When Jiraiya finally drifted back to consciousness, the world around him felt hauntingly familiar—blue sky stretched overhead, white clouds drifting lazily, sunlight pouring down in golden sheets. Butterflies danced among the wildflowers, the grass was impossibly green, and a crystal-clear stream murmured nearby. Giant leaves glistened with dew, each droplet scattering rainbows like tiny diamonds. The air was thick with the scent of flowers and fresh grass, every breath soothing his battered soul.
Wait… isn't this Mount Myōboku?
How did I end up here?
Jiraiya tried to sit up, only to be slammed by a wave of searing pain that radiated from every inch of his body.
Damn—what happened to me?!
He looked down and saw his body wrapped in thick, white bandages. A toad with a mop of white, curly hair was gently dabbing some kind of sticky green ointment onto his wounds.
"Lady Shima?!"
"You're finally awake, little Jiraiya."
Shima Toad's eyes crinkled with relief.
"How did I get here?" Jiraiya's mind was a mess.
"You came yourself—fell right out of the sky. When you landed, you were a wreck. Barely breathing, covered in wounds."
She pointed upward with a webbed finger.
"From the sky…"
Jiraiya squeezed his eyes shut, forcing his memory to work. Instantly, a stabbing pain shot through his head as terrifying images flooded back—roaring beaches, blinding firelight, shattered bodies littering the sand…
His breath came short. That night was pure horror.
He'd survived by luck and instinct. Years of wandering the ninja world had honed his sixth sense, and the moment he set foot on Coin Harbor's beach, a chill ran down his spine—a storm cloud hanging over his head, warning him.
So he'd slowed his pace and faked a stagger, blending in with the Mist ninja around him. After all, anyone who'd spent days bobbing on the open sea would be unsteady on land. No one suspected a thing.
Jiraiya drifted at the rear, every nerve on edge.
His gut was right. When the searchlights snapped on, illuminating the beach in harsh white, Jiraiya knew—he was in a trap.
Get out—now!
If he stayed, he was dead.
But the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, was swinging his iron flower club and bellowing about "whoever takes Kakuzu's head will rule Yuexi Peninsula"—what kind of twisted pep talk was that?
Are Mist ninja really wired this way?
Shouldn't you be running for your lives?
But the Mist ninja charged forward, fearless and wild. Jiraiya could only shake his head.
Bunch of maniacs.
No way I'm dying with you.
Of course, he couldn't just bolt. The surging wave of Mist ninja swept everyone along. Turning and fleeing was out of the question.
Jiraiya steadied himself, inching backward, waiting for the main force to pass so he could slip away.
But when the explosions started, he realized he'd still been too slow—he should have run the instant he sensed danger.
Luck was on his side. He happened to stand between two blast points, so the shockwave tossed him high into the air but didn't tear him apart.
He watched as a razor-edged shell fragment spun past and sliced a chunk from his arm. The pain snapped his mind into laser focus.
If I hit the ground, I'm toast—fire, shrapnel, death. I need to get out, now!
The explosions kept coming. Hidden shells and coral fragments became flying scythes, turning the beach into a slaughterhouse.
Ignoring the agony, Jiraiya's instincts kicked in—he performed a reverse summoning technique in midair.
Poof!
He vanished in a cloud of white smoke, escaping Coin Harbor by the skin of his teeth.
"I really am something. Surviving that mess…"
Jiraiya managed a weak smile. Lady Shima's ointment was working wonders, cooling his wounds instantly.
"Thank you, Lady Shima! What is this stuff?"
He asked, grateful.
"Oh, this?" Shima Toad held up a handful of wriggling larvae. "It's paste made from medicine jar larvae—best for treating little Jiraiya's injuries."
Jiraiya shuddered at the sight, but didn't argue.
A sudden, cold realization hit him.
No—Konoha's in danger!
Jiraiya wasn't just tough; he was sharp. His mind raced through the chain of events, connecting the dots.
That corpse intel, all the Mist-Leaf alliance talk—it was all a Sand trap.
Sand ninja had set up a massive ambush for Mist at Yuexi Peninsula, but their real target had to be…
He forced himself upright, ignoring the pain.
"Lady Shima, how long was I out?!"
"Seven days, little Jiraiya. Why?"
Jiraiya collapsed back, despair flooding him.
It's too late.
No!
He struggled to rise again. If there was even a shred of hope, he had to stop Sensei Hiruzen from sending more troops—he knew that battlefield was hell on earth.
"Lady Shima, I need to get back to Konoha!"
Shima Sage nodded.
"You can, but first—there's something you need to do."
"What?"
"The Great Sage wants to see you."
…
When Hiruzen Sarutobi finished listening to the bandage-wrapped Jiraiya's account of the Coin Harbor disaster, he nearly coughed up blood.
He understood exactly what Jiraiya's words meant.
Half a year of careful planning had turned into a complete joke.
He'd thought he was looking down on Jinghang from a three-story building—but Jinghang was standing atop a skyscraper, looking down at him.
This war was lost.
Hiruzen wiped the blood from his lips.
"Shikaku!"
"Here!"
Nara Shikaku rushed to his side.
"Order Danzo's unit and Orochimaru's unit—attack the Wind-Lightning Alliance camp again in half an hour!"
Shikaku didn't flinch. In this situation, an attack was the best way to cover a retreat.
"Two hours after the assault begins, start a gradual withdrawal. Each squad covers the next, all the way back to Konoha."
"Yes."
Shikaku bowed and hurried off to pass the orders.
"Inoichi Yamanaka!"
"Here."
"Notify Elder Koharu Utatane—stop Plan Three immediately. Tell her to do whatever it takes, at any cost, to bring the Three-Tails back!"
"This…"
Inoichi hesitated.
"Hokage-sama, by now Plan Three's probably already in motion. Your order… may be too late."
"I don't care!"
Hiruzen's voice was raw, desperate.
"I want the Three-Tails! A ninja village without a Tailed Beast doesn't even have the right to negotiate!"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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