Burned forest. Along with this sudden catastrophe that Akashi accidentally caused, and the clash of team Jiraiya against the entire troop of Iwa a week ago, the war has already begun.
Iwa crossed the land of grass. Kannabi bridge, the crucial structure that provided a way to the land of fire, has been seized.
And here, in the land of fire, Iwa began its advance, to find out the cause of the wipeout of the entire troop of ninjas, amounting to fifty-four in number alone.
"Seven burned corpses, buried under the charred tree. Speculated to be caused by a single Fire Release technique."
"From the information, enemy's leader is Jiraiya the Toad Sage. He does have a high proficiency over Fire Release."
"But it has been concluded that Jiraiya's involvement here is unlikely, for there are more evident signs of his feat at the site away from here. Time-wise, it doesn't make sense."
"Several decapitated corpses, serving as the evidence of a high mastery over Kenjusu."
"Fire Release and Kenjutsu. None of team Jiraiya, from what we are aware of, has the matching characteristic."
"The involvement of the fifth member? Or perhaps, more than one?"
"No other information found. The fifth member doesn't seem to be affiliated with Konoha."
"...Team Jiraiya's path overlapped with Tanzaku Quarters."
"According to the spy in Tanzaku Quarters, team Jiraiya, prior to their departure from Tanzaku Quarters, had a company. Just one."
"A teenager whose age seemed to be around 14 or so."
"Brown-haired. Lone blue-coloured eye. A scar on his lost right eye. Height is around 175cm. No skill related to ninja performed, but speculated to have hidden his strength."
"His name?"
One Iwa shinobi stood in front of two tied women, who were trembling in fear. These women were none other than the ones whom Jiraiya was shown to be mingling with in Tanzaku Quarters.
The Iwa shinobi pointed his kunai at one of the women.
"Speak."
"I-I..." The woman gulped, with her being unable to raise her head up from the ground.
"I heard it!" The other woman shouted with teary eyes, "Aka... Akashi! That's the name of that boy!"
"...I see. Akashi." The Iwa shinobi retracted his kunai and leaned away from two women.
"There is the chance of the boy being a member of black ops. He was perhaps given the mission of infiltration to Iwa—especially since his whereabouts currently is unknown."
It was a speculation for the most part. However, in the world of ninja full of deceits, it wasn't impossible. Perhaps they are off by a huge amount, but it didn't matter.
"Bounty." And the best approach for the sneaky ones, was to reveal them in the broad daylight, "Let's see how Konoha reacts."
With the thoughts having reached a resolution, the Iwa shinobi then began to walk out,
—with two women already dead due to the kunais deep in their skulls.
__________
"Jiraiya," Hiruzen, who was puffing smoke in the Hokage office with his gaze headed to the window outside, raised up a bingo book with his right hand, "Who's this boy?"
It was a drawing. Brown-haired boy, blue-coloured eye. Affiliated to Konohagakure. Name: Akashi.
"...I suppose it was impossible to conceal it." Jiraiya scratched the back of his head with annoyance.
'After all, I certainly didn't expect Akashi to be that strong already—he's just an 11-year-old kid!'
"That boy is part of the compensation that I made to Ame for our wrongdoings."
"What compensation, Jiraiya?" Hiruzen growled, "Enough with helping our enemies! Weren't those three that you groomed in Ame enough?!"
JIraiya's eyes narrowed, "You are the one who taught me the peace, Sarutobi-sensei. Just as how hatred repeats over and over, kindness too transmits. Giving one young boy what he needs to survive, isn't a wrongdoing."
"And we are in the middle of the war!" Hiruzen facepalmed, trying to calm himself down, "Haa... if your attachment to that boy doesn't allow you to dispose of him, you should've brought him here, Konohagakure, at the very least."
From Hiruzen's perspective, who had countless lives to protect for, he couldn't understand Jiraiya's action. Not only did he spend 3 years during the war teaching the orphans in Ame, but this time around, he willingly let go of the proficient shinobi, who would've been a valuable tool for the village.
"Why do we fight? You said that peace comes after the war, and that we fight to protect those precious to us. But..." Jiraiya said with an underlying anger, "Look at Tsunade. Her clan, her love, her family—they are all gone. Orochimaru is changing, with his talks of eternity and all that bulls***. After war, there is nothing but more war—what part of this is the will of fire?!"
"Jiraiya!!" Hiruzen said in an enraged tone, "What choice do we have than to fight, when it's the enemies who attack us first?!"
"Then why did you provoke them, why did this village use its power to suppress them and push to the brink—"
"Calm down, two of you." One man, Danzo, who was listening to the heated conversation between Hiruzen and Jiraiya, stepped forth and interrupted Jiraiya's words.
"It's not the time for us to fight among ourselves. Iwa has already taken over the northwest section of the land of fire. Our Daimyo has gone furious, and demanded that we strike back immediately. Along with Kiri and Kumo seeking a chance to attack as well, the talk of peace, Jiraiya," Danzo looked at Jiraiya and shook his head, "Is unfit at the current moment."
Danzo then turned to Hiruzen, "And you, Hiruzen, are worried about Ame's strengthening, and their potential alliance with the other villages to further push us to the brink."
Hiruzen listened Danzo stoically, before coming to sigh, "...Yes. We can't afford to produce more enemies, Danzo. It will lead to the eventual downfall of Konohagakure."
"Leave that matter to me." Danzo said in a monotone, "I will personally go to Ame and talk to Hanzo of the Salamander myself."
Hiruzen fell silent. He seemed thoughtful, with his hand holding onto his smoking pipe.
'This shrewd bast***...' Jiraiya's face wrinkled up into a deep frown, being unable to conceal his contempt for Danzo, 'I know what you've done, intentionally setting Konoha up as the enemy against the other nations, just so that Sarutobi-sensei would fail his job as the Hokage. Your goal isn't the village's prosperity, but a dirty ambition to wear that Hokage's hat for yourself.'
Jiraiya tried many times in the past, to convince Hiruzen, but it was to no avail. Besides, Tsunade and Orochimaru didn't seem to be interested in this matter at all.
'This village...'
At this point, Jiraiya couldn't help but think, 'Is it really worth it to protect?'
If there were so many enemies in the first place, perhaps this village isn't the 'justice' as Hiruzen claims. Jiraiya, in truth, barely held any attachment to Konohagakure.
"...Fine." Hiruzen finally replied to Danzo's suggestion, "I will leave the matter of Amegakure to you, Danzo. As for you, Jiraiya, call Orochimaru."
Hiruzen stood up with cold eyes, "We are going to war."
Jiraiya grimaced, 'The children will be sacrificed yet again, and more than ever this time around.'
This world truly was rotten, Jiraiya thought.
__________
"Akashi. Fire. Sword. What a coincidence, eh?"
Holding a bingo book, one man under a huge black cloak chuckled.
"It was literally impossible to find you, with the only information available being your assumed age and the types of swords that you have. But now,"
A drawing. Perhaps it wasn't accurate. But it was enough for Kakuzu, the professional bounty hunter.
"Brown-haired. Blue-eyed. Although the hair colour is fairly common, the eye certainly isn't."
Kakuzu placed his bingo book into his vest and wore his bamboo hat back. Standing up, he whispered to himself,
"Let's begin the hunt."