Draped in a black cloak, his face was covered by an iconic fox mask.
The figure sat in a relaxed posture, as if he had been seated for a long time, enjoying everyone's shock with great interest.
Almost as an instinctive reaction, the sound of people gasping for air was particularly piercing in the silent conference hall.
Countless pairs of eyes narrowed sharply, hearts drumming wildly in chests. Just who was this person?
When and how did he sneak in, even sitting grandly behind everyone?! The minds of most attendees went blank; they hadn't sensed even a hint of his movements.
Sensing the focus of dozens of sharp gazes, "The Collector" lazily waved at the crowd, giving a playful greeting.
The upturned corners of the fox mask's mouth seemed to bloom into a faint, mysterious smile under the light and shadow.
Jiraiya in the main seat, along with Shisui by his side, saw their shock quickly settle into a near-tangible wariness.
Jiraiya and Shisui looked at the figure with deep apprehension. They had reacted, but the opponent's speed was indeed incredibly fast, almost on par with the Fourth Raikage!
Jiraiya's gaze tightened, fixed firmly on that heart-pounding fox mask.
With teeth clenched, his low voice carried uncontrollable anger, squeezing out word by word from between his teeth: "It's you!"
In his mind, the heavy narrative of the Fourth Hokage Minato instantly flashed back.
It was this mysterious fellow who had sneaked into Konoha during the Nine-Tails' attack, the Village's weakest moment, silently entering the location of the Scroll of Seals and stealing that vital knowledge.
"That's right, it's me." From behind the mask came a calm, steady response, carrying a hint of detached indifference.
"Our Konoha hasn't even questioned you about the theft yet. What are you doing here now?" Jiraiya suppressed the urge to strike immediately and questioned him sternly.
Reason warned him that the person before him possessed unfathomable strength; the ghostly speed of his appearance just now was evidence that his combat power was definitely at the pinnacle of the Ninja World.
At this critical juncture that would decide the Village's survival, it was not wise to create such a powerful enemy for Konoha.
Furthermore, Minato had mentioned that this person had not harmed any of the Shinobi guarding the Scroll of Seals during his infiltration.
Clearly, killing them would have made keeping the secret easier, yet he chose to show mercy—
This seemed to indicate that his goal was only the Scroll of Seals itself, and he didn't necessarily harbor deep-seated malice toward Konoha.
Afterward, there were indeed no signs that the top secrets in the book had been leaked, which allowed Konoha's higher-ups to breathe a small sigh of relief.
Jiraiya's thoughts were similar to Minato's; thus, while angry about the theft, he didn't feel a deep-seated hatred, though he had to maintain a clear adversarial stance.
"Heh—" The Collector seemed to yawn out of boredom, his gaze sweeping over the gloomy Konoha Shinobi in the tent. "Konoha's current situation isn't looking too good, is it?"
"There's no need for your concern!" Jiraiya puffed out his chest, his confidence tinged with determination. "Konoha will absolutely not lose!"
He already had a plan. As long as his teacher, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, arrived in time to support him and bought him the critical time to activate Sage Mode—
Even if Sage Mode couldn't go head-to-head with the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer B, it would be enough to deal with the other two powerful enemies on the battlefield!
At that time, the balance of victory would be reversed!
"Oh? Is that so?" The Collector's tone took on a hint of playful mockery. "That's a pity. I originally... came with a measure of sincerity for cooperation."
"Cooperation?!" Jiraiya's pupils shrank slightly. These unexpected words caused the scales in his heart to tip strangely.
"Correct. I can step in and hold back that troublesome Eight-Tails Killer Bee for you." The Collector paused, and a hint of a smile seemed to emanate from behind the mask. "However, what kind of price... can Konoha offer?"
"Wasn't that thing enough?!" Jiraiya's suppressed annoyance flared up again.
"That thing?" The Collector chuckled, as if he had heard something ridiculous. "That was a 'collectible' I took with my own skill; how could it count as payment for this cooperation? Of course, for the sake of that 'collectible,' I can give you... a discount."
He casually extended a finger.
An astronomical figure was nonchalantly quoted!
Hiss—
The sound of people gasping for air instantly filled the tent, making the air feel a few degrees colder.
"That's too expensive!" Jiraiya's voice even trembled slightly at the outrageous number.
"This is a discounted friendship price," The Collector said leisurely. "And, it's limited to one intervention only.
Opportunity knocks but once; once you miss this chance, it's gone."
Jiraiya fell into a long silence, the veins on his temples throbbing slightly.
