One thing after another weighed on Jiraiya's mind, making it hard for him to breathe.
He had a premonition that the current peace in the shinobi world wouldn't last much longer—war would come again.
Before that happened, he needed to make a trip to Mount Myoboku and see if the Great Toad Sage had any new guidance.
Konoha Village.
Hokage's office.
Smoke swirled through the room as always, Sarutobi Hiruzen puffing continuously on his pipe.
Shimura Danzo, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, Hatake Sakumo, and the others stood quietly to one side.
After a long while, Sarutobi Hiruzen said in a low voice, "Is there really no other way?"
"Understood."
Sarutobi Hiruzen set his pipe down and said gravely, "I don't care what petty schemes any of you are nursing, but tonight is of paramount importance—everything must follow my orders!"
A powerful aura radiated from him as Sarutobi Hiruzen swept his gaze across the faces of everyone present.
Seeing that no one objected, he continued slowly, "Sakumo, you'll organize the ANBU members. Put the entire village on high alert and prepare for combat at any moment!"
"Yes."
Hatake Sakumo departed with his orders. Sarutobi Hiruzen then turned to Shimura Danzo. "Danzo, arrange for Root members to evacuate the villagers immediately if danger arises."
"Understood."
"Koharu, Homura, notify the heads of each shinobi clan. If the Nine-Tails goes berserk, they must immediately lead their clan's shinobi to support me."
"All right."
After delegating the tasks, Sarutobi Hiruzen led a few personal guards to a small cabin outside Konoha Village.
Medical and sealing teams stood by outside, ready to act.
Inside the cabin, Uzumaki Mito lay in bed, utterly haggard.
Seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen enter, Uzumaki Mito struggled to sit up and said weakly, "Monkey, let's begin."
"Yes, Lady Mito."
With that, he turned to Namikaze Minato, who had come along with him.
"Minato, have you thought this through?"
"Once you become a Jinchuriki, there will be no turning back."
Hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's words, Namikaze Minato's face showed the same gentle smile as always. "Lord Hokage, I have no regrets."
If only he'd asked the Third Hokage to make him the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki sooner, then perhaps Kushina wouldn't have left the village.
Though even if Kushina hadn't left the village, he would never have had the chance to make this request anyway...
Seeing Minato's resolute gaze, Sarutobi Hiruzen said nothing more.
Minato was an orphan with no complicated background.
He was also Jiraiya's student—impeccable roots.
And he had the resolve to die protecting Konoha, with top-tier character and talent alike.
Sarutobi Hiruzen felt he couldn't find anyone more suitable than Minato.
With that in mind, Sarutobi Hiruzen said gravely, "Barrier Team, prepare!"
The seal on Uzumaki Mito's body was undone, and a sinister chakra began to leak continuously.
At the same time, intense negative emotions assaulted the minds of everyone nearby.
Dozens of Barrier Team members immediately circulated their chakra, struggling to transfer the Nine-Tails' chakra from Uzumaki Mito's body into Namikaze Minato's.
"I... I can't hold on..."
Under the influence of the Nine-Tails' chakra, Barrier Team members began to collapse one after another.
Though replacements stepped in immediately, the sealing process inevitably encountered numerous problems.
The leaking chakra gradually began to coalesce into a massive blood-red form.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
Several golden chains shot out from Uzumaki Mito's body, binding the Nine-Tails' chakra tightly.
However, Uzumaki Mito's already feeble life force plummeted once again.
Seeing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen said gravely, "Speed it up!"
"Yes!"
Not until dawn broke did Uzumaki Mito lose the last breath of life, and the Nine-Tails was completely sealed inside Namikaze Minato.
Everyone present wiped the sweat from their faces.
The Nine-Tails' power was far more violent than they had imagined.
Had it not been for Uzumaki Mito's desperate suppression, a catastrophe could easily have erupted.
"Thank you all for your hard work. Go rest."
"Yes, Third Hokage."
With the Nine-Tails successfully sealed, the group rose to leave.
But in the next second, one of the Barrier Team members coughed up blood, disbelief in her eyes.
Looking down, she saw her chest had been pierced by a bestial claw.
"This is bad—Minato's lost control!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen tore off his Hokage haori, revealing his lean, sinewy frame.
The ANBU who had been on constant guard immediately moved to shield Sarutobi Hiruzen.
At that moment, Namikaze Minato's eyes had turned into red slits, and terrifying chakra poured continuously from his body, condensing...
In mere moments, the Nine-Tails' massive form appeared before them all.
"ROAR!"
With a sky-shaking howl, the Nine-Tails swung its enormous claws down hard, and the ground instantly filled with dense, spiderweb-like cracks.
"Finally... I'm free..."
"You damned humans!"
How many years had it been? It had finally seen the light of day again.
Once upon a time, it had lived peacefully in the forest. Then two bastards spouting nonsense about "you're too dangerous" and "must be sealed" had beaten it senseless without a word.
And then, to use its power, they'd sealed it away.
Hmph!
Konoha Village, was it?
Today it would raze this village to the ground!
The angrier it got, the more the Nine-Tails lashed out, swatting at the shinobi below like ants with one claw.
In an instant, several shinobi who couldn't dodge in time were smashed into pulp.
