"What happened, Inoichi?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked somewhat tired, but his eyes were still bright.
He was in his fifties. In the past—or, more accurately, before Tsunade rose to prominence—the entire Shinobi World had been lacking in medical care, and many injuries could only be compensated for by sacrificing one's lifespan. Of course, that was still true now, though things had improved considerably.
Because of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked as old as a man in his sixties, his frail body like a skeleton that might topple over in a gust of wind.
But if anyone underestimated him because of that, the Kongōnyoi Stick would teach them a painful lesson.
"Hokage-sama."
Inoichi handed the letter to Hiruzen. As he read it, his hand suddenly clenched, crumpling the paper.
"Roshi?! Wasn't he..."
Hiruzen didn't finish. He only let out a heavy sigh.
If there was any positive side to this war, it was that as it dragged on, the great nations were quickly learning more about one another.
Especially their Jinchuriki.
Killer B had become a Jinchuriki who could fully control his Tailed Beast, and the Eight-Tails could finally unleash his full power.
Han had always been capable of turning the tide in large-scale battles, and the "Steam Ninja" had become a nightmare for many Leaf Ninja.
Now the Four-Tails' Jinchuriki, who had been away from Iwagakure for a long time, had suddenly appeared on the battlefield and dealt Jiraiya's forces a heavy blow.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had the absurd feeling that Jinchuriki in every other country could serve their villages, while Konoha's couldn't.
Kushina... Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head. She was safer staying in the village. If anything happened, Konoha currently lacked the means to recover the Nine-Tails.
Lord Hashirama, do you know how much trouble these Jinchuriki have caused Konoha?
If he