Chapter 88: The Return
After hearing Danzo's detailed intelligence report, Jiraiya was finally convinced he wasn't joking. His expression immediately became conflicted.
Danzo pressed his advantage. "Allowing a genius from another village—and let's just call him a genius for now—to grow unchecked isn't something you want to see, is it? Especially since he's clearly being groomed by the Raikage. Do you really believe that a tiny village like the Hidden Hot Water could find and cultivate so many powerful Summoning Beasts for one kid all on their own?"
A clear killing intent flashed in Jiraiya's eyes. A genius from an enemy village should indeed be eliminated early. But he thought of the current situation—not just Iwa, but Kumo and Suna were also making aggressive moves toward Konoha. The village was in a precarious position. If Kael really was a Kumo operative, any rash action could directly trigger a war between Konoha and Kumo. And thinking back to his master's orders before he left, Jiraiya instantly calmed down.
He shook his head and said gravely, "Lord Danzo, I cannot risk starting a war for the village based on your word alone. My master's orders were clear: just bring you back. I can do nothing more."
He glanced at Tsunade, who gave him a subtle nod. They were on the same side.
"Hmph!" Danzo snorted, his face turning as dark as water. Without another word, he turned and stormed off in the direction of Konoha.
His passionate plea to Jiraiya had been like playing a zither to a cow. No one understood that he, Danzo, wanted this menace Kael eliminated for the good of the village. They all thought it was a personal grudge, or that he was recklessly trying to drag Konoha into another conflict.
If their paths differed, there was no point in travelling together.
Though Danzo was selfish, despicable, and ruthless, his love for Konoha was undoubtedly deep. It was just that his belief in using military force to clear obstacles and gain profit for the village was not shared by the majority.
Those who had lived through war craved only one thing: peace.
Jiraiya and Tsunade, in particular, had been raised by the moderate Hiruzen. There was no way they would ever side with him.
It seems I need to find more like-minded individuals, Danzo thought as he marched. Otherwise, this village will eventually be destroyed by Hiruzen's indecisiveness.
At the same time, an idea for a potential new ally, one whose ideals aligned with his own, began to form in his mind. A cold, mocking smile touched his lips.
Hiruzen, oh Hiruzen... you never expected it, did you? The student you personally trained... has turned out to be the one least like you.
Just a few days ago, Orochimaru had secretly contacted him via a white snake, vaguely expressing an interest in cooperating. Danzo had scoffed at the time and ignored it.
If Hiruzen knew his favorite student was secretly in contact with me, the leader of Root... the look on his face would be priceless.
Back in the clearing, Jiraiya and the Anbu squad looked at each other, stunned. They had rushed all the way to the border, only for it to end like this.
"Lord Jiraiya, Lady Tsunade... what do we do?" one of the Anbu operatives finally asked, seeing Danzo's figure about to disappear from view.
"Just follow him and keep an eye on him," Jiraiya said, shaking his head wearily. His master's orders had been frustratingly vague—just "bring Danzo back," with no mention of how. But Jiraiya knew this wasn't an oversight.
Sometimes, what isn't said is the most important instruction of all. He might act like a fool, but Jiraiya's mind was as sharp as anyone's.
Southern Land of Hot Water.
High in the sky.
"They're finally gone..." Kael let out a massive sigh of relief.
He couldn't even begin to describe the tension he'd felt seeing Jiraiya and Tsunade appear with dozens of Konoha Anbu. If they had also been there to attack the Hidden Hot Water, his only option would have been to flee.
He wasn't sure if the Sannin were Kage-level at this point in time, and he didn't even know if Tsunade's hemophobia was still a factor, but it didn't matter. He was no match for them. Not even with all his summons combined.
Just fighting Danzo alone had required him to use every trick up his sleeve, and he had only managed to wound and repel the man by catching him completely off guard. If they fought again, he wasn't confident he could even force a retreat.
A battle between shinobi was a war of intelligence. Danzo now knew almost all of his summons' abilities. Against a prepared Konoha shinobi, their effectiveness would be drastically reduced.
"That was pure luck..." Kael thought, feeling fortunate. If the political situation hadn't been so volatile, Konoha would have almost certainly chosen to eliminate him.
He turned to the Hidden Hot Water shinobi on the Thunder-Wind Eagle's back and waved his hand. "Let's go home. This is critical. I need to report to Lord Leader."
He patted the eagle's head, and the massive bird banked in the air, speeding toward their village.
Hidden Hot Water Village.
"The threat from Konoha is over for now. The annihilation of his Root operatives is a huge blow to Danzo. He won't have the resources to move against us again anytime soon. But... by doing this, we have made an enemy of Konoha."
Listening to Kael's report, Jade's expression was a mixture of shock and joy. He was worried that making an enemy of Konoha would mean a difficult future for the village. But he was also astonished and thrilled that Kael's abilities had so far exceeded his expectations—to the point of defeating a ninja as powerful as Shimura Danzo.
Jade lowered his head in thought, then looked up at Kael and shook his head, motioning for him to relax.
"Danger often comes with opportunity. While making an enemy of Konoha was not our intention, what's done is done. Fearing it won't help. Besides, this conflict began the moment Danzo sent Saiki to infiltrate our village. The bright side is that the Hidden Hot Water has produced a genius like you. When word of your victory over Danzo gets out, our village's standing in the Shinobi World will change dramatically. Anyone who thinks of causing trouble for us will have to think twice. They won't dare to be as reckless as they were in the past. The Hidden Hot Water Village... finally has a shinobi who can truly hold his own."
Jade's eyes grew misty. He had spent his entire life being cautious, worrying day and night for the village's survival. Kael's appearance felt as if a mountain that had been crushing him for decades had finally been lifted.
Faced with such high expectations, Kael could only smile wryly. He didn't have the heart to spoil the old man's hopeful mood. His true strength... only he knew how far he still had to go to truly protect this village.