"Attack Konoha in three days?"
Jiraiya shot to his feet.
Whether from too much drink or sheer anger, his old face flushed beet red. He cursed, "What kind of trash dares to attack Konoha? Damn it, I'll kill every single one of them—"
Before he could finish, he saw the trio of Sasuke, who had heard the commotion, approaching with popsicles.
Jiraiya suppressed his anger and clapped an Anbu member on the arm. "Let's talk later. Go back." Then, remembering Linto beside him, he said, "Sorry, I have to go. We didn't finish our drinks. Next time it's on me, and we'll drink to our heart's content."
Linto didn't answer.
He held two photos in his hand.
The first showed a collapsed school. Hundreds of boarding children were victims of shelling in their sleep, their tiny bodies lying amidst the ruins.
The second photo depicted a hospital. It too was a scene of heavy casualties.
The reason for attacking the hospital was to prevent the injured from receiving treatment, leaving them to die miserably in despair.
"As expected, hearing about something and seeing it are two different things."
Linto closed his eyes. When Jiraiya had described the aerial attack earlier, Linto had no real grasp of it. Only by seeing the tragedy firsthand, and then realizing it happened just thirty minutes ago and less than a hundred kilometers away, did the reality truly hit him.
Linto made up his mind. "I'll go with you," he said. He stood up, placed money on the table from his pocket, and strode out of Ichiraku Ramen, leaving Jiraiya stunned. Seeing Jiraiya still frozen, Linto turned back and said, "Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for Tsunade. I have no intention of being a 'world police.' I won't act until Tsunade asks for my help, but..."
Linto looked at the photos left on the table and murmured,
"You can get back lost face. But when people die, they're truly dead."
...
Many people were seated in the Hokage's office meeting room.
First was Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage.
Advisors Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu sat beside her.
Behind them were representatives from the Hyuga, Akimichi, Nara, and other prominent clans. Yamanaka Inoichi, who had just returned home and was preparing to rest, sat there looking utterly dejected.
Then came the village's top-tier powerhouses, like Kakashi and Might Guy.
When Linto entered, Kakashi, Might Guy, Asuma, and others smiled and nodded in greeting. Those who didn't know Linto looked at him with varying expressions. Killing Danzo, executing the Daimyo, sparking the revolution in the Land of Water, overthrowing Ryuuchi Cave, crushing Kumogakure... For any ordinary ninja, just one of these exploits would have made them famous.
In the eyes of many, Linto posed a far greater threat to Konoha than the air ninja force planning to attack in three days. This group of "many" included advisors Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu.
These two advisors wore long, unhappy faces. They had initially wanted to summon Sarutobi Hiruzen. Although Sarutobi Hiruzen was retired and elderly, he still had a bit of fight left in him, making him one of the village's high-end assets.
Tsunade, however, rejected their proposal. The situation hadn't escalated to the point where Sarutobi Hiruzen needed to be "burned out."
Already displeased by the rejection, the two advisors, upon seeing Linto, an outsider, waltzing into a secret internal Konoha meeting, became furious. They didn't dare to challenge Linto, who was known as a "madman," so they began to taunt Tsunade sarcastically.
Mitokado Homura said sternly, "Tsunade-sama, I'm not mistaken, are we? This is the Hokage's office, discussing classified tactics, not some casual gathering at an izakaya.
Utatane Koharu scoffed, "Exactly. Every seat here is important; it's not a place for unnecessary people to just sit anywhere they please."
Tsunade, already agitated, heard the two advisors' sarcastic remarks. Had it been her in the past, she would have slammed the table and cursed them out. But now she was Hokage and had to suppress her anger. Just as she was about to reason with the advisors, suddenly—
Bang!
Jiraiya pulled over a chair and placed it heavily in front of Linto, glaring at the two advisors.
"This is my seat. I'll stand. Is that alright?!"
Everyone in the room looked at Jiraiya's red face and smelled the alcohol on him. Their gazes shifted between Linto, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and the two advisors. They didn't know Jiraiya well, but they understood politics. Was he truly speaking drunk? Or was this a challenge from the new Hokage team to the old guard of advisors and management?
Only Linto and Tsunade knew there wasn't that much hidden meaning. Jiraiya was simply overcome by the sight of so much death and injury, and the desire to invade Konoha. If the Third Hokage himself were here, Jiraiya would still have spoken his mind.
Linto patted Jiraiya's shoulder, shaking his head slightly, signaling him not to get too heated. Then Linto looked at Tsunade and lightly tapped the back of the chair. "May I sit down?"
If Tsunade refused, it would mean she was still insisting on Konoha handling it alone, without Linto's help.
She looked at Linto, and a flicker of relief flashed in her tired eyes. "Please sit."
"Thank you."
"I should be thanking you."
Though Tsunade didn't speak, Linto understood her words from her eyes. A medical ninja who once suffered from hemophobia, seeing so many innocent casualties, would have already visited him to ask for help herself if she wasn't burdened by the responsibility of being Hokage.
The brief commotion ended, and the ninja in the room began discussing the air ninja force's declaration of war. Some suggested expanding the reconnaissance range, others proposed rushing the development of anti-air weapons in the three days, and some wanted to gather forces for a war mobilization.
Everyone present was an elite ninja. They talked from midnight until the next morning, pooling their ideas, and their strategy gradually took shape. The tension on their faces gradually turned to hatred for the invaders, their fighting spirit surging, wishing the enemy would appear already so they could tear them apart.
The only one whose expression grew increasingly strange the longer he listened was Linto. He glanced around the room, sighed softly, and muttered, "Wait, you guys... ninjas... actually follow rules like this? They said three days, and it's literally three days?" Linto felt a sense of déjà vu, as if watching two countries in the Spring and Autumn period arranging a duel, so honorable that the only thing missing was returning the enemy leader after defeat.
He shook his head and beckoned to Jiraiya.
"Give me that poster from before."
Jiraiya pulled a crumpled surrender poster from Kabuto and handed it to Linto. Seeing him get up to leave, Jiraiya asked, "Are you going to use it as toilet paper? I have tissues, this stuff can hurt your backside. I used it for a while to save money, I'm telling you—"
"No need to share that."
Linto quickly raised his hand to stop him. He was going to buy breakfast and didn't want to hear about Jiraiya's medical condition.
No one stopped Linto as he left. He ambled out of the Hokage's building and headed for a nearby breakfast stall. It was still early, and the stall was just being set up. Linto ordered several rice balls and tempura. After ordering, he asked, "How long will it take?"
The stall owner replied, "Sorry, sir, the oil isn't hot yet. It'll probably take about twenty minutes."
"Alright, twenty minutes. I'll come back to pick it up then."
"Got it. Don't go too far, I'll make it for you right away."
Linto nodded, took money from his pocket, and handed it over. "Don't worry, I won't go far. I'll do some morning exercises and be back."
"Sir, would you like it fried a bit crispier, or—"
Mid-sentence, the stall owner looked up. The person was gone. Only faint rumbling thunder could be heard in the sky.
---
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