Kapitel 251: 250-They Never Learn

In the dimly lit office of the Third Hokage, a gentle plume of smoke curled lazily into the air, the scent of tobacco mingling with the faintly lingering smell of old paper and wood.

Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned back in his chair, puffing on his pipe, the embers glowing softly. His eyes, sharp and reflective, gazed out of the window for a moment, taking in the view of his village bathed in the gentle light of the starry sky.

Despite the heavy responsibilities that came with his position, he often found peace in these quiet moments in his office, especially when shared with familiar company. And today, the company was none other than Jiraiya.

Jiraiya, who sat comfortably beside him, let out a low chuckle, leaning back in his seat. The fact that he was seated rather than standing, as most people did when visiting the Hokage's office, was a testament to the closeness he shared with his old sensei.

Normally, the room would be filled with the hidden presence of ANBU, their silent forms lurking in the shadows to 'guard' the Hokage, but today was different.

There were no ANBU. No silent protectors. It was just Hiruzen and Jiraiya, talking in what could only be described as the calm before a storm.

Hiruzen took another slow drag from his pipe, "So that was what they did?"

Jiraiya nodded, "Yes, it was even more than I expected,"

The mission debriefing from Yano had been thorough, and Jiraiya had wasted no time in passing the information along to Hiruzen, knowing full well that the Third Hokage would want to be informed immediately.

The ANBU mission in Kusagakure had been a delicate one, rife with potential for disaster, but it had been executed with precision—something that Jiraiya was both surprised and impressed by.

The Hokage took a moment. He wasn't one to praise recklessly, but he understood the intricacies of the mission. Kusagakure was in turmoil, and the seeds of chaos planted by Renjiro, Kakashi, and Yano would no doubt grow into something more dangerous for their enemies. Yet, Hiruzen couldn't help but feel a pang of unease.

"But why did you assign both Renjiro and Kakashi under Yano?" Hiruzen asked.

Jiraiya leaned forward slightly, meeting his old sensei's gaze. "I thought I already told you, it's a temporary arrangement until they get more experience under the ANBU," he explained, his tone casual.

Hiruzen didn't reply immediately. Instead, he took another slow puff from his pipe, his eyes never leaving Jiraiya's. The silence stretched for a moment, heavy with unspoken thoughts.

Finally, Jiraiya caught on, a slight frown creasing his brow as he shifted in his seat. "Oh," he said, realization dawning on him, "you meant because Yano is—"

Before Jiraiya could even finish the sentence, Hiruzen cut him off "You do know that dangling Renjiro and Kakashi in front of him will only make him want them more, especially after what he did leading to Sakumo's death."

Jiraiya's smirk returned, "Old man, you think I'm afraid of him?"

There was a touch of defiance in Jiraiya's voice, but it wasn't arrogance. It was confidence—confidence that he could handle whatever Danzo, the man in question, might throw at him.

After all, the power struggles between the two had been ongoing for years, ever since Jiraiya had become a significant force in Konoha's military strategies. Danzo's ambitions were no secret, and his manipulative tactics had left a trail of destruction, one that included Sakumo Hatake's tragic downfall.

Hiruzen let out a soft sigh, shaking his head slightly. "It's not about being afraid of him. When you two collide, I'm the one left to clean up the mess."

One of the reasons Hiruzen had agreed to place Renjiro in the ANBU was because he knew that Jiraiya, despite his unorthodox methods and often chaotic nature, would protect the boy from Danzo's influence.

Renjiro, with his unique lineage and abilities, was a prime target for Root. The fact that Danzo had agreed to this arrangement so easily had been troubling, and it gnawed at Hiruzen's thoughts.

'What is he planning?' Hiruzen thought, his mind racing with possibilities.

Danzo never played a losing hand, not willingly. He always had something up his sleeve, something that would turn the situation to his advantage.

Still, Hiruzen had hoped that by keeping Renjiro under Jiraiya's watchful eye, he could mitigate whatever scheme Danzo was plotting. As long as Jiraiya was involved, Danzo couldn't overplay his hand without revealing his intentions.

Breaking the tension, Hiruzen set his pipe down on the desk and leaned back in his chair, his lips curling into a faint smile.

