'The five ninja from Root?'
Yagami thought to himself: 'With me there, don't you worry—they've all gone exactly where they belong. Not a single one missing.'
Aloud, Yagami said, "At the time, I was smashed deep into the earth by Uchiha Madara's Wood Dragon. The battlefield shifted from the surface to the sub-surface; I was engaged with the roots of his Wood Style. As for the five Root ninja, I have no idea what became of them."
No one could blame the Fox. He had volunteered to hold the rear. If Jiraiya and Lynx could make it back, why couldn't K? Perhaps K simply needed to reflect on his own inadequacies.
K and his four recruits had all perished in the Land of Rain. The reconstruction of Root had collapsed once again.
How tragic.
Danzo glanced at Jiraiya, his eyes brimming with fury. He turned back to Yagami. "Fox, we know the general situation of the mission. Tell us your assessment."
Yagami caught the hostility Danzo held for Jiraiya and immediately began adding fuel to the fire:
"I believe this severe loss could have been avoided! Lord Jiraiya remained in the Rain Village specifically to teach three orphans ninjutsu—one of whom was an Uzumaki remnant. If Lord Jiraiya had reported earlier that an Uzumaki remnant was his disciple, we wouldn't have been caught so off-guard by the person backing that boy. Uchiha Madara, for whatever reason, is secretly supporting the remnant. They have joined forces!
The Uzumaki remnant undoubtedly hates the Leaf, and so does Uchiha Madara—his hatred is likely even greater. On the surface, Nagato is Jiraiya's disciple; in reality, he is more likely the disciple of Uchiha Madara! Even the previous losses suffered by Root, the Shimura clan, and the Sarutobi clan could have been acts of revenge by this remnant, backed by Madara!"
Yagami's words acted like a final nail in the coffin, providing the most "logical" explanation for everything. Who else would have the audacity to target the Leaf's Root, the Shimura clan, and even kill a rising talent of the Sarutobi clan? If the culprit was Uchiha Madara, everything made sense. Madara had the power to dismantle the Leaf; after all, he had helped build half of it.
Yagami thought: 'Madara, you're dying soon anyway, so go ahead and take the fall for this one.' As for Madara refuting it—would the village believe a legendary traitor or their own loyal ANBU Division Commander?
Jiraiya snapped up from the sofa, glaring at the Fox. But remembering how the Fox had risked his life to hold the rear, he couldn't bring himself to say Yagami was targeting him on purpose. He turned to the other elders:
"I have something to say! How could I have imagined the village would make an enemy of the Uzumaki clan? If you elders don't speak of it, who would guess the Leaf secretly orchestrated the clan's destruction?"
The Third roared, "Silence, Jiraiya!"
The shouting match between master and student left the office in a stunned silence. Yagami mused that the actions of the high-ranking officials were finally starting to alienate some of the Leaf's own.
Jiraiya was a traditional ninja—traditional in combat, traditional in faith. His ideals were the closest to the First Hokage's era.
Jiraiya's disappointment represented a fracture in the village's long-standing propaganda. The Leaf always preached bonds, sacrifice, and obedience, while the elders were actually exploiting those sacrifices.
Jiraiya was feeling that cognitive dissonance now. The village claimed the Uzumaki were their most important allies—their crest was on every flak jacket—yet the village's behavior regarding their demise was suspicious at best. He was beginning to re-evaluate the village, his mentors, and himself.
The Third's voice was firm and stern:
"The destruction of the Uzumaki clan was a tragedy born of greed! After the First founded the village, he distributed the Three-Tails and Six-Tails to the Hidden Mist to maintain a balance of power. The Mist's sealing techniques were poor, and the Three-Tails remained wild for a long time. The Uzumaki saw an opportunity and attempted to seize the Three-Tails for themselves.
This action not only disrupted the First's grand design but invited the Mist's retaliation. The Leaf sent over 2,000 ninja in a desperate relief effort, but we were one step too late. Who could have predicted the Third Mizukage would personally go to the Whirlpool? Who would have thought the Mist would trade away a major port just to secure the Cloud's help in wiping out the Whirlpool?
Jiraiya! The Leaf's only failure was underestimating the Mist's resolve and failing to arrive in time. Other than the Leaf, who else would have sent 2,000 ninja to save them?"
Jiraiya hesitated, wondering if he had misjudged them, but then looked up. "Then why didn't the survivors come to the Leaf for refuge? There must be a reason for that!"
Danzo, loathing Jiraiya's defiance, spat:
"Enough! Stop debating the pointless history of a dead clan! The Uzumaki were greedy and ungrateful; instead of seeking revenge on the Mist, their remnants target the Leaf at every turn! They deserved their fate! The issue here is that Jiraiya failed to report his disciples' identities, leading to a massive intelligence failure for Root and the ANBU.
He took an Uzumaki as a student, and when we moved to secure him, Jiraiya interfered! If he hadn't delayed the Fox, how could Root have taken such a hit? These stray dogs are serving Uchiha Madara! Jiraiya, you must take responsibility for the catastrophic losses of Root and the ANBU!"
Yagami thought: 'Keep going, keep fighting. Where are the personal insults? Where are the bitter curses? Bring out the family-swearing already!'
Jiraiya wouldn't back down. "How am I supposed to be responsible? If you hadn't come to kidnap Nagato, you wouldn't have suffered losses!"
"And if we didn't? Should we wait for you to train him so he can march on the Leaf for revenge?"
In the original timeline, Nagato did exactly that. Jiraiya's mercy had indeed created a powerful enemy. His eventual death at Nagato's hands was, in a sense, atonement for that mistake.
"Jiraiya!" Danzo barked. "You stayed in the Rain Village without authorization, ignored the Second Ninja War, and turned a blind eye to the deaths of countless Genin and Chunin! You are a rogue ninja! Such behavior from any other ninja would have you labeled a traitor! You taught the village's enemy and took him as a disciple! Any other ninja would have been executed by now! ANBU! Apprehend him!"
Yagami perked up. 'Now we're talking.'
Evil as he was, Danzo wasn't wrong on the technicalities. If Yagami had pulled a stunt like that, he'd have been hunted down long ago. Letting a Sannin slide because he was the Third's favorite was a luxury no one else had.
Before anyone else could move, a heated Jiraiya began weaving signs. His hair lengthened, poised to strike at Danzo.