Chapter 278: Reexamining Konoha
Root’s 5 ninjas?
Yoru thought to himself, with me here, rest assured, they’ve all gone to where they should go.
Not one less.
Yoru said: “At that time, I was smashed deep underground by Uchiha Madara’s Wood Dragon.
The battlefield shifted from the ground to underground, where I fought Uchiha Madara’s Wood Style roots.
As for Root’s 5 ninjas, I no longer knew.”
This couldn’t blame the fox, right? The fox had even volunteered to cover the rear. Jiraiya and the lynx could return, so why didn’t Gui? Couldn’t Gui reflect on himself?
Gui and 4 new recruits all died in the Land of Rain. Root’s reconstruction collapsed once again.
Truly tragic.
Danzo glanced at Jiraiya, his eyes filled with anger, and asked again: “Fox, we know the general situation of the mission. Tell us your judgment.”
Yoru caught Danzo’s hostility toward Jiraiya and quickly added fuel to the fire:
“I believe this serious loss could have been avoided!
Lord Jiraiya stayed in Hidden Rain Village, teaching ninjutsu to three orphan ninjas, one of whom was an Uzumaki remnant.
If Lord Jiraiya had reported early that an Uzumaki remnant was his disciple, we wouldn’t have been so passive, caught off guard by the person behind the Uzumaki remnant.
Uchiha Madara, for some unknown reason, was secretly supporting the Uzumaki remnant.
The two sides joined forces!
The Uzumaki remnant undoubtedly hates Konoha, and Uchiha Madara does too—his hatred for Konoha is even greater.
On the surface, Nagato Uzumaki is Jiraiya’s disciple, but in reality, he is more likely Uchiha Madara’s disciple!
Even the previous losses of Root, the Shimura Clan, and the Sarutobi Clan might have been the Uzumaki remnant’s revenge, supported by Uchiha Madara!”
Yoru’s words were like a final verdict, providing the most reasonable explanation for everything.
Daring to target Konoha’s Root, the Shimura Clan—even the Sarutobi Clan lost a young talent about to be promoted to jonin. No ordinary enemy would have such audacity.
If the culprit was Uchiha Madara, everything made sense.
Uchiha Madara had the ability to crush Konoha—half of Konoha was built by Uchiha Madara.
Yoru thought to himself, Uchiha Madara, you’re dying soon anyway, so take this blame first.
As for Uchiha Madara refuting it, heh, would the village believe him, an Anbu Captain, or Uchiha Madara?
Jiraiya sprang up from the sofa with a whoosh, glaring angrily at the fox.
But recalling how the fox had covered the rear regardless of danger, he couldn’t say the fox was deliberately targeting him.
Jiraiya turned to the other high-ranking officials and said:
“I have something to say!
How could I have imagined the village had a grudge against the Uzumaki Clan?
If you high-ranking officials didn’t say anything, who would think Konoha secretly pushed for the Uzumaki Clan Annihilation?”
The Third Hokage shouted sternly: “Shut up! Jiraiya!”
These shouts from the master and disciple silenced the Hokage’s Office.
Yoru thought to himself, the high-ranking officials’ certain actions were starting to alienate some of Konoha’s ninjas.
Jiraiya was a very traditional ninja—traditional fighting style, traditional beliefs, his thoughts closest to the Konoha ideology of the First Hokage’s era.
Jiraiya’s disappointment in the high-ranking officials represented a tear and self-conflict in Konoha Village’s long-term propaganda.
Konoha had always emphasized bonds, risks, obedience and sacrifice for the village, but in reality, the village high-ranking officials exploited the Leaf ninjas’ sacrifices.
Jiraiya was now feeling that tear in values.
The village had previously promoted the Uzumaki Clan as Konoha’s most important ally, with the Uzumaki Clan emblem on ninja vests.
Now he discovered that Konoha’s reaction to the Uzumaki Clan’s deaths was very strange.
This tore his values apart, making him re-examine the village, doubt the village, doubt himself.
