https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-505-Battle-Against-the-Legendary-Sannin/12558760/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-506-Jiraiya-s-Intelligence-Part-2-/12558762/
Chapter 506: Jiraiya's Intelligence (Part 1)
Chapter 506: Jiraiya's Intelligence (Part 1)
A sharp blade, enveloped in yellow electrical light, pierced the red fleshy wall. However, contrary to Kakashi's expectations, the blade did not easily slice through. The defensive properties of the flesh before him seemed to surpass even the strongest of walls, and an enigmatic force prevented his White Fang from penetrating further.
Kakashi was unable to either cut through the flesh or retract his blade.
Without hesitation, Kakashi intended to abandon his White Fang, but suddenly, several tendrils sprouted from the flesh, binding him tightly to the wall. Before he could react, the flesh enveloped him, pulling him into its depths.
Yahiko, intending to aid Kakashi, was caught off guard by one of Jiraiya's shadow clones and knocked out.
"Tsk, tsk. No wonder you earned the title of Raiya at such a young age. Your sharpness surpasses even that of White Fang in his youth." Jiraiya praised, glancing at the slightly exposed lightning-clad blade.
Being able to pierce through the intestines of the Great Toad of Iwagama meant that Kakashi possessed extraordinary offensive capabilities. Ordinary defensive ninjutsu would likely be ineffective against Kakashi's strike.
Kakashi was slightly taken aback, surprised that Jiraiya knew of the title he had earned on the Eastern battlefield.
"Haha, don't underestimate my intelligence-gathering abilities." Jiraiya chuckled in response.
After all, Kakashi and his teammates were students of Minato Namikaze, so Jiraiya paid extra attention to them.
"I still have a long way to go before I can match my father," Kakashi said, shaking his head.
While his offensive capabilities were formidable, combat entailed more than just one aspect, and his high-damage output came at the cost of reduced endurance.
Jiraiya patted Kakashi's head with his large hand, "Instead of being so humble about your strength, why don't you learn something else from Minato? Like his teleportation technique."
If Jiraiya had possessed Kakashi's current strength and fame at the age of eleven, he would have created gusts of wind with his Wind Release just by walking. Orochimaru would have had to take detours to avoid him, and any barking dogs along the way would be silenced with a single kick.
After speaking, Jiraiya released his summoning technique, causing the red fleshy wall to vanish rapidly.
Although there was no referee, it was evident to everyone that the battle had concluded.
Obito collapsed from exhaustion, Yahiko was defeated by Jiraiya's shadow clone, and Kakashi had essentially lost his combat capability.
"For your age, you performed quite well. However, if you want to sign a contract with Mount Myoboku, Eyepatch Ghost, you still need to work harder." Jiraiya commented.
In truth, Obito and his team had exceeded Jiraiya's expectations. The combined combat prowess of their squad was sufficient to accomplish critical S-rank mission objectives, with Kakashi standing out as exceptionally talented, far surpassing the capabilities of an average Jonin.
If Jiraiya were to assign a score to their performance, out of a perfect score of 100, he would give them a 98, deducting points only because of Obito's mischievous behavior.
Of course, the reason Jiraiya didn't offer Obito a contract with Mount Myoboku wasn't merely because Obito's antics annoyed him; he wasn't that petty.
The real reason was that during the battle, Jiraiya had identified a problem with Obito and Kakashi—their lack of endurance in prolonged battles.
There was a significant difference in the power of Obito's Fire Release before and after entering the Fire Breath Chakra Mode. Jiraiya suspected that he possessed a secret technique that enhanced his abilities, similar to the Sage Mode.
Such secret techniques typically required an abundance of chakra, like the Sage Mode, where a vast chakra reserve was just the threshold for learning it.
Currently, Obito's weakness was his insufficient chakra, which limited his ability to engage in extended battles, and summoning powerful creatures through summoning techniques would consume a substantial amount of chakra.
Therefore, offering Obito a contract with Mount Myoboku at this point would be meaningless, which was why Jiraiya encouraged him to continue striving for improvement.
"If you don't want to offer a contract, then fine. In the future, Little Fire Dragon will definitely surpass those toads," Obito pouted, unconcerned about the blood contract with Mount Myoboku.
What intrigued him was not the summoning beasts of Mount Myoboku but the Sage Mode that Jiraiya had mentioned.
"You're quite arrogant, Eyepatch Ghost. Kakashi earned the title of Raiya on the battlefield. What title do you have?" Jiraiya asked, feigning ignorance.
