"Sensei, even if you don't trust Nine-Tails' sensing ability, you should at least believe in the Great Toad Sage's prophecy," Jiraiya said seriously.
Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled deeply and leaned back in his chair.
"Jiraiya, do you know... Yugao has always been diligent and responsible."
"Exactly because of that, she deserves caution. If she plans something in the future, no one will be prepared."
Hiruzen shook his head with a sigh, pushing past memories aside.
"Besides Nine-Tails' sensing ability, would they have other obvious differences from ordinary people?"
"...I don't think so," Jiraiya hesitated. "Maybe the Jinchuriki's power could suddenly skyrocket?"
"Heh heh," Hiruzen let out an ambiguous chuckle.
"So you still don't believe me," Jiraiya said, his voice heavy with disappointment.
"It's not that I don't believe you," Hiruzen frowned. "What good is it if only I believe you?"
"How do you expect others to believe you? You want to tell them that the family members, companions, or colleagues they interact with daily might suddenly become people who will destroy the world, so you must eliminate them, kill those they cherish?"
"How could you expect them to believe that? Do you understand how others would react?"
"Yes, the villagers will think exactly as Yugao described."
"How come you can't grasp this reasoning? Jiraiya, you've traveled the world and made many friends. Have all the lessons you learned during those years really meant nothing?"
Toward the end, Hiruzen sounded deeply disappointed, his voice turning harsher.
Jiraiya remained silent.
"That..." He paused, swallowed some words, then continued, "What else did the Great Toad Sage tell you?"
Jiraiya opened his mouth but hesitated before speaking.
Hiruzen sighed again.
After a long silence, Jiraiya suddenly spoke up, "Besides Yugao Uzuki... there are others..."
Hiruzen raised his eyebrows toward him.
"Hinata Hyuga, and..."
Before Jiraiya finished his sentence, there was a loud bang—"PENG!"
Hiruzen slammed his desk hard as he stood up abruptly, his expression stern, "JIRAIYA, STAY CALM!"
"Sensei, I know right now you're the one who needs to stay calm," Jiraiya replied helplessly.
"She's different from Yugao."
Although Yugao Uzuki carries a surname, she isn't actually from any notable ninja clan—her family used to flourish generations ago, but now they've declined, making her basically a commoner by birth. All her connections and resources were granted by Hiruzen himself.
What he had given, he could just as easily take back whenever he wanted.
But Hinata was different.
She's the crown jewel of the Hyuga clan — born into an ancient bloodline, with status most people can only dream of.
If Jiraiya dared to move against her, it could trigger political turmoil across Konoha.
The ninja world Jiraiya wanted to protect was important—but so was his beloved Konoha!
Seeing Hiruzen's expression becoming increasingly agitated, Jiraiya simply walked out of the Hokage's office.
"Jiraiya, stay calm."
"Don't go to the Hyuga Clan." Hiruzen Sarutobi shouted behind him.
"I know..."
"Summon someone..."
Just as Hiruzen was about to order the Anbu to follow Jiraiya to prevent any reckless actions, he suddenly realized he had already dismissed the Anbu who were accompanying him.
Eventually, he turned toward Naruto, who was still following Jiraiya but hadn't left the door yet. "Naruto, keep an eye on him!"
Naruto hesitated for a moment and then nodded.
After both of them left, Hiruzen puffed heavily on his pipe in his office.
When he felt slightly better, he opened the Anbu records and turned to Yugao Uzuki's file.
He thought for a while, then picked up his brush and added a few more words:
Assassination attempt on the Hokage, S-rank rogue ninja.
A long time later, Hiruzen muttered softly, "I was hoping his return would help—but all he's done so far is cause me trouble."
Reflecting on Jiraiya's behavior, he felt puzzled: "Could Jiraiya possibly be under a Genjutsu (illusion technique)? I raised him myself from childhood. Why does he trust those frogs more than me?"
Thinking back to Hinata Hyuga, whom Jiraiya had mentioned earlier, his mind drifted back three years.
"If Hinata Hyuga really is connected to Kaguya Otsutsuki as Jiraiya claimed, then the killer very well could be her. Trouble, all trouble. Sigh..."
The Anbu trio who had been on the same team as Yugao Uzuki returned to the Anbu base for treatment.
The Anbu base possessed comprehensive infrastructure and even had medical ninja always on standby, so injured Anbu didn't need to go to Konoha Infirmary to compete with others for medical resources.
"Why did this happen today?"
"Why did Jiraiya-sama fight with Captain Yugao Uzuki?"
"Will Captain Yugao ever come back?"
"Speak less. Don't talk about this matter anymore."
As they spoke, Sarutobi Torune approached wearing his Anbu mask.
"I'll assign new missions for you."
"Yes, Director," the three responded together with their heads bowed.
"Hmph." Sarutobi Torune nodded, quite satisfied with their attitude.
At this moment, one of them hesitated with his eyes for a while before finally couldn't help but ask, "Director, what will happen to Captain Yugao?"
He was also the one who had previously defended Yugao Uzuki in front of the Third Hokage.
Torune's expression darkened. "She is no longer an Anbu member, let alone your captain. All of you must remember—she is a rogue ninja."
The other two lowered their heads even further.
But the questioner seemed dissatisfied and continued, "Why? I don't understand. What problem does Captain Yugao have? She has always stayed beside the Hokage. If she had any hidden motives, she could've acted already. Why wouldn't she attack us then?"
"She dared raise her hand against the Hokage today—you all saw it yourselves."
"But that had its reasons! Clearly, she was forced into it. If not for..."
"Silence!" Before he finished speaking, Sarutobi Torune roared angrily. "You're no longer an Anbu member either."
Furious, the man scoffed bitterly, ripped off his mask, and threw it onto the ground.
His Anbu vest and weapons were also tossed onto the floor.
"Fine by me then!"
"Very well," he said, turning and walking away from the Anbu base.
Sarutobi Torune coldly watched his retreating figure before asking the two standing beside him, "Who trained him?"
"It was Captain Yugao's squad…Yugao Uzuki. After we lost a comrade in battle, she recruited him personally and brought him up."
Sarutobi Torune said nothing, falling silent at once.
The other two exchanged glances, then suddenly spoke in unison: "Chief, I request to resign from my Anbu duties."
"I will inform Hokage-sama of this," Torune replied tonelessly. "Remember the rules of Anbu—regardless of whether you're still members or not, you cannot leak any information about this place."
He nodded coldly in agreement.
Then, those two left behind all the items assigned by Anbu, showing far more respect in handling the matter than the previous one who had walked out.
He destroyed everything they left behind, his heart filled with equal parts contempt and fury.
"Leave! All of you just leave! There'll never be a shortage of people willing to take your place!"
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>