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Konoha, Hokage Office.
Jiraiya looked utterly dejected as he walked out of the Hokage building with Shigenari Shuuzawa and the others in tow, head hanging low.
But as they reached the bottom of the steps, his eyes immediately caught sight of shattered glass scattered across the ground, and a broken pipe lying amidst the mess.
Instinctively, he looked up.
The window in the Hokage's office had been blown wide open, and a large hole marked where the glass once was.
Remembering what had just occurred inside, Jiraiya's gloomy face grew even darker.
It had been several days since their escapade in Iwagakure, and they had finally returned to Konoha in one piece.
But now, Jiraiya felt it might've been better if they hadn't returned alive.
"What's wrong, Lord Jiraiya?" Shuuzawa glanced at him, curiosity in his voice.
"You don't look too happy. Cheer up! I mean, we all came back alive and even completed the mission!"
"..."
Jiraiya visibly shuddered at Shuuzawa's words. But then he noticed something—Shuuzawa hadn't called him captain. That alone let him exhale a little.
Once upon a time, "captain" had been a sacred title, representing trust and unity in a team. Now, when Shuuzawa said it, the word felt completely hollow.
Ōnoki hadn't given them too much trouble.
Or rather, the moment he saw them show up with Han and the Five-Tails in tow, plus a giant toad.
When the gun was aimed squarely at his reinforcements with the threat of experiencing another "Night of the Nine-Tails," the old Tsuchikage immediately backed down.
It turns out that some truths are really universal. When words fail, sheer force becomes a very persuasive tool.
After trading some intel, they were allowed to leave Iwagakure. But even now, Jiraiya couldn't feel the slightest bit of relief.
"I mean... I am happy," Jiraiya forced a smile, but even he knew it looked pitiful.
"But Shuuzawa... I don't think I'm qualified to lead you all anymore. You should handle your missions independently from now on."
He genuinely felt like he'd been set up. Back in Iwa, he already sensed it. Now in Konoha, the blame was falling squarely on him again.
Though he knew he was being scapegoated, there wasn't a single point he could argue against. He had been the captain and led the team into Iwagakure.
The chaos Shuuzawa and the others caused to cover for him? No matter how you sliced it, it still pointed back to him. He was left powerless to protest.
"Let's not talk about that right now," Shuuzawa said. He didn't want to waste such a good captain.
"Besides, Lord Hokage shouldn't be so angry. The Third Tsuchikage clearly wasn't going to start a war. If Konoha and Iwa really fought, Kumo would just swoop in and benefit."
"Plus, we already explained it clearly—burning down the Tsuchikage's office was Uchiha Obito's doing. How could that possibly be Lord Jiraiya's fault?"
"Hahaha..." Jiraiya let out an awkward laugh and fell silent. The image of his teacher glaring at him in the Hokage's office still sent chills down his spine.
That explanation was just a formality—something to let everyone save face. The truth didn't matter anymore.
Whether or not it was Obito, it had to be him now. No other answer was acceptable.
"Alright, you all go rest," Jiraiya sighed heavily. He looked at Shuuzawa one more time and finally shook his head.
"I need to visit the Nara Clan. Your mission's over—consider yourselves dismissed."
Preferably... for good. That thought echoed bitterly in Jiraiya's mind as he turned and briskly walked away, nearly fleeing the scene.
He feared that if he stayed any longer, he wouldn't be able to hold it together. Of course, visiting the Nara Clan meant seeking out Shikaku.
There were still many things that needed to be properly addressed...
"Will Lord Jiraiya be okay?" Yuugao watched his retreating figure and asked softly.
He had been thoroughly scolded earlier, and in her opinion, none of it seemed his fault.
But on second thought, he was the captain. When something went wrong, it was his responsibility. And it had been his call. So... maybe it was Jiraiya's fault?
Yuugao felt conflicted, but Shuuzawa certainly didn't.
He chuckled and said, "Don't worry about him. Lord Jiraiya's not going to be in any real trouble. We handled things pretty well this time—the mission's a success."
Most importantly, the system task was complete! Compared to Jiraiya, Shuuzawa was in high spirits.
After all, he'd raised the difficulty of this mission to an extreme level. Still, with Flying Thunder God as his fallback, he always had an escape route.
As for Jiraiya taking the blame for him? Shuuzawa didn't feel entirely guilty.
Hiruzen's fury was fueled by the severity of this incident and the consequences that would ripple outward.
Iwagakure's response hadn't been minor, after all.
"Oh right—Kakashi, Tenzo," Shuuzawa suddenly remembered something. He turned and looked at the two standing nearby.
"When you guys acted, did you make sure to eliminate all the witnesses?"
"..." Kakashi's dead-fish eyes were more glazed than ever. This entire mission had left him rattled.
Everyone might've returned safely, but he couldn't forget what they'd done—it had been wild and reckless.
"There shouldn't have been any witnesses," Tenzo replied calmly, nodding. "Anyone who saw it should've been burned to death already."
