"You didn't run into any Kage-level ninjas in the west? That's a bit strange. Were you in the immediate outskirts of the Central City, or did you go deeper?"
"The outskirts. We eliminated all the enemies in the western direction today, so there shouldn't be any rogue camps in the immediate outskirts of the Central City now."
At this, Torifu understood. "In that case, it seems the Kage-level ninjas are only appearing farther out from the Central City, closer to the borders of the Land of Rain. With such a large number of Kage-level fighters, this must be Blaze's work."
Jiraiya and the other four were still mostly in the dark about the current situation. Kakuzu then gave them a simple explanation of what had transpired today.
Essentially, since the ninjas in the city found that the immediate outskirts of the Central City were mostly cleared, they decided to advance deeper. However, upon arriving, they discovered that Kage-level ninjas were stationed there. Although they weren't everywhere—only about one Kage for every hundred camps cleared—this was enough to stress the people out.
Most of the ninjas here had participated in the previous war and understood how such a massive number of Kage-level ninjas could be created. Relying on their numerical advantage, they could barely hold their own against these Kage, but they were definitely no match for them. Survival was manageable, but killing these Kage was genuinely impossible.
This led to the scene they had just witnessed: countless ninjas were wounded, and some had even been killed in action. The entire Central City was currently gripped by grief. It had been a long time since the ninjas had experienced the death of a comrade. This event undoubtedly tore open their healed wounds and rubbed salt into them again.
"This... it's about what I suspected. We five were really lucky to have gone into the deeper regions on the first day without running into any Kage."
Jiraiya was not particularly scared, but the other four were slightly shocked. Although they were called geniuses in the village, they were still just children, severely lacking in strength, and definitely no match for a Kage. Minato might have a chance to put up a fight, but the others would be hard-pressed.
"Besides luck, I don't have any other word to describe it," Minato said, shaking his head helplessly. He truly felt helpless now. The mission seemed to be at a stalemate, as the city's ninjas couldn't defeat the Kage. Furthermore, the injured ninjas would need to recuperate and couldn't execute missions for the time being.
The medical support team in the city was severely limited. Kakuzu was currently swamped, having to prioritize the medical ninjas' treatment for only the most severely wounded.
Torifu sat in his chair and pondered for a moment. He thought it was time to call for reinforcements. The Kage-level ninjas in Konoha were genuine forces; fighting these forcibly enhanced Kage, a one-versus-two fight wasn't a problem. He would send them in first to sweep the deep regions, clear out most of the Kage, and then the main ninja force could proceed with their own sweep. Torifu couldn't think of a better solution and could only proceed this way.
"Kakuzu, inform the administrators of the other two villages. Have them contact the Kazekage and the Tsuchikage immediately to mobilize all idle Kage-level ninjas in their villages to the Central City. Also, have them send more medical ninjas."
Torifu was the highest leader in the city now, and his words carried absolute authority; everyone obeyed unconditionally. The two administrators were naturally no exception, having already become Torifu's little errand boys. Kakuzu accepted the order and immediately set off.
Torifu then continued talking with Jiraiya and the others for a while. "Don't go out too early tomorrow. Just wait for my instructions. Even though those enemies were enhanced with a secret technique, they are still Kage. It's better to prioritize safety right now." Torifu wasn't worried about Jiraiya having an accident, but he feared that if a fight broke out, Jiraiya might not be able to protect the four children behind him. It would be bad if the enemy launched a sneak attack or used them as hostages.
Jiraiya nodded. "Understood, Big Brother. I'll follow your lead." It was convenient for Jiraiya not to have to rush around. Being able to fully rest for a whole day in this perfect apartment was truly a good thing. Work, be damned!
Torifu then gave them further special instructions, such as self-rescue methods when encountering Kage-level ninjas. The children listened with great interest, while Jiraiya was stifling yawns and struggling to stay awake. Seeing this, Torifu said no more, dismissing them so they could rest.
At the same time, Torifu's original body in Konoha was fully aware of everything that had occurred in the Rain Province. Hearing that ninjas from the village were injured but none had died, he smiled with satisfaction.
"She finally made a move. I thought she would keep hiding. It's a pity I still don't know what her ultimate plan is," Torifu muttered quietly, but Naori overheard him and inquired about it. Torifu did not hide anything and told her directly.
"What? That happened!" Naori's brow instantly furrowed upon hearing the news. The appearance of many Kage-level ninjas in the Rain Province had led to a large number of ninja casualties, and there weren't enough medical ninjas to treat them. Every piece of news was deeply unsettling.
"Torifu, what should we do? The jonin are already struggling; they need Kage-level ninjas to clear the path for them."
Torifu told Naori about contacting the Kazekage and Tsuchikage. He also needed to dispatch a portion of Konoha's Kage to the Central City to assist the ninjas in executing their mission. The husband and wife discussed it and quickly decided on the candidates.
First was Naori herself. She was eager to contribute in the Rain Province, and Torifu naturally didn't refuse her. As for Akihara, if he cried, they would leave him with the older generation of the Uchiha Clan or the Senju Clan to look after.
Next, Tsunade absolutely had to go. Medical ninjas were severely lacking, and many injured ninjas still hadn't been treated, having to rely on basic self-taught knowledge to apply bandages. But the air in the Rain Province was humid, and a moment of carelessness could lead to inflammation and infection.
After that came the clan heads. At least half of the dozen or so clans would need to send someone. The specific individuals were still pending, and it wasn't too late to discuss and select them with the clan heads tomorrow.
As soon as Torifu and Naori finished discussing Tsunade, he immediately called her. Upon hearing the current situation in the Rain Province, Tsunade accepted the mission without a second thought. As Konoha's strongest medical ninja, and having a contract with the Great Slug Sage of Shikkotsu Forest, she felt she could resolve the predicament in the Rain Province by herself. But just to be safe, she planned to bring half of Konoha's medical ninjas with her. Torifu naturally approved this.
However, Dan grew anxious when he heard Tsunade was leaving soon. He asked when he could go to the Rain Province as well? Life without Tsunade was unbearable for him. But the only word he received in reply was "Wait."