An ANBU ninja arrived and recounted the detailed situation to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Peerless swordsmanship?"
"A strange ninjutsu that acted directly on Jiraiya?"
"And extremely powerful Lightning Release?"
Hiruzen's brows locked tightly together.
"These are all methods Rasa has never used before. Could it be that Rasa has grown stronger again?"
"In such a short time, he has mastered another set of such powerful methods."
"Just how terrifying is this man's talent?"
"How far can he grow in the future?"
"The stronger Rasa becomes, the greater his ambition will be."
Immediately afterward, Hiruzen felt a trace of blame toward Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya was too foolish. When he first made his move, he didn't use his full strength. If he had gone all out against those Sunagakure shinobi from the start, he could have dealt a devastating blow to Sunagakure."
"Then when Rasa arrived to support them, he could have avoided battle outright. That war would have ended in a complete victory for Konoha."
But that was rather like judging after the fact.
"I wonder what other methods Rasa will use next."
However, before Sunagakure made its next move, Konoha now had no choice but to face trouble from another shinobi village—
Kumogakure.
C had originally given up hope, believing that the operation had already failed.
But the news that Jiraiya had been heavily injured and defeated filled him with surprise and delight.
"With Konoha's current situation, they won't dare make an enemy of Kumogakure anymore."
"No matter what price we demand from them, they will have no choice but to endure it."
"In that case…"
C looked toward Killer B.
"Killer B-sama, let's directly demand the Byakugan from Konoha. If they refuse, Kumogakure will immediately declare war on Konoha. Send word to Raikage-sama!"
When Hiruzen Sarutobi saw the conditions Kumogakure had put forward, his entire face turned livid.
"How can Kumogakure be this shameless?"
"They've already had blood repaid with blood, and they're still unsatisfied?"
"They actually dare to demand the Byakugan directly? If we don't hand it over, they'll go to war?"
"Fine. Then let war come. Does Konoha fear Kumogakure?"
But Hiruzen also knew those words were merely spoken in anger.
With Konoha's current situation, they simply could not go to war with Kumogakure.
The Nine-Tails' rampage had caused far too much damage to Konoha.
And Sunagakure was still watching them like a tiger eyeing prey.
Once Konoha sank into the quagmire of war, Iwagakure would certainly make a move as well.
The current Konoha could not wage war against multiple shinobi villages at the same time.
"This is too much!"
"Too shameless!"
"Shameless to the extreme!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi took several deep breaths before barely calming his emotions.
Only then did he begin thinking about whether there was any way to resolve the matter.
But Kumogakure's attitude was far too forceful.
No matter what Hiruzen Sarutobi said—
No matter whether Hiruzen Sarutobi's stance was hard or soft—
Kumogakure had only one answer.
"If you don't hand over the Byakugan, then we go to war!"
"Kirigakure could get one, but Kumogakure can't?"
"Do you look down on Kumogakure that much?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's head throbbed so badly that anxiety left him unable to eat.
"Why did things become like this?"
"Why has Konoha fallen to this point?"
"Damn it!"
"Sunagakure, Kumogakure… beasts, all of them!"
Having already forced the Hyuga clan to compromise once, Hiruzen had not wanted the Hyuga clan to sacrifice again. But the situation before him left him unable to think of any better solution.
For Konoha, this seemed to be the only answer now.
Otherwise, they would have to prepare to fight three great shinobi villages at the same time.
And in Hiruzen's view, that would very likely lead Konoha toward destruction.
Perhaps their fate would be even worse than Kirigakure's.
After all, Kirigakure was located in a remote place.
Konoha, on the other hand, was easy to reach—and incomparably rich in resources.
Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane gathered at the Hokage Building.
"Hiruzen, this is not your fault. Sunagakure and Kumogakure are simply too hateful."
"There truly is no other way."
"We can only have the Hyuga clan sacrifice again."
"For the sake of the village, I believe the Hyuga clan will understand."
And so, Hyuga Yamatsubaki once again came to the Hokage's office.
"Yamatsubaki."
Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a deep sigh.
"You must already know the village's situation. Jiraiya was defeated by Rasa and suffered severe injuries. There is no possibility of him recovering in a short period of time. Konoha's army has no choice but to retreat."
"But Sunagakure's army is pressing us step by step."
"The village's current situation is terrible beyond measure."
"Iwagakure is watching us closely, ready to take revenge against the village at any moment."
"Kumogakure's army is already on the road, marching under the banner of avenging that Kumogakure jonin. Simply handing over Hizashi did not satisfy them. They want Konoha—and your Hyuga clan—to pay an even greater price."
"The village has no other way."
Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his head.
His eyes were bloodshot, filled with deep apology and pleading.
Hiruzen did not say it outright.
But Hyuga Yamatsubaki had already understood what he meant.
"The Byakugan?"
"Yes."
"Hokage-sama, may I return and think it over?"
"Of course."
Watching Hyuga Yamatsubaki leave, Hiruzen shook his head.
"Heaven is unfair to Konoha. All these terrible things have fallen upon our village. Strength… strength, in the end, it is still strength. Konoha's strength is not enough."
"Tsunade… is she still unwilling to come back? Even when the village has become like this?"
"But even if she returned, I'm afraid she wouldn't be of much help."
"A medical ninja, one of the dignified Sannin, yet she actually developed hemophobia."
Hiruzen Sarutobi went to the medical department.
"Sarutobi-sensei."
"Jiraiya, how is your condition?"
Jiraiya fell silent for a while.
"I was too careless."
"The abilities Rasa possesses go far beyond what our intelligence provided."
"Sand puppets, teleportation, Magnet Release: Gold Dust—Rasa used all of those."
"But aside from that, he also used extremely powerful Lightning Release without the Thunder Blades."
"And his sensory ability is incredibly strong. My Toad Flat Shadow Control Technique had no effect at all. He saw through it completely."
"He also has a very strange ninjutsu. It can create a special attractive or repulsive force between me and his sand soldiers, as if turning me and his sand puppets into magnets."
"His swordsmanship… I feel it is no weaker than Senior White Fang's was back then."
"Also, that blade of his is very special. It might also be ninjutsu. When the blade came down, I remember clearly that I blocked it with a kunai, but his blade passed straight through my kunai."
"It landed on my body without being obstructed at all."
"And my Ninja Art: Needle Jizo had absolutely no effect on him. It passed straight through his body."
"He deliberately dodged my Ninja Art: Needle Jizo earlier to make me lower my guard."
"His abilities are far too bizarre."
A trace of regret appeared on Jiraiya's face.
That regret was because before the battle, he had not gone to Mount Myoboku to gather natural energy. If he had used Sage Mode, Jiraiya did not believe he would have lost.
But what had happened had already happened. Regret was useless.
Jiraiya could only bear the result before him.
"Sarutobi-sensei, I'm sorry."
"I lost."
"And from now on, I'm afraid I won't even be able to serve properly as a ninja anymore."