Nara Shikaku looked thoroughly displeased.
He'd already repaid the favor he owed, so he couldn't be bothered to bandy words with Jiraiya; seeing the man still wanted to continue, he immediately threw Uzumaki Naruto in his face.
Of course,
this wasn't out of any concern for Naruto—his relationship with Minato had been lukewarm; it was Shikaku who'd been close to Minato. He was simply stuffing Jiraiya's mouth shut again.
The subtext was simple: you can pack it in, old man.
After all, he didn't believe Jiraiya could succeed. Minato might have left little, but Uzumaki Kushina's estate was enormous. As a Nara, he knew full well her assets had long since been carved up.
Pay it back?
With what?
Once something's swallowed, can you vomit it back up? You want the dregs after it's been through the gut, Jiraiya?
For a fortune that size, making people spit it out would take blood and corpses. Could Jiraiya really go that far for Minato?
Nara Shikaku thought the odds pitifully low.
Naturally,
if Jiraiya truly were willing, it would—strictly speaking—benefit the Uchiha faction; internal strife only strengthened their position.
After all, if the Village tore itself apart, their power grew by default!
Jiraiya: "…"
Shut down again, he burned with shame and frustration.
The matter of Minato was his raw nerve.
He instinctively avoided anything connected to the man—partly because reminders hurt, but mostly because he had no idea how to face them.
Even without seeking out Naruto, after living in the Village so long he still heard the words "demon fox" all the time.
All he wanted was to run from it!
He could only pin his hopes on Hiruzen Sarutobi to arrange things, or pray that Naruto would embrace the Will of Fire and, when he grew up, understand the true meaning of protection.
But now?
He'd been driven into a corner!
Jiraiya wasn't stupid; he caught Shikaku's drift clearly.
A man who couldn't even protect those closest to him had no right to talk of sheltering the clans—he'd shown no backbone whatsoever over Minato.
No matter what he said now, it was meaningless.
After a long silence Jiraiya gave Shikaku a deep look, then left without a word.
Moments later,
once he'd trudged out of the Uchiha compound, he let out a heavy sigh.
"Why?"
"Why can't everyone understand that everything I do is for the Village?"
"We're Ninja—aren't we supposed to endure?"
"I know I wronged Minato; that child Naruto must have suffered."
"But it was all for the Village's stability—why can't you let it go?"
"For the Village's peace, what's a little grievance? Can't we all just bear it and move on?"
"Selfish—so selfish!"
Jiraiya muttered, baffled and aggrieved.
Why couldn't everyone calm their hearts the way he had, stop clinging to personal gain?
Ninja are meant to endure!
Thinking this, Jiraiya's eyes grew firmer.
He was certain he'd done nothing wrong!
The ones in error were those shortsighted clans; they'd ceased to be Ninja and turned into wretched creatures of power—no different from Hiruzen and the rest.
Birds of a feather!
Yet Hiruzen and the elders were too old; he couldn't change their minds.
Never had he imagined
that after contacting the clans he'd find them just as assimilated, every shred of a Ninja's broader vision gone.
To set things right, he would have to rely on the Saviour.
But… where in the world was the Saviour the Great Toad Sage had prophesied?
No—absolutely not!
He had to settle the Village's mess quickly, then scour the Ninja World for the Saviour; only that future hero could cure this increasingly deformed Village.
Just as Jiraiya steeled himself, a large group came hurrying toward him.
Jiraiya blinked in surprise.
But when he clearly saw who they were, his face went black.
Leading the pack were the Ino–Shika–Chō, plus the smaller clans—Fuzen, Tobitake, Kamizuki, Yamashiro, Gekko and more—with the trio of clan heads at the front.
Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, Akimichi Chōza!
Jiraiya's face drained of color as he barred their way.
"Shikaku, Inoichi…"
"What do you people think you're doing?"
"Answer me!"
His face was livid, body trembling slightly.
Clearly,
he already knew the answer, but wasn't ready to accept it.
He had no choice!
A flood of clans had already defected to the Uchiha; if this lot joined as well, the Uchiha would command every major and minor clan in Konoha.
That outcome he would not accept!
Hiruzen Sarutobi, commanding only the Sarutobi and three lesser clans plus countless civilians, might still bear the title of Hokage—but could that still be called the Hokage of Konoha?
Yes,
he'd barely managed to deceive himself before, since only some clans had sided with the Uchiha.
But now?
If he let this group pass, Hiruzen would be little more than a figurehead, and with the Uchiha's current strength they could set up a new Konoha without breaking a sweat.
At the thought of that horror, Jiraiya blazed with fury.
Unfortunately,
when Shikaku saw Jiraiya blocking the way he was only briefly surprised, quickly regaining calm.
"Lord Jiraiya, stand aside."
"Our clans have made their choice; if you insist on hindering us, we'll have no option but battle."
"Choose."
Nara Shikaku's tone was flat and final.
He was not Shikaku the individual, barely acquainted with Jiraiya; he was the Nara Clan head.
His counterpart was Hiruzen Sarutobi. Even during wartime he rarely appeared on the battlefield; he stayed in Konoha to advise the Hokage.
Therefore,
he couldn't be bothered to bandy words. Perhaps weaker than Shikaku in personal power, yet long at the Village's apex, he struck Jiraiya's vitals in a single line.
Do you want war?
Do you want to plunge Konoha into chaos?
Can you bear the cost—dare you bear it?
Where Shikaku might have given face, Shikaku the clan head cared not in the least.
One move—checkmate!
Jiraiya: "…"
His face was ghastly, murder flickering in his eyes.
By now he was utterly enraged.
Yet, truth be told,
facing Shikaku he felt an oppression even heavier than from Shikaku.
In the end,
he drew a deep breath, forced the killing intent down, and stepped aside.
And so,
with a slight bow Shikaku waved his hand, and the whole company marched straight toward the Uchiha.