"Step aside."
Sasuke's blade tip still pointed toward the northeast. Ahead of the horses' hooves, the white-haired man stood in the middle of the road, his hems stained entirely with the mud of hurried travel.
Jiraiya did not retreat. He raised a hand to press against the forehead protector on his brow, panting so hard his chest heaved, yet he spoke in that same impatient, old-man tone.
"You brat, do you know what you're doing? The Fourth Raikage is not some small-fry from the Bounty Exchange; he genuinely dares to turn the border into ruins!"
Sasuke lowered his head to look at him. "So you rushed back to block Konoha's army on Kumogakure's behalf?"
The moment those words came out, the complexions of the ninjas in the vanguard of the formation all changed.
Jiraiya frowned. "Don't pin labels on me; I'm stopping a war."
Fugaku guided his horse slightly forward, his hand already resting on the sword hilt.
Hiashi did not move, merely staring fixedly at Jiraiya. "When Kumogakure demanded the Byakugan from the Hyuga, where were you?"
Jiraiya looked at Hiashi, his lips moving. "Hiashi, I know you have lingering resentment, but a full-scale war will cost more lives."
Hiashi pulled his cuff upward, revealing an old scar pressed beneath the Main Family bracer. "The Hyuga have already lost people."
Jiraiya was choked into silence by this sentence.
Naruto stood inside the village gates, the reserve armband just tied in place. Hearing Jiraiya's voice, he took two steps forward.
"Pervy Sage, Kumogakure bombed the Orphanage and even tried to capture Hinata. They've already struck right at our doorstep-why are you still making us stop?"
Seeing Naruto, Jiraiya saw the trace of impatience on his face torn open by a gap.
"Naruto, you're still young; you don't understand what war