He had too much to weigh: the survival of Konoha, the lives of the Shinobi, the heavy financial burden...
After a long time, he finally spoke in a low voice, with a final trace of caution: "How can we be sure... that you have the power to stop the Eight-Tails?"
This was no joke; there was no room for the slightest mistake.
The Collector stared at Jiraiya, thought for a moment, and decided to show some "real goods."
"Proof? The Hidden Cloud Village's Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Yugito, should be able to prove my strength. Speaking of which, Konoha being able to hold out until now is perhaps... thanks to me." He chuckled, his tone meaningful.
"What do you mean by that?!" Jiraiya's brow furrowed into a tight knot.
"Haven't you noticed that since Eight-Tails Killer Bee arrived on the battlefield, the strength of that 'Matatabi' hasn't been what it used to be?" The Collector threw out the key information.
"Could it be?!" A shocking thought exploded in Jiraiya's mind, and his eyes widened. "The mysterious force that fought the Two-Tails before was you?!"
The Collector nodded slightly: "Indeed. But back then, I only wanted to borrow something from that 'cat' to take a look, so... I kindly let her go. With this level of strength, holding back the Eight-Tails should be enough, right?"
It was like a bolt of lightning clearing the mist! Jiraiya's mind suddenly became clear.
So that was it! If this person could truly hold back the Two-Tails Jinchuriki independently, then his words were true!
If he could tie up the Eight-Tails, it would create an opportunity for the Ino-Shika-Chō combination to deal with the weakened Two-Tails, and then let "Shisui the Body Flicker" hold back the Fourth Raikage—
Then the most critical time gap would arrive! It would be enough for him to activate Sage Mode!
Once Sage Mode was active...
Jiraiya's gaze suddenly became as sharp as a blade, sweeping over the battlefield outside filled with blood and fire. The bone-deep pain of death brought by the Hidden Cloud Village instantly transformed into a tangible, chilling killing intent.
"Really... only one intervention?" Jiraiya gritted his teeth, making a final confirmation.
This was an all-out gamble.
"Only once." The Collector's tone left no room for doubt. "But once should be enough, shouldn't it? Lord Jiraiya, one of Konoha's famous Sannin... you should still have a trump card technique you haven't revealed yet, right?"
The fox mask turned toward Jiraiya, its hollow eye sockets seemingly able to pierce through the human heart.
Jiraiya's heart skipped a beat! He forced himself to stay calm and did not deny it.
The moment his thoughts were seen through, the surrounding Jonin looked at him in surprise, their eyes a mix of worry and a faint, subtle light of hope.
At this moment, cruel reality outweighed all doubts: if they could exchange this heavy price for a reversal of the battlefield situation, its potential value already exceeded Konoha's ever-growing, cold casualty list!
Taking a deep breath, the hesitation in Jiraiya's eyes was completely replaced by resolve: "Deal! May I ask... how should I address you?"
He stared intently at the other party.
"Just call me the Collector." The voice behind the mask seemed to ponder for a moment. "Actually, this name was a nickname given by the Ninja who used Space-Time Ninjutsu during the Nine-Tails' attack. I thought it was pretty good, so I used it."
Thrum!
A muffled sound! Jiraiya's fist slammed hard onto the table, and he stood up abruptly like a startled beast. A fire of unprecedented anger erupted in his eyes as he glared at the other party, his voice hoarse with emotion: "You know that Masked Man?! Where is he?!"
The culprit who caused the Nine-Tails disaster, killed countless Konoha comrades, and nearly caused his cherished disciples Minato and Kushina to perish—that name was a scar in his heart that could never heal!
"Calm down, Mr. Jiraiya." The Collector's tone remained flat and steady, seemingly oblivious to this immense hatred. "It was just... a chance encounter."
Powerful Chakra surged around Jiraiya's body, his clenched fists creaked, and his chest heaved violently.
After a long time, that nearly uncontrollable rage was forcibly suppressed by his great willpower. He sat back down stiffly, still panting: "How much of a deposit do you want?"
His voice carried a hint of weary hoarseness.
"At least half." The Collector said without the slightest hesitation, as if they were merely discussing a common business deal.
Jiraiya's brow furrowed tightly.
This amount was enormous! He couldn't come up with that share all at once.
His gaze turned to the Jonin standing solemnly in the tent. After a moment of thought, he said in a heavy voice: "I will cover the bulk of this money. For the remaining part, I will have to rely on all of you comrades here to advance it first.
