The council chamber of Uzushiogakure was, despite most outsiders' expectations, not built on the highest part of the village, but at its deepest. It was carved into the island's literal heart, far below the terraced streets and homes, hidden underground, beyond layers of reinforcement seals, pressure wards, and sensory arrays that filtered out everything, turning it into one of the, if not the most guarded place in the world.
At the center of the chamber, a circular table of dark stone was placed, carved directly from the stone and ground, almost as old as the village. Around it, whenever there was a meeting, sat the leaders of the Uzumaki clan, people whose strength was not only acknowledged within Uzushiogakure but also had their proficiency recognized by most of the great nations.
And yet, despite their ranks and fame, they didn't look like any of the Kages or Lords... Yes, some of them indeed wore robes stitched with embroidery so fine it bordered on calligraphy and art... and oversold luxury. Yet others wore Konoha-made shinobi armor or simply regular clothes one would see on any of the island's inhabitants. It was anything but uniform, reflecting the personality of the one wearing it, as a meeting within the clan was nothing but a family discourse.
But every meeting needed a governing voice, which at this table belonged to the person at the head of the clan: Ashina Uzumaki.
He was old, older than most outsiders realized, even though his hair had a striking, off-white color, betraying his age for everyone to see. What it didn't reveal was that he was already looking old when Hashirama established Konoha. Still, his hair was thick, braided neatly down his back, and his spine, despite his age, remained straight as a ramrod. His eyes, hidden behind the thick creases running across his face, made it impossible to tell whether they were open or not. Still, sitting there, he scanned the table and the one outsider, who was now also present, standing, unlike the rest of the Uzumakis.
Of course, it was Jiraiya who stood across from them, his arms folded loosely, his posture remaining casual in a way that fooled no one in the room... He was anything but relaxed.
"I am glad you arrived without issues," Ashina said mildly in his raspy, deep voice.
"Did we expect trouble?" Jiraiya asked, shrugging. "I wasn't in the know that something could have gone wrong."
"With how things are, it's not out of the possibilities..." Another voice spoke up, sitting right next to Ashina's right.
She was Chiwa Uzumaki, one of the council's younger members, the great-granddaughter of Ashina. To her left sat several other elder-looking members, each representing a pillar of the clan's different disciplines, while behind them stood a small retinue of jōnin and personal disciples who may later become part of the council when their masters retire.
"Let's not talk about what hasn't happened," Ashina steepled his fingers as he spoke. "Let's talk about why you asked for this meeting," he added, glancing at Jiraiya.
"I agree," Jiraiya nodded, glancing at the others, "I did so, because what I'm about to say isn't a request from Konoha but my personal opinion and the personal belief of Sarutobi-sensei... And it's a warning."
That alone earned their full attention, all of the eyes looking at Jiraiya, who couldn't help but straighten up slightly, shedding the last trace of flippancy on his face.
"We are listening," Ashina said, even his old eyes opening wide enough to let Jiraiya see the whites and the rust-colored irises.
"Uzushiogakure is well defended," Jiraiya began, "Everyone knows that, no matter where they live. The waters alone would kill an invasion force before it reached the rocks, and your seals would finish what the ocean started... that is another truth."
"And even if they do reach us," Chiwa inclined her head, "Whoever makes it to the shore will be met with our own troops. We may not be known as warriors, but that doesn't mean we don't know how to fight."
"Our barriers are also layered," one of the elders added calmly. "Passive and active alike. Naval assaults, even if used with group-assisted ninjutsus, have been calculated against up to the Kage-level... We repelled invaders more than once before."
"And sabotage from within is… unlikely," said another, a woman, fixing the thick glasses on her nose, "Anyone who gets close enough to try is already dead. Not to mention, how do you send a spy to a village like ours?"
"Yes, I know, and," Jiraiya nodded, knowing they weren't really taking his warning seriously, "I agree."
"But?" Chiwa asked as her gaze narrowed slightly, feeling he wasn't done yet.
"But," Jiraiya continued, "you're defending against yesterday's methods, expecting that they won't evolve."
"..." The chamber, unlike most people would expect, did not erupt into arguments or scoffs, as if Jiraiya were telling them they were weak or unprepared... Instead, they exchanged glances, evaluating the validity of his words, and, silently, only with their eyes, they reached a conclusion: That assessment... had truth within it.
"…Explain," Ashina said as the silent decision was finalized, giving it a proper voice.
"Thank you," Jiraiya exhaled, knowing that it was already half a victory to be listened to, "There's a blind spot," he explained, remembering Renjiro's comments, "One you all know exists, but don't prioritize, because until recently, it may never even occurred to you. I won't lie, it did not occur to me either, not until my disciple brought it up."
"Your disciple...?" Chiwa asked, furrowing her brows, but Jiraiya wasn't troubled by the gazes and just lifted his hand, palm up.
"The air."
One of the jōnin behind the elders frowned, holding back his body from moving and making a noise. As for the elders, they began shifting in their seats, thinking about it, before finally one of them broke the silence.
