"Attack Konoha in three days?"
Jiraiya shot to his feet.
Maybe he'd had too much to drink, or maybe he was furious. His face flushed bright red as he cursed, "What kind of lowlife thinks they can attack Konoha? Damn it, I'll kill every last one of them—"
Before he could finish, Sasuke and the other two came over, each holding a popsicle.
Jiraiya forced down his anger and slapped an ANBU member on the arm.
"Report back first."
Then he remembered Lin Qing was with him. "Sorry, I have to head over there first. We didn't get to finish our drinks. Next time, it's my treat. We'll drink as much as we want."
Lin Qing didn't answer.
He held two photographs in his hand.
The first showed a school reduced to rubble.
Hundreds of children who'd lived there had been caught in the bombardment as they slept. Their tiny bodies lay among the ruins.
The second photograph showed a hospital.
The casualties were just as horrific.
The hospital had been attacked to keep the wounded from receiving treatment, leaving them to die slowly and miserably in despair.
"Sure enough, hearing about something and seeing it with your own eyes are two different things."
Lin Qing closed his eyes.
When Jiraiya had described the air raid, Lin Qing hadn't been able to picture it.
Only after seeing the tragedy for himself—and realizing it had happened just thirty minutes ago, barely over a hundred kilometers away—did the reality of it hit home.
Lin Qing made up his mind.
"I'm coming with you."
He stood, took some cash from his pocket, and left it on the table. At Jiraiya's astonished look, he strode out of Ichiraku Ramen. Seeing that Jiraiya was still standing there, stunned, Lin Qing glanced back and said,
"Don't