The Third Hokage’s voice was firm and stern:
“The Uzumaki Clan Annihilation was a tragedy born of greed!
After the First Hokage founded the village, he allocated the Three-Tails and Six-Tails to the Hidden Mist Village to achieve deterrent balance.
The Hidden Mist Village’s sealing jutsu level was poor, leaving the Three-Tails in a wild state for a long time.
The Uzumaki Clan saw an opportunity and plotted to seize the Hidden Mist Village’s Three-Tails.
This not only disrupted the First Hokage Lord’s layout but also provoked retaliation from the Hidden Mist Village.
We Konoha dispatched over 2000 ninjas for emergency support, but we were ultimately one step too late.
Who could have imagined the Third Mizukage personally going to Hidden Whirlpool Village? Who could have imagined the Hidden Mist Village willing to cede guardianship of an important port in exchange for the Hidden Cloud Village and Hidden Mist Village joining forces to annihilate Hidden Whirlpool Village?
Jiraiya! For the Uzumaki Clan Annihilation, Konoha’s only responsibility was failing to anticipate the Hidden Mist Village’s determination and providing support too late.
Besides Konoha, when the Uzumaki Clan faced crisis, which village would be willing and able to send 2000 ninjas to rescue them?”
Jiraiya initially thought he was wrong, then immediately raised his head and asked: “Then why didn’t the Uzumaki Clan people come to seek refuge in Konoha? They must have had a reason for doing so, right?”
Danzo hated Jiraiya to the bone and said:
“You master and disciple are enough!
Stop quibbling over the boring issue of the Uzumaki Clan Annihilation. What’s there to say about an already extinct ninja clan?
The Uzumaki Clan was insatiable and ungrateful. The Uzumaki remnants didn’t seek revenge on the Hidden Mist Village but targeted Konoha everywhere!
This clan deserved annihilation!
The current problem is that Jiraiya didn’t report the identity of his new disciple, causing huge intelligence misguidance for Root and Anbu.
Jiraiya took an Uzumaki remnant as a disciple, so Root and Anbu naturally thought to take this Uzumaki remnant, yet Jiraiya intervened.
If Jiraiya hadn’t stopped the fox and delayed so much time, how could my Root have suffered such a heavy blow?
The true master of these Uzumaki remnant bereft dogs is Uchiha Madara!
Jiraiya! You must take responsibility for Root and Anbu’s huge losses!”
Yoru thought to himself, go ahead and argue, make it intense—personal attacks, venomous curses, swearing on your whole family?
Jiraiya was unconvinced: “How do you want me to take responsibility? If you hadn’t come to capture Nagato Uzumaki, how would you have suffered losses?”
“Not capturing Nagato Uzumaki, waiting for you to train the Uzumaki remnant well, then letting the Uzumaki remnant attack Konoha for revenge?”
In the original story, Nagato Uzumaki attacked Konoha, and Jiraiya bore some responsibility.
His mercy created one more great enemy for Konoha.
He died at Nagato’s hands, which in a sense was atonement for his past mistake.
“Jiraiya!” Danzo shouted sternly:
“You arbitrarily stayed in Hidden Rain Village, ignoring the Second Ninja War, disregarding the village’s many genin casualties!
Traitor ninja!
Such behavior on any Konoha ninja would be traitor ninja!
You taught the village’s enemy and took the village’s enemy as a disciple!
Such behavior on any Konoha ninja would have resulted in execution!
Anbu! Take him down!”
Yoru perked up at this—great, fight!
Though Danzo was evil, these judgments were spot on.
If Yoru had stayed in Hidden Rain Village, he might have been hunted as a traitor ninja by the village by now.
Not to mention taking orphans from an enemy nation as disciples.
That took several lives’ worth of audacity.
Jiraiya’s status was special; he held Mount Myōboku’s legacy and was doted on by the Third Hokage. If it were anyone else, Danzo would have killed them long ago.
The others hadn’t reacted yet, but Jiraiya, in his rage, started forming hand seals first.
His hair elongated, about to stab toward Danzo.
4000 monthly votes extra chapter, first update.
