Back to the present—
Jiraiya stood in front of Shinnosuke.
The cold wind moved through the forest quietly while the tension between both sides continued rising.
Right now, he could not allow Toyoma and the other Uchiha to touch Shinnosuke.
Otherwise—
Explaining this situation back inside the village would become far more difficult.
Toyoma looked at Jiraiya calmly.
"Elder Jiraiya... don't you think shielding a war criminal is the wrong thing to do?"
His voice was calm, but every word carried pressure.
"Or are you willing to overlook his crimes simply because he is your teacher's son?"
Raizen and Genzo also looked toward Jiraiya silently, waiting for his answer.
If Jiraiya truly decided to shield Sarutobi Shinnosuke and his teammate—
Then they would have no choice but to fight.
They could not allow this bastard to return to the village and spread rumours about the Uchiha.
Jiraiya could feel everyone's eyes on him.
For a moment, he looked toward Shinnosuke.
Then toward Toyoma.
The pressure in the surroundings became heavier.
"I'm not shielding him."
Jiraiya finally spoke.
"But you are not the one who gets to decide his punishment."
His voice remained firm.
"It is the village that will decide what punishment he deserves."
Deep down, Jiraiya already understood something clearly.
Protecting Shinnosuke completely was impossible now.
And if he tried forcing the issue further—
Things would only become worse.
The best outcome now was to let the village handle Shinnosuke officially.
But the moment Jiraiya finished speaking—
Shinnosuke immediately shouted angrily.
"Jiraiya! The ones who should be punished are these Uchiha, not me!"
His face twisted slightly from panic and frustration.
"They're the ones who interfered with ANBU work!"
Shinnosuke could not let the Uchiha walk away freely.
No matter what—
They had to share the blame for attacking ANBU and interfering with their mission.
Otherwise...
If he alone was held responsible—
He would lose his position as ANBU captain.
'No... I can't let that happen...'
The thought alone made his chest tighten.
Toyoma quietly looked at Shinnosuke's almost desperate expression.
Then he spoke calmly once again.
"I cannot leave the decision entirely to the village."
The forest became quiet.
"At this battlefield, we Uchiha are responsible for overseeing this area."
Toyoma's eyes narrowed slightly.
"And what he did is connected to us, even if indirectly."
Then he looked directly at Shinnosuke.
"So he will go through trial here first."
His voice remained cold and steady.
"And he will answer in front of every shinobi stationed at this camp."
The atmosphere instantly became tense again.
Then Toyoma slowly turned toward Might Duy.
The anger in his expression softened slightly.
"And Might-senior should also be present there."
Everyone's attention shifted toward Duy.
"So people understand that even while facing the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist alone..."
Toyoma paused briefly.
"...this senior still protected our supplies so that Konoha shinobi would not starve on the battlefield."
Then, for the first time since the confrontation began—
Toyoma lowered his head slightly.
"Thank you, Senior Might."
The forest suddenly became quiet.
Even Jiraiya looked slightly surprised.
Nearby, Suki carefully helped Duy sit up from the ground.
Duy looked at Toyoma with slightly widened eyes.
Then slowly—
His eyes became a little teary.
Jiraiya heard Toyoma's words and slowly looked toward Shinnosuke.
Shinnosuke had gone completely silent now.
His face looked stiff like a statue.
Even his breathing had become uneven.
Jiraiya frowned slightly.
"He should be judged by the village."
His voice was lower this time.
"Why do you have to take things this far?"
But the moment he asked that—
Jiraiya suddenly understood something after seeing the faint smile on Toyoma's face.
A cold realisation flashed through his mind.
"Because he is the Hokage's son."
"And people like him could destroy the truth itself just to protect their image."
Toyoma said those exact words that he feared.
The thought alone made Jiraiya's expression darken slightly.
Still...
Toyoma's constant, sharp way of speaking continued to irritate him.
'This brat really doesn't know how to filter his words...'
Jiraiya thought to himself with annoyance.
Then suddenly—
A shocked voice broke the tense silence.
"How is that possible?!"
Suki exclaimed while checking Might Duy's body.
Toyoma and Jiraiya immediately looked toward her.
Suki's expression had completely changed.
Shock.
Disbelief.
And pity.
She slowly looked toward Toyoma.
"Senior Duy has multiple fractures all over his body..."
Her voice became heavier as she continued examining him.
"But the most shocking thing is his arms and legs."
The surrounding atmosphere suddenly became quiet again.
Suki's fingers trembled slightly.
"The bones inside them are shattered into many small pieces."
For a moment—
Nobody spoke.
Even Might Guy froze after hearing her words.
Suki looked at Duy with pity in her eyes.
"He..."
She paused briefly.
"...he may have to spend the rest of his life lying in bed."
