Konoha

"Hmm..."

The moment Black Zetsu disappeared, Luo Lei's expression turned ice-cold. A snort of disdain escaped his lips.

'You'd better not cross my path again,' he thought, his mind already contemplating future conflicts. 'Next time, not only Madara but also Ōtsutsuki Kaguya will feel my wrath.'

A sinister smile spread across his face. With his current superhuman perception, scum like Zetsu couldn't hide from him. If it weren't for the fact that this Zetsu was just an avatar, Luo Lei would have eliminated him right there.

Jiraiya, busy signing the report, noticed the sudden change in Luo Lei's face. A chill ran down his spine, fearing he had somehow provoked the monster.

He hastened his signature, aware that he was endorsing a lie by attributing the ANBU deaths to Iwagakure, but the fear of Luo Lei outweighed any moral scruples he might have had.

"Minato" Luo Lei's voice cut through the tense silence, his tone now surprisingly jovial.

"You and Jiraiya will take care of informing the village of Konoha. It's time to make the higher-ups happy. We have won the battle in the Land of Grass, and in a very beautiful way."

Minato, with a bitterness he could barely conceal, took out his Hiraishin kunai. "Alright... alright." Nodding unnaturally.

He couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration and humiliation.

The battle in the Land of Grass had ended. Konoha had won, yes, but Luo Lei had once again become the undisputed protagonist of the victory.

He, Minato Namikaze, the acclaimed "Yellow Flash of Konoha," had done practically nothing. His role in this historic battle had been reduced to that of a mere messenger.

______

Hidden Leaf Village, Konoha.

In the heart of the village, the imposing Hokage Mansion stood. Inside, in the main office, an atmosphere of tension hung in the air.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, was meeting with his most trusted advisors: Danzō Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado. On the leader's desk, a special kunai with the Flying Thunder God seal.

Just a day ago...

Jiraiya had proposed a bold strategy. He asked Minato to report, that is, before Luo Lei was in the Land of Grass, he wanted to fight against the Iwagakure army in the Land of Grass in advance. This mission would give Minato the opportunity to forge his legend.

The higher-ups of Konoha, after careful deliberation, agreed to the plan. The promise of support from the toads of Mount Myōboku tipped the balance in favor of this risky endeavor.

Now... The village leaders waited with expectation.

"I wonder what the outcome of Jiraiya's strategy will be."

Taking a deep puff on his pipe, Hiruzen exhaled a cloud of white smoke and continued with a sigh: "If we achieve victory, Minato 'The Yellow Flash of Konoha' and 'Light' will instantly surpass Luo Lei's prestige, becoming the undisputed heroes of the village of Konoha."

"It should succeed..." Danzō responded coldly, his gaze fixed on the bandages covering part of his body.

His dislike for both Minato, loyal to Hiruzen, and Luo Lei, who had injured him, was evident. However, if he had to choose, he preferred to see Minato rise and completely eclipse Luo Lei.

Koharu, taking a sip of hot tea, added: "If the toads of Mount Myōboku really intervene, victory is assured. It all depends on whether Minato knows how to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"This Luo Lei must be contained," Homura growled, gritting his teeth. "He killed the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, causing the Third Mizukage to declare war on our Konoha Village. I..."

"ENOUGH!" Hiruzen interrupted with a frown. "The Seven Swordsmen of the Mist were wreaking havoc in the Land of Fire. Their death was a consequence of their own actions."

Homura, not giving in, replied: "I don't care, the fault lies with Luo Lei. His recklessness in defying our limits... In other times, someone like that would have been eliminated long ago, if it weren't for the war."

"Calm down!" he exclaimed again. "You're letting your emotions cloud your judgment. Compromise is an art. Even if Luo Lei exceeds himself, we must seek to maximize our interests. If we can tolerate him, we must do so. If we can't, we still must find a way."

Homura opened his mouth to refute but finally fell silent.

Indeed, Luo Lei's growing power generated increasing discomfort and fear in Homura's heart. After all, he had been the one who contacted the Sunagakure ninjas to betray Luo Lei. Although Danzō had taken part of the blame, Homura remained frightened, fearing Luo Lei's return to Konoha.