"But if you really don't like him that much, you could always take over from me and relieve this old man from all this work," he said, feigning a pitiful tone as he gestured vaguely to the mountains of paperwork that littered his desk.

Jiraiya scoffed, rolling his eyes at the theatrics. "Old man?" he repeated incredulously.

"If the Third Mizukage could hear you now, he'd probably cough up more blood than usual." The comment was a jab, a reminder that Hiruzen, despite his claims of age, was still very much in his prime.

The Third Hokage had recently wounded the Mizukage in a skirmish, a fact that hadn't gone unnoticed by Konoha's enemies. There was a reason that, despite his grey temples, Hiruzen was still considered the strongest person in Konoha as well as the strongest Kage.

His power was unmatched, his reflexes still sharp, and his mind as keen as ever. To call him 'old' was almost laughable—except when it came from Jiraiya, who enjoyed teasing his sensei whenever he had the chance.

Hiruzen chuckled at the remark but didn't deny it. The memory of his battle with the Mizukage was still fresh in his mind, and the injuries he had inflicted on his opponent were a testament to his enduring strength.

"You know I can never take over from you," Jiraiya continued, waving a hand dismissively. "It's too much work. Besides, Orochimaru has been eyeing your seat for years. He'd probably be the choice."

The mention of Orochimaru darkened Hiruzen's mood slightly. He nodded, his expression becoming more contemplative.

"You're right."

There was no denying it—Orochimaru's ambitions had been clear for a long time. He had grown more distant, more cold, especially since joining the research division. Hiruzen's concern for his student had only grown in recent months, though he had tried to push those worries aside. '

Maybe I'm looking too much into this,' he thought, but the nagging doubt remained.

As if on cue, Hiruzen's thoughts were interrupted by a more immediate concern. "That reminds me," he said, his brow furrowing. "There have been cases of missing civilians and shinobi in the village. Has the ANBU found anything regarding it?"

Jiraiya leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. "Old man, isn't that the work of the police force?" he asked, though his tone lacked the usual playfulness.

Hiruzen's eyes sharpened, and he fixed Jiraiya with a stern gaze. "Why are you acting as if you don't know the village's situation?" His voice was firm, but not accusatory—more of a reminder than a rebuke.

Jiraiya sighed, running a hand through his white hair. Having lived in Konoha for close to three decades, he was well aware of the tension between the village leadership and the Uchiha clan.

The Uchiha, despite their status as one of the founding clans of Konoha, had long been marginalized and mistrusted by the higher-ups, their police force was seen as a way to keep them in check.

Jiraiya had never liked it, and he had called out the discrimination more than once, only to have his sensei brush it off, telling him that he wouldn't understand because he wasn't Hokage. The issue had always been a point of contention between them.

"We're still working on it," Jiraiya said finally, his voice tinged with frustration. He hated the political games that came with leadership, and the situation with the Uchiha was no exception.

Hiruzen nodded, accepting the answer for now. "Then that's it, for now," he said, standing up from his chair and walking over to where his Hokage hat hung. He reached up, placing the hat on his head with a sense of finality.

"Keep briefing me on what Renjiro and Kakashi are doing. When they're eligible for their promotion missions, let me know. I have something interesting waiting for them."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "I still don't know why you're so interested in them," he began, his tone thoughtful. "Yes, I know you feel guilty about what happened to Kakashi's father, but Renjiro—what makes him so special that even that fossil is drooling over him?"

The fossil Jiraiya was referring to was, of course, Danzo. Jiraiya had no love for the man, who he saw as a relic of the past, clinging to outdated ideals and methods. Danzo's obsession with power and control was well known.

"Is it because he shows qualities from both his parents' clans?" Jiraiya continued, probing further.

Hiruzen was about to answer when his expression suddenly darkened. His head jerked up, eyes locking onto a distant point as his senses flared. Jiraiya's head followed the same direction a second later, his instincts immediately kicking in.

Without a word, Hiruzen made a quick hand sign, and the barrier around the office—the one he had erected to give him and Jiraiya some privacy—flickered and then deactivated.

