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On their way back, Yoichi couldn't help but think about how the cunning Sage of Six Paths managed to seize the moment to strike. The Sage had hidden his chakra within Jiraiya, and the amount of chakra accumulated was immense.
Recalling the battle earlier, Yoichi realized that the Sage wielded chakra rivaling that of Kaguya herself. He found it hard to believe this feat could be achieved without the assistance of Mount Myōboku. The chakra was ten times stronger than that of Hashirama.
As Kaguya used Heaven's Subjugation to transfer them back to the ninja world, she expended a large amount of chakra, furrowing her brow. Chakra was her lifeblood, and despite Yoichi's promise to deal with the Ōtsutsuki clan, she still felt uneasy about wasting so much of it.
"Lord Yoichi."
"Yoichi-kun!"
"Fifth Hokage!"
The moment they returned, a group of Konoha's leaders and shinobi rushed over, concerned for Yoichi's safety. As the driving force behind Konoha's unification and reforms, Yoichi was the village's very soul.
"I'm fine. Rumi, Kurenai, take charge of the situation at the Hokage Tower and direct the Security Forces to reassure the village. Meet me at the tower afterward. The rest of you, come with me."
Yoichi's words left no room for argument. Even Orochimaru, who was present, received a nod from Yoichi, indicating that they would need his input regarding the Ōtsutsuki clan, particularly what he had learned from his experiments with Ōtsutsuki Urashiki.
Before leaving, Yoichi glanced at the massive crater in front of the village, created by the explosion of a Truth-Seeking Ball. He raised his hand and used Earth Release to fill the pit, then regrew the trees with Wood Release, repairing the landscape.
His thoughts briefly turned to Hagoromo, adding another reason to curse the man.
Back at the Hokage's office, Yoichi began recounting the events that had transpired, starting from the Infinite Tsukuyomi. The series of events that had unfolded in less than a day shocked even his closest allies, including Tsunade, Mikoto, and Mina. They were left in disbelief.
Few had anticipated the rapid succession of world-changing events. Everyone cast discreet glances at Kaguya. It was hard to reconcile her cold, regal beauty with the fact that she was the legendary Rabbit Goddess, an alien from a distant past. And now, she served as Yoichi's protector.
However, the matter of Kaguya was quickly set aside as the room's attention shifted to the more pressing concern: the threat posed by the rest of the Ōtsutsuki clan. After all, if Kaguya herself feared them, how powerful could they be?
Tobirama, ever pragmatic, asked, "Fifth Hokage, was that man who tried to steal the Nine Tails and my brother's chakra also an Ōtsutsuki?"
"Yes. His name was Ōtsutsuki Urashiki, likely the weakest of the clan. He's still alive, but he's been sealed in Orochimaru's lab."
Everyone turned to look at Orochimaru, who simply nodded before speaking. "The research is going well. It appears this creature can adapt to various Kekkei Genkai. With our findings, Konoha could soon produce a generation of shinobi with Kekkei Genkai abilities."
Even though Urashiki had lost his Rinnegan, his body remained a treasure trove of genetic material. In the short time Orochimaru had been experimenting, the results were promising. He found that by fusing Urashiki's cells with other Kekkei Genkai, he could transfer those abilities to ordinary shinobi.
For instance, using Haku's Ice Release as a test case, an ordinary shinobi could inherit Ice Release powers rivaling those of the Yuki clan from Kirigakure. However, today was not a research presentation, so Yoichi cut Orochimaru short after a brief explanation.
"According to the information Kaguya provided, aside from Urashiki, there are three other Ōtsutsuki we must deal with: Momoshiki, Kinshiki, and the hidden threat of Isshiki, who is lurking somewhere in the ninja world. I'll have the ANBU gather intelligence and distribute it when the time comes."
Yoichi paused briefly before continuing, "However, when hunting for Isshiki, we must be discreet. He's lived for over a thousand years, and if he gets wind of our movements, he might switch bodies and hide again."
Finding a perfect vessel for Isshiki's full power was difficult, but switching to an imperfect host wasn't beyond him. If forced into hiding as a commoner, Isshiki could evade capture for decades, and Konoha would be powerless unless they scrutinized every citizen of the ninja world.
"We'll need to deploy elite members of the ANBU and Security Forces. Ordinary shinobi would likely be detected by him."
Sakumo stroked his chin and suggested, "Perhaps we should form a dedicated intelligence unit, similar to Root."
"Good idea, Fourth Hokage. I'll leave that task to you," Yoichi replied, seizing the opportunity to delegate.
"Wait—hold on, Fifth Hokage, I think—"
"As a former ANBU member, you're the most qualified. I'll assign Kakashi to assist you. That settles it."
Before Sakumo could protest, Yoichi quickly roped Kakashi into the task, leaving Sakumo with no room to argue.
"Now that that's settled, let's move on to the next matter, Fifth Hokage," Tobirama interjected, subtly helping reinforce the decision.
"What about the Sage of Six Paths? And Jiraiya? What was his role in all this?" Tobirama asked, his gaze shifting to Yoichi.
Yoichi summoned an ANBU member to fetch Jiraiya from the Konoha Hospital. He had saved Jiraiya's life earlier, and the man should be conscious by now.
It didn't take long before Jiraiya, looking weary, was brought in by the ANBU.
