Chapter 614: Shock from Konoha!
Chapter 614: Shock from Konoha!
"How strange!"
As she watched the retreating snakes from the Dragon Ground Cavern and the toads from the Forest of Death, Hyuga Tsukimi felt a sense of surprise.
"What's wrong?"
Uchiha Touhei turned to look at her.
"With Jiraiya's personality, it's unlikely he'd just leave like this, right?" Tsukimi expressed her confusion.
"No, you don't understand Jiraiya. Once he confirms that we truly threaten Konoha, he won't show any mercy or hold back!" Touhei explained softly.
While Jiraiya usually appeared kind and had his principles, the precondition was that his taboos were not touched.
And those taboos were Konoha and the Forest of Death!
If they were crossed, he wouldn't hesitate to kill, even if it were Tsunade or Orochimaru.
That's just how the Hokage lineage is!
Senju Hashirama was known for his good nature, but when Akatsuki Leader threatened the village, he didn't hesitate to take action, even though they were close enough to share a bed.
So, when Touhei destroyed the Forest of Death, killed the Toad Immortal, and according to the prophecy, would destroy Konoha, he was threatening the two things Jiraiya cared about the most.
Under these circumstances, there was no room for reconciliation; they had become mortal enemies, which was why he didn't waste any time.
"So that's how it is... It's just as you said, a double standard!"
Tsukimi understood.
Touhei had often complained about the double standards of the Hokage lineage, so she naturally knew what it meant.
When it came to others, they were saints, but when it involved themselves, it was unforgivable.
"Double standards are a tradition of the Hokage lineage, so it's not surprising that Jiraiya would act this way. However, it seems we'll have to sever ties with Konoha from now on!"
Touhei didn't find it strange; instead, he brought up another matter.
"Currently, our relationship with Konoha is as good as severed. If they want to start a war, it's exactly what I want!"
Uchiha Yae spoke with confidence and dominance.
The relationship between Konoha and the Heavenly Castle had never been good.
If not for mutual interests and concerns about their strength, they might have gone to war already, without even maintaining basic decorum.
Now that they had attacked the Forest of Death, they were essentially tearing off the veil that concealed their shame.
Under normal circumstances, Konoha would be eager for this.
They had always coveted the Heavenly Castle but couldn't openly take action.
But now, they were being given the green light to attack, and it was a death sentence for them.
Having just experienced the Konoha Collapse Plan, Konoha had suffered heavy losses and was also dealing with the Stone and Cloud villages. They had no spare energy to fight the Heavenly Castle, which had once been their 'ally'.
Adding insult to injury!
In Konoha's plans, even if the Heavenly Castle didn't fully commit, they could still provide some deterrence.
Now that ties were severed, their former ally had become a threat, making it difficult for Konoha to withstand.
Perhaps the Stone and Cloud villages would no longer hesitate to test them and instead launch a direct attack.
That's why Uchiha Yae was so confident.
Touhei had carefully chosen this time to attack the Forest of Death, taking advantage of Konoha's weakness and multiple entanglements.
"Next, I'll work on repairing the barrier as soon as possible, Yae. You can take the troops back to rest and prepare for battle!"
Touhei thought for a moment and made the arrangement.
After this battle, the Forest of Death had suffered severe damage and indeed needed repairs.
Although the Toad Immortal had unleashed a waterfall of toad oil, it didn't mean the Forest of Death couldn't collect natural energy in the future.
At the very least, Touhei had the necessary skills, and the Heavenly Castle could provide repair materials.
"Alright!"
Yae nodded.
Indeed, they needed to be on guard against Konoha and the Land of Fire.
Even though they knew the other party wouldn't act so quickly, who knew if those guys might go crazy.
Anyway, it wouldn't be the first time the Konoha F4 went crazy.
The initial kill of the White Eye Wolf, the peace agreement, the Uchiha clan massacre, and more—all these events had caught everyone off guard. This time, even if Konoha faced threats from the Cloud village, if they insisted on going to war with the Heavenly Castle, it wouldn't be surprising.
"I hope those guys aren't that stupid?"
Touhei muttered to himself, his gaze fixed on the direction of Konoha.
If they didn't back down, he wouldn't hesitate to strike first.
Although the Six Paths protected him, it didn't mean others couldn't.
He had plenty of means to deal with Konoha, but previously, he had been cautious about the plot advantage and didn't want to rock the boat.
