In the Hokage Office, Minato Namikaze, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the two Advisors, Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado, were pondering the cause of this intelligence leak.
Minato Namikaze believed that there was a traitor in Konoha who had leaked the classified information.
Hiruzen and the others agreed. Aside from someone within the Village leaking the intel, this was the most likely possibility, but who could it be?
Minato Namikaze said with a grave expression: "However, if you think about it carefully, aside from us, the Anbu and the Hokage Guard Platoon sent to Kushina's delivery, as well as Shen Dai and his group who already knew, no one else was aware of this matter. By all logic, it shouldn't have been leaked."
Hiruzen puffed on his pipe and analyzed: "That's right. During this Nine-Tailed Demon Fox Incident, Shen Dai made a significant contribution. Pakura has been helping to evacuate the villagers of Konoha, and Ashita Natsu has been doing her utmost to assist Shen Dai, so the three of them certainly wouldn't have leaked this."
"Obito, Kakashi, and Rin Nohara are your disciples, Minato; they certainly wouldn't leak the matter of Kushina's delivery. The Hokage Guard Platoon consists of members you personally recruited, so I think their loyalty goes without saying."
"Could the problem lie with the Anbu? But the Anbu is under the direct command of the Hokage, and they only join after layers of vetting, so they shouldn't have leaked this either. Then how was it leaked?"
Regarding how it was leaked, Minato and the other three racked their brains but couldn't come up with an answer.
Just then, the office door was knocked. After Minato said 'Please come in,' Jiraiya hurried inside.
Jiraiya asked anxiously: "I heard something happened in Konoha, so I rushed over. What is the situation now?"
Minato smiled and said: "It has already been resolved, and we are currently in the midst of post-disaster reconstruction."
Upon hearing it was resolved, Jiraiya breathed a sigh of relief: "You scared me. If I had known, I would have stayed in Konoha. It's good that it's resolved. What were you all just talking about? I heard you saying something about a 'leak' while I was outside the door."
Minato, Hiruzen, Utatane Koharu, and Homura Mitokado suddenly had a flash of inspiration and said in unison: "That's it! There is one other possibility!"
Jiraiya asked confusedly: "What other possibility?"
Minato rubbed his chin and said seriously: "Back then, I, Hiruzen, and the two Advisors discussed the matter of Kushina's delivery in this office. If someone had overheard our conversation at that time, then that person could be anyone."
Hiruzen, Utatane Koharu, and Homura Mitokado all agreed with Minato's speculation.
Minato took the opportunity to tell Jiraiya about the situation.
Jiraiya said with a headache: "If that's the case, then the scope is too broad, making it difficult to investigate."
Minato nodded: "It is indeed difficult to investigate, but I think this person hiding in the shadows will act again sooner or later. This matter can only be put aside for now and monitored later. Currently, the reconstruction of Konoha is the most important thing."
To be safe, Minato sensed the surroundings to see if anyone was eavesdropping.
Confirming there was no one, Minato continued: "Because the situation was critical at the time, I sealed the Nine-Tailed inside Kushina and Naruto respectively. Regarding the matter of the Jinchuriki of Konoha, I want to continue the previous secrecy plan, concealing the identities of Kushina and Naruto as Jinchuriki, and let them live as normal people."
Hiruzen agreed: "Minato, Kushina, and the newly born Naruto have made such great sacrifices for Konoha. Concealing their identities as Jinchuriki is the right thing to do. After all, in the eyes of almost everyone in the Ninja World, Jinchuriki are linked to Tailed Beasts, and therefore cannot avoid misunderstanding, fear, and discrimination. For Naruto's growth, concealment is necessary."
Jiraiya asked curiously: "Do you know who the four people who invaded Konoha are?"
Hiruzen took out four portraits and handed them to Jiraiya: "One of them is Sasori from the Hidden Sand Village. Judging by his forehead protector, he has already become a rogue Ninja. One of them is wearing a mask, identity unknown, and the other two are also of unknown identity. However, we know what they look like, so we can investigate later."
Jiraiya picked up the portraits and looked at them. When he saw Deva Path Pain and Konan, his body trembled slightly, and he muttered: "How is this possible? How could it be them?"
Minato asked suspiciously: "Jiraiya-sensei, do you recognize any of them?"
Jiraiya took several deep breaths, calmed down, and took the portraits of Deva Path Pain and Konan separately and placed them on the table.
Jiraiya recounted: "Back then, during the Second Shinobi World War, I stayed in the Hidden Rain Village for three years. After fighting Hanzou, on my way back to the Village, I met three orphans from the Hidden Rain Village. I took these three orphans as my apprentices and spent three years teaching them Ninjutsu."
"The names of these three children are Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan. Although they have grown up, I can be certain that these two portraits are Yahiko and Konan, respectively."
Hiruzen was shocked: "What? Doesn't that mean these are your students, Jiraiya?"
Jiraiya nodded with a complex expression and continued: "Yes. I heard that after the three of them grew up, they established the Akatsuki Organization with Yahiko as the leader, determined to create world peace without relying on extreme force. Later, many people joined this organization, and it gradually grew and became famous. I occasionally heard about their deeds in several battles, and I was proud of them."
"But... later I received a toad scroll, learning that those three children had died in the war. How are they still alive now, and why did they attack Konoha?"
"Akatsuki Organization..." Minato muttered, then suddenly stood up: "Wait a moment!"
Minato went to the filing cabinet to search and found a document.
Minato opened the document and said: "Hearing Jiraiya-sensei mention the Akatsuki Organization, I remembered this. This is a document found in the Root base. It contains letters between Danzo and Hanzou. According to the letters, Danzo used the excuse that the Akatsuki Organization was growing day by day and would threaten Hanzou's ruling position to reach a cooperation to destroy the Akatsuki Organization."
"Hanzou deceived the Akatsuki Organization, wanting to use the power of the Akatsuki Organization to propose a peace negotiation to the three major nations of Fire, Wind, and Earth, setting an ambush at the negotiation site to encircle and suppress the members of the Akatsuki Organization. After success... Danzo made Hanzou contribute to Danzo becoming Hokage."
"Finally, with the cooperation of the Ninjas under Hanzou and the Root Ninjas under Danzo, they joined forces to wipe out the Akatsuki Organization."
Jiraiya took the document from Minato's hand, and upon seeing the content of the letters in the document, the anger in his heart instantly erupted.
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