Hidden Leaf Village, inside a teahouse.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura were drinking tea. After taking a sip, both turned to look out the window, watching the ninja evacuate the civilians.
Utatane Koharu frowned.
"What exactly happened?"
Mitokado Homura's expression darkened as well, his brows tightly furrowed.
"It's an order from the Fifth Hokage to evacuate the civilians to shelters." A voice came from outside, and then Shimura Danzō slowly walked in.
"Evacuate? What's going on?" Mitokado Homura asked in confusion.
"As far as I know, the Akatsuki will attack the Hidden Leaf Village in the coming days, and the one leading them is their leader, Pain," Shimura Danzō said slowly.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura abruptly stood up and walked toward Shimura Danzō. Utatane Koharu spoke first.
"Is Pain the Akatsuki leader who defeated Jiraiya some time ago?"
Shimura Danzō nodded. "That's right. And the Akatsuki have already targeted Jinchūriki multiple times before. If the intelligence is correct, then their target this time is our village's Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, Uzumaki Naruto."
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura lowered their heads slightly.
"That child… By the way, didn't he go to Mount Myōboku to train some time ago?"
Shimura Danzō's gaze darkened.
"Just now, the Fifth Hokage has already summoned him back. With the Akatsuki about to attack, she still made the decision on her own to call the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki back to the village. If the Akatsuki eliminate him and the Nine-Tails falls into their hands, it will be a catastrophic disaster for the village. The Fifth Hokage will not be able to escape responsibility."
After Shimura Danzō finished speaking, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura exchanged glances and nodded.
...
Inside the Hokage's office.
Tsunade sat in her chair with her hands clasped on the desk in front of her.
Jiraiya stood with his back to her, silently looking out the window.
"Jiraiya, how much of a chance do you think we have this time?" Tsunade asked softly.
Jiraiya slowly closed his eyes and smiled.
"We should trust them."
Hearing this, Tsunade smiled faintly.
"Yeah."
"Besides, that guy gained quite a lot this time, hehe," Jiraiya said in a light tone.
Tsunade turned to look at him. "You mean Naruto?"
Jiraiya shook his head. "Naruto has improved a lot, but the one who truly amazed me is that bone kid."
"Rorin?" Tsunade's brows moved slightly as she spoke.
Footsteps came from outside, and soon Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and Shimura Danzō appeared in the Hokage's office.
"Tsunade, we have something to discuss," Mitokado Homura said.
Tsunade frowned slightly, while Jiraiya's gaze sharpened.
Utatane Koharu stepped forward, glanced at Jiraiya, then shifted her gaze to Tsunade and questioned her.
"Tsunade, is the Akatsuki going to attack the Hidden Leaf Village soon? Why didn't you consult us about something this serious? What do you take us, the advisors, for?"
Tsunade's brows tightened. "Where did you hear that?"
Shimura Danzō stepped out from behind the two and said calmly, "I told them."
Utatane Koharu continued, "The Akatsuki's target is the Jinchūriki, right? And the one coming is their leader, someone even Jiraiya couldn't defeat. That makes it even more inappropriate to call the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki back to the village."
Mitokado Homura added, "He's just a child. How could he possibly deal with Pain? If he's defeated and the Nine-Tails falls into the Akatsuki's hands, it will be the village's greatest loss."
Hearing this, Jiraiya could no longer hold back. He rushed forward and grabbed Mitokado Homura by the collar with one hand, his eyes cold as he spoke.
"He is my disciple—a ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village—not just the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki!"
"What are you trying to do, Jiraiya? I'm an advisor of the Hidden Leaf Village," Mitokado Homura said, his expression slightly tense as he was lifted up.
Jiraiya's gaze remained icy. He released his grip and turned back to stand beside Tsunade. Mitokado Homura fell to the ground and glared at Jiraiya's back.
Utatane Koharu also snapped sharply, "Jiraiya, watch your attitude! We are elders of the Hidden Leaf Village!"
At that moment, Shimura Danzō stepped forward, glanced at Jiraiya, then looked at Tsunade and said calmly,
"No matter what, Uzumaki Naruto should not appear in the open. He should be protected. If you are unwilling to send him back to Mount Myōboku, then hand him over to me. I will ensure his safety."
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura immediately echoed,
"That's right. In that case, hand over the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki to us."
Bang!
Tsunade slammed her fist onto the table, her brows tightly furrowed as she said coldly,
"That's enough. Who do you think you are? How long are you going to treat him like a child? He is not some hidden tool of the Hidden Leaf Village used to stop wars—he is a ninja who protects the village—Uzumaki Naruto!"
Jiraiya also stared coldly at the three advisors. If not for their status as elders, he would have already attacked them.
"So you absolutely refuse to hand Uzumaki Naruto over to us?" Shimura Danzō said coldly.
"Yeah. Absolutely!" Tsunade answered firmly.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura exchanged glances, while Shimura Danzō slowly turned around. As he reached the door, he stopped, looked back at Tsunade, and said coldly,
"If something goes wrong, then you should resign from the position of Hokage!"
After saying that, Shimura Danzō left the office. Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura followed behind him, shaking their heads as they left as well.
After the three advisors departed, Tsunade let out a long breath.
"Trust them, Tsunade. Besides, I'm here too!" Jiraiya said with a squinting smile.
Tsunade was slightly stunned, then nodded gently. "Mm!"
Afterward, the village's evacuation proceeded in an orderly manner, and time passed quietly.
...
Five days later, outside the Hidden Leaf Village.
The figures of the Six Paths of Pain and Konan appeared. The Deva Path of Pain slowly raised his head to look at the village, activating the Rinnegan.
He clearly saw the oval-shaped barrier surrounding the village.
"We rushed all the way here, yet we didn't encounter a single patrolling ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village. That seems a bit unusual," Konan said as she stepped forward.
The Deva Path of Pain shook his head slightly. "It doesn't matter. Even if something is off, it's of no consequence."
Konan nodded slightly and looked toward the outer wall of the village.
The Deva Path of Pain raised his head and said slowly,
"It's finally about to begin… Feel the pain!"