How Did Konoha End Up on the Brink of Destruction?

Just in case he might need it to defect someday, Zhengyi had mastered the Body Flicker Technique to perfection.

Carrying Kakashi and Obito, he was much faster than Rin, who had no burden to speak of.

It was just that Obito's backpack was bulging with who knew what.

The moment Jiraiya heard that Orochimaru and Minato had both been captured alive by the Rock Ninja, his eyes narrowed. Was it April Fools' Day?

He and Minato had been fine facing two Jinchūriki. But Orochimaru and Minato had been captured alive in a single battle?!

Had Ōnoki shown up?

Even if that old geezer Ōnoki had come, he still couldn't beat Orochimaru and Minato working together.

Then there could only be one explanation.

"You're lying!"

Jiraiya stared at Zhengyi with a look that said he'd seen through everything.

Heh...

Getting mischievous, were you?

You couldn't tell from his usual demeanor, but Orochimaru's student was quite the prankster.

"I'm not lying. Sensei and Minato have really been captured by the enemy."

Zhengyi didn't know that the Rock Ninja who'd made a deal with Orochimaru was actually a White Zetsu. He thought they were ordinary Rock Ninja. Orochimaru was really asking for trouble. It was bad enough to walk along a sheer cliff without a safety rope; he'd gone and jumped right off.

Being someone's student was just too hard.

"If they were both captured, why weren't you?"

Jiraiya had keenly spotted the flaw. Minato knew the Flying Thunder God, and even he hadn't escaped. How had you gotten away?

Zhengyi: "..."

He swore that everything he'd said was true.

He hadn't lied about a single word.

Although he had no idea what kind of deal Orochimaru-sensei had made with the enemy, it was definitely dangerous.

"Impossible. You can't fool me." Jiraiya proudly puffed out his chest. How embarrassing would it be if a child managed to trick him?

"You son of a—!"

"Are you rattled because I saw through your pathetic little tricks? Heh, you really are just a kid. I've played this same trick with Orochimaru countless times over the decades."

Zhengyi went to fetch Rin so she could explain.

"The bridge-destruction mission was a great success? Looks like the war with Iwagakure will be over soon."

Jiraiya still thought the mission had been a great success. Minato had let his guard down and gotten a little mischievous, trying to tease his teacher.

In reality, forget blowing up the bridge—his beloved student had been captured.

Jiraiya refused to believe them, so Zhengyi had no choice but to run back and report to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Team Minato ran back with him to seek help from the village.

It really felt like the sky was falling.

Obito: "Teacher is invincible. How could he have been captured?"

Even now, the innocent boy hadn't realized there was something wrong with the bananas they'd eaten. He just figured he'd eaten too much and gotten sleepy.

Kakashi had his suspicions, but they were only suspicions. From the outside, he could see things clearly: Obito and Zhengyi were rivals in love, while Minato and Orochimaru were political rivals. He had no grudge against either of them, so why would they mess with him?

"Minato-sensei..." Rin looked worried.

Zhengyi, meanwhile, wondered what his teacher was up to.

But by the time they were halfway there, there was no need to send word.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had brought more than half the Anbu and the ninja remaining in Konoha.

His face was livid as he met up with Zhengyi and Team Minato.

On the very day Zhengyi and the others had set out, Orochimaru had sent a little snake from Ryūchi Cave back to Konoha with a photograph. The two figures in it were none other than Orochimaru and Minato, being held by the neck by the White Zetsu Rock Ninja.

Whether or not Orochimaru had anything to do with it, Iwagakure had captured two of Konoha's most powerful fighters. Hiruzen Sarutobi would have to sell everything he owned to get them back.

That was why there were so many children in the rescue force.

Zhengyi saw his two subordinates, Killua and Yuji.

"We'll talk on the way." Hiruzen Sarutobi wore black combat gear. He and the others who'd just returned continued on toward their destination.

According to reliable intelligence!

Ōnoki had also learned that Orochimaru and Minato had been captured. He was probably on his way with everything Iwagakure had to offer.

Hiruzen had already ordered Jiraiya and his people to intercept them.

Orochimaru's actions had made one village happy and the other miserable.

Ōnoki had been so delighted that he hadn't slept for two days and nights, and was now on his way to the front.

He wanted to see who was bold enough to capture both Orochimaru and Minato in one fell swoop.

He'd reward them!

If the person proved reliable, there was no reason he couldn't make them the Fourth Tsuchikage.

"What's going on?" Even Danzo, who usually kept himself buried underground, had come out. That alone showed how serious this was.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had been so anxious that he hadn't slept for two nights. Now, too exhausted to stay awake, he rode on Enma's back, conserving his strength for the battle ahead.

Zhengyi looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi riding on Enma. Danzo understood everything.

Orochimaru, have you really gone this far?

You'd put the village in peril just for the Hokage's seat?

The strategy the higher-ups had agreed on was to stall. Who had more money than they did, except the Land of Lightning? With sixty percent of the tax revenue, Konoha had enough staying power to outlast the other villages. Once the others ran out of money to keep fighting, the Third Shinobi World War would naturally come to an end.

But now everything had gone off the rails.

They had to rescue Orochimaru and Minato before news of their capture spread.

Otherwise...

As soon as the Raikage, Mizukage, and Kazekage found out, they'd all launch an all-out assault on Konoha.

Konoha would really be finished.

Even Danzo didn't dare keep playing it safe and preserve Root's strength. Only now did Zhengyi realize how serious the situation was.

Holy crap.

Sensei.

It didn't have to be this bad.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was biased. They could just take the Hokage's seat back, if it came to that.

There was no need to destroy Konoha.

This was insane.

The Land of Grass was the main battlefield in the war between the two villages. When two great nations went to war, small, innocent countries like theirs suffered terribly.

Iwagakure was relatively close to the Land of Grass. To stop Ōnoki from reaching the front lines first, Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered Jiraiya to intercept the Rock Ninja.

Jiraiya versus Ōnoki, Han of the Five-Tails, Roshi of the Four-Tails, Kitsuchi... They were already fighting.

Deep underground beneath Kusagakure, Madara felt rather melancholy.

Konoha, which he and Hashirama had founded together, was now on the brink of destruction.

All because of infighting among the people at the top.

The villagers below were innocent, yet they were being dragged into it too.

Konoha...

I hope you can hold on until I'm revived.

Madara wanted things to come full circle: he had founded Konoha, and he would be the one to destroy it with his own hands.

"Hashirama, you'd be disappointed too, even if you were alive."

Madara dispatched every White Zetsu wandering the Shinobi World, along with those underground.

He had only one order!

When Konoha and Iwagakure fought, get Obito to the spot above him, whatever it took.

He only wanted Obito!!