At that moment, Shōgetsu had already entrusted the flames of vengeance to Kakashi.
While he wished that Veigar might survive through his own sacrifice, deep down, he knew that was a fantasy.
Whether it was Shōgetsu, Kakashi, Veigar, or even Kazuhira, they had all believed Shōgetsu was as good as dead—until a voice cut through the brink of despair.
"Toad Mouth Bind!"
In an instant, Veigar, Kakashi, and Shōgetsu were swallowed by fleshy walls, akin to the insides of a stomach, transported into a sealed, living space before they could even react.
"What... is this?"
Having narrowly escaped death, Shōgetsu stared in shock at the organic walls that had just saved their lives. He and Kakashi both voiced their disbelief in unison.
Only Veigar relaxed at the sound of that jutsu. He recognized it. He knew who had saved them.
"It feels good… to still be alive…"
Utterly drained, Veigar surrendered to unconsciousness the moment he let down his guard.
He didn't know why that man was here—but what mattered was that they were safe now.
Outside the toad's innards, Jiraiya—on a covert mission to the Sunagakure under Hiruzen Sarutobi's orders—stood atop the summoned toad's stomach, facing Kazuhira.
"You… you're…"
"One of the Legendary Sannin—Jiraiya."
Recognition struck Kazuhira like a lightning bolt. And with it, despair.
Names carry the weight of legend. And the name of the Sannin still held sway across the shinobi world.
Even in his prime, Kazuhira knew he couldn't beat Jiraiya. Now, he didn't even have the courage to flee.
He was finished.
Or worse—he might live, which could be far more painful.
After all, a living jōnin was worth much more than a corpse.
...
One day later.
Veigar awoke from his coma. The moment his eyes opened, he jolted upright with a gasp.
"Veigar, you're awake."
Still weak in body but soothed by the familiar voice, Veigar turned his head. The sight of Minato's sunny smile instantly calmed him.
"Minato-sensei… this is… an inn?"
He glanced around to confirm, then asked, assuredly.
As his memories before blacking out returned, he followed up:
"How long was I unconscious?"
Jiraiya was nowhere to be seen—only Minato, Kakashi, and Shōgetsu were in the room.
Minato stepped forward and spoke gently:
"You've been asleep for a full day and night."
"But your body is still weak. It'll take at least a week before you fully recover."
Veigar nodded, then asked again:
"Can someone fill me in on what happened after I passed out?"
Kakashi and Shōgetsu explained everything that had transpired after he lost consciousness.
As he had guessed, it was Jiraiya who saved them at the last possible moment.
Had he arrived even a minute later, they'd likely be in the Pure Land by now.
Shortly after Jiraiya's appearance, Minato returned as well. And by the time Veigar awoke, Jiraiya had already departed earlier that morning.
Once Veigar had caught up, Minato briefed the team on their current situation. They still couldn't return to Konoha, because Jiraiya had passed on a new directive from Hiruzen Sarutobi before leaving:
The mission continues.
...
More than a week passed. Veigar had largely recovered.
Because he'd been resting the entire time, Team Minato had not yet resumed field operations along the border.
Instead, the four of them spent those days inseparable—planning, training, and seeking Minato's guidance.
After witnessing Veigar's Rasengan: Revolving Heaven, Kakashi became determined to develop a powerful jutsu of his own.
Shōgetsu devoted himself to refining his Sharingan and mastering Fire Release techniques.
And Veigar? He didn't hold back in discussing Rasengan development with Minato—seeking ways to amplify its destructive power.
Casually, Veigar revealed his idea of infusing Wind Release chakra nature transformation into the Rasengan—an idea that left even the Yellow Flash speechless.
Minato was visibly stunned by Veigar's "genius-level inspiration."
Meanwhile, intelligence reports continued to pour in daily through secret channels. The number of Sand Shinobi entering the Land of Fire's border steadily increased.
The situation was growing critical.
To Veigar, Hiruzen Sarutobi's decisions were indefensible.
Even in the face of such blatant aggression, the Third Hokage refused to dispatch large-scale reinforcements. Instead, he relied on small squads like theirs for hit-and-run tactics and covert assassinations.
It was clear that the Hidden Sand Village intended to provoke war.
Yet Hiruzen, the so-called leader of the strongest Hidden Village in the world, showed none of the decisiveness or resolve that such a title demanded.
To Veigar, all he saw in Hiruzen was cowardice—and as a result, the Sand's forces were growing ever more brazen.
In the shinobi world, strength determines who speaks. But Hiruzen seemed blind to that truth.
Inside the inn.
Minato stood before the now-recovered Veigar, face solemn.
"Is everyone ready?"
Half an hour earlier, Minato had received a confidential report and a new mission directive.
He immediately summoned his team to prepare for deployment.
Once Veigar, Kakashi, and Shōgetsu all gave firm nods, Minato continued:
"This next mission is extremely difficult. We'll need complete teamwork if we're to succeed."
"The mission has been classified as A+ rank."
The trio tensed at once.
Without dragging it out, Minato laid out their task:
"We're to make all haste to Lake Siburo, where a Konoha shinobi carrying vital intelligence is trapped behind enemy lines. Our job is to extract and escort them back to the village—alive."
"Move out. Now."
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