The Avengers of the Uzumaki Family

Based on this, while Shikaku inwardly amplified his fear of Menma, he also felt a deep sense of regret, wishing Menma could stay in Konoha.

Unfortunately.

This is just wishful thinking.

It is a wish that Shikaku can never change or achieve, no matter what.

Therefore, this meaningless indulgence only flashed through Shikaku's mind for a second before he actively banished it from his thoughts.

"My suggestion is to halt our advance here, send more personnel to the front lines, and assign specialists to Kumogakure to gather as much meaningful intelligence as possible. We can make further decisions once we have gathered the approaching Mist Ninja forces."

After a slight pause, Shikaku's gaze swept over the faces of Kakashi, Inoichi, and the others in the tent, finally settling on Jiraiya in the main seat, and he spoke.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 299 Decision-Making

It should be said.

Jiraiya had truly experienced a series of ups and downs in his heart during this period. First, he encountered Menma in the Land of Spring, and the two fought fiercely. This made Jiraiya realize that his 'grandson' was beyond redemption. It wasn't the kind of redemption that came from being bewitched, but rather the kind of redemption that came from making a firm decision that he was unwilling and unable to turn back.

Just like my dearest friend back then.

Both of them made up their minds on their own.

Because we've already experienced that once.

Therefore, in the Land of Spring, when Jiraiya met Menma again and their eyes met, he could see the determination that belonged only to that young man in Menma's eyes.

This caused Jiraiya immense heartache, guilt, and deep regret.

I didn't think much of it before.

But on that day...

Jiraiya truly experienced what it meant to have disastrous consequences because of his irresponsibility and his escapism.

But the past cannot be changed.

He can only move forward positively.

He could understand Tsunade's decision, and he knew that if things really unfolded that way, the final outcome for Konoha would definitely not be what Tsunade or Jiraiya wanted to see.

Don't let Jiraiya's seemingly carefree and nonchalant demeanor fool you.

However, Konoha still held the most important place in Jiraiya's heart.

Even if it would be unfair to Minato and Kushina.

It will make Naruto sad.

Jiraiya, too, made a decision in his heart: he had to completely eliminate Menma's threat here, in this situation.

In the current Hidden Leaf Village.

Apart from Tsunade.

Only he has the ability to do this.

Moreover, Jiraiya still clung to a last, almost impossible hope, wanting to see if he could finally persuade Menma to turn back.

At the very least, Jiraiya still wanted to see if he could save Menma's life using his own methods.

After all, Menma is still a true descendant of the Uzumaki clan, isn't she?

Even if the tailed beast is removed, it may not necessarily die.

Jiraiya believed that personally leading the team to capture Menma, extracting the tailed beast, restricting his chakra, and imprisoning him for life was the best possible outcome he could achieve.

However, it seems that...

The difficulty of doing this is extremely high.

'I didn't expect that on that day, Menma would still hold back? He actually managed to defeat the Fourth Raikage in a direct confrontation.'

Jiraiya couldn't help but shake his head slightly inwardly.

Jiraiya knew that he couldn't defeat the Fourth Raikage in his normal form; he would have to enter Sage Mode to do so.

The Fourth Raikage's status in the ninja world is no exaggeration.

Instead, he earned his title as the fastest ninja in the world over the past two decades through sheer hard work and skill!

That is the best praise he could receive.

And now there is such a powerful shadow.

Defeated by Menma, and with the collapse of the entire Cloud Ninja front-line force, as Shikaku said, it is indeed necessary to fully consider Menma and all the forces under his command.

"Yes, let's do as Shikaku says. But in addition to that, we also need to strengthen our investigation into Orochimaru's whereabouts. Shikaku, contact those guys in Root and have them investigate this thoroughly. They should understand the seriousness of the matter!"

Jiraiya nodded slowly, then added.

That deliberately emphasized tone.

Not only Shikaku, but also Kakashi, Inoichi and others in the surrounding area understood the implication.

"Yes, Lord Jiraiya, I understand!"

Lu Jiu nodded emphatically and said.

"Well, as for reconnaissance, Kakashi and Inoichi, I'll leave it to you two. Don't get too close or take any risks. Gather as much information as you can. What we need right now is to stabilize the situation. Don't do too much else, understand?"

Jiraiya turned to look at Kakashi and Inoichi to the side and said in a deep voice.

Even after losing his Sharingan, Kakashi was still one of the top elite Jonin in Konoha.

In fact, from the current perspective, losing that Sharingan is a relief for Kakashi.

In the future battles depicted in the original work, the Mangekyou Sharingan did indeed provide Kakashi with a significant boost, including the Susanoo in the final battle, which was something that ordinary techniques could not match.

In the earlier stages, having only a regular Sharingan with tomoe was still limiting Kakashi's talent.

That guy is a genius who became a Jonin at the age of 12.

Now that the Sharingan's chakra consumption is no longer a constraint, Kakashi's power has been further unleashed.

Whether it will reach the level of a film is still hard to say, but it is certainly qualified to be at the level of a near-film.

He is the most suitable person to lead the investigation when it is dispatched.

Yamanaka Inoichi is one of the most sensory-type ninjas in Konoha. If you also send in a Jonin from the Hyuga clan's branch family, you can generally guarantee that everything will be foolproof.

"Yes, Jiraiya-sama."

Kakashi and Inoichi stood up simultaneously and responded.

"Remember, never be reckless."

Jiraiya seemed a little uneasy and gave a few more instructions. After all, the current Menma was not the same Menma as before, nor was he the same Menma that Jiraiya had thought of before their meeting in the Land of Spring.

We still need to be cautious about everything.

"Yes!"

Kakashi and Inoichi nodded solemnly.

Especially Kakashi, in the battle at the Valley of the End, Kakashi himself almost died at Menma's hands.

He has absolutely no extra hope now.

Guilt? Regret?

Perhaps.

But what follows is for himself, and even more so for Konoha.

Kakashi had also made up his mind. This was the normal state of mind for a ninja. In this world, it was meaningless to talk about right and wrong or justice. Stance and interests were the most direct and fundamental criteria.

Kakashi's only concern was Naruto's situation.

He moved his lips slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, perhaps for some other reason, he swallowed it back.

After bowing to Jiraiya together with Inoichi on the side, the two strode away.

Everyone else also went to perform tasks within the scope of their own responsibilities.

Jiraiya was left alone in the main tent, looking at the distant Takigawa Country in the east, a complex expression in his eyes.

"Why...."

He couldn't help but let out a long, low sigh.

The impact of this crushing defeat at the hands of the Hidden Cloud Village was unparalleled.

Because of their proximity, the Konoha frontline troops were the first to receive the news, but the information spread very quickly afterward.

In less than a day, almost every country and ninja village except for those in particularly remote areas learned of this news.

The shock this caused was so great that almost everyone who heard the news thought it was a huge joke.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 300 The Continued Shock

The Hidden Cloud Village is not invincible.

Even the Fourth Raikage is not immune to injury.

But that depends on who the opponent is.

It's normal to lose to Konoha and Iwagakure. Even if it's Kirigakure and Sunagakure now, other ninja villages won't be too shocked. They are also among the five great ninja villages. Outsiders don't know the details, but at least in other people's eyes, these ninja villages should have such a foundation.

What is Takitaka Village?

A medium-sized ninja village.

It is said that they were able to defeat the Hidden Cloud Village in a direct confrontation without any schemes or tricks.

How is this possible?

The moment I received it.

Those small ninja villages were like a dream.