Good old Root. No hesitation, no moral conflict. Shuuzawa nodded in satisfaction, then his face turned serious.
"From now on, if nothing unexpected happens, this entire incident is going to be blamed on Uchiha Obito. No one is to let a single word slip. Understood?"
"I understand." Tenzo nodded without hesitation. Framing someone wasn't new to him. It was practically part of his training under Danzo.
Shisui shrugged, indifferent. Yuugao stayed quietly at the side. Only Kakashi sighed internally. Obito was getting blamed for something he didn't even do.
Even if he had turned rogue, part of Kakashi still wished to pull him back—to face justice in Konoha,
But at this rate, Obito's fate seemed sealed. Still, Kakashi didn't resent Shuuzawa. Under the circumstances, pinning it on a missing-nin was the most logical move.
He just felt a dull headache coming on. Not that he was the only one.
....
"Hiruzen, calm down already."
Inside the Hokage's office, Koharu and Homura looked at the shattered glass on the floor and sighed. This time, the fallout had been especially chaotic.
"Calm down?" Hiruzen looked at his old teammates, a vein twitching in his temple.
After a long pause, he finally said, "These lunatics nearly started a war inside the village! And Jiraiya led the charge? It's infuriating!"
"You know Jiraiya's bond with Orochimaru," Koharu said with a shake of her head.
"He was emotionally involved. That always clouds his judgment."
"It's not as bad as it seems," Homura added. "At least Ōnoki accepted the explanation. That means the bigger mess won't fall on us. But still..."
His words trailed off, and even Hiruzen groaned in frustration. According to Jiraiya's report, the one who burned down the Tsuchikage's office was Uchiha Obito.
Whether that was true or not didn't matter anymore. The narrative had to hold. Because what else could they say? Did Konoha do it?
Then there would be no way out—open war would be inevitable.
Still, if they were going to claim it was Obito, they had to make sure Ōnoki believed it, which meant giving him intel about Obito's capabilities.
And that... was the real problem. Obito had access to both the Uchiha and Senju bloodline powers.
If that information got out, Ōnoki would definitely spread it—either to justify Iwagakure's losses, or simply to tarnish Konoha's reputation.
Either way, it served his interests, and once the rest of the shinobi world learned about this missing-nin on Konoha's records, the consequences would be severe.
"Forget it. What's done is done." After a long silence, Hiruzen shook his head wearily.
"Obito's powers being exposed is already a fact. We'll have to intensify our efforts to locate and capture him."
"It won't be easy," Koharu muttered. "Some villages might even become interested in him."
Homura, however, gave a slight smile. "True, but it's not all bad. At the very least, now whenever Shigenari Shuuzawa causes another scandal, we can just say Uchiha Obito did it."
"..." Hiruzen stared at his old friend, and his blood pressure spiked again.
In all his years, he had never seen Jiraiya screw up this badly.
The only one who could turn every situation into a grand disaster while claiming it was for Konoha's good was—unsurprisingly—Shuuzawa, Danzo's little protégé.
Hiruzen had to admit, especially considering his past behaviour, that Shuuzawa always meant well, but somehow, he managed to take things out of control.
"Danzo... what the hell have you done?" Hiruzen muttered bitterly. He hadn't invited Danzo to today's meeting—and that wasn't by accident.
Whenever a meeting involved Shuuzawa, Hiruzen deliberately left Danzo out.
"You really know how to find humor in a crisis," Hiruzen sighed again after a moment of silence, rubbing his temples.
"But... given how well Obito's abilities align with the incident, it is convenient to place the blame on him."
"By the way," Koharu interjected, "I heard Shisui's thinking of leaving the Anbu?"
"And there's unrest among the Uchiha Clan again..." Homura added with concern.
"Shisui is trustworthy," Hiruzen replied firmly. "At least... I believe he is."
He didn't want to talk about Shisui just yet. The Uchiha Clan was already giving him enough of a headache. Right now, he had far more urgent problems to deal with.
"How's the intel on those two people Shuuzawa brought back? And when will Shikaku arrive?"
"Jiraiya just left. There might still be things to settle." Mitokado Homura, aware of the situation, spoke in a low voice.
"As for those two, we still need to gather more intel, but from what we've learned so far, it's likely they're connected to Danzō."
"They also seem to have a close relationship with Shuuzawa. That alone makes this whole thing suspicious. Orochimaru showed up there, and the timing of their meeting…"
All three of them were seasoned elders. At that point in the conversation, they exchanged thoughtful glances.
It was clear this topic wasn't something to continue discussing out loud. Each of them sighed inwardly.
In the end, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke, though with reluctance.
"Once the situation is understood clearly, we'll begin calming things down. And this entire matter must be kept confidential."
"Don't let Danzō find out—not until I fully figure things out myself. Shuuzawa is a special child. He's growing at a pace far beyond the norm."
"Don't let him overthink, and certainly don't let him get the wrong idea. Do you understand?"
"Yes, we understand." Koharu Utatane and Homura both nodded. In the report from Shuuzawa's latest mission, it was explicitly mentioned that he used some unusual abilities.
