Chapter 86: Jiraiya: Old Man, Don

Jiraiya looked utterly defeated.

Although he desperately wanted to stop this group, he knew he lacked the strength.

As one of the three legendary Sannin on paper, he had enjoyed certain privileges in Konoha thanks to his status as Hiruzen Sarutobi’s disciple and his own strength…

But now, things were different!

Since the ninja clans had already decided to betray the Hokage, they naturally paid him no mind—even in open war, they wouldn’t fear him, for he was merely an ordinary ninja; no matter how strong, it meant nothing.

The real question was: could Konoha even survive open war?

So, sigh…

With a helpless sigh, Jiraiya turned away dejectedly and eventually arrived at the Hokage’s office.

“Jiraiya, Itachi’re back?”

“How did things go on your end? How many clans agreed to return?”

“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself—even if Itachi convince just one clan to come back, it’s still a good thing for us.”

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled as he spoke.

He could clearly see Jiraiya’s despair, but he didn’t take it too seriously—he assumed Jiraiya was simply holding himself to impossibly high standards.

And in truth,

he believed that as long as even a portion of the clans returned, he could accept the situation.

The logic was simple!

After all, he was still Konoha’s Hokage—he inherently held the moral high ground.

As long as some clans accepted his rule, combined with the countless civilian ninja of Konoha and the core authority of the Sarutobi and three other clans, he could still barely maintain Konoha’s current stability.

Other matters could be dealt with gradually!

He believed that with his own methods, given enough time, he could eventually dismantle the alliance of the Uchiha and other clans.

Then… hm!

He would slowly settle accounts with those damned ninja clans!

But unfortunately,

Hiruzen Sarutobi, absorbed in smoking, didn’t notice the look of utter despair and helplessness on Jiraiya’s face.

“Old man, I—”

Jiraiya’s voice hoarse, tried to speak.

But for a moment,

his mouth opened, yet no words came out.

Seeing Hiruzen’s smiling face beneath the dim light, his body began to tremble slightly.

And yet,

Hiruzen Sarutobi remained oblivious—he thought no matter how bad things got, how bad could they possibly be?

What storms hadn’t he weathered in his lifetime? Could anything be worse than when he first took office?

So he smiled, speaking calmly: “Just say it. I can handle it.”

After speaking,

he glanced at Jiraiya with a look that suggested he found him overly dramatic.

“Alright then, fine.”

Hearing Hiruzen’s words, Jiraiya gained a little courage.

Hmm, good!

No wonder he was the Third Hokage—his ability to endure pressure was truly superior to mine.

Thinking this, he no longer hid the truth: “No ninja clan is willing to return. All clans have firmly committed themselves—they’re determined to walk the Uchiha’s path to the end.”

“And on my way back, I saw the other half of the Pig, Deer, and Butterfly alliance, led by Nara Shikamaru’s father, along with over a dozen minor clans, all defecting to the Uchiha.”

“Essentially, aside from the Hyuga clan, which hasn’t yet declared its stance, every single family that can be called a ninja clan has now sided with the Uchiha.”

“But still, good news!”

“All the civilians still trust Itachi, Old Man—that’s a positive sign.”

“Combined with our four major clans—Sarutobi and the others—we still have a chance to fight the Uchiha. I believe Itachi, Old Man, can handle this.”

“Speaking of which, I have to admire your ability to endure pressure—Itachi’re truly unmatched!”

“When I heard the news, my spirit collapsed—but Itachi’re still standing strong.”

“Strong. Truly strong…”

“Uh…”

“Old man, what’s wrong?”

“Why are Itachi bleeding from the mouth? Itachi’ve got to stay strong!”

“….”

At first, Jiraiya had spoken with surprising ease.

After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi’s calm demeanor had instantly lifted two-thirds of his burden.

But damn it.

Why had the old man suddenly started bleeding before he’d even finished speaking?

Where was the strength? Where was the composure?

Immediately,

he called for the on-duty Anbu and rushed Hiruzen to the hospital at top speed.

Fortunately,

the hospital was under the control of Tsume Shizune, who managed to save Hiruzen in the shortest possible time.

Half an hour later, outside the emergency room,

Tsume Shizune stepped out and looked at Jiraiya’s anxious face: “Relax—he’s stabilized for now.”

“Good!” Jiraiya exhaled in relief.

There was no choice.

He was genuinely terrified.

If Hiruzen Sarutobi died right now, the village would be finished.

“Alright, tell me.”

“How did Hiruzen end up like this? Did Itachi complete your mission today?”

“How many clans agreed to return?”

Tsume Shizune spoke slowly.

Yes!

She too had been stunned—she and Mizukami En were both relying entirely on Hiruzen Sarutobi.

If he suddenly died, it would be like the sky collapsing on her!

And yet,

upon hearing this, Jiraiya’s face darkened instantly: “Are Itachi sure Itachi can handle it? Old Man collapsed and started bleeding the moment he heard this.”

His eyes were filled with doubt.

There was no choice!

One high-ranking Konoha official had already fallen—he couldn’t let Tsume Shizune collapse too.

Tsume Shizune’s face turned grim.

Even before Jiraiya spoke, she knew the situation was dire.

But after a moment’s thought, she said: “Go ahead. I can handle it.”

“None were persuaded to return,” Jiraiya replied bluntly. “Even the other half of the Pig, Deer, and Butterfly alliance, and the dozen or so neutral minor clans—I saw them all defect to the Uchiha tonight.”

Tsume Shizune sucked in a sharp breath.

For a moment,

she nearly fainted, her face pale as death!

But she knew the situation was critical—she absolutely could not collapse, so she forced herself to endure.

Yet her face grew wildly panicked.

“What do we do?”

“All the ninja clans have defected to the Uchiha—can the village withstand this?”

“This—is over!”

Tsume Shizune whispered to herself.

Her body began to tremble, especially now that Hiruzen Sarutobi was unconscious—she had completely lost her bearings.

And yet,

Jiraiya sighed softly at the sight.

This old woman clearly couldn’t handle pressure—he couldn’t rely on her at all.

Mizukami En?

Hah!

That old man was no help either.

After a moment’s silence, he spoke with grave seriousness: “I’m going out to find Tsunade. Right now, only she has the strength to turn things around. For now, Itachi two watch over Old Man—don’t provoke the Uchiha.”

"Give me some time—I will bring Tsunade back!"