Obito remained silent, his face darkening as he felt annoyed about not having a title.
He believed that the ninjas of Kirigakure were blind to the immense potential hidden within him.
"Why don't I, as one of the legendary Sannin, give you a title? 'Konoha's Hollow Flame,' because you collapsed after using a few Fire Releases. It does seem rather hollow," Jiraiya stroked his chin, pretending to be serious as he teased Obito.
Obito's face turned red in an instant, and if he hadn't been chakra-depleted, he would have entered the Fire Breath Chakra Mode and unleashed a Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu on Jiraiya.
"You evil old man with white hair! Wait until I become stronger, and I'll show you!" Obito seethed inwardly, feeling humiliated.
However, Jiraiya's words gave Obito an idea about where he could obtain an impressive title—Hanzo.
As everyone knew, the title of Sannin was bestowed upon Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru after their battle against Hanzo during the Second Great Ninja War.
Recently, the ninja world had been abuzz with the name of Ninja Swordmaster Sozo Kuri, who had gained fame by repelling Hanzo.
Therefore, it could be concluded that defeating Hanzo was equivalent to gaining fame and an impressive title.
If he, too, fought Hanzo and emerged victorious, it would mean that he had surpassed the Sannin, as even they had been unable to defeat Hanzo back then.
Obito's imagination began to run wild.
Jiraiya bowed deeply to Obito, "Fire God, Obito, I was wrong to look down on you because of your Sharingan. Please teach me the powerful Fire Release that can defeat Hanzo."
If Jiraiya had been sincere in his attitude, Obito might have considered teaching him.
"Eyepatch Ghost, you're so weak that you can't even cook. But since you're willing, I'll let you chop the vegetables," Jiraiya said, patting Obito's shoulder and laughing.
Obito remained expressionless, and he decided that he would only teach Jiraiya the Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu when the time came.
The responsibility of cooking ultimately fell to Minato, who volunteered without hesitation, and no one objected.
That night, after dinner, Obito began training near the camp.
"While it's commendable to train diligently, there might be a significant mission coming up soon, which will be exhausting," Kakashi cautioned.
As an elite squad, if Minato's plan succeeded, they would undoubtedly be assigned critical mission objectives. This was the very reason Hiruzen Sarutobi had sent them to the battlefield.
"This is where our paths diverge, Kakashi. You can only foresee the missions you might undertake in the coming months, but I'm already contemplating how to defeat the demigod, Hanzo." Obito replied nonchalantly.
Kakashi: ???
It didn't seem like Jiraiya had hit Obito on the head, but his brain seemed to be functioning as if it had been squeezed by a door.
However, Kakashi had anticipated this and activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, easily seeing through Obito's movements. He sidestepped, causing Obito to stumble forward in his haste.
"It seems he's mostly normal," Kakashi concluded with relief as he put the photo away.
Obito: ...
He hated that white-haired guy!
...
Time passed day by day, and Konoha's plans proceeded smoothly.
On the one hand, they had the Grass Ninjas closely monitor Iwagakure, while on the other, they pretended that the intelligence war had failed, resulting in a leak of crucial information from a vital stronghold.
However, the development of events far exceeded Jiraiya and the other high-ranking ninja forces' expectations.
"Iwagakure is indeed a formidable opponent," Minato Namikaze frowned as he looked at the intelligence delivered by the Grass Ninjas.
For some unknown reason, Iwagakure had suddenly discovered the Grass Ninjas' betrayal and launched a surprise attack on them before disappearing without a trace.
"It's not that your plan has a problem, Minato, nor is Iwagakure exceptionally strong. It's the Grass Ninjas who are lacking," Jiraiya put down the intelligence report and shook his head.
Konoha hadn't even made significant moves yet, and it was clear that the Grass Ninjas had messed up.
"You agree, Mu Yue?"
Mu Yue nodded. This situation indeed had nothing to do with Minato's strategies.
After reviewing the information again, Mu Yue sensed something amiss, and this incident gave him a strange sense of deja vu.
During the final battle on the Eastern Front, Konoha had also mysteriously failed in their intelligence gathering, and if it weren't for underestimating Mu Yue's strength, Kirigakure could have dealt Konoha a devastating blow.
If Iwagakure had chosen to directly confront the Grass Ninjas instead of pretending not to notice their treachery and setting up an ambush for Konoha, the Konoha ninja forces in the Grass Country would have faced a similar predicament as their comrades on the Eastern Front.
Of course, from Iwagakure's actual response, Mu Yue could tell that they were aware of his arrival on the battlefield with an elite squad, and hence, they chose not to take the risk.