Zas!

Suddenly, a flash of light illuminated the Hokage's office.

At that precise moment, space seemed to ripple, and two figures materialized in the middle of the room.

"They've returned..." Koharu murmured, her eyes narrowed with surprise and anticipation.

"It seems like a victory," Homura added, his voice laden with hope.

Hiruzen, Koharu, Homura, and Danzō leaned forward in their seats, their faces illuminated by a mixture of relief at seeing the familiar silhouettes of Jiraiya and Minato.

However, the atmosphere of triumph quickly dissipated when Hiruzen noticed something unusual. His eyes narrowed, focusing on Jiraiya's face.

"Jiraiya... what happened to your face?" he asked with concern. After a pause, he added incredulously: "Could it be that an Iwagakure ninja slapped you?"

"NO!!" Jiraiya exclaimed, rubbing his swollen cheeks. His expression visibly tensed as he tried to downplay the matter. "This is something that happened to me due to my own fault, it's just a small problem."

However, Hiruzen wasn't willing to let the topic go so easily. Turning his attention to Minato, whose face showed signs of exhaustion and concern, he demanded: "Minato, tell me. What really happened to Jiraiya's face? What's the situation in the Land of Grass? Did you achieve victory?"

Minato hesitated, his blue eyes reflecting an internal conflict.

Finally, with a bitter smile that contrasted with his usual optimism, he responded: "Yes... It was Luo Lei!"

The revelation fell like a bomb in the room. Hiruzen, in a fit of rage, hit his desk with such force that the scrolls and the special kunai jumped.

He stood up, radiating fury. "IT MAKES NO SENSE!" he roared. "Does Luo Lei not respect any rules?"

However, his anger quickly gave way to confusion.

He stopped, his mind processing the information. "Wait a moment..." he said, more to himself than to the others. "Do you mean that Luo Lei defeated Jiraiya?"

The realization hit Hiruzen like a cold wave. Something didn't add up. The war was supposed to start soon, yes, but against Iwagakure. It was logical to expect that it would be the Rock ninjas who might have confronted Jiraiya.

"Why did Luo Lei hit Jiraiya?" Hiruzen muttered, his voice laden with perplexity. "The timing doesn't make sense!"

"Minato, repeat it." After a few seconds of tense silence, Hiruzen addressed Minato with a somber expression.

"Is it possible that Luo Lei arrived in the Land of Grass earlier than expected with the Konoha army?"

"YES!" Minato nodded with a bitter smile, casting a look of compassion at Jiraiya before briefly narrating the events that led to his sensei's current situation.

Silence!

Upon learning the details, everyone was momentarily speechless.

The revelation that Luo Lei had eliminated the Five-Tails Jinchūriki, Han, was shocking. But what really left them stunned was learning that when Jiraiya tried to advise Luo Lei on how to proceed, the latter, in the heat of battle, slapped him with such force that it sent him flying.

The tension in that situation was palpable; it seemed that internal conflicts could erupt at any moment.

However, Jiraiya, guided by the will of fire and considering the overall situation, had chosen to safeguard the interests of the village of Konoha.

"Well done!" exclaimed Homura after a moment, approving Jiraiya's action. As expected from a good disciple of Hiruzen, Jiraiya had shown that one who has a master must be capable of being a master in turn.

"Jiraiya, you acted correctly," Koharu affirmed seriously, after taking a deep breath. "You didn't falter at a critical moment. Hiruzen really wasn't wrong in choosing you as a disciple. As expected from the Toad Sage, one of the Sannin."

"Yes, well done," added Danzō. Although internally he was rejoicing, he maintained a controlled expression of admiration, even going so far as to give Jiraiya a thumbs up in approval.

"As expected from my disciple," Hiruzen intervened, nodding with satisfaction as he looked at Jiraiya. "You are capable of enduring what common people cannot. Jiraiya, you have truly worked hard for Konoha."

________

Time: If you're craving more (and I know you are!), I have just what you need. On my Patreon, you'll find exclusive chapters. Join our community and be the first to discover what happens next!

👉 [patreon.com/Athome790]

Your support fuels me. Thank you for the support! 💖