With Danzo dead, there was almost no resistance left in his path to becoming Hokage. As long as Sarutobi Hiruzen was willing to step down after the Second Shinobi War, the position would be his.
"Dispose of all the bodies. We need to leave immediately," Jiraiya commanded Isamu and Kakuzu. The battle had caused quite a commotion, and it was likely that other shinobi would come to investigate.
Kakuzu nodded. After extracting the hearts of the Root elite jōnin and standard jōnin, he incinerated the bodies with Fire Release, reducing them to ash.
Jiraiya followed up with Earth Release, altering the terrain to erase any trace of their battle. Once the scene was cleaned, Jiraiya led Isamu and Kakuzu away from the site.
When they were far from the battlefield, Jiraiya turned to Isamu with a serious expression.
"No one can know what happened today. You understand the consequences if word gets out."
Kakuzu wasn't a Konoha shinobi, and with his soul bound by a seal, he couldn't leak any information. Jiraiya's only concern now was Isamu—he feared Isamu might inform the Senju clan of Danzo's death.
Danzo had caused much of the Senju clan's suffering. For them, his death would be a welcome relief. Jiraiya worried that Isamu wouldn't be able to resist sharing the news, which could lead to exposure.
Under Jiraiya's gaze, Isamu felt a heavy pressure settle over him. He quickly assured,
"Don't worry. I know how serious this is. I won't breathe a word about what happened today."
"If this information gets out, the Senju clan will become my enemies," Jiraiya warned, applying even more pressure.
Though Jiraiya had the power to lift the Senju clan out of their misery, he also had the ability to push them further into despair. Isamu had seen Jiraiya's strength firsthand. If Jiraiya decided to act against the Senju clan, their current state left them no chance of survival.
Resolving himself, Isamu silently vowed never to reveal the events of that day.
"What do you know about the overall strength of the ninja stationed at Iron Mine town?" Jiraiya asked Kakuzu.
Kakuzu had spent several days near the town and may have seen reinforcements arriving from other parts of Amegakure. With Danzo and his Root squad eliminated, the upcoming battle for Tetsuishi Town would be even more challenging. Knowing the enemy's movements was crucial.
"Tetsuishi Town is vital to Amegakure. To defend against your Konoha shinobi, many reinforcements have arrived over the past few days," Kakuzu explained. "However, most are genin or chūnin. I only saw one squad led by three jōnin enter the town three days ago."
According to Konoha's intel, Tetsuishi Town had 11 known jōnin, including two elite jōnin. Whether the three jōnin Kakuzu saw were part of that count would only be clear after they returned to base.
The information Jiraiya and Danzo had received from the base didn't specify when it was last updated. If it was more than three days old, the town might have at least three more jōnin.
"Return to base. If anyone asks why you left camp, tell them you spotted Amegakure shinobi scouting near the base and chased them off, but lost them in unfamiliar terrain," Jiraiya instructed Isamu.
Isamu couldn't be away from camp too long—doing so would arouse suspicion. He nodded and headed back to base.
Jiraiya planned to rest briefly before heading to Tetsuishi Town for reconnaissance.
"Have you recruited anyone useful yet?" Jiraiya asked Kakuzu.
"No suitable candidates. Our goal is to unify the shinobi world and end the wars. The weak don't qualify," Kakuzu replied.
"Is it that no one's suitable, or are you just too stingy to spend your money?" Jiraiya narrowed his eyes at Kakuzu.
Jiraiya wasn't looking for elite fighters. He just needed Kakuzu to gather a group for information-gathering purposes. Despite controlling Konoha's Anbu, Jiraiya knew the unit was ultimately loyal to Hiruzen. It wasn't his personal army, and he needed one of his own.
"The next time we meet, I expect you to have at least ten chūnin with you. They don't need to be powerful, but they must be sharp and capable," Jiraiya ordered. "And you're covering all their expenses."
"Things are about to get chaotic here. You should leave," Jiraiya continued.
Kakuzu, a notorious bounty hunter, was wanted by nearly every major shinobi village. If he were exposed, every village's shinobi would target him.
Jiraiya had warned Isamu about Kakuzu in advance. Otherwise, Isamu would have attacked him on sight.
Nodding, Kakuzu departed. He wouldn't be involved in the upcoming siege, so there was no reason for him to stay.
After a brief rest, Jiraiya set off alone for Tetsuishi Town.
"How cautious," Jiraiya muttered with a frown as he neared the town.
The area around Tetsuishi Town had been cleared of all trees and valleys. Every direction leading to the town was flat and open, dotted with traps and patrolled by Amegakure shinobi.
The town's defenses were airtight. Any attempt at infiltration would be nearly impossible—every small disturbance would be immediately detected.
But Jiraiya had his ways.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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