Cooperation
With Tsunade and Jiraiya joining the battle, the tide quickly turned in their favor.
Satoru found himself completely overpowered, unable to mount any kind of counterattack. He could only endure the relentless assault, but no matter how devastating the injuries he sustained, his body regenerated almost instantly—an ability that made him even more formidable than most tailed beasts.
Seizing the opportunity, Jiraiya formed a hand seal and leaped onto Satoru's head, slamming his hands together. "Sealing Jutsu: Four Elephant Seal!"
Black kanji seals spread rapidly across Satoru's body, but within seconds, the markings were devoured by an ominous force, rendering the technique useless.
Jiraiya's expression darkened. His skill in sealing jutsu was among the highest in Konoha, and the Four Elephant Seal was considered an advanced-level technique.
Beyond this, only large-scale collaborative jutsu or the Reaper Death Seal could serve as viable alternatives.
Evading a retaliatory strike from Satoru, Jiraiya landed near the Kusagakure leader and spoke gravely: "Your standard sealing techniques won't work. Kusagakure better start praying."
The leader of Kusagakure sighed before replying, "Satoru can only be sealed inside the Box of Ultimate Bliss. No conventional method can contain him."
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. "How do you know so much about this creature?"
A brief silence followed before the Kusagakure leader finally admitted, "This is our village's mistake. When this is over, I will personally apologize to the Hokage. For now, we must contain Satoru."
Jiraiya scoffed. "Where is the Box of Ultimate Bliss?"
"It's secured at an Anbu facility nearby. However, we need you to lure Satoru there for the sealing to work."
Despite addressing Jiraiya with great deference, the Kusagakure leader was aware that Konoha's legendary Sannin were far beyond his village's power. While Kusagakure was considered one of the strongest minor villages, the gap between them and the Five Great Nations was staggering.
Had Kusagakure successfully harnessed the power of the Box of Ultimate Bliss, they might have risen to the level of a neutral powerhouse like the Land of Iron.
But now, their plan had failed. Not only would they face repercussions from Iwagakure, but Konoha would surely express its displeasure. The loss of Karin, a valuable medical-nin, further weakened their standing.
Upon reaching the Kusagakure Anbu base, Jiraiya peered over the edge of the underground compound. The sounds of battle echoed from below.
With his sharp eyesight, he immediately spotted reanimated creatures locked in combat with Akatsuki members. His brows furrowed as he turned to the Kusagakure leader, his expression unreadable.
"You also hired Akatsuki's mercenaries?"
The Kusagakure leader hesitated before responding, "The Akatsuki organization is a formidable group of hired shinobi. Many villages, not just ours, have sought their aid to compensate for a lack of military power."
However, something felt off. Most of Kusagakure's sacrificial ninjas had been slaughtered—so why were Akatsuki's members still alive? And what had happened to Wuwei and the village elder?
Had Akatsuki intentionally manipulated Satoru's rampage as part of a coup?
At that moment, the Akatsuki members also took notice of Jiraiya's arrival. From the shadows, Uchiha Itachi's expression darkened. He had come to Kusagakure for a mission—never expecting to cross paths with the legendary Sannin.
Sharing a glance, Itachi and Kisame moved instantly, appearing before Jiraiya in the blink of an eye.
"Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki," Jiraiya murmured, his eyes narrowing. A flicker of wariness crossed his face—both were formidable rogue ninjas.
Under normal circumstances, he would have attacked immediately upon encountering high-level defectors. But this was not Konoha, and the situation was more complex.
Itachi's crimson Sharingan fixed on the Kusagakure leader. "We need an explanation. Why did Kusagakure attack us? Why were hundreds of shinobi sacrificed to open the Box of Ultimate Bliss?"
At his words, a tense silence fell. Even Jiraiya and Tsunade turned their attention to the Kusagakure leader, whose face grew pale.
"I… I don't know," the leader stammered. "Opening the Box of Ultimate Bliss requires only one sacrifice, not hundreds. This was the elders' doing, not mine."
Itachi's gaze remained cold. "Your elders are dead—killed by one of your own Jonin. But that doesn't change the fact that Kusagakure attacked Akatsuki. We demand an explanation."
Jiraiya watched in silence, noting how the Kusagakure leader tried to shift blame. It reminded him too much of Konoha's past—particularly how Hiruzen Sarutobi had often turned a blind eye to Danzo's covert operations.
Whether out of ignorance or necessity, pretending not to know didn't absolve a leader from responsibility.
With nowhere left to turn, the Kusagakure leader shifted the burden onto Jiraiya. "Master Jiraiya, Itachi Uchiha is a rogue ninja from Konoha! You must deal with him at once!"
Jiraiya exhaled slowly, pushing his thoughts aside. His stance shifted slightly, readying for battle.
Itachi, however, remained calm. "Before we resolve any personal conflicts, perhaps we should focus on the greater threat at hand." His voice was measured, but his Sharingan gleamed with urgency. "There are more monsters than just Satoru. At the bottom of this compound, the Box has already transformed dozens of shinobi into reanimated creatures that regenerate endlessly. If we let their numbers grow unchecked, they will become a disaster for the entire shinobi world."
Kisame smirked, crossing his arms. "We may be mercenaries, but we don't stand by and watch the world collapse. Even you, Jiraiya of the Sannin, must understand that."
At this, Tsunade, who had been silent, finally spoke.
"You're right, Uchiha. Whatever grudges we have, they can wait. First, we deal with the monsters."
Itachi inclined his head slightly. "Agreed. Since I was a child, I dreamed of fighting alongside Konoha's greatest. Though I once aspired to become Hokage, life took me down a different path."
Jiraiya's gaze darkened. He still struggled to understand why Itachi had massacred his own clan.
Seemingly reading his thoughts, Itachi continued, his expression unreadable.
"I killed my clan to prove my strength. My Mangekyō Sharingan is the result of that decision." His voice was eerily calm. "Before this battle begins, I ask one thing—tell the Third Hokage to ensure Sasuke is properly trained. I wish for him to become stronger than me."
Jiraiya's lips pressed into a thin line. His voice was colder than before.
"I'll tell the Third Hokage."
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