As the shimmering light of the barrier faded, an ANBU shinobi materialized in front of them, kneeling with a sense of urgency.

"Lord Third, Lord Commander," the ANBU began, his voice steady but urgent.

"They have moved."

Jiraiya glanced at Hiruzen, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "It seems you were right, old man," he said, standing up and stretching his arms.

"They never learn."

"Good thing I know the right person to send," Jiraiya added, his smirk widening as he turned to leave, already preparing for the mission ahead.

=====

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Kapitel 252: 251- Four Minutes

High atop a rocky outcrop, two Konoha shinobi stood, their pale eyes glinting in the fading light of the afternoon sun. The sharp wind tugged at their flak jackets, whistling softly as it passed over the cliffs. Despite the tranquillity of their surroundings, an undercurrent of tension buzzed between them, made all the more palpable by the approaching threat.

The first shinobi, a tall man with a serious face and long black hair tied back in a neat bun scanned the horizon intently. His name was Hyuga Haruto, a seasoned chunin and a skilled user of the Byakugan. His pale, eyes glowed faintly as they tracked the movement of a force rapidly approaching from the east.

His partner, Hyuga Kenshiro, stood beside him, equally focused, though the anxiety in his posture was evident.

"Do you think we should go and stop them?" Kenshiro asked, his voice laced with uncertainty. His hand hovered over the hilt of his kunai, an unconscious gesture of readiness.

Haruto didn't bother to look at his partner, his gaze still fixed on the distant force. The approaching enemy was several hundred miles away, moving through the dense forest at a rapid pace, but the Hyuga's Byakugan made it easy to monitor them from afar.

The unmistakable symbol of Kirigakure, the Hidden Mist, adorned their hitai-ate, and Haruto could see them with unnerving clarity—like ants crawling toward the vulnerable outpost they were charged with defending.

"If you want an early death," Haruto said dryly, his voice steady but carrying a hint of reproach, "then by all means, go ahead and confront them. I'll be sure to tell your wife and son of your foolishness."

Kenshiro frowned, though a part of him knew Haruto was right. "So, what? We should just stand here and watch them?" His fingers twitched nervously.

Haruto finally turned his head slightly, his gaze settling on his partner. "We already sent word to the village," he said, his voice as calm as ever.

"Calm down."

Despite his outward composure, Haruto was just as anxious as Kenshiro, though he was better at hiding it. His mind raced with the implications of the approaching force.

A direct confrontation would be disastrous for them. They were outnumbered, and abandoning their post to engage the enemy prematurely was a serious offence in Konoha's military code.

Still, the idea of simply waiting was a bitter pill to swallow. 'Perhaps we should evacuate', he thought, but he quickly quashed the notion. No, abandoning the post wasn't an option—not without direct orders.

Far below, within the dense forest, the enemy shinobi moved swiftly through the trees, their forms flickering in and out of view as they jumped from branch to branch. The Kirigakure forces were silent and efficient, like shadows slipping through the woods.

Leading the group was a tall, muscular man with short, dark hair and a jagged scar running across his left eye. His name was Riku Juzo, a veteran elite jōnin of Kirigakure and an elite member of their forces. His face was hard, emotionless, as his thoughts churned beneath the surface.

'This is just an outpost. We need to finish this quickly,' he mused. He was not particularly invested in the mission for glory or recognition, but the promise of retrieving the Kabutowari, the famed Splitter sword that had once belonged to a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and was now in Konoha's possession, drove him forward.

He wasn't alone in his resolve as three other elite jōnin from Kirigakure led their own squads, each one as determined as Riku to make this mission a success.

As they neared the outpost, the forest became denser, the underbrush thick with twisting vines and gnarled roots. The group slowed, their movements becoming more deliberate. Riku raised a hand, signalling his squad to prepare for the attack. His sharp eyes swept over the landscape, noting the few defensive structures visible in the distance.

'This will be over soon and then we can move to the next,' he thought, confidence surging within him.

Just as they reached the outskirts of the outpost, one of the Kirigakure shinobi, a lean man with short-cropped hair, darted forward, forming hand signs for a powerful water-based jutsu.