If it had been Kumogakure instead, Mu Yue believed that the two forces would have already clashed, and with the intelligence advantage, Kumogakure wouldn't hesitate to take a gamble.
"Since we've been exposed, let's have the Grass Ninjas fight openly for us. Let them focus on searching for Iwagakure's forces," Jiraiya suggested after some thought.
Given the Grass Ninjas' capabilities, Jiraiya didn't expect them to make a significant impact on the front lines, but he hoped they could help Konoha establish a more extensive intelligence network to aid in defeating Iwagakure and ending the war sooner.
For Jiraiya, who was used to traveling and exploring, being stuck on the battlefield for a prolonged period was rather boring.
"For now, this is the best we can do," Minato agreed, unable to think of a better strategy.
If they couldn't exploit the intelligence gap to their advantage, they would have to rely on the same tactics as before—a direct confrontation where they would leverage their strengths.
Moreover, compared to before, Iwagakure had lost the support of the Grass Ninjas, while Konoha had gained their full backing. This shift in alliances put Konoha at a distinct advantage.
Jiraiya reported the situation while simultaneously making new combat arrangements.
With their newfound advantage, they naturally wanted to take the initiative and proactively strike to weaken Iwagakure's forces.
Jiraiya dispatched sensory ninjas to search for Iwagakure's troops and sent elite ninjas to eliminate any traces of Iwagakure that were discovered. In no time, the Konoha ninja forces took complete control of the situation in the Grass Country.
The Konoha ninjas were thrilled, anticipating another major victory.
However, only Jiraiya and a few others knew that this was merely an illusion, as Iwagakure had not suffered significant losses. They were deliberately avoiding direct confrontations.
Back in Konoha, the high-ranking officials quickly convened a meeting upon receiving this information.
Kirigakure, which had launched a large-scale invasion of Fire Country, had been beaten into silence, and Kumogakure, preoccupied with fighting Sunagakure, had not expended much effort against Konoha. Now, Iwagakure was the most actively engaged opponent, and the elders paid close attention to the developments in the Grass Country.
"Since Iwagakure is hesitating, let's force them to fight. We'll have Jiraiya lead a massive force to strike at Iwagakure's border, threatening their village directly. They can't just stand by and do nothing," Danzo Shimura proposed.
He believed this to be the best course of action, as it would compel Iwagakure to engage in battle while also showcasing Konoha's might.
The war had been ongoing, and Konoha had been mostly on the defensive, which Danzo felt was detrimental to their reputation as a powerful ninja village.
Knock! Knock!
Hiruzen Sarutobi furrowed his brow, his right hand unconsciously tapping the conference table lightly.
While Danzo's proposal was aggressive, with Konoha's current ninja strength in the Grass Country, they did have a chance of making inroads into the Land of Earth.
Currently, Konoha had over 1,800 ninjas in the Grass Country, including powerful individuals like Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze, and Mu Yue, as well as elite jonin like Shibi Aburame and Maroi Koroi. This was the strongest ninja force Konoha had assembled in recent years.
"It's too radical," Hiruzen ultimately shook his head in disagreement.
"The Land of Earth is filled with rocky mountains and high terrain, making it difficult to attack and easy to defend. If our forces advance and their supply lines are cut off, they will be in grave danger. Moreover, from what I know of Onoki, Iwagakure's displayed strength is only a fraction of their actual capabilities," Hiruzen explained his perspective.
Hiruzen was only a few years younger than Onoki, and in his opinion, Onoki was a cunning old fox who would never easily reveal his full hand.
"How do we know Onoki isn't just bluffing if we don't engage in battle?" Danzo countered.
He felt that Hiruzen had grown too cautious with age, and if it had been the Hiruzen of ten years ago, he would have likely approved of this plan.
They had successfully driven Kirigakure back, so why not launch a similar aggressive strike against Iwagakure?
"Instead of gambling on others being as weak as we imagine, it's better to stabilize the situation and strengthen our own capabilities," Hiruzen disagreed with Danzo's risky proposition.
"Kushina is gradually getting used to the Nine-Tails, and within a year, she should be able to utilize its power on the battlefield."
Danzo fell silent for a moment, acknowledging the validity of Hiruzen's points.
If Kushina could join the battle as a jinchuriki, it would be a significant boost for Konoha.
The Tailed Beast Bomb of a jinchuriki was far more terrifying than a Legion Jutsu performed by dozens of jonin combined and was a formidable weapon in large-scale warfare.
(End of Chapter)
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