushed off to organize the evacuation.
"Jiraiya, go fetch Tsunade. We'll need her strength for this battle..."
"Eh? But I don't even know where she is?"
"This is her location. Hurry up!" Hiruzen quickly provided the details.
As Hokage, how could he *not* know where the Senju princess was?
Previously, he simply hadn't needed Tsunade's help.
But this time, he had no choice but to ask for her return.
After all, she was also one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha!
"Hmm..."
Jiraiya hesitated awkwardly, looking rather embarrassed.
"Just go already! You don't expect me, an old man, to go call her myself, right?" Hiruzen roared.
"Alright fine. I'll go, I'll go!"
"But still, if the enemy really has more than ten Kage-level experts..."
"Old man, even if I manage to find Tsunade, we might still be outmatched?"
Hiruzen shook his head:
"At least Tsunade's healing Ninjutsu can significantly reduce casualties!"
"So let's give it our best shot!"
"If we truly can't win, we shouldn't be afraid either."
"Konoha's true strength runs deeper than anyone can imagine."
"When the critical moment comes, I'll spare no effort to crush the enemy, even if it means using the Kinjutsu Scroll (Forbidden Scroll)!"
Hiruzen clenched tightly on the Kinjutsu Scroll in his hand, determinedly guaranteeing.
"Old man, you..."
"Go now! Don't make me kick you out!"
"Alright, I'm going."
Jiraiya jumped out the door without hesitation.
Without delay, he shot off at full speed toward Tsunade's location—[Tanzaku Street].
Meanwhile, far away,
About fifteen miles northwest of Konoha.
When Shimoku and Orochimaru arrived, the members of [Akatsuki] had already gathered here waiting.
Six Paths of Pain, Konan, Zetsu, Sasori, and Biwa Juzo.
A total of ten people.
Except for Obito, Kakuzu, and the unnamed rough man—only three were missing.
They stood ready, an elite force with nothing held back.
Confident and determined, they looked like they already had victory in hand.
Konoha was in big trouble today!
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