Rushing to the Battlefield, War Erupts

The stagnant air in the Sealing Team office was suddenly shattered.

The heavy wooden door was pushed open without announcement, and a tall yet unkempt figure swaggered in as casually as if he were entering his own backyard.

The ninja on duty hesitated to speak, but in the end, no one dared step forward to stop this legendary figure.

Minamoto Takuya looked up, set down the scroll in his hands, and calmly fixed his gaze on the visitor's distinctive face.

The conspicuous face paint, the wildly loose white hair, and the attire that could not conceal the aura of a powerful man even beneath the dust of travel.

Understanding dawned on him. He gave a slight nod and cautiously asked, "You must be... Lord Jiraiya, one of Konoha's Sannin—the legendary Toad Sage?"

"Ha!" Jiraiya's eyes instantly narrowed into crescents, the corners of his mouth stretching to his ears as he let out his signature hearty laugh. He even took an exaggerated stage step forward on the spot.

"Smart! Just what I'd expect from an elite of Konoha's intelligence department! Not bad, not bad—you've got a good eye! This Sage is none other than the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku, Lord Jiraiya, renowned throughout the Shinobi World! Hahahaha—"

His loud, somewhat flamboyant laughter echoed through the otherwise solemn office. Minamoto Takuya silently watched the powerful man's "performance," rubbing his forehead almost imperceptibly as a trace of indescribable helplessness flickered through his eyes.

He truly could not understand how the man could behave as though he were onstage at a village festival without the slightest sense of embarrassment.

Minamoto Takuya concealed his unnecessary expression and calmly brought the conversation back on track.

"Lord Jiraiya, have you come suddenly because we are leaving for the border immediately?" His desk had long since been