How Did Konoha Reach the Brink of Destruction?

Zhengyi had mastered the Body Flicker Technique to perfection, just in case he ever needed to defect in the future.

He was carrying both Kakashi and Obito, yet he was still much faster than Rin, who carried no burden at all.

He just couldn't figure out what Obito had stuffed in his backpack; it was bulging.

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

He had faced two jinchūriki alongside Minato without a scratch, yet Orochimaru and Minato were captured alive in a single battle?!

Did Ōnoki show up?

Even if that old geezer Ōnoki had come, he shouldn't have been able to defeat Orochimaru and Minato working together.

Then, there could only be one truth.

"You're lying!"

Jiraiya stared at Zhengyi with a gaze that saw through everything.

Heh heh...

Getting mischievous, are we?

He hadn't noticed it before, but Orochimaru's student had quite a playful personality.

"I am not lying to you. The teacher and Minato-jonin really were captured by the enemy."

Zhengyi didn't know that the ones trading with Orochimaru were White Zetsu and Rock Ninja; he assumed they were just ordinary Rock Ninja. Orochimaru was courting death—it was one thing to walk on the edge of a cliff without a safety rope, but he had actually jumped off.

Being a student was truly too difficult.

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

Jiraiya keenly seized upon the loophole. If Minato, who knew the Flying Thunder God, couldn't escape, how did you manage to?

Zhengyi: "..."

He swore that everything he said was true.

He hadn't lied about a single word.

Although he didn't know what kind of deal Orochimaru had made with the enemy, it was definitely dangerous.

"Impossible, you can't fool me." Jiraiya puffed out his chest proudly. How embarrassing would it be if he were tricked by a child?

"You damn—!"

"Did I break your composure by seeing through your boring little trick? Heh, you really are just a kid. I played these kinds of games with Orochimaru dozens of times decades ago."

Zhengyi went to fetch Rin to have her explain.

"The bridge-demolition mission was a huge success? It seems our war with Iwagakure is nearing its end."

Jiraiya once again assumed the mission had been a resounding success, and that Minato, feeling relieved, was just being playful and trying to tease his teacher.

In reality, never mind the bridge; his beloved disciples had been captured.

Since Jiraiya refused to believe him, Zhengyi had no choice but to run back to report to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

As for Team Minato, they all ran back to the village to seek help.

The sky was truly falling.

Obito: "The teacher is invincible, how could he have been captured?"

This simple-minded child still hadn't realized there was something wrong with the bananas they ate, assuming they had just fainted from eating too much.

Kakashi was a bit suspicious, but only a bit. Standing as an outsider, he saw things clearly: Obito and Zhengyi were romantic rivals, and Minato and Orochimaru were political rivals. He had no grudges against either of them, so why would they mess with him?

"Minato-sensei." Rin Nohara looked worried.

Zhengyi, meanwhile, was wondering what on earth his teacher was up to.

However, they didn't need to finish the journey to deliver the news.

Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived with more than half of Konoha's Anbu and the remaining garrison ninja.

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

On the very day Zhengyi and the others were traveling, Orochimaru had sent a small snake from Ryūchi Cave back to Konoha with a photograph. The protagonists in the photo were none other than himself and Minato, both held by the throats by White Zetsu and Rock Ninja.

Regardless of whether this matter had anything to do with Orochimaru, two of Konoha's top combatants had been captured by Iwagakure; Hiruzen Sarutobi would spend every last cent of the village's resources to save them.

That was why there were so many children in the support team.

Zhengyi saw his two subordinates, Killua and Yuji.

"We'll talk on the way." Hiruzen Sarutobi, dressed in his black combat gear, led Zhengyi and the others who had returned to continue the march.

According to reliable intelligence!

Ōnoki had also learned that Orochimaru and Minato had been captured, and it was estimated that he was currently on his way as well, bringing the entire might of Iwagakure with him.

He had already ordered Jiraiya to lead men to intercept them.

Orochimaru's actions this time had brought joy to one village and sorrow to another.

Ōnoki had been so excited he hadn't slept for two days and nights while on the road to provide reinforcements.

He wanted to see who was so valiant! To have captured both Orochimaru and Minato in one fell swoop.

He wanted to reward them!

If this person was reliable, handing the position of Fourth Tsuchikage to them would not be out of the question.

"What is going on?" Even Danzo, who hid in the shadows as Root every day, had emerged; the importance of this matter went without saying.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had been so anxious he hadn't slept for two nights, and now, exhausted, he lay slumped on Enma's back as they traveled, trying to conserve energy for the coming war.

Zhengyi looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi being carried by Enma, and Danzo understood everything.

Orochimaru, are you really this insane?

To secure the position of Hokage, you would plunge the village into fire and water.

The strategy originally discussed by the high-level officials was to drag things out; besides the Land of Lightning, who had as much money as them? A sixty percent tax rate gave Konoha incredible endurance, and if they could drag it out until the other villages ran out of funds, the Third Shinobi World War would naturally end.

But now, everything was in chaos.

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

Otherwise...

Once the Raikage, the Mizukage, and the Kazekage found out, they would launch a full-scale assault on Konoha simultaneously.

Konoha would truly be finished.

Danzo didn't even dare to talk about playing it safe to preserve Root's strength anymore, and Zhengyi finally realized the gravity of the situation.

Holy hell.

Teacher.

It doesn't have to be this way.

Hiruzen Sarutobi is biased, but at worst, we could just seize the Hokage seat back.

There's no need to destroy Konoha.

This is too insane.

The Land of Grass was the main battlefield for the war between the two villages; with two great powers clashing, innocent small nations like them suffered terribly.

Iwagakure's geographical location was closer to the Land of Grass, so to prevent Ōnoki from reaching the front lines first, Hiruzen Sarutobi had ordered Jiraiya to intercept the Rock Ninja.

Jiraiya versus Ōnoki, the Five-Tails Han, the Four-Tails Roshi, Kitsuchi... they had already begun to clash.

Deep beneath the Land of Grass, Madara felt a sense of melancholy.

Konoha, which he and Hashirama had built together, was now teetering on the edge of destruction.

All because of infighting among the upper echelons.

The villagers below were so innocent, yet they had to suffer the consequences.

Konoha...

I hope you can hold on until I am resurrected.

Madara wanted a beginning and an end; Konoha was built by his hand, and it would be destroyed by his hand.

"Hashirama, you would be very disappointed if you were alive."

The White Zetsu wandering the shinobi world, along with those deep underground, were all dispatched by Madara.

He had only one command!

When the battle between Konoha and Iwagakure broke out, spare no cost to drive Obito to the position directly above him.

He only wanted Obito!!