And these people dare to talk about the Will of Fire? Did they really believe that her flame was still burning in their hearts?
Just listen to their crazy plan. Force Uchiha Yue to commit suicide? It's not just cruelty, it's blasphemy. They've lost their minds.
They are the only ones to blame here.
Who is Uchiha Yue? Not a Shinobi, not a warrior, but a simple villager. When his clan was preparing a coup, he, an outsider, most likely did not even know about the plot. And now they are demanding repentance from him. They demand that he feel guilty for the deaths of the Hokage and Danzo, the very people whose actions almost cost him his life.
Is that what people say? Where is their mind, where is their conscience? It was as if that Area of dead silence had sucked out not only their chakra, but their very soul.
Any sane person in their place would have tried to reach out to Yue. I would convince him to give up the destructive force, return to Konoha and feel the warmth of camaraderie again.
And they? They want him, like a second White Fang, to sacrifice himself on the altar of someone else's guilt. But why should he repent? He's not their father, it's not their sin.
If the Daimyo had known about Tsunade and Jiraiya's true intentions, he would have cursed. Anger would have distorted his face, and the finger pointing in their direction would have trembled with rage.
Unfortunately, the Daimyo was unaware of the monstrous plan that was brewing in their heads.
Perhaps Tsunade and Jiraiya's sanity had indeed gone haywire. Staying in the Area of dead silence did not pass without a trace. It drained not only the life force, but it drained the brain, depriving it of energy. Such a long exposure could not but cause irreversible damage. When the brain is deprived of nutrition, the cells begin to die. What about a force that drains energy directly?
After leaving the Daimyo's residence, they were well aware of his anger. After all, this whole disaster is Konoha's doing. The fruit of Hiruzen Sarutobi's inaction and Shimura Danzo's insane obsession. If it wasn't for these two old men, they would still be enjoying freedom instead of bearing the burden of a ruined village. Jiraiya wouldn't be chained to Tsunade by the shadow of the past, and she wouldn't be chained to the Hokage's chair.
After returning to the village, Tsunade, already in the status of the Fifth, immediately gathered a council. There was only one task: to develop a method capable of blocking Uchiha Yue's dojutsu as soon as possible. No one expected full protection — it was impossible. All that was needed was a short moment, a chance to cross the dead zone, get to him and... appeal to his conscience. To awaken the Will of Fire in him and convince him to make the ultimate sacrifice.
At first, many in Konoha considered this plan to be madness. But Tsunade and Jiraiya returned different— with steely, almost frightening determination in their eyes. Their confidence was contagious. Besides, the facts spoke for themselves: Yue could have wiped Konoha off the face of the earth long ago, but he continued to stand motionless.
The longer the elders thought about it, the more they became imbued with this distorted logic. Maybe Tsunade and Jiraiya are right?
Maybe Konoha still lives in Uchiha Yue's heart.
At the same time, they did not forget about the agreement with Mount Myoboku: to notify other villages about the "senjutsu gift set." Of course, at first the most intimate and dangerous techniques of the sages were safely hidden in the archives of Konoha. It's not appropriate for such knowledge to walk around the world unattended.
It took time to systematize the techniques, and Jiraiya desperately hoped that this time would be enough.
For a long time he was tormented by the question: is it worth it to initiate the wise men of Mount Myoboku into his true plan? If they find out that senjutsu is needed not to destroy the threat, but to capture it, they will not allow this to happen. Uchiha Yue's eyes were invaluable to Konoha even before the advent of senjutsu, and now their importance has increased many times. If the toads had known the truth, they would have intervened. They would personally make sure that these eyes were destroyed the moment they were torn out of their sockets.
This could not be allowed.
"Forgive me, sages Fukasaku and Shima… I'm sorry, Great Toad Sage..." Jiraiya whispered in his mind, burning with shame. He was torn apart. But for the sake of the village, for the sake of the Will of the Fire, he had to commit this deception. Between Mount Myoboku and Konoha, the choice was obvious.
The toads were unaware of the betrayal. They worked hard to prepare the techniques for transfer, believing that they were giving the world a chance to avert a terrible prophecy.
If the Great Sage had read Jiraiya's mind, he would have burst into senile abuse. You fools! He didn't know why Yue was frozen in place, but he was sure it wasn't a matter of guilt. Most likely, there was some kind of flaw in his strength, a defect that chained him to the ground. But he will never kill himself because of beautiful words about duty. In that old story, he was a victim. They should have felt the guilt, not him.
But the Great Sage didn't know anything.
"Actually, we don't have a month," Tsunade said in the semi—darkness of the Hokage's office, bending over the map.
"But that's exactly the time the Daimyo gave us,— Jiraiya replied, puzzled.
Tsunade chuckled, but there was no humor in her voice. She took a deep breath, as if about to utter something monstrous. — What I'm saying is going to sound inhuman, but…
"The Land of Fire doesn't matter anymore. Right, Lady Tsunade? Nara Shikaku, who was standing in the shadows, finished quietly for her.
- what? Jiraiya froze. "How does it not matter?" Konoha is a part of the Land of Fire! What will become of us without her?
He broke off. Looking at Tsunade's resolute face and Shikaku's cold calmness, he understood everything. The realization rolled down his spine like a wave of icy horror, but it was immediately replaced by grim resignation. He's already crossed the line.
—Yes,— he said dully. "You're right. Doesn't have.
Tsunade raised her head, and the lights of the village at night were reflected in her eyes.
— The only thing that matters is the power that he holds in his hands. And we'll get it. At any cost.