"Our sensory jutsus in place, along with our nets, extend upward," he explained, "Flying creatures, summons—"
"—aren't the main concern," Jiraiya interrupted him, shaking his head, slowly lowering his arm. "What is important are the shinobi who use and utilize them... Don't think that your neighbors won't experiment and come up with something new. They had been burned by your defenses in the past, so it is clear that they may look for something else. I have been thinking about it since my disciple mentioned it, and the more I thought about it, the more obvious it became. If there is an unsolvable problem, work around it... or over it, in this case."
Finally, an actual murmur rippled through the chamber, mostly made of calculations as the present elders exchanged quick ideas, formulas, and actual probabilities. At the other end of the table, Ashina's eyes also sharpened, his lips moving, a few more wrinkles appearing on his face, apparently, taking his words very seriously.
"You're suggesting that there will be an airborne insertion into our island..." Ashina spoke up in the end.
"I'm saying someone will try to do it," Jiraiya nodded, "And when they do, the whirlpools in the water won't matter. We have no proof, we have nothing to offer to make you believe me... But it is something that I now wholly believe in, and I can tell you now that the Hokage does so, too."
Even if he hadn't heard it yet... Of course, Jiraiya wasn't going to tell that part.
"Even if they come from that way, our wards would detect their approach!" another elder spoke up.
"Maybe," Jiraiya agreed, not refuting him at all, "But not necessarily in time."
"Even if such a jutsu that allows them to do that existed," Ashina said slowly, "they would be limited in number and exposed while traveling. We would detect them even before arriving at the village."
"Once again, I can only agree with your assessment," Jiraiya said, letting out a sigh, "But what if, even with detecting them, the attacking force is too much to prepare in time?"
"Clarify," Chiwa said, almost demanding it.
"We very much dislike what we have been seeing," Jiraiya shrugged, letting out a pained breath, rubbing his face, "Not only from the Hidden Cloud, but from the Mist, too... If any of the others join in to antagonise us, what then? What if the Sand and the Stone also step in? They are closer to us than to you; they could draw our attention while the other two come after you..."
What he was saying implied a lot of things, and it was such an outrageous scenario that several pairs of eyes flicked instinctively toward Ashina. Still, surprisingly, the old man remained calm and composed, watching and listening to Jiraiya's words.
"You're describing a worst-case scenario," said one elder, unable to hold himself back, "That would be a miracle to ever happen!"
"For them, but a disaster for us," Jiraiya's expression hardened when he answered, "I'm describing the worst, because you always look at that when coming up with proper prevention."
"He is right," Ashina leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping against the table's surface. "And Jiraiya wouldn't come here with hastily thought-out hypotheticals," he added, glancing at the rest. "Is there anything else, Sannin of the Leaf?"
"Yes, the part that Sarutobi-sensei told me, so I can share it as I see fit." He nodded, knowing that this was one way to relay information that maybe the elders and Danzō wouldn't want him to reveal, not even to an ally. "In just the past year, Konoha has lost six ANBU operatives. All of them gone dark for so long, we are safe to assume they died."
"Are you sure?" Chiwa asked, audibly gulping.
"Yes," Jiraiya answered flatly. "Because three of them were of Danzō's people. And those... we all know how they operate."
"Are we allowed to know," Ashina asked, his voice becoming even raspier than before, "where did you lose those agents?"
"Within the Hidden Cloud's territory," he said, looking over them all. "Well, four of them. The remaining two were in the Mist."
"That would be an act of war," Chiwa muttered, as suddenly all the warnings Jiraiya had revealed to them became way too real for her liking.
"Yes," Jiraiya agreed. "And it's being treated as deniable escalation at the moment. But it is a reason to go to war, both for them and us; we simply hadn't done so because we also eliminated multiple ANBU operatives from their villages, so we are in a... stalemate. Sadly... Another war is coming, and you know I don't say this lightly."
"Haaah..." Ashina closed his eyes briefly, "…A third war," he murmured, "Why do I have to live through all three of the worst moments of history?"
"Because you are an Uzumaki," Jiraiya said with a half-smile, making the old man chortle, "Their main target will be Konoha; there is simply no question about that. What we are worried about is that, because you are a staunch ally of the Leaf, they will come to eliminate you, too."
"We are Uzumakis," One of the elders scoffed softly. "We are not afraid of standing with our allies and especially not afraid of facing our enemies."
"Of course not," Jiraiya said hurriedly, "But I don't know how prepared we are, both of us in this case, to face every other nation at once."
That was the truth, one that nobody could ignore, not even if the Leaf had the Sannins and a professor who supposedly learned all of the jutsus that Konoha had to offer, acting as its Hokage.
"Our confidence," Ashina said slowly, considering his words carefully, "has never been in arrogance. It is based on knowledge and our preparations because sealing only works if you have the patience to master it."
"I know," Jiraiya replied. "That's why I came to warn you in time... If anything, please heed my words and make sure you act accordingly." He pleaded as he leaned forward, placing both hands on the table. "I'm not asking you to panic," he added, "I'm just asking you to adapt and strengthen your arrays, rethink your assumptions for an invasion, and prepare for enemies who may try something entirely new."
"Yes, you speak truthfully..." Ashina nodded in the end, while everyone else looked at him, waiting for his decision, "We must adapt, otherwise we may seal our own futures..."