Chapter 147: Jiraiya’s Death, Tsunade Convenes the Five Kage Summit

That day, Konoha held a memorial service for the Elder Council and the four major clans. After all, losing over two thousand people was no small matter. Aside from wartime, not even the Nine-Tails' Rampage or the Konoha Crush had claimed so many lives at once.

Moreover, these casualties included every member of the Konoha Elder Council and their clans—among them the Sarutobi clan, home of the Third Hokage. Ethically and practically, Konoha had to hold a memorial service for them. Even the Land of Fire's Daimyō sent representatives to pay tribute—while subtly probing Tsunade as to whether she might appoint new elders or maintain the current system. After all, if Konoha's Hokage ever met with an accident, the Daimyō—who knew little about internal Konoha affairs—would have no elder advisors to recommend a successor or offer counsel.

At the moment, though, Tsunade and Yagyu had no time for such concerns. Unlike the funeral after the Konoha Crush, this send-off for the late Elder Council was kept understated. None of the other major clans' leaders attended in person; they merely sent representatives.

Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Hikari, the perpetrators themselves, obviously did not appear. Yagyu also made an excuse to slip away early on a mission. Only those four major clans' members who had rushed back from outside missions were left, weeping bitterly—whether grieving their kin or lamenting their future was unclear.

Watching the distraught survivors of those clans, the other clans' representatives felt no pity; had they not been properly schooled in decorum, they might have snickered in schadenfreude. After all, nobody here was foolish.

They could all see what Sarutobi Hiruzen and the Konoha elders had done to the village. They watched how Konoha's White Fang was driven to suicide, how the Sannin either defected or left, how the Hyūga clan endured the Cloud incident, how Shisui's mysterious death was followed by the near-total extermination of the Uchiha… Even if you set aside the Fourth Hokage's death to seal the Nine-Tails, Konoha's high-level circles were always present in the shadows of these incidents.

Especially the Uchiha clan's downfall, which cowed even the Hyūga—Konoha's remaining "noble house"—into submission. If the Hyūga clan had turned so docile, then lesser clans had even less choice. No one wanted to become the next Uchiha. That was why, when Root came to recruit their talented youth, the Aburame or Yamanaka clans did not dare resist. They might have disliked it, but they didn't dare voice it.

Their resentment toward the Konoha elders had been simmering for years. Once Sarutobi Hiruzen died and Tsunade returned to the village, those clans quickly threw their support behind her, despite her long absence from Konoha. They would rather see the Senju reclaim leadership than watch Danzo—who was technically eligible—ascend as the Fifth Hokage.

Now, with the Elder Council, the four major clans loyal to them, and Root all wiped out, those other clans just wanted to cheer. Even the Aburame and Yamanaka who lost talented members still took satisfaction. Since the Second Great Ninja War, these "parasites" had fed upon Konoha. Now, at last, they were purged for good. It was time for payback. The political "cake" left behind by the fallen clans was a prize the other factions could divide—just as the Konoha elders once seized everything from the Uchiha and the Fourth Hokage's estate.

But those were high-level power struggles. Common shinobi and civilians knew nothing of such intrigue, nor could they imagine their village to be so murky behind the scenes. They lined up to place white chrysanthemums before the elders and the four clans to express gratitude for their "service" to Konoha.

Watching from a row just behind the elder council's photos, Yūhi Kurenai's gaze lingered on Sarutobi Asuma's portrait—her expression complicated. She never would have guessed that, in the period since the Third Great Ninja War ended, the first one in her class to die would be Sarutobi Asuma, the son of a Hokage. Even though she'd repeatedly refused his advances, he'd grown up alongside her. She thought of him more keenly than she did Kakashi, Guy, or even the deceased Obito and Rin.

Another familiar figure had vanished from her life. She was reminded of her father's death so many years ago, and a rare fear stirred in her heart. In this cruel world, anyone around her—even she herself—could vanish without warning. If they simply did nothing, they'd die full of regrets.

So do what you want, before it's too late. Even if you fail or are turned down, at least there's no regret. With this in mind, Kurenai's expression hardened decisively.

Unlike her complicated emotions, Team 10 wept openly. Shikamaru, especially, felt lost and despondent. In the original timeline, he at least knew the identity of Asuma's killers—Hidan and Kakuzu, the immortal duo—and could avenge him by taking them down. Now he had no idea how Asuma died or who had used such long-range jutsu to curse-kill the four clans. He neither knew the enemy nor the method. No matter how brilliant his mind, he couldn't avenge Asuma in those conditions.

But soon, Shikamaru settled on a new goal. His ignorance of the culprit sprang from the fact that his status, power, and knowledge were too limited. Surely the Hokage knew, or at least had a prime suspect. Shikamaru resolved to press the Fifth Hokage for answers. If he failed, perhaps his father could inquire, or he and Ino could ask Yagyu. Once he had a name, he could begin seeking clues and eventually kill Asuma's murderer.

Naruto also cried, flanked by the two little Academy kids, Udon and Moegi. They mourned Konohamaru. That was precisely why Sasuke refused to attend—he wasn't afraid of feeling guilt over people's tears. Rather, he feared that seeing them weep might drive him to kill the survivors he'd decided to spare. After all, both the Sarutobi and Uchiha had given so much to the village. But when the Uchiha were destroyed, they didn't even get a funeral—just a mass "burial" by higher-ups who then pilfered their remains. Danzo had at least ten three-tomoe Sharingan embedded in his arm; who knew how many more were hidden away, or how many corpses he'd experimented on?

If Sasuke came, he might be unable to resist a fresh outburst of violence, so he stayed away.

...

The Day After the Memorial

Yagyu returned to find a shocking piece of news: Jiraiya was dead!