The words fell heavily across the silent forest.
"Right now... his body is barely holding together."
Shock spread across everyone's faces instantly.
Might Guy stared at Suki with widened eyes.
His fingers slowly tightened around his father's shoulder.
"W-What do you mean...?"
His voice trembled slightly.
Suki lowered her gaze for a moment before speaking quietly,
"The damage inside his body is too severe."
Her expression became complicated.
"His muscles, bones, and chakra pathways are all heavily damaged."
Then she looked toward Duy again.
"Honestly... he should not even be conscious right now."
Guy froze completely after hearing that.
Beside him, his teammates looked down silently.
Even Jiraiya's expression darkened.
He had already guessed the Eight Gates would leave terrible damage behind.
But even he had not expected it to become this severe.
Meanwhile, Duy himself simply laughed weakly.
"Hahaha... looks like my youth was a little too explosive."
Despite the pain clearly visible on his face—
He still smiled.
Guy lowered his head.
His eyes had already turned red.
"Dad..."
His voice sounded choked.
Duy slowly raised his shaking hand and placed it on Guy's head.
"Why are you making that face, Guy?"
Even lifting his arm looked painful now.
"A man should never cry after witnessing the flames of youth."
His voice had become weaker than before.
But the warmth inside it remained the same.
Guy bit his lips tightly.
His shoulders trembled slightly.
Nearby, even Raizen and Genzo had fallen silent.
The earlier hostility in the atmosphere had weakened after hearing about Duy's condition.
Toyoma quietly looked toward Might Duy.
The injured man was barely able to move anymore.
Yet even now—
There was still pride on his face.
'...Well, that's a person who proved his worth through nothing but hard work.'
Toyoma thought silently.
For a long time, he had always wondered about something.
Why was a man capable of pushing back the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist never famous in the future?
Someone with such strength should have shaken the entire shinobi world.
Yet history barely remembered him.
Then Toyoma's gaze slowly shifted toward Shinnosuke.
And suddenly—
Everything became clear.
'His existence was in the way of the ANBU captain.'
A faint smile appeared on Toyoma's face.
Now all the dots are connected.
Even if a new Hokage was chosen in the future—
So what?
The ANBU captain would remain the Hokage's son.
And people like Might Duy...
people without status, clan, or political backing...
would quietly disappear from history.
"That bastard played a huge game..."
Toyoma muttered softly to himself.
Nearby, Jiraiya heard his words and glanced at him slightly.
But he couldn't fully understand what Toyoma was thinking about.
Meanwhile, Duy misunderstood Toyoma's words completely.
"Hahaha! Don't worry!"
Despite his broken body, Duy still laughed loudly.
"My youth has already proven that it stands below no one!"
Then he looked toward Might Guy.
"Guy..."
His voice softened slightly.
"You've seen it yourself now."
A proud smile appeared on his face.
"Taijutsu does have a future."
Even while speaking, pain was visible in his trembling body.
"All you need... is faith in your youth."
Guy listened quietly.
The image of his father standing against the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist alone was still deeply burned into his mind.
Those shinobi were monsters feared by every village.
Yet his father had stopped them using nothing but taijutsu.
Guy's fists slowly tightened.
His eyes filled with determination.
"I will always believe in my youth, Dad."
His voice was firm.
And for the first time since the battle ended—
A faint smile appeared on Jiraiya's face again.
Toyoma slowly turned toward Jiraiya.
The earlier tension in his eyes had calmed slightly.
"First, take Senior Duy to the Uchiha camp."
His voice remained steady.
"There, we can decide what needs to be discussed next."
Then he looked toward Raizen.
"Bring them as well."
His gaze briefly landed on Shinnosuke and the remaining ANBU.
The meaning behind his words was obvious.
Shinnosuke's expression darkened instantly.
"What right do you Uchi— mmph!!"
Before he could finish speaking, Raizen roughly stuffed a cloth into his mouth and tied it tightly behind his head.
"Quiet."
Raizen's voice was cold.
Shinnosuke struggled angrily, but Raizen held him down firmly.
Nearby, Genzo looked slightly annoyed.
After everything that had happened—
None of them wanted to hear another word from him.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya remained silent.
Right now, arguing any further was meaningless.
Treating Might Duy was far more important.
The cold wind quietly passed through the forest once again.
And under the dim evening sky—
The group slowly began moving toward the Uchiha camp.
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AUTHOR NOTE:
This chapter wasn't really about politics or confrontation — it was about recognition.
Might Duy was someone who protected the village with everything he had, yet history barely remembered him. A person without clan influence, status, or political backing can easily disappear from history, no matter how great their achievements are.
I wanted this chapter to show both sides of the shinobi world:
the heroes people celebrate...
and the heroes people quietly forget.
Thank you for reading.
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