Onoki spoke plainly. "As long as the money is right, even missions with slim chances of survival will attract them. If used well, they can bring us good returns."
"I will not only send them to scout Land of Hot Water, but also have them probe Land of Rain. That way, we can enter the future conflict with precision."
Even the honest and straightforward Kitsuchi did not object to his father's plan. He simply nodded and accepted Onoki's decision. To him, it was a rational choice.
If they sent Iwagakure Ninja, there was a high chance they would be wiped out by joint action from Kumogakure and Konoha. It was better to leave this dangerous task to bounty ninja who sold their lives for money.
For Iwagakure, whether they succeeded or failed, the loss would only be some money. The resources needed to train a capable Jonin far exceeded the cost of hiring a missing nin of Jonin level.
Kumogakure and Konoha went to war.
The day arrived earlier than anyone had expected. Facing the open declaration from Konoha, Fourth Raikage was furious and even got scolded by the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning, but at least this was what he had wanted.
Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi wrote in the declaration, if you want war, then you will be given war. When everyone including Raikage read that line, they were stunned because they never expected those words to come from Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Was this still that weak and hesitant Third Hokage? Could this old man really have hardened in his final years?
Because of that single sentence, even Fourth Raikage, who had been eager for Wang war, felt a chill, not to mention the other Kumogakure Ninja. Still, although morale in Kumogakure wavered, the hatred left by the Third Shinobi World War meant both sides had an equal desire to kill each other.
On Konoha's side, the one commanding the battles was no ordinary figure. It was none other than Jiraiya, one of the Three Legendary Sannin.
At this moment, in Konoha's camp on the southern border of Land of Moon, Jiraiya sat inside a tent staring at the shocking casualty reports. His brows were tightly drawn together, almost knotted from strain.
This was only a probing exchange between the two sides, and if the fighting escalated, the numbers would double. He muttered, "War, this is war, endless war."
In war, the loss of any life was nothing more than a speck ground into dust. He had originally been traveling the world according to the prophecy of Great Toad Sage, searching for the "Child of Prophecy."
Halfway through that journey, he suddenly received a recall from the old man, saying that Konoha was preparing a large scale military action against Kumogakure. Jiraiya did not want to come back.
After the Second Shinobi World War and the Third Shinobi World War, after endless battles and seeing countless deaths with his own eyes, Jiraiya understood his own weakness more clearly. In his view, wars between great nations were meaningless, yet they happened again and again.
He knew he could not stop the old man, nor could he halt the war already underway or those that would inevitably come. If he had a choice, he truly did not want to return and would rather continue searching for the "Child of Prophecy," which he believed was the only Wang for changing the Ninja World.
But he could not. Because he had received a third prophecy from Great Toad Sage.
Great Toad Sage was the ancestral sage of Mount Myoboku, a being who had lived for at least a thousand years, with power beyond measure and terrifying Chakra within his body. More importantly, he possessed an extremely precise ability to foresee the future.
The first prophecy he gave was that Jiraiya would become an outstanding shinobi and would begin taking disciples once he could stand on his own. The second was that a future disciple would bring a great change to the Ninja World, either stability or destruction, and that the choice would rest in his hands.
Because of that, Jiraiya had been running everywhere in search of the "Child of Prophecy," hoping to guide that person toward good and bring stability to the Ninja World. He also traveled the world writing books, just as the prophecy suggested.
But the third prophecy was different. This time, it spoke not only of the "Child of Prophecy," but also of something else.
"The child of calamity."
"Wherever he goes, disaster and destruction follow, peace and order are overturned, the line between life and death blurs, and in the end only hollow echoes remain."
Recalling those words, the ominous malice within them impossible to hide, Jiraiya's eyes darkened and a heavy fear settled on his chest. If the "Child of Prophecy" represented Wang or upheaval, then the child of calamity meant only disaster and destruction.
Unluckily, Great Toad Sage had not described the child of calamity's traits. Fortunately, he had dreamed of the traits of the "Child of Prophecy."
