Chapter 119: Are You Going to Protect Jiraiya and Orochimaru? — Nara Shikaku's Persistence
The message her husband had left said that if she encountered a situation she couldn't resolve, she could consult the Hokage for assistance.
Although Fugaku was away from the village, Uchiha Mikoto wasn't particularly afraid.
Her husband had written that he hadn't taken any Anbu with him, leaving all the Uchiha clan's jōnin in Konoha. The presence of more than thirty three-tomoe Sharingan jōnin gave her confidence.
Jiraiya and Orochimaru?
Others might be afraid, but the Uchiha clan was not.
This was no longer the Konoha of the past. Now, Konohagakure was the stronghold of the Uchiha clan.
If Jiraiya and the traitor Orochimaru dared return to the village, then they had simply walked into a trap.
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Soon, Mikoto arrived at the Hokage Building.
Without obstruction, she made her way to the third floor, where she happened to meet the great elder, Uchiha Shihu, who had just exited the Hokage's office.
He carried a stack of documents, intending to bring them to the Hokage's assistant, Nara Shikaku, for signature.
Seeing Mikoto hurrying in, Shihu raised an eyebrow. "Mikoto? Why are you here?"
"Great Elder, something has happened," Mikoto said seriously.
Shihu's eyes widened. "What happened?"
"It's Jiraiya and Orochimaru."
Before he could ask more, Mikoto added, "Let's go to the Assistant's office. I'll explain everything there."
Shihu nodded, and the two went straight to Nara Shikaku's office.
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Inside, Shikaku was working through official documents. When he saw Uchiha Mikoto and Elder Shihu entering together, his sharp instincts immediately told him something was wrong.
Mikoto had never come to the Hokage Building before—let alone while the Hokage was away.
Shikaku instantly set his papers aside, stood up, and asked gravely, "What happened?"
Mikoto quickly recounted the matter.
Before Shikaku could respond, Uchiha Shihu slammed his fist into his palm and growled, "Jiraiya is one thing, but that traitor Orochimaru actually dares step foot in the village? He's courting death!"
He turned to Shikaku. "Assistant, let's immediately mobilize our forces and crush them both!"
But Shikaku remained calm. "Elder Shihu, please be patient." He then looked to Mikoto. "Mikoto-sama, where did you receive this information? Can you confirm its authenticity?"
Mikoto hesitated. Jiraiya and Orochimaru were both legendary shinobi. To avoid alerting them, she hadn't sent scouts to Pansi Cave to verify. Instead, she had come directly to report it.
After a moment of deliberation, she decided to place her trust in Shizune. "I can confirm. Pansi Cave belongs to the Uchiha clan. One of our people spotted Jiraiya and Orochimaru there."
Shikaku's eyes narrowed. "Then how do you know their goal is the Hokage himself?"
Mikoto's lips tightened. She had promised Shizune to keep her identity secret. She couldn't reveal more.
Shihu frowned deeply. "Assistant Shikaku, what are you implying? Jiraiya and Orochimaru were disciples of the Third Hokage. Returning to avenge their master is reason enough. If you refuse to act, then we Uchiha will deal with them ourselves!"
Seeing the elder defend her, Mikoto let out a small sigh of relief.
A sharp gleam entered Shihu's eyes. "Or do you intend to protect Jiraiya and Orochimaru?"
Shikaku quickly raised his hand. "Elder Shihu, you misunderstand. I have no intention of shielding them. My concern is that other villages might exploit this chaos. The Hokage entrusted me with the village in his absence. I cannot act recklessly."
Hearing the sincerity in his words, Shihu's expression softened slightly.
Mikoto added quietly, "It's true—I heard it from someone else. But I swore to keep her identity secret."
Shikaku nodded. He had already sensed she was holding something back. Now he understood why.
He thought for a long moment before speaking. "If Jiraiya and Orochimaru's target is Hokage-sama, then we need not rush. Since the Hokage is away, their plan cannot proceed. We should station men around Uchiha territory in case they lash out, but otherwise adopt a wait-and-see approach. If they act, we can strike then."
He looked at them both. "That is my advice. What do you think?"
Mikoto and Shihu exchanged uneasy glances.
Shihu frowned. "Assistant Shikaku, do you truly believe Jiraiya and Orochimaru won't cause trouble in the village?"
He was eager to mobilize forces immediately. With Fugaku away but all Uchiha jōnin present, he was confident they could overwhelm the Sannin.
Shikaku folded his arms. "From what I know of Jiraiya, he is a loyal shinobi of Konoha, a man who carries the Will of Fire. Though he grieves for the Third Hokage and holds resentment toward the current one, I don't believe he would endanger the village itself.
Orochimaru, however…" Shikaku's expression hardened. "That man is dangerous. He performed forbidden human experiments inside Konoha. He's capable of anything. We must be vigilant."
Shikaku continued firmly, "Yes, we might defeat them with our current strength, but it would come at a heavy cost. With Fugaku-sama repelling Kumogakure at the border, and the intentions of the other great villages still uncertain, we cannot afford unnecessary casualties.
That is why I insist we conserve our strength and wait."
Shikaku's tone left no room for doubt.
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