Chapter 308: Jiraiya's Worries

The Mizukage's office building had been completely obliterated!

If this had happened in Konoha, every shinobi in the village would be in an uproar.

"I took down the Mizukage's office and a few other major buildings. I didn't pay attention to what they were for, though — that old guy from the Hōzuki Clan and his men were chasing me everywhere, so by the end, I didn't really notice where I was targeting. In short, the damage is severe. Mist Village is bound to go ballistic; I wouldn't be surprised if this brings out their more ruthless side."

"Our mission's complete, right? We did more than expected, I'd say," Takuya commented.

Jiraiya chuckled, "Mission complete, no doubt. This is exactly the outcome Orochimaru wanted, after all. It's his problem now, not mine. You two should rest up, then head back to the coastal camp."

"Back to the coastal camp?" Minato asked, confused.

Takuya shrugged, gesturing toward Jiraiya. "He's worried about complications. The camp here in the Land of Whirlpools is just a secondary base with a smaller group of shinobi. The coastal camp is the primary one. Since I caused such a stir in Mist Village, if they find out I'm here, they might go all-out to storm the camp."

Jiraiya balked. "Hey, don't put words in my mouth! It's not that I'm afraid. This was Orochimaru's call — he said that with the mission complete, Mist would be after you two specifically. Going back to the coastal camp would help draw their attention, but it's not because I'm scared or sending you away to avoid the enemy!"

I'm not taking the blame for this!

"Are you sure you're not afraid?" Takuya teased, drawing out the words.

"Absolutely not!" Jiraiya said, slapping his chest confidently.

Minato shook his head, suppressing a laugh. Sensei, can't you see he's just messing with you? He walked right into it, just like Takuya planned.

"Cheeky brat…" Jiraiya finally caught on, seeing Minato's grin and realizing he'd been played.

"Alright, go rest, both of you. Head out for the coastal camp at dawn."

After leaving the command center, Takuya and Minato returned to their tent, where Nawaki, who had been fast asleep, jolted awake the moment they entered. Seeing it was them, he relaxed and started drifting back off, only to sit up suddenly.

"Did you finish the mission?" he asked.

"Overachieved, actually. Mist Village is in shambles. Don't go back to sleep; pack up. We're heading back to the coastal camp tomorrow," Takuya said, patting Nawaki's shoulder. He threw a few logs into the fire pit, setting up some beef to cook. After a long night, they deserved a good meal.

While Takuya tended the fire, Nawaki turned his attention to Minato. He was too eager to know the details, and Minato, tired as he was, ended up recounting the entire mission.

"Agh! I knew I should've gone with you!" Nawaki groaned. "That would've been amazing to see, and I missed out!"

"Next time, for sure," Minato laughed, though Nawaki just looked crestfallen. A next time? Yeah, right. These kinds of chances are once-in-a-lifetime.

"Orochimaru should be at ease now," Jiraiya muttered as he relayed the mission update to Orochimaru. At last, he could lean back and enjoy a cup of tea.

It had been a stressful time, no doubt.

Yet despite his relief, Jiraiya couldn't shake his worries. Orochimaru had changed lately, developing a growing animosity toward Sakumo Hatake. It was clear to Jiraiya that Orochimaru had his eye on the position of Hokage, or maybe even planned to claim the Fourth Hokage role.

Just because Jiraiya wasn't concerned with these matters didn't mean he was blind to them.

They had grown up together, risking their lives side by side countless times. If Orochimaru wanted to be Hokage, Jiraiya would support him. But with Danzō now in the picture, things had become complicated.

Danzō was no saint, and everyone knew it. Orochimaru had despised Danzō once. Now, for some reason, they were working together. No one could have predicted this.

Jiraiya's emotions were torn. Supporting Orochimaru had once seemed natural, but his alliance with Danzō changed everything.

Especially with the growing animosity toward Sakumo.

The worst part? The Third Hokage had agreed to it.

"What are you thinking, Sensei?" Jiraiya wondered aloud.

Since the Second Great Ninja War had started, the Third Hokage's decisions had become increasingly baffling. Jiraiya couldn't make sense of them.

Fortunately, things had stabilized when Tsunade took over the logistics division, handling internal affairs decisively. Issues that had plagued the leadership quickly faded.

Jiraiya had been content, at least for a while. But not for long — now, new problems were surfacing.

"If only Tsunade would become the Fourth Hokage," Jiraiya mused. Whether it was Tsunade or Orochimaru, Jiraiya didn't mind. He just wanted strong leadership for Konoha.

But with Danzō pulling Orochimaru into his schemes, Jiraiya felt Tsunade was the better choice.

As for Sakumo… the odds were stacked against him. The moment he lost the upper-level support, his chances had essentially vanished.

Convincing Tsunade to pursue the role of Hokage, though, was easier said than done. For now, she had no interest whatsoever.

"Maybe I should talk to Takuya about it," he thought.

With the Third Hokage's questionable decisions and Danzō's shadow over the leadership, it was clear the elders held too much power, and it wasn't benefiting the village.

Sakumo no longer had a shot.

Orochimaru was tangled up with Danzō.

Right now, the best solution was to push someone truly powerful to the forefront to change everything — to steer Konoha toward a brighter future.