"Eyes brilliant like a starry sky, and wearing a Konoha Forehead Protector?" Jiraiya rubbed his chin and said thoughtfully. "According to Great Toad Sage, he saw the Child of Prophecy standing before everyone, alone, facing the child of calamity."
It sounded like the savior from a novel or a folk tale. The range had already been narrowed to Konoha, and with such distinct eyes, finding that person should not be hard.
"Ah, I really want to go back and look right now." Jiraiya grabbed his messy hair in frustration, then quickly let out a breath to calm himself.
The Child of Prophecy had probably not grown yet. Only by ending this meaningless war as soon as possible could the Child of Prophecy have time to continue growing.
With a rustle, the tent flap was lifted. Jiraiya looked up and saw two figures walk in.
"Kakashi Hatake?" Recognizing one familiar face, Jiraiya showed a hint of surprise.
"Jiraiya-sama, sorry to disturb you," Kakashi Hatake said politely as ever. His tone was humble, but those dead fish eyes looked even more downcast than before.
"Do not blame yourself too much," Jiraiya said, knowing part of the reason. "No one expected someone to suddenly interfere with our alliance with Hanzo."
The complete loss of the dozen shinobi he had brought was undoubtedly a heavy blow to Kakashi Hatake. He thanked him, then sighed deeply before straightening his expression.
"There is another matter I need your help with," Kakashi Hatake said. "The Third Hokage hopes you can assign some manpower to accompany me to the Land of Hot Water."
While the two were talking, Ryuji Hyuga, who had remained silent behind Kakashi Hatake, raised his head. His gaze flickered as it landed on Jiraiya.
He was already certain that the sudden eight thousand points earlier were because that old toad, Gamamaru, had taken notice of him. That being must have used its prophetic ability on him and told the result to Jiraiya.
The moment he saw Jiraiya, a notification had sounded in his mind. "Your lie has been judged as Concealing the Truth, Jiraiya has experienced intense emotional fluctuation and reached complete belief, gaining 2000 Reality Points." "Remaining Reality Points: 19754."
Looking at Jiraiya still discussing matters with Kakashi Hatake, the corner of Ryuji Hyuga's eye twitched. Such a large number of points meant the more unbelievable the lie, the greater the reward.
What exactly had that old toad foreseen? If the prophecy were accurate, he should not have gained points at all.
Just what kind of image did his future self have in the eyes of that old toad and Jiraiya?
As Ryuji Hyuga was filled with questions, Jiraiya suddenly looked over. "You are that Ryuji Hyuga?" he asked with curiosity.
"Yes, Jiraiya-senior," Ryuji Hyuga replied with a gentle and modest smile. "I am Ryuji Hyuga. Please guide me."
Jiraiya swept his gaze over the young man and had a good first impression of his appearance and bearing. He did not say more, because he knew that the old man's line, "If you want war, then you will be given war," had actually come from this boy.
He did not like that sentence.
At the same time, behind Konoha's camp in Land of Moon, within the borders of the Land of Hot Water, several figures moved through the forest under cover of night. If Jiraiya were here and saw the leader's face, his expression would change completely.
Straight rice tea colored hair fell to the waist in a single braid, and a kunoichi wearing a Kumogakure Forehead Protector moved without a sound. Appearing behind the camp was none other than the current Two Tails jinchuriki of Kumogakure.
Yugito Nii.
Inside Kumogakure, within the Raikage Office.
Thump. Thump.
Fourth Raikage tapped the desk with thick fingers, and the dull sound pressed down on the room. His gaze swept over the ancient fragments of different shapes and materials on the table, then lifted to Mabui and several senior special Jonin with research backgrounds.
"You think scraps like these are enough to make me send Yugito Nii back to that hellhole again?" Fourth Raikage frowned, but did not erupt right away. He asked in a low voice, "Talk. What exactly did you find?"
Not long ago, after the team led by Samui returned from Land of Hot Water, they reported everything they had seen to Fourth Raikage. This naturally included the bottomless hollow.