The Avengers of the Uzumaki Family

If Konoha were strong enough, Maki would naturally choose to cooperate to the end. But when it was clear that Konoha was already outmatched and Kirigakure itself had already taken the initiative to retreat, why would Maki be out of his mind to continue cooperating with Konoha?

Having lingered at the front-line outpost for a while longer, Maki, the Fifth Kazekage, had already done more than enough. Therefore, after finding a random excuse, Maki led the majority of the retreat back to their own ninja village.

Menma also received the news afterward.

While they were still considering whether to transfer some forces from Kusagakure to further suppress and intimidate Konoha.

Menma also obtained the news of Konoha's withdrawal directly.

"Oh? Are you sure that most of the personnel have been evacuated? Or is it just a small number of them? There's a big difference between the two."

Menma put down the scroll in his hand, looked at Duolan who came to report nearby, and asked with a slight glint in his eyes.

"Yes, Lord Menma, it has been confirmed repeatedly. The other side doesn't seem to be hiding anything at all; they are retreating openly and honestly. Also, this is a letter from Konoha, saying that you need to read it in person. It has been confirmed that there are no special techniques on it."

Duo Lan bowed her head respectfully and replied, while taking out a blue scroll from her bosom and presenting it with both hands.

A young Takigakure ninja on one side, who was responsible for guarding the area, stepped forward immediately after Menma nodded in acknowledgment and took the scroll from Doran's hand.

It was delivered directly to the table with the noodles.

Dispersed perception.

The scroll that was completely covered.

Although he didn't think Jiraiya and his group would do such a despicable thing, and he trusted Dorashi and the others, he still had to be cautious. This was something that was ingrained in Menma's bones. If he hadn't been cautious, he would have been a skeleton years ago.

The chakra that was completely attached to it swept over the area in a single, sweeping motion.

After confirming that there were no problems.

Menma simply unfolded the scroll, and when he saw the contents written inside, his eyes narrowed slightly.

There isn't much content.

There is only one core.

That is, Jiraiya wanted to meet with Menma alone.

He further promised, based on his own credibility, that he simply wanted to meet her and that there would be absolutely no other messy things involved.

'Jiraiya?'

Menma couldn't help but recall the image of this Konoha hero, who was one of Menma's favorite characters in his previous life.

just now.

According to Yu Mianma.

'This is a joke...'

Mianma shook his head slightly, then casually tossed the scroll into the trash can beside him with a little force.

Meet?

Sorry.

If it were a long time ago, Menma would still have this interest, but after a series of battles and one frustrating conversation after another, Menma has lost all patience and interest.

Different road non-phase plan.

Jiraiya was destined to be his own enemy.

Menma didn't think that at this point, there was any point or value in them talking to each other; the enemy needed to be completely annihilated.

"Go, continue to follow up on the situation in Konoha and Sunagakure, and also, send congratulations to Iwagakure in my name."

Ultimately, they're still allies in name only, aren't they?

Moreover, from an outsider's perspective, this war was clearly a joint effort between the Takigakure-Kusa alliance and Iwagakure against the other four great ninja villages. A formal celebration was necessary, and Menma also planned to take this opportunity to probe the Third Tsuchikage's background again.

It's now an alliance whose secrets are obvious.

However, Menma still needs to determine whether there will be a critical interval in between, and judge their own side's next strategic choices based on Onoki's attitude, because after this battle, Menma can already foresee a future where they are completely surrounded by enemies on all sides.

This is also an inevitable trend.

You absolutely need to prepare for making sesame paste in advance.

This was a necessity dictated by the times, and also a consequence of geographical location.

"Yes, Lord Menma, please rest assured!"

After answering with a sudden bow of her head once again, Duolan immediately turned and left.

With the Sand Village and the Leaf Village withdrawing their troops one after another, and the smoke of war slowly dissipating, it was already certain that both major ninja villages would end their current war. Under Menma's different orders, the Takigakure Village and the Kusagakure Village also began their respective preparations for withdrawal.

However, these are just preliminary preparations. Before it is 100% certain that all the enemies at the front-line border have withdrawn, Menma cannot actually allow all the Takigakure and Kusanagi ninja to retreat. What if the enemy launches a surprise counterattack?

Unlike the vast territories of the Five Great Nations, losing a portion of territory, while compressing strategic space and forfeiting corresponding interests (such as the current situation with Kumogakure), could indeed cause significant damage, but it would never be fatal.

It's different for small and medium-sized countries like theirs. They only have a few strategic locations, and once they lose them, the enemy can easily invade without worrying about other factors.

Naturally, one needs to be extremely cautious.

Even if the troops can eventually withdraw, given the current situation in the ninja world, it is still necessary to maintain a certain number of troops at the front lines. Furthermore, Fu, Yu Gao, Wu Gou, and others need to be assigned time to stay in areas at least close to the front-line strongholds to facilitate support at any time.

And that is, at the same time.