"What happened? How is it that I never caught any wind of this?"

Brows knit, Yagyu felt, for the first time, a sense that events were slipping out of his control. Had he changed so much that the "butterfly effect" had completely reshaped Shippūden's original storyline? Jiraiya's death seemed too sudden.

Aside from Nagato and Obito's real identities, Yagyu had already informed Tsunade of all the Akatsuki members' data, including Hiruko disguised as "Hundred Faces," holding nothing back. Currently, the Akatsuki had just sealed the Three-Tails; the Six Paths of Pain had yet to act in earnest, so Jiraiya shouldn't have discovered their Rain Village base. In the original story, Jiraiya at least told Tsunade before making his move. But Tsunade hadn't said a word. How exactly had he died?

Curious, Yagyu checked in with Hiruko and his own Wood Clones stationed undercover in Amegakure; none of them knew anything either. Could it be that Jiraiya wasn't killed by the Paths of Pain but by someone else?

A Body Flicker brought him to the Hokage's office. Inside, the atmosphere was heavy and grim. Tsunade, Shizune, and Karin—dressed in black—were silent with sorrow.

"Tsunade-nee, what's going on?" Yagyu asked. "How did Jiraiya-sama die?"

"He was killed by the leader of Akatsuki," Tsunade said, eyes rimmed with red. She ground out her words: "That leader is one of those three war orphans Jiraiya once mentored in the Rain Village!"

Yagyu's heart sank. So it really was Nagato. Could such a battle truly have escaped his Wood Clones' notice inside Amegakure? Even if their chakra was meager, they retained formidable sensory skills. Maybe the showdown happened somewhere else, or Nagato set up a barrier?

Keeping his thoughts hidden, Yagyu continued, "What about Jiraiya-sama's body? How did you even learn all this?"

"The body is likely in Akatsuki's hands," Tsunade answered. "This intel came from Fukasaku of Mount Myōboku, who arrived carrying the coded message Jiraiya left behind. He's currently undergoing treatment, while the cipher is being decoded."

"Does Naruto know?"

"Yes. The boy left without a word." Tsunade closed her eyes, rubbing her temples. "Jiraiya's death must be a huge blow. Sasuke went after him to offer what comfort he could."

At that, Yagyu extended his senses. Indeed, Sasuke's chakra signature was near Naruto's, presumably consoling him. He felt relieved. With Sasuke nearby, Naruto wouldn't slip into a Nine-Tails-fueled rampage. Not because Sasuke's Mangekyō could control him, but because Sasuke could truly understand what Naruto was going through.

In the original timeline, during the Tenchi Bridge incident, Sasuke nearly killed Naruto on sight, wanting to sever ties for good. Naruto, who had nothing at birth, couldn't fathom the pain of once having everything and then losing it all. He just kept claiming he'd "bring Sasuke home," never grasping the latter's anguish. Not until Jiraiya died did Naruto finally feel the sting of losing someone precious, relinquish his hatred, forgive those he once despised, and awaken his so-called "talk no jutsu," regaining the right to stand before Sasuke. Now, similarly, only Sasuke could empathize with Naruto's pain. Only he could prevent Naruto from succumbing to despair.

So Yagyu set that aside for now and asked, "Akatsuki's HQ is in the Rain Village, right? What's our plan?"

A telling question: Are we going to war?

Tsunade said nothing at first, massaging her temples. At length, she opened her eyes, which gleamed with resolve:

"First they slaughtered the Elder Council, the four clans, and Root… and now Jiraiya. Akatsuki isn't just some S-rank rogue-nin group. They're a terrorist threat to the entire ninja world."

"They have the mythical Rinnegan, they're capturing Tailed Beasts… They must harbor a sinister plot."

"Before they capture all the Tailed Beasts, we must unite and snuff out this looming threat that endangers the entire ninja world while it's still in its cradle."

Finishing, Tsunade turned to Yagyu.

"Yagyu, please use the Flying Thunder God Technique to visit the other four great nations and the Land of Iron. Invite the other Kage to meet in the Land of Iron. I intend to hold a Five Kage Summit to form an alliance and deal with Akatsuki."

"Understood, Lady Hokage."

Yagyu's tone was grave as he bowed his head, his manner of address changing out of respect. Internally, though, he was quite surprised—he never expected a Five Kage Summit to be convened so soon, let alone initiated by Tsunade. Normally, such a summit would follow Nagato's demise. If it truly assembled now, the Fourth Great Ninja War might break out earlier than in the original timeline. And would the Allied Shinobi Forces be as unified?

Filled with curiosity, Yagyu accepted the mission. Shizune and Karin helped him prepare official summons bearing the Hokage's seal. Then, without warning, he vanished from the Hokage's office.

Whoosh— And he reappeared in a land of drifting snow.

This was one of the few neutral territories in the ninja world, possessed of such martial strength that the Five Great Nations refrained from attacking it: the Land of Iron. In this era of ninjas, it was unique in that they practiced chakra-based kenjutsu rather than ninjutsu.

"I am Yagyu of Konoha, an elite jōnin serving as the Leaf's emissary. I've come to speak with Lord Mifune. Here is my credential."

Standing at the entrance to the Snow Fortress of the Land of Iron, Yagyu—dressed in a green jōnin vest—presented his emissary token.

At this, two samurai guards blinked in recognition, then bowed politely.

"Please wait a moment, Envoy. We'll report to Lord Mifune right away."

Clearly, they knew of Yagyu by reputation. Even in the Land of Iron, his name was well known. For over three years, Yagyu's Team 8 had made quite a name for themselves—he was the second person to inherit the Wood Release bloodline since the First Hokage, enough that the Five Nations allowed him "permission" to abort a mission on sight and return without penalties.