"Summoning Technique: Enma!"
Enma, summoned by Sarutobi Hiruzen, looked at the rampaging Nine-Tails in surprise. "Hiruzen, what happened?"
"No time to explain."
Sarutobi Hiruzen said gravely, "Transform—Adamantine Staff!"
One strike with the staff sent the Nine-Tails reeling back several hundred meters. The Barrier Team, which had been ready and waiting, immediately deployed a barrier, trapping the Nine-Tails inside.
The Nine-Tails' massive body slammed wildly against the barrier, shaking it violently, but in the end failed to break through.
"Damn humans, you think you can imprison me again?!"
The Nine-Tails raised its head, and a massive amount of chakra condensed before its mouth, forming a small Tailed Beast Bomb.
Boom!
Under the Nine-Tails' control, the Tailed Beast Bomb exploded instantly, shattering the sturdy barrier into fragments.
More than half the Barrier Team members were killed or wounded in the violent blast.
"Damn it!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't expected the Nine-Tails to be this difficult. Even with every possible precaution, it had still broken free.
"Go—stop the Nine-Tails and protect the village!"
At Sarutobi Hiruzen's command, the ANBU immediately charged toward the Nine-Tails.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Fire Release: Searing Migraine!"
"..."
Countless jutsu rained down on the Nine-Tails, but they had no effect whatsoever—only stoking the beast's fury further.
Its claws swept down, and ANBU died in droves.
Just then, an intensely brilliant flash of blade light streaked past.
Hatake Sakumo appeared before the Nine-Tails, slashing at its body again and again.
It was a pity that even though his blade techniques were famed for killing in a single strike, his attacks on the Nine-Tails were like scratching an itch.
Even wounds dealt with his full strength healed in mere seconds under the Nine-Tails' terrifying regenerative power.
Under the strain of high-intensity combat, Hatake Sakumo felt utterly drained in less than ten minutes.
"Sakumo, fall back!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen barked, his hands forming seals. "Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Four clones appeared. Sarutobi Hiruzen slammed the Adamantine Staff into the ground, and together with his four clones, formed seals simultaneously. "Ninja Art: Five Release Great Barrage!"
Wind, Lightning, Water, Fire, and Earth—five elemental jutsu combined into a devastating technique, instantly engulfing the Nine-Tails' massive form.
"Lord Hokage is incredible!"
"We can win this. Even the Nine-Tails can't withstand an attack like that!"
"This kind of power—truly worthy of the strongest Hokage."
The combined jutsu unleashed by Sarutobi Hiruzen kindled hope in the hearts of everyone present, and they began to praise him one after another.
But in the next instant, an enormous claw burst out from the swirling dust.
Boom!
The claw slammed down, killing dozens more in an instant.
"This is the current Hokage? Compared to that bastard from back then, you're far too weak."
"Tonight, no one can stop me!"
At the same time, reinforcements from the various shinobi clans arrived.
At Sarutobi Hiruzen's command, a huge number of elite shinobi joined the battle against the Nine-Tails.
Though the Nine-Tails was beside itself with rage, it couldn't kill everyone all at once.
Just as the fighting grew more and more intense, a mysterious figure in a black robe and spiral mask suddenly appeared on the Nine-Tails' shoulder.
"How foolish, Nine-Tails."
"At this rate, you'll be drained and resealed before long."
"Other than killing a few insignificant Konoha shinobi, nothing will change."
Unfortunately, even though his blade techniques were renowned for one-hit kills, when used on the Nine-Tails they didn't even itch.
Even the wounds left behind with all his strength would heal in just a few seconds under the Nine-Tails' horrifying regenerative abilities.
Under the strain of high-intensity combat, in less than ten minutes Hatake Sakumo already felt utterly exhausted.
"Sakumo, fall back!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen shouted, then formed hand seals. "Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Four clones materialized. Sarutobi Hiruzen planted the Adamantine Staff in the ground, and together with the four clones, formed seals simultaneously. "Ninja Art: Five Release Great Barrage!"
Wind, Lightning, Water, Fire, and Earth—five elemental ninjutsu merged into a massively powerful combination technique, instantly swallowing the Nine-Tails' enormous form.
"Incredible, Lord Hokage!"
"We'll definitely win now. Even the Nine-Tails can't withstand that kind of attack!"
"Such power—truly worthy of the strongest Hokage."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's combination jutsu ignited hope in everyone's hearts, and praise poured forth.
But the very next second, an enormous claw shot out from the billowing dust.
BOOM!
The claw came down, and in an instant dozens more died.
"This is your current Hokage? Compared to that bastard from the old days, you're nothing."
"Tonight, no one can stop me!"
At that same moment, reinforcements from the various shinobi clans arrived.
Under Sarutobi Hiruzen's orders, a massive number of elite shinobi threw themselves into the battle with the Nine-Tails.
Though the Nine-Tails raged, for a time it couldn't slaughter them all.
Just as the fighting grew fiercer and fiercer, a mysterious figure clad in a black robe and wearing a spiral mask suddenly appeared on the Nine-Tails' shoulder.
"How foolish, Nine-Tails."
"If this goes on, it won't be long before you're completely drained and resealed."
"Apart from killing a handful of insignificant Konoha shinobi, nothing will change."
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