"Fifth Hokage," Jiraiya greeted the room, his eyes scanning the faces around him. Most of the room looked at him with confusion or concern. Tobirama's expression was scrutinizing, and Tsunade's face betrayed a mix of disdain and wariness. Her cold gaze hurt Jiraiya deeply.
"Do you remember what happened earlier?" Yoichi asked calmly.
"I… I remember some of it," Jiraiya replied, rubbing the spot on his chest where Hagoromo had pierced him. The memory of that pain was still fresh.
"It wasn't me in control, Fifth Hokage."
"I know. But you should also know that the attack on me had a lot to do with Mount Myōboku, possibly even orchestrated by them."
The room, including Hiruzen and Shikaku, gasped in shock. Many were unaware of the full details.
"Mount Myōboku must be eradicated," Yoichi continued, his voice resolute. "Not a single toad will be spared. But before that, I need to know—are you a shinobi of Konoha, or a contract-holder of Mount Myōboku?"
"Wait—Fifth Hokage, I don't believe Mount Myōboku is involved. They're simply a summoning sanctuary and haven't interfered with the ninja world in centuries."
"They haven't interfered? What about the prophecy of the Child of Prophecy? They've had you running around, chasing their so-called chosen one. When did the toads start dictating human destiny?"
Yoichi's sharp words left Jiraiya speechless, his head hanging in shame. The prophecy had led him astray for years, and Yoichi's accusations hit a nerve.
"But…" Jiraiya tried to argue, but Yoichi cut him off. "This isn't up for debate, Jiraiya. I know better than you do what role Mount Myōboku played in this. They attacked me, and now they must face the consequences.
"If you aren't willing to help destroy Mount Myōboku, you can no longer call yourself a Konoha shinobi."
This was the ultimatum. Jiraiya's heart raced. How could he choose? Konoha had been his home for as long as he could remember. It was here that he became one of the Sannin, trained his students, and formed lifelong bonds. Yet without Mount Myōboku, he was nothing—a failure who could never surpass Orochimaru.
Jiraiya struggled to find his voice. "Fifth Hokage… I cannot raise my hand against Mount Myōboku. There must be some misunderstanding… Please, give me a chance to investigate."
"Shisui, have the sealing team lock Jiraiya's chakra. As of now, Jiraiya is no longer a shinobi of Konoha."
Yoichi's voice was final. He had anticipated Jiraiya's misguided loyalty to Mount Myōboku and saw no point in further debate.
"Fifth Hokage—" Hiruzen started to object, but Yoichi shot him down with a single statement. "Third Hokage, as long as Jiraiya stands with the village, I'm willing to retract my decision."
Hiruzen knew his student well. Jiraiya was the most stubborn of his disciples, never backing down from his choices. To expect him to turn against Mount Myōboku was impossible.
"Come with me, Jiraiya," Shisui said, approaching Jiraiya. The respect Shisui once had for the Sannin had vanished. Any shinobi who wouldn't stand with Konoha was not worthy of Shisui's respect.
Jiraiya, dejected, followed Shisui out of the room without resistance. Even at his peak, he doubted he could match Shisui's prowess. And with every powerful shinobi of the village present, trying to escape would be sheer folly.
Once Jiraiya had been led away, Yoichi turned to Hashirama. "Before Kaguya's resurrection, it was Uchiha Madara who was collecting the tailed beasts. Now that Madara has been neutralized, you can decide how to handle him. I'll have the ANBU take you to him shortly."
Madara, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure—all those issues needed resolution. Yoichi suspected that Ōnoki was either dead or incapacitated, leaving the other villages weakened.
Apart from Konoha's Nine-Tails and Two-Tails, the other tailed beasts had already been absorbed by Kaguya. Soon, their consciousnesses would fade entirely. Even if separated again, they would be new creatures, and Yoichi had no intention of letting that happen.
With that, the meeting adjourned, and Yoichi dismissed the room. Tsunade, Mikoto, and Mina left, knowing they could ask questions later. They understood Yoichi's priorities and would wait until he was less occupied.
Once alone, Yoichi turned to Kurenai. "Are the Snake Princess still in the village?"
Kurenai thought for a moment. "I saw Tagitsuhime earlier, but I'm not sure about the others. Shall I have the ANBU locate them?"
"Yes. Bring Tagitsuhime and Tagorihime. Summoning Technique!"
With a quick slice of his finger, Yoichi summoned the blue-haired snake loli, Ichikishimahime, who appeared on his desk with a puff of smoke.
Before Yoichi could speak, she crossed her arms and huffed, "I suppose you only summon me when you're in trouble. If there weren't a crisis, you wouldn't even think of me."
"That's how summoning works, isn't it? Don't be so upset."
Yoichi shrugged, ignoring her attitude. "I'll explain everything when the others arrive. By the way, how often do the snakes of Ryūchi Cave eat? I mean all the snakes."
"Eat? Ordinary snakes eat about once every ten days. The more intelligent ones eat more frequently. As for the three of us, we can go decades without food."
Ichikishima-hime counted on her fingers before looking up and asking, "Why do you ask?"
"Nothing serious. Just make sure to inform the others. From now on, all the snakes in Ryūchi Cave should refrain from eating for at least a month."
(End of Chapter)
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