Inside the temporary command camp at Rakuyō City, an atmosphere of solemn gravity weighed heavily on everyone, making the space feel oppressively tense.
Not long ago, an ANBU messenger had delivered devastating news:
The force led by Jiraiya had been surrounded and crushed by an army of over ten thousand shinobi from Sunagakure.
Even Jiraiya himself… was now missing.
Shimizu caught sight of Minato Namikaze's clenched fists trembling faintly.
He let out a quiet sigh in his heart.
Just fighting Sunagakure alone has already pushed Konoha into such a passive position—with losses this severe…
Can Konoha really withstand wars against the other three great nations like this?
Where exactly did things go wrong?
Could it really be… that my existence—the butterfly—has caused such a massive change?
"So Jiraiya-sama's status is unknown—not confirmed dead… right?" Yoshimaru asked heavily.
The ANBU ninja who brought the message answered solemnly,
"When Jiraiya-sama led several units in a breakout, I personally saw him use Sage Art Fire Release to open a path…"
Yoshimaru pressed urgently, "Then why say he's missing?!"
"But…" the ANBU hesitated, "…the enemy encirclement wasn't just one layer. There were over ten thousand Suna shinobi out there!"
Silence fell over the group.
Yes—Jiraiya, who could use Sage Mode, was incredibly powerful.
But the enemy numbered in the tens of thousands.
At that scale… it was practically impossible.
At least, from what Shimizu knew, only Hanzō, the so-called "Demigod," had ever faced down five thousand shinobi head-on.
As for even earlier figures, there weren't enough detailed records.
He couldn't accurately judge just how powerful Madara Uchiha or Hashirama Senju had truly been.
But feats on that level…
Judging by Shimizu's understanding of Jiraiya, his current chakra reserves likely weren't enough to achieve something so terrifying.
Everyone present understood this.
If Jiraiya hadn't successfully broken out… then the outcome was obvious.
Minato slowly shook his head, then raised his hand and slapped his cheeks hard, as if trying to force those thoughts away.
When he spoke again, his voice was firm.
"Now isn't the time to dwell on Sensei's fate."
"If Sensei has been defeated, then we can't try to regroup with him anymore."
"The route back to Konoha is likely already cut off by Sunagakure forces… we'll have to take a detour."
"We split into two groups. One will escort all the wounded to the western front where Orochimaru is stationed."
"The other…" his voice trembled slightly, "…will search for any surviving comrades."
"Senior Kosuke, what do you think?"
Returning to the battlefield where Jiraiya was defeated?
That was dangerous—reckless, even.
Maruboshi Kosuke remained calm, not agreeing immediately.
Emotions were one thing.
Reality was another.
Right now, the situation on Jiraiya's side was completely unknown. An army of over ten thousand shinobi was stationed less than fifty kilometers away.
With their current numbers, going there would barely make a ripple.
"When did Jiraiya attempt his breakout?" Kosuke suddenly asked.
"About an hour ago…"
"Then the enemy is definitely still sweeping the battlefield," Kosuke said. "Trying to pass through the encampment of ten thousand shinobi without being detected…"
That was impossible.
At least among them, there wasn't a single person capable of infiltrating at that level without being noticed.
Anyone who went would be throwing their life away.
Yoshimaru tried to stop him.
"Minato… this is too risky."
But Minato didn't budge.
"Shimizu, what do you think?"
"Anyone who goes will die. We all know that," Shimizu said bluntly.
The sheer directness of those words caused Minato's resolute aura to falter for a brief moment.
"But…" Shimizu continued, locking eyes with him,
"We don't need to fight Sunagakure head-on."
"If it's just reconnaissance—and rescuing survivors…"
"…then only the two of us can do it."
Once surrounded, an ordinary shinobi would have no chance of escape.
Only Shimizu and Minato Namikaze, with their overwhelming speed, had any real possibility of breaking out.
Of course, the reason Shimizu dared to say this was because he trusted what he knew of how things were supposed to unfold—he didn't believe Jiraiya would fall so easily here.
If they were only skirting the outer perimeter to gather intel, the danger wasn't as exaggerated as it seemed.
And who knew—maybe they'd even pick up traces of Jiraiya after his escape.
Yoshimaru looked at him in surprise.
"Shimizu, you…"
But then something clicked in his mind, and he relented.
"…Alright. You're right. If anyone can do it, it's the two of you."
"Are you confident?" Maruboshi Kosuke asked in a low voice.
This was no trivial matter. The last thing he wanted was for his prized student to walk out of one death trap and straight into another.
"No problem. I know my limits."
"…If you say so," Kosuke replied after a pause. "Then I'll leave the decision to you."
Shimizu nodded, then added thoughtfully,
"There's something else I don't understand. How did Sunagakure manage to surround Jiraiya's forces without anyone noticing?"
"Given his experience, there's no way he would've been careless about reconnaissance."
"…That part was strange," the ANBU messenger admitted. "It happened too suddenly. The enemy forces just… appeared out of nowhere…"
So it really was related to the tunnels along the southwest border?
But Konoha had already reinforced surveillance in that region…
Then why hadn't Jiraiya's forces received any warning at all?
Shimizu let out a quiet breath.
"Konoha's intelligence network has probably been completely exposed."
"First Rakuyō City… now Jiraiya's unit…"
"Sunagakure is systematically cutting away Konoha's outer defenses."
Which meant—
Next, the forces under Orochimaru might also be in danger.
"Could they go straight for Kikyo Castle?" Yoshimaru suddenly suggested. "That army is less than two days away."
Impossible!
That was everyone's instinctive reaction.
Even if Sunagakure's ultimate objective was Kikyo Castle…
Did they really think a force of just over ten thousand could launch a direct assault?
Even with Konoha suffering setbacks, their total number of shinobi still far exceeded Sunagakure's.
And both Kikyo Castle and the village itself remained largely untouched in terms of military strength.
What gave Sunagakure the confidence to smash themselves against a wall like that?
"Yoshimaru, take everyone from Rakuyō City and move at full speed to link up with Orochimaru's forces," Minato ordered decisively.
"Inform him of the potential threat."
"Also…" he added, his tone turning serious, "…there's a high chance Sunagakure already knows our movements."
"On the way there, I'll have to trouble you, Senior Kosuke, to keep an eye on things."
"No problem," Kosuke agreed without hesitation. Then he asked,
"As for Jiraiya's side… are just the two of you enough?"
Shimizu thought for a moment before replying,
"The fewer people, the better."
"But it'd be best to send a small squad to wait on the outer perimeter as support."
"If we find survivors who need treatment, the two of us alone might not be enough to handle it."
This mission wasn't just a quick reconnaissance run.
There was a real chance they would find surviving Konoha shinobi.
And if that happened, having backup would make all the difference.
"…Then it's settled," Minato said, finalizing the plan.