"Water Dragon Jutsu!" he called out, gathering the moisture from the air as a massive, serpentine dragon of water began to form around him.

"Thunk!"

But before he could even release the jutsu, something caught his eye. A glint of metal—a kunai—fell from above, landing on his leg with a faint. He barely had time to register the weapon before Minato appeared before him.

There was a split second where the Kirigakure shinobi's eyes widened in shock as another of Minato's kunai plunged into his chest. The man's body crumpled to the ground in a lifeless heap.

Minato didn't pause. His blue eyes, sharp and calculating, scanned the battlefield in an instant. His chakra flared briefly, and in a blur of movement, he vanished again, reappearing behind another enemy shinobi.

This time, it was a roundhouse kick, his heel slamming into the side of the man's head with bone-cracking force. The Kirigakure shinobi flew backwards, his body limp before it even hit the ground.

Minato's movements were a whirlwind of precision and speed, his body flickering from one place to another, too fast for the enemy to follow. He was like a bolt of lightning, striking down enemy after enemy with ruthless efficiency. With each flicker, another Kirigakure shinobi fell, their attacks rendered useless before they could even begin.

One after another, he dispatched the invaders. His hands moved in a blur, launching kunai with deadly accuracy, each one marked with his Flying Thunder God seal. In the blink of an eye, Minato would appear beside the kunai, his hand glowing with the swirling, destructive energy of the Rasengan.

"Wham!"

A Rasengan slammed into the chest of an enemy shinobi, the swirling chakra drilling into the man's body with devastating force, sending him flying into a tree, his body limp and broken.

"Boom!"

Another shinobi attempted to throw a fire jutsu, but before he could even finish the hand signs, Minato appeared beside him, his kunai flashing in the dim light. The man's throat was cut cleanly, and he collapsed in a heap.

From their vantage point, Haruto and Kenshiro could only watch in stunned silence as Minato decimated the enemy forces. Kenshiro's mouth hung open in disbelief.

"I... I can't even follow him," he muttered, his Byakugan activated, but even with the enhanced vision, Minato's movements were too fast, too precise. It was like watching a force of nature in action.

"He's faster than we could ever be," Haruto added, his voice barely above a whisper.

"No wonder they call him the Yellow Flash…"

Within minutes, the battlefield was littered with the bodies of the fallen Kirigakure shinobi. Only Riku Juzo remained standing, his chest heaving as he stared at Minato, his mind racing.

'I can't win this', he realized, the cold truth settling in his gut like a stone.

Minato hadn't even broken a sweat, while his entire squad had been wiped out in the blink of an eye. There was no shame in admitting defeat here—not against a monster like the Yellow Flash. It had taken him just about four minutes to get rid of them.

Without hesitation, Riku made a series of quick hand signs. In an instant, a puff of smoke enveloped him, and he vanished, reverse summoning himself out of the battlefield.

Minato narrowed his eyes, watching the space where Riku had stood just moments before.

"Hmm…" he muttered softly, though he wasn't particularly concerned. The elite jōnin had escaped, but it didn't matter. The mission was to defend the outpost, and he had accomplished that.

With a calm, almost casual demeanour, Minato raised his hand and signalled to the shinobi stationed at the outpost below. The few who had remained hidden during the skirmish now emerged, moving quickly to secure the area and deal with the aftermath of the battle.

Minato, meanwhile, reached into his pouch and pulled out two small soldier pills, swallowing them without hesitation. The chakra required to use the Flying Thunder God technique over such long distances had drained him more than he cared to admit.

Being stationed on the far borders of the Land of Fire meant that each use of the technique consumed more chakra than usual, but the pills would help mitigate the strain.

With his chakra energy replenished, Minato disappeared in another flash, leaving the battlefield behind. There were still more threats to deal with—other Kirigakure forces attempting to invade Konoha's territory.

He repeated the same process with two other teams attacking nearby outposts. Each time, the enemy jōnin didn't even have a chance to flee. Minato was more cautious now, ensuring that none of them escaped as Riku had.

By the end of the day, the three other Kirigakure elite jōnins leading the invasion were dead, and their forces were decimated before they could even reach Konoha's borders.