Now, with the Mystic Wood Mountain conquered and the Great Toad Sage slain, the plot has spiraled out of control, and there's no holding back anymore.
Just as Touhei was repairing the Forest of Death's barrier...
A few days later, in Konoha Village!
Boom!
Jiraiya rushed back to the village.
"Jiraiya-sama!"
A member of the Anbu greeted him.
Since Jiraiya had given instructions before using the Reverse Summoning Technique, no one in the village felt anything amiss when he disappeared for a few days. They only dispatched Anbu to keep track of his whereabouts.
Now, upon seeing Jiraiya return to the village, he was immediately spotted by the Anbu.
"I have crucial information. Summon the elders and Shikaku Nara to the Hokage's office immediately!"
Jiraiya signaled for the Anbu to deliver the message.
Given his status in Konoha, even without holding an official position, he could still command the Anbu.
"Yes, sir!"
The Anbu promptly left to deliver the message.
When Jiraiya arrived at the Hokage Tower and entered the office, he saw the Konoha F4, Shikaku Nara, and a 'surprise guest' among others.
"Sensei!"
Enma Hayate, looking frail, greeted Jiraiya, and then his gaze shifted to the beautiful female ninja with brown eyes and a blue-purple diamond mark on her forehead, standing by the window.
Tsunade!
Her presence also explained why Enma Hayate had awoken from his coma.
Only a medical ninja of her caliber, the pinnacle of the shinobi world, could have quickly revived Enma, who had been beyond the Konoha Hospital's capabilities.
Before Jiraiya was reverse-summoned, his original mission was to find Tsunade to treat his teacher.
He never expected that upon returning from the Forest of Death, Tsunade would already be there.
After a brief exchange of glances, both nodded, knowing this wasn't the time for catching up, and they got straight to the point.
"Jiraiya, what happened at the Forest of Death?"
Enma Hayate asked with concern.
Even though he had awoken, his original injuries and the exhaustion from the battle left him in poor condition. He was only sitting in the office to reassure the villagers; otherwise, according to Tsunade, he should still be in bed.
"The Forest of Death... is gone!"
Jiraiya's face contorted in pain.
"What do you mean?"
Tsunade furrowed her brows, demanding an explanation.
If it weren't for her understanding of Jiraiya's serious demeanor and the absence of any signs of genjutsu, she might have grabbed him by the collar for answers.
"The Great Toad Sage is dead, and the Forest of Death has been conquered!"
Jiraiya spoke with a heavy heart.
"What? You're saying the Great Toad Sage is dead, and the Forest of Death has been conquered... Was it the Dragon Ground Cavern?"
Tsunade's face paled in shock.
What kind of situation hadn't she witnessed?
But this was truly unprecedented!
The Great Toad Sage!
She had heard stories of him since childhood. He was the ruler of the Forest of Death, one of the Three Sacred Lands, a legendary immortal said to have lived for over a thousand years, and even had connections with the Six Paths Sage.
But now, you're telling me such a being is dead?
If it weren't for her knowledge of Jiraiya's straightforward personality and his apparent lack of being under genjutsu, Tsunade might have checked his condition immediately.
"How... is that possible?"
"Are you joking?"
"Who did it? Could it really be the Dragon Ground Cavern?"
...
Several advisor elders couldn't maintain their composure either.
The news was simply too explosive.
The Forest of Death!
They were all too familiar with its formidable strength.
Even Shadow Rank shinobi were no match for the Three Sacred Lands.
One could even say that becoming a Sacred Ground Contractee guaranteed a starting point at the Shadow Rank.
But now, such a powerful Sacred Land had been conquered. How could they possibly remain calm?
"The one who conquered the Forest of Death wasn't the Dragon Ground Cavern, but... the Heavenly Castle!"
Jiraiya shook his head, denying the Dragon Ground Cavern as the culprit and revealing the true 'villain'.
With these words, the atmosphere instantly froze.
Everyone suspected they might be under genjutsu.
The Heavenly Castle?
You're saying the culprit is their Konoha-affiliated force?
Fortunately, the shinobi world had no equivalent of April Fool's Day, or everyone would be checking the date to confirm if it was indeed April 1st.
The silence was deafening.
After a full few minutes, Enma Hayate finally spoke, his voice hoarse.
"Jiraiya, tell us the detailed process of the incident!"
He genuinely wanted to know.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
