Hiruzen Sarutobi asked sincerely, and the three across from him were immediately at a loss.
Normally, Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed like an easygoing old man, but those who knew him well understood that he was actually very stubborn. Once he made up his mind, no one could change it. The only things anyone could change were the ones he hadn't decided on in the first place.
Going by Hiruzen Sarutobi's usual style, he should have slapped the table at that moment—or not slapped it, that was fine too—and then decided whether to continue the pursuit or call it off.
But now Hiruzen Sarutobi was acting completely out of character, asking for their opinions instead.
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu didn't mind. In fact, they were pleased, feeling that they had become more important.
Only Danzo showed no change in expression, though he felt somewhat frustrated inside.
His original plan had been for Hiruzen Sarutobi to insist on launching another attack while he remained silent. Then he could continue selling information and have Anbu send another batch of people to their deaths. That would further fuel the doubts about Hiruzen among the other two and the other ninja clans. At that point, Danzo could step forward and claim that he had obtained more intelligence, contrasting it with Hiruzen's misjudgment.
Now Hiruzen wasn't following the script, and Danzo's plan had been ruined on the spot.
Support the mission? If something went wrong again, he'd share the blame.
Oppose it? So many Anbu had died. Whoever opposed the mission would become an enemy of the rest of Anbu!
"I think we should keep hunting them, but we need to change our approach."
Just as Danzo was caught in a dilemma, Mitokado Homura spoke up. "These survivors are powerful. Three Anbu squads were wiped out without managing to capture them. If we keep sending Anbu, our losses will only grow."
"That's right." Utatane Koharu nodded in agreement. "If we keep this up, we won't catch them. We may even embolden them. We should send our true elites. If we strike, we must kill them outright!"
"Then who should we send?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Danzo, wondering why his old friend was keeping quiet today, then turned to ask the other two.
"Could the heads of the major clans be sent?"
Mitokado Homura asked.
"Hiashi might be able to go, but the Byakugan has no advantage over the Sharingan, and Hiashi's fighting style is too limited. He may not be able to handle two Mangekyo. As for the other clan heads, it would be difficult..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head.
In fact, even Hyuga Hiashi might not agree to go.
They were up against two Mangekyo. Without Kage Level strength, going would be no different from asking for death.
"What about Jiraiya? He's been traveling outside the village all these years. It's about time he came back. With the village facing such troublesome traitors, he should help shoulder some of the burden."
Utatane Koharu said.
"Jiraiya... He could do it, but he has other matters to attend to..."
The others didn't know what Jiraiya was doing, but Hiruzen Sarutobi knew better than anyone.
Jiraiya had been investigating the Akatsuki.
In fact, the earliest information Konoha Village received about the Akatsuki had been sent back secretly by Jiraiya.
He had reported that a mercenary force had recently emerged in the Ninja World. Its numbers were unknown, but it was powerful and had already helped Ōnoki deal with many political rivals. Jiraiya had keenly sensed that the group had considerable ambitions and warned the village to stay alert.
Only after that came the Uchiha's plot to stage a coup. Konoha Village decided to move against the Uchiha, and Uchiha Itachi received an invitation from the Akatsuki. He decided to use the opportunity to eliminate the unruly Uchiha, then infiltrate the Akatsuki and spy for Konoha.
In exchange, Hiruzen Sarutobi had to guarantee Sasuke's safety.
Itachi had now successfully joined the Akatsuki. Although no intelligence had come back yet, with him on the inside and Jiraiya on the outside, Hiruzen believed the village would soon learn the mercenary force's origins and aims.
Should he call Jiraiya back now?
Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't sure what to do.
"I think we should."
Danzo had finally composed himself. He suddenly realized that if this opportunity led to even greater losses for Konoha Village, it would benefit him.
Besides, Utatane Koharu had made the suggestion. If something went wrong, it wouldn't have anything to do with him.
"Then I'll contact Jiraiya. He may not agree..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, still sounding uncertain.
"This concerns the safety of Konoha Village. If he's still a Konoha ninja, he should obey orders without question!"
Danzo said forcefully.
All he got in response was an eye roll from Hiruzen Sarutobi.
As if! Children didn't always obey their parents once they grew up, and Jiraiya was already a grown man. How could Hiruzen order him with that kind of attitude? Two of the Sannin were already gone, one of them having defected outright. If they upset Jiraiya too, what powerful fighters would Konoha Village have left?
Jiraiya probably wouldn't mind, but that wasn't the point. They couldn't handle things that way.
At any rate, they had come up with a simple response. All that remained was to wait for Jiraiya's reply.
After dealing with the three Anbu squads, Uchiha Arashi's life returned to normal.
Thanks to Kamui, no one knew he had left the village and returned. For the past few days, he'd been tending to business in his shop and getting better acquainted with the neighbors.
"Hey, mister shopkeeper!"
Just as Uchiha Arashi was about to take a quick nap, a lively voice suddenly rang out.
Uchiha Arashi jolted, then slowly opened his eyes. He immediately spotted the little blond standing in front of the counter, too short to see over it.
Uzumaki Naruto!
"What is it, kid? And call me big brother."
Uchiha Arashi asked curiously.
Of course he had seen Naruto before—and more than once.
But he had never really interacted with Naruto. He also knew the boy was taboo in Konoha Village, and approaching him without permission would be extremely risky.
Of course, if Naruto came to him of his own accord, that was another matter.
"Oh, okay, big brother shopkeeper."
Naruto scratched his head awkwardly. "Um, I wanted to ask if you have a book called the Teyvat Record?"
"You mean the Teyvat Travelogue, right? I do. But why are you asking? Do you want to buy it?"
Uchiha Arashi rested his arms on the counter and propped his chin in his hands.
"Yeah, I... I want to buy it, but I don't know if I can afford it... Um, could I rent it instead? Don't worry, big brother shopkeeper. I'll take good care of the book. I definitely won't damage it."
As Naruto spoke, his face flushed.
He was clearly feeling very embarrassed.
Uchiha Arashi smiled and shook his head.
"Renting it is out of the question. Don't worry, the book isn't expensive. But I'm curious—why do you want to buy it?"
He asked curiously.
Before you continue