Araki then felt that the choice of the so-called "mole" was not so difficult to understand.
Essentially, this is still a game between politics and interests, but Araki can't guess the specifics or what the higher-ups in each village are thinking.
but...
Araki vaguely felt...
The curtain is slowly rising around Kushina in a conspiracy!
He had a very strong feeling that this matter was absolutely related to the Uzumaki Clan, but there was nothing at the moment to prove his suspicions.
Chapter 43 You suspect it's related to the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?
The return journey was even faster than the outward journey. Before the group could even react, they were already back in the area outside Konoha.
I don't know if it's just psychological, but when I go to an unfamiliar place, it feels like it takes a long time to get there, but the return trip seems to go much faster.
Not to mention that everyone was eager to return home, each with their own thoughts and desires, hoping to get back to the village as soon as possible.
Until Jiraiya stopped, the group suddenly saw a scene familiar from the past.
"Here it is..."
A flicker of light flashed in Minato's azure eyes. He had already recognized this place as the site where they had been besieged by the Kumogakure ninjas when they left Konoha.
As Minato recognized the place, Araki and Kushina also recognized it one after another.
In an instant.
Everyone harbors a sense of things having changed and people being no longer the same.
Minato's expression was extremely serious. He stared at the battle traces that still remained on the ground. After all, they had only been gone for a few days, and no one had specifically cleaned up these traces, so they had been able to remain for a while and were not easily damaged.
On this basis, Minato, who was already burdened with his own worries and had experienced the events at the front-line base, felt an indescribable sense of emotion upon seeing these traces again.
It feels like everything happened just yesterday, yet it also feels like it happened a long, long time ago.
It was a very peculiar feeling. They had only been gone for a few days, it felt like it had just happened yesterday, but it gave them the feeling that a long time had passed.
"I wonder if those people from Kumogakure were able to get anything out of them..."
Minato muttered to himself, a sudden feeling of impending storm rising in his heart. He then unconsciously glanced in Araki's direction, his eyes flashing with complex emotions.
"You must be tired after all this time. I'll treat you to a meal when we get back." Jiraiya changed the subject. He had intentionally avoided any topics related to the village along the way; he couldn't explain such things now, and there was no point in discussing them. He then said, "Let's go turn in the mission."
"Yes."
The three of them, Minato, said in unison.
Jiraiya led the three into the massive gate of Konoha. The gate seemed to have always been open, and there was no one holding the handle. However, they all knew very well that the village was protected by a barrier, and any outsider entering would be detected. This was just a facade of openness.
Upon entering the village, they didn't hesitate at all and headed straight for the Hokage's office. After all, they needed to submit the mission and confirm its completion. This would not only put the mission on record but also allow them to receive the reward as soon as possible.
Just as they arrived downstairs at the Hokage's office building, Jiraiya stopped in his tracks, and Araki and the other two also stopped.
"I know you're all feeling emotional, and it's perfectly normal to have emotions in this situation. However, as ninjas, we can't let our emotions control us. I assure you, I will do my best to investigate this matter thoroughly. Please trust me!" Jiraiya said in a low voice, his tone resolute and unwavering. "Therefore, to avoid alerting them, don't say anything, and don't show any emotion. Just act as if nothing has happened!"
"Clear."
Araki nodded first. He was very familiar with this kind of thing. He had been in Konoha for so many years. He didn't have any other skills, but he could manage to keep his distance from other people's affairs and suppress his curiosity.
Moreover, by taking the lead in expressing his stance, he can provide Jiraiya with the greatest assistance, Jiraiya will not make things difficult for him in the future.
"I understand." Minato nodded, his face grim. He was still young and impetuous, far from the composure he would have when he became Hokage. At this moment, he was the Jiraiya worried about the most.
Kushina nodded silently without saying anything. She didn't feel particularly angry about these things, especially after seeing Minato's emotions, she calmed down instead.
Even she herself wasn't sure what kind of mentality this was.
Back when she was in the Ninja Academy, she was attacked by ninjas from Kumogakure. It was Araki who saved her and shielded her from them.
After that, she didn't wait for it intentionally, but she didn't receive a response from the village either. It was as if those things had never happened. She didn't complain, but she felt a sense of disheartening dissipation that was hard to control.
Kushina didn't have any particular feelings about Konoha. There was nothing she needed to fight for, nor anything she wanted to complain about. Rather than paying attention to the village's explanations for her, she was more concerned about Araki's attitude.
That's why.
Kushina remained calm.
Even without Jiraiya's explanation, she had no intention of questioning the village at this point, since this was an incident that occurred at the base, not within the village itself.
She didn't even bother to investigate what happened within the village, let alone what happened outside the village. She knew all too well that what happened at the base was just their speculation, and there was no evidence to suggest that the Sunagakure ninjas knew she was Jinchūriki. Perhaps they had some other purpose in capturing her.
In comparison...
Kushina wanted to know more about Araki's presence when she Tailed Beast Transformation, and whether he had done anything to her.
Jiraiya receiving confirmation from the group, Jiraiya nodded silently and led the three of them into the Hokage's office. The reason he gave this instruction was that he had already begun to doubt his teacher, the Third Hokage.
Even he didn't know why he thought that way, but it was like planting a seed; once the thought arose, it would unconsciously take root and sprout.
Just as Jiraiya said, he would investigate what happened very seriously, not only to give Kushina an explanation, but also to give himself an explanation. He wanted to find out whether his teacher was involved.
Immediately afterwards.
Jiraiya led the three to the door of the Hokage's office on the second floor, knocked gently, and slowly pushed the door open after hearing the Third's voice from inside.