After this battle ends and we return to Konoha, I, Jiraiya, will certainly report this sum to the Hokage and have it repaid double by the Hokage's order! If there is a single word of falsehood, may heaven and earth destroy me, and everyone spit upon me!"
His words were resolute and powerful.
The surrounding Jonin glanced at each other, and no one doubted that what Jiraiya said was true.
In Konoha, the credit of Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, was beyond question.
For a moment, only the rustling sound of banknotes being flipped remained in the tent.
For the sake of the Village and the peace of the deceased, these Jonin who had experienced bloody battles looked at each other and silently reached a consensus.
Ninja tool pouches were opened, and cherished savings were taken out—bit by bit, a small "money mountain" made of heavy sacrifices was actually piled up after a moment.
Jiraiya picked up this heavy stack of banknotes, which carried the warmth and expectations of the Konoha Shinobi, and solemnly handed them to the Collector.
The Collector took the banknotes, and a hint of surprise seemed to flash in the eyes behind the mask. He then chuckled: "You're... really that relieved? Aren't you afraid I'll run off with this huge sum and disappear forever?"
Jiraiya took a deep breath and looked directly at the eerie fox mask, his voice low and powerful, carrying unquestionable trust and a final warning: "The Fourth Hokage once spoke of your mercy in not killing the guarding Shinobi. Based on that, today... I will trust you this once!
If you keep your promise and help my Konoha resolve this crisis, then regarding that matter, as long as you do not make its contents public or use them to harm Konoha, Konoha will write it off and never pursue it again!"
He paused, and a powerful Chakra, enough to tear through the clouds of Amegakure, suddenly erupted, instantly enveloping the entire command post. The sharp aura made the air feel a few degrees heavier, and every word was as bone-chilling as an icicle: "But, if you dare to betray our trust and run away with the money, then, even if I have to search the entire Ninja World, I will hunt you down until you are dead. Konoha will also issue the highest level of bounty: an S-rank hit list! A fight to the death!"
Faced with this powerful warning and surging killing intent, the Collector still only gave a light chuckle, as if a breeze had passed by. It was impossible to tell if the laugh was mockery, indifference, or—acceptance of the deal.
He said no more, simply putting away the banknotes that represented the heavy transaction.
As the Collector expressionlessly counted and took the thick stack of banknotes, a flash of heartache uncontrollably crossed Jiraiya's eyes.
That money was his "wife fund" that he had saved bit by bit over many years of frugal living!
Now it had turned into smoke, disappearing with the Collector's movements.
Jiraiya suppressed the slight tremor brought by his reluctance and shook his head vigorously, as if to shake all distractions out of his mind.
He took a deep breath, his voice turning to a heavy decisiveness: "Since the money is in place, now, immediately discuss the tactics for the next encounter!"
The Collector had no further reaction to this, only nodding slightly to indicate he was listening.
No matter what the final plan was, the core of his mission remained clear: to fully tie up the Eight-Tails; everything else was outside his consideration.
In order to formulate more effective tactics, Jiraiya chose to reveal part of his own trump cards.
His gaze swept over every elite Ninja present, and he solemnly explained his strongest state to everyone.
That is, the special working principle of "Sage Mode" and its fatal weakness: activating it requires gathering energy without being disturbed, which takes a long time.
This honesty caused more or less a look of guilt to appear on the faces of the elites present.
They knew well that it was because their own strength was lacking and they couldn't delay the Fourth Raikage's offensive for even a moment longer in intense combat that he had this powerful trump card but always struggled to find the opportunity to use it, remaining in a passive position.
After a brief silence, intense but goal-oriented discussion broke out in the tent.
Everyone pooled their wisdom, and a relatively simple but direct new tactical plan gradually took shape.
It only required one key adjustment to the previous deployment: having the Collector replace Jiraiya to face the fierce Eight-Tails Gyūki.
The most critical role change fell on Jiraiya himself; he would withdraw from the front line and race against time behind the scenes to complete the Sage Mode that required long preparation.
Once the energy gathering was complete, his figure would immediately appear at the most dangerous core of the battlefield!
Jiraiya would replace Shisui, who was currently struggling to hold back the Fourth Raikage, and he would personally take over the fight against the infamous "Ay"!
And this time, Jiraiya's goal was far more than just winning or repelling; a chilling killing intent, nearly tangible, suddenly ignited in the depths of his eyes!
His eyes, which usually held a bit of wildness, now held only a bone-chillingly sharp light.
The end of the plan was clearly etched in his vision: to try and kill the Fourth Raikage here, at any cost!