What Happened?
Rain Shinobi Village.
When the temporary commander saw the bloodlust and the heavy casualties among the Senju clan, an ominous feeling struck him hard.
And when he saw Senju Yukika standing at the very front of the Senju warriors, that ominous feeling deepened.
Yukika... wasn't he supposed to have returned to visit Lady Mito?
Why was he here?
And why, on a mission that should have been so simple, did the Senju suffer such devastating losses?
Even after the bloodshed, Yukika's aura hadn't diminished. His crimson eyes burned with intensity, as if something inside him had awakened.
What had they gone through?
Jiraiya didn't know, nor did he have time to think about it. He quickly led the squad captains forward.
"Move."
Yukika's gaze was calm, his tone devoid of patience as he looked at Jiraiya.
"Uh..."
This kid's attitude—something bad had happened.
Jiraiya and the captains behind him exchanged bewildered glances. Minato, the new Ino-Shika-Cho trio, and Hyuga Hinaji shared worried looks.
"Danzo leaked the Senju clan's mission and collaborated with enemy villages to set an ambush in that valley," Orochimaru said coldly.
At times like this, you had to keep your cool. Orochimaru, the master actor, delivered the truth without betraying any emotion.
"Collaborated with enemy villages?" Jiraiya froze. "Which ones?"
Truthfully, the Rain Country's situation was already well under their control. Who could possibly breach their defenses to attack the Senju?
"Three."
"Cloud, Rock, and Sand."
"If Yukika hadn't arrived in time, the Senju... would have perished along with us," Hatake Sakumo said calmly. "Everyone would have died."
The implication was staggering.
Cold sweat broke out on Jiraiya's forehead.
Danzo... had really gone that far?
Jiraiya knew about the conflicts between Danzo and Yukika—he'd even been captured and hung from a tree by Yukika himself.
But this... this was far beyond internal village strife.
Leaking missions to enemies and setting traps for the Senju?
This was betrayal.
"Where is Danzo?" Jiraiya asked Orochimaru seriously.
Right now, the only thing he could do was to seize Danzo and bring him back to the Hokage for trial.
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow and pointed to the figure in front of them — a man, barely alive, limbless but still breathing.
Was that even a person?
Jiraiya was so shocked his hair stood on end.
Looking closely at the face—it was Danzo!
But given the current situation, even crippling him seemed justified.
Jiraiya sighed heavily.
Truthfully, he had no right to interfere anymore.
"Last time, when Shimura and Sarutobi clans were captured, how many people did I save?" White Fang—Hatake Sakumo—spoke suddenly, arms raised, voice quiet.
"White Fang-senpai... what are you planning to do?" Jiraiya felt a chill run down his spine.
The man he respected, Konoha's White Fang, no longer carried his usual easy-going air. His eyes were cold.
"What am I going to do?"
"I let them live for so long. Now, I'll personally send them to hell."
"Danzo killed the Senju. He nearly killed me and Orochimaru, too."
"Naturally, I'll let him witness the death of his clansmen."
He had fallen into darkness.
Honor?
Heroism?
Forget it.
Being a hero was exhausting.
You had to carry slander and betrayal on your back, always left in the dark.
He had endured enough.
From now on, he wasn't "Konoha's White Fang" anymore.
He was one of Yukika's Ten Blades.
His sword. His strength. His soldier.
"White Fang-senpai, please calm down!" Jiraiya pleaded, sweating profusely.
It was true: Shimura and Sarutobi survivors had only lived because White Fang risked his life to break them out of the Sand Village. Otherwise, Chiyo, that crazy old woman, would have killed them all.
The Sand didn't even bother to secure explosive tags near Danzo, considering him unimportant.
But facts were facts.
"Jiraiya," Orochimaru approached him, sighing softly. "Do you know?"
"If not for Yukika, I would have died there."
Yukika had saved Orochimaru's life, too.
Jiraiya fell silent.
He had thought Orochimaru would help him talk everyone down.
Clearly, that was not going to happen.
"Relax. You won't bear responsibility for this," Orochimaru smiled faintly.
No one understood Jiraiya better than Orochimaru.
In his heart, Jiraiya hated war.
But the village's leaders?
Everyone knew what they were like.
Yet Jiraiya still sought hope, clinging to the idea of change.
Looking for a "Child of Prophecy" to alter the world?
Why not work with real people instead?
All because of a toad's prophecy?
If it were so powerful, the world wouldn't be in chaos now.
Sure, the Child of Prophecy might change some things, but the real task was to change the entire world, not rely on one person.
Orochimaru had chosen to stand with Yukika for that very reason.
Following Yukika, he would see the scenery he truly wanted to see.
Even if they failed, the journey itself would be worthwhile.
That was Yukika's influence.
"This isn't about responsibility."
"I wish I could kill him myself! You think I'm not angry?" Jiraiya shouted.
"But Orochimaru, Yukika... killing Danzo won't solve everything!"