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"Go ahead, tell us!"
Minato and Nawaki nodded, determination etched on their faces. They had already uncovered so much—what harm was there in learning a little more? How Takuya knew all these secrets wasn't the issue anymore. What mattered was understanding just how deep the darkness ran in Konoha's leadership.
"Alright," Takuya began, with a hint of reluctance. He almost felt sorry for Nawaki.
"Here's the reality of it: The Uzumaki clan was always an ally of the Senju clan, not Konoha itself. The Konoha of today? The Senju are a relic of the past. Now, it's the Sarutobi clan that holds the reins, with the Shimura, the Koharu, and the Mito families in power."
"Why should they risk their own interests to help the allies of the Senju?" Takuya continued. "Wouldn't it be easier to just sit back, wait for the dust to settle, and then sweep in to claim everything? The Uzumaki clan's wealth, their secrets—Konoha needed those things."
"Think about it," he said, his voice darkening. "The Uzumaki clan hoarded countless valuable jutsu and sealing techniques—things Konoha desperately wanted. And they needed a new Jinchuriki, so they brought Kushina to the village. If not for that, even she wouldn't have survived."
The night was warm, but Minato and Nawaki felt a cold shiver run down their spines.
"So, when they started this war..." Nawaki began, his voice trailing off.
"That's the real reason," Takuya confirmed. "Because the people in charge of Konoha needed to maintain their grip on power. The Hidden Rain was growing too strong, too defiant. It was becoming a threat, so they decided to bring it down. They couldn't have other small villages thinking they could challenge the five great shinobi nations."
"And yes, the Hidden Rain did want war—that's true," Takuya continued. "But they weren't alone. The Sand, the Stone, the Cloud, even Konoha itself—they all had reasons to fight."
Takuya lay back on the grass, staring up at the moon and stars, a heavy sigh escaping his lips.
"It had been too long since the First Shinobi War," he said. "The villages had all recovered their strength, and the hawks among the leaders couldn't wait any longer. They saw war as a way to get what they needed for their villages."
"The Sand Village is the perfect example. They jumped at the chance to raid the Land of Fire as soon as Konoha and the Hidden Rain started fighting. They couldn't wait to seize what they could."
"Don't fool yourself into thinking the Hidden Rain, even with Hanzo leading them, could really threaten the great nations. The only thing they ever really threatened was the pride and the pockets of certain powerful individuals. Hanzo wasn't stupid; he knew better than to take on the big five directly."
Minato looked at Takuya, his eyes full of questions. "Is this why you've always kept your distance from the higher-ups? Because of all this?"
"What do you think?" Takuya replied with a smirk. "And don't think for a second they haven't been keeping an eye on me. On you, too. We've both been getting a little too close to Kushina, and she's the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails."
Takuya explained the concept of Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki to Minato, who broke out in a cold sweat as he listened.
What the hell is this? Minato thought, feeling the weight of this new knowledge. Getting close to a Jinchuriki could get you taken out? What kind of twisted logic is that?
Did that mean Kushina was supposed to be isolated, kept away from everyone? What would have happened if he'd done something to upset the wrong people? Would the ANBU have come for him?
And the Tailed Beast... that terrifying thing was sealed inside Kushina.
Suddenly, Minato found himself even more intimidated by her.
"Alright, that's enough for tonight," Takuya said, standing up and stretching. "Get some rest. Tomorrow, we'll contact Tsunade and figure out how to handle this situation. Then we can all relax a bit."
But Minato and Nawaki couldn't sleep, no matter how hard they tried. Takuya eventually left them by the campfire and took a walk around the area.
The people of the Hidden Grass Village hadn't been lying—there were indeed Stone Village ninja lurking in the Land of Grass. But they weren't looking to attack the village. There weren't even that many of them.
Takuya suspected they were there on some kind of mission.
As for the Hidden Grass Village itself, it was clear the Stone Village didn't see them as a threat.
The next day, Takuya took Nawaki to a secluded spot and summoned Manda. You had to hand it to the creatures of the Great Three Sage Lands—they were tough. Manda, who'd been beaten badly by Snowy, was already mostly healed.
As soon as Manda appeared, it eyed Takuya warily, but with a submissive air. Takuya raised a hand and said, "Alright, that's close enough. I summoned you to deliver this scroll to Orochimaru. During the war between the Hidden Rain and Konoha, if Orochimaru summons you, lend him a hand."
"Understood, master," Manda replied, swallowing the scroll and nodding its massive head, not daring to show even a hint of arrogance.
Takuya nudged Nawaki forward and said to Manda, "My friend here wants to sign a summoning contract with one of your kind. Do you know of any suitable snakes that are still growing? And what about a green snake? Does the Ryuchi Cave have one like that?"
Takuya described the green snake in more detail. At this time, it should still be young—perfect for Nawaki. The green snake had great potential; it could grow up to be as powerful as Manda.
Manda-level snakes were out of Nawaki's league, but Minato could aim for something like Gamabunta. Nawaki, however, had to start with a younger, more manageable snake.
As for the snakes of Ryuchi Cave, they were a ruthless bunch. You either had to dominate them with strength or start a contract with one when it was young and grow together.
"Green snake?" Manda mused. There were so many snakes in Ryuchi Cave, it was hard to keep track. And Manda lived deep within the cave, with a temperament that kept most snakes away from its territory.
"Master, I'll have to check on that," Manda said finally.
"Go ahead. If you can't find it, just pick a suitable snake for him to contract with. That's all I need from you," Takuya said, waving his hand dismissively. "You can go now."
Manda lowered its giant head respectfully before ending the summoning and returning to Ryuchi Cave. It quickly sent a smaller snake to deliver the scroll to Orochimaru and relay Takuya's instructions.
As Manda watched the messenger snake slither away, it couldn't help but follow Takuya's orders to the letter. It even told the little snake to inform Orochimaru that during the war in the Land of Rain, he could summon Manda for battle.
Meanwhile, in the depths of a forest, Orochimaru sat on the ground, gasping for breath as several grayish-brown snakes emerged from the earth. They quickly dispatched the two Hidden Rain ninja who had been attacking him, snapping their necks with lethal precision.
Nearby, Tsunade and Jiraiya weren't in much better shape. Tsunade was merely exhausted, but Jiraiya had taken a hit due to his carelessness, which had nearly driven Orochimaru to leave him behind. If Tsunade hadn't stopped him, Orochimaru might have done just that.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Jiraiya grumbled, clutching his wound. "If you'd been able to summon Manda, I wouldn't have gotten hurt. So really, it's your fault."
Orochimaru's face darkened, his fists clenching. He was seriously considering punching Jiraiya in the face.
You mess up, and it's somehow my fault for not being able to summon a creature? What kind of messed-up logic is that?
How the hell is this my problem?
Orochimaru was clearly holding himself back, and Jiraiya, sensing he'd pushed his luck, wisely shut his mouth. It might be fun to talk big for a moment, but push Orochimaru too far, and you'd find yourself six feet under. Jiraiya knew better than to test Orochimaru's patience—anyone who did quickly learned that Orochimaru was ruthless enough to sacrifice anyone, especially Jiraiya if it suited him.
Given the chance, Orochimaru wouldn't hesitate to leave Jiraiya behind.
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