On a plain hundreds of kilometers away from the front-line outpost of Takigakure Village.

Jiraiya stood alone on a relatively high earthen slope, gazing to the northwest. Under Jiraiya's orders, the Konoha ninja army, except for a small number of garrison personnel who remained at the front-line base as per usual, had all returned to the village under the leadership of Inoichi, Suzaku, and others.

Kakashi and Choza originally wanted to stay and accompany Jiraiya.

But Jiraiya rejected them all.

He wanted to meet with Menma alone here, which was his sincerity, or at least that's what he thought. Jiraiya planned to give Menma one last piece of advice here, saying that things hadn't reached the point of complete irreparable damage yet.

However, Jiraiya was destined to be disappointed. The appointed time was 11 a.m. Jiraiya had been waiting since 9 a.m. until sunset, but Menma still did not appear.

Jiraiya's heart sank little by little, and his eyes gradually changed from firm to disappointed.

'Are you really not giving them even the slightest chance?'

Ultimately, Jiraiya still possessed that indecisive nature. Many times, even when he knew he had to make a decision, what would happen in the end?

There will still be moments of self-doubt.

From this perspective, Nagato truly deserves to be Jiraiya's disciple. The two do have a lot in common in terms of personality, the most classic example being after the Konoha invasion plan failed.

The scene where Nagato was talked into by Naruto's talk-no-jutsu.

At the time, I thought Naruto was very passionate and responsible. Looking back now, every word of Naruto's advice was empty and boring.

When Nagato subdued Naruto, he asked him a question about 'pain,' which Naruto was completely unable to answer or explain directly.

Silence is Naruto's best attitude.

This was clearly a situation where Naruto had been cornered by Nagato from a moral standpoint.

In the end, Naruto actually managed to influence Nagato with just some slogan-like words!?

This is undeniably an extremely outrageous thing.

Or perhaps it should be said that Nagato still harbored the same obsession as Naruto and Jiraiya deep down, which also shows that Nagato's personality had a slight tendency to be weak and naive, just like Jiraiya's.

It can be said that Jiraiya's death and Nagato's defeat were significant.

These are all inevitable results under uncertain factors.

This is one of the biggest reasons why Menma is unwilling to believe it, and also why he feels that Jiraiya is not worth believing.

The last vestige of hope.

It was ruthlessly severed by the face.

As the last rays of the setting sun faded into the earth.

Jiraiya glanced deeply at Menma's location, then with a powerful stomp of his foot, unleashed a burst of chakra, and the Konoha hero turned and left.

Just as he couldn't understand Orochimaru back then, Jiraiya will never understand Menma now.

The figures gradually receding into the distance, two parallel lines that can never intersect, the sky slowly sinking.

At the moment when the two completely overlap.

It also heralds the arrival of night.

The sense of danger had almost completely faded away.

After repeated reconnaissance, it was finally confirmed with absolute certainty that the main forces of both ninja villages had left the front lines.

Menma also ordered most of the Takigakure and Kusanagi ninjas, who were already prepared, to retreat to their respective ninja villages in batches and in an orderly manner.

It is sufficient to leave only the necessary garrison troops on both flanks.

Especially regarding Kusagakure, one can relax a little. Menma knows all too well what kind of place Sunagakure is.

To say that they bully the weak and fear the strong is indeed an exaggeration.

Under normal circumstances, even if Sunagakure had a few more chances, Menma wouldn't think that Sunagakure would take the initiative to act rashly without any unexpected factors.

Let's leave aside the Taki and Kusanagi alliance currently led by Menma.

In fact, judging from the current power of the major ninja villages, the title of the Five Great Nations is already somewhat undeserved.

Sunagakure and Kirigakure have clearly fallen behind.

The latter, in particular, has lost two Jinchuriki of Tailed Beasts in succession, and the Fourth Mizukage died a violent death, leaving them unable to choose a successor for a long time.

It has recently suffered another devastating blow.

In other words, some of the foundation from back then has been preserved, but compared to the格局 (geju, a term referring to a situation where five major powers coexist), it is truly barely enough.

Sunagakure is much the same.

The only thing that's slightly better than Kirigakure is that the One-Tailed Beast is still under the control of their own village. But this is all thanks to Tsunade's 'magnanimity'. If Danzo were in power, Sunagakure would never have been able to get the One-Tailed Beast back.

Moreover, the geographical location of Sunagakure is clearly inferior to that of Kirigakure.

In summary...

These are two brothers in dire straits.

Menma doesn't need to worry too much about Sunagakure. Similarly, Kumogakure, which has already been severely damaged by Menma and Iwagakure, doesn't need to be too concerned at this stage either. In the battle at the Fongzuki stronghold, Kumogakure suffered another three to four thousand Kumo ninja casualties, with the death rate exceeding one-third. The Fourth Raikage, who had just recovered some of his strength, was injured again by Huangtu in the direct confrontation.

Even if Killer Bee truly deserves the title of the perfect Jinchūriki.