Jiraiya walked in first, followed by Minato, then Kushina, and finally Araki.
The four walked in and stood in a row, their eyes all fixed on the Third behind the desk. At that moment, the Third was wearing his Hokage robes, a pipe dangling from his lips, and was writing comments on a scroll on the desk.
" Third Lord Hokage, we have completed our mission." After a few seconds of silence, Jiraiya said, "The supplies have been safely delivered to the forward base."
"You guys are pretty fast." The Third glanced up at Jiraiya, then his gaze swept over Minato and the other two, a smile appearing on his face. He seemed very satisfied with their efficiency and said, "Rest for two days, then I'll give you another mission."
"Yes!" Jiraiya and the other three immediately responded.
"How is the camp at the front?" The Third Hokage asked, trying to make conversation, Jiraiya showed no intention of leaving.
"Not very good." Jiraiya seemed to have been waiting for this question. He shook his head and said, "We were attacked by Sunagakure ninjas right after we arrived at our base. In the end, we had no choice but to kill all the attacking Sunagakure ninjas."
"What?!"
The Third Hokage suddenly stood up, utterly shocked by Jiraiya's words. He completely forgot about the scroll in his hand, his head buzzing.
Sneak attack?
Kill?
What's going on?
Has there been a bloodshed?!
Upon hearing this, the Third immediately sensed the approaching war, something he least wanted to see at the moment, and something he certainly didn't want to happen in the future.
"What is going on?"
The Third Hokage took several deep breaths, his expression becoming extremely solemn, his eyes flashing with intense questioning as he stared expectantly at Jiraiya, hoping the latter would give him an answer.
Jiraiya scrutinizing the Third. Ever since he uttered those words, his gaze hadn't left him. He had been observing the Third's changing expressions and eyes, and he could sense that the Third was indeed very surprised; this information had far exceeded the latter's expectations.
It doesn't seem to be Hiruzen-sensei!
A Taiseki was lifted from Jiraiya's heart.
His biggest worry was that the traitor was Hiruzen-sensei, which would mean there was a problem with the Hokage of Konoha, a serious problem at its root, and that would be extremely difficult to handle.
Conversely, as long as there are no problems within Third, then many issues can be resolved.
"Um..."
Jiraiya pursed his lips and looked around. There was no one in the Hokage's office right now, and his gaze was as if he were looking at thin air.
However, Araki understood Jiraiya's actions very well. From the moment he entered, he had already sensed the presence of many auras in the area.
In other words...
On the surface, only the Third Hokage is in the Hokage's office, but in reality, there are many eyes watching him. These are likely members of the Anbu Directly Under the Hokage and some other ninjas working there.
After all, if any problems arose, the Third only needed to snap his fingers, and a ninja would immediately appear in his office to convey his message without him having to get up.
Upon seeing Jiraiya's actions, the Third immediately understood, nodded silently, clapped his hands, and said, "Come out."
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Almost instantly, three figures appeared before the Third in a kneeling position. All three wore masks, obscuring their faces, making it impossible to determine their identities directly.
The person standing in the middle is wearing a white robe, while the other two are wearing black robes.
It is the Anbu Directly Under the Hokage.
"You all stand guard outside the door. No one is allowed to come in without my order. If anyone comes in during this time, tell them to wait," the Third ordered.
"Yes!"
Three ninjas directly under the Anbu responded immediately, then vanished in a flash.
This scene evoked in Araki's eyes, giving him an indescribable feeling. When facing Orochimaru, he had encountered ninjas from the Anbu Directly Under the Hokage dressed similarly, but they were all killed by Orochimaru.
Araki didn't know how the matter was resolved. He wasn't that curious, nor did he follow up on it. After all, doing so might satisfy his own little questions, but it could very well expose him, which would be very disadvantageous for him.
However, after seeing these people, we can probably infer from the outcome that the members of the Anbu Directly Under the Hokage had their positions replaced by others after they did not return.
With the departure of these three Anbu Ninja, the Hokage's office was now empty except for the three of them.
"Can we talk now?"
The Third Hokage's expression was extremely serious. He even held his pipe in his hand, no longer in the mood to smoke. From Jiraiya's brief report, one thing was clear: the invaders from Sunagakure had been killed. This was a very serious matter, and if not handled properly, it could lead to a war between villages.
"Here's what happened..."
Jiraiya recounted what he had inferred in his mind in a descriptive manner, but he spoke of facts rather than subsequent conspiracy theories, which is a common practice in reporting.
Jiraiya used concise language to recount their arrival at the base and the Kushina's capture, his awakening and discovery of Kushina and the corpses of Sunagakure ninjas in the deep pit, and finally, his deduction that Kushina Tailed Beast Transformation. He gave a complete account of the events leading up to this, without mentioning the topic of the traitor at all.
"You mean the Sunagakure's target is Kushina?"
The Third Hokage frowned deeply. He was looking at Jiraiya as he spoke, and he was asking Jiraiya questions. But as he finished speaking, his gaze shifted to Kushina, and he seemed to be deep in thought.
"Yes." Jiraiya nodded, adding, "After being drugged, we were all in a state of incapacitation, but we were not harmed in any way. The Sunagakure ninjas only kidnapped Kushina."
"You suspect it's related to the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?" the Third asked after a moment of silence.
"Yes." Jiraiya nodded again.
"Logically, this is impossible!" The Third Hokage pinched his chin with his right hand, his brows furrowing even more deeply. He said, " Kushina's identity is strictly confidential. Sunagakure shouldn't know. Could someone have leaked the information?"