One of them resembled a Sage Mode chakra transformation. Jiraiya had been researching this technique and had only partially mastered it.
They'd heard from Jiraiya about its potential—it enhances the user across the board, significantly boosting strength.
But the technique is notoriously difficult to learn. Even now, Jiraiya hadn't fully mastered it.
Yet this kid already had. He used that technique, coordinated with Wood Clones, and even managed to nearly crush members of the Akatsuki in battle!
Most terrifying of all—he can already use the Wood Golem Technique! That was the First Hokage's signature jutsu.
This boy is rapidly progressing down the same path as the First Hokage himself. And as for Danzō… he has other intentions for him.
If Shuuzawa were ever pushed too far, truthfully, they couldn't even imagine the consequences. Just thinking about it made the three of them sigh once again.
Danzō… sometimes you go too far.
"Strange… why is there still no word from Orochimaru?"
At the Root base in Konoha, Danzō sat in silence, his brow furrowed in frustration as he waited.
Normally, Yakushi Nonō and Yakushi Kabuto should've already met him, and Orochimaru should've disposed of them by now.
There was no doubt those two were excellent spies, but Danzō never believed they stood a chance against Orochimaru. That man was a true bringer of death.
Yet oddly, several days had passed, and Orochimaru hadn't reported back. How could Danzō not be alarmed by this?
"Danzō-sama!"
Just then, Aburame Ryōma rushed in. Danzō frowned slightly at the disruption, but Ryōma immediately dropped to one knee, respectfully holding up a scroll.
"Urgent news, Danzō-sama. Please take a look."
"…Hmph?"
Danzō raised an eyebrow. Ryōma's urgency was unusual. Still, he took the scroll and began reading—only for his entire body to freeze moments later.
"Wood Golem… Controlled the Five-Tails… Tsuchikage's office burned."
Reading that intelligence made the fearless Danzō feel a chill in his spine.
Even though the intel didn't identify who was responsible, seeing the techniques described gave him a solid idea.
"Shuuzawa and his team… they've mobilized? And they went to Iwagakure?"
In that instant, Danzō's expression changed completely. He hadn't foreseen any of this.
It was worse that he had planted assets in Iwagakure, and now they were compromised.
Another thought plagued him as well: "When did they leave? Why didn't I know? What exactly happened?"
Unexpected events are dangerous, but being completely left in the dark is even more dangerous.
Danzō realized he'd been completely shut out—Hiruzen had entirely sealed the information from him.
He dared not dwell on what that implied. If he dug too deep, he feared the situation might deteriorate further, and then another terrible possibility crossed his mind.
"The Orochimaru I deployed… could he have clashed with that brat Shuuzawa?"
At that thought, Danzō's face finally cracked. What if that kid took out Orochimaru? Worse—what if his entire plan had already been exposed to Shuuzawa?
It wasn't far-fetched. Danzō had long acknowledged the boy's intelligence.
Whether it was orchestrating the operation in Sunagakure or leveraging that to pressure Iwagakure—those were all Shuuzawa's strategies.
"No… There's still a chance. As long as both Kabuto and Nonō are dead, then…"
Suddenly, Danzō latched onto a new angle—if those two died, it might work to his advantage.
Seeing his mentor and closest friend killed, and knowing Orochimaru did it, would leave a far stronger emotional impact than if Danzō simply told him the truth.
"Orochimaru… whatever you do, don't die. And make sure you eliminate those two."
Danzō muttered to himself. Then, he stood up and walked out. He was heading to the Hokage Tower.
These operations had all been carried out behind his back. As Hiruzen's advisor, he couldn't tolerate it.
"And also… find out what the hell happened with Orochimaru. I want a definitive answer."
Before leaving, Danzō glanced back at Ryōma. Ryōma nodded at once.
"Yes, Danzō-sama."
Meanwhile, unaware of the storm outside, Shuuzawa had returned to the Senju Clan compound.
Standing there, he faced Tsunade, whose expression was tense, and Shizune, who held Tonton in her arms. Shuuzawa could only shrug and smile helplessly.
"Sensei, honestly, I didn't expect things to get that out of hand. Besides, it was Lord Jiraiya who struck first—I didn't have much of a choice."
"You little punk. You think I don't know what Jiraiya's like?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
She wasn't in a good mood either. Shuuzawa's actions this time had nearly sent her teacher to the grave—she was furious.
If she hadn't been there to stabilize things, she might've already been named Hokage.
And honestly, while Jiraiya wasn't exactly the most cautious person, seeing Orochimaru could've easily made him act rashly.
Still, he wasn't the type to start a whole chain of chaos. Burning down the Tsuchikage's office, capturing the Five-Tails, and even confronting Ōnoki—
He threatened to let Iwagakure experience its own "Night of the Nine Tails."
On the other hand, the one who had the guts to abduct the Fourth Raikage right in front of her and convince her to alter intel prices for a cut of the profits…
That was Shuuzawa. And he was looking more and more like the true culprit.
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