The Avengers of the Uzumaki Family

The orphan of the Fourth Hokage.

The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki of Konoha.

It can be said that at this moment, all the pressure is on Konoha Village. In fact, even before the news of the defeat from Iwagakure Village came, the atmosphere in Konoha Village was already very heavy and terrifying.

Because Naruto returned with Jiraiya's body.

Around the same time that Menma and Onoki arrived at the front lines and clashed, Naruto returned to Konoha.

In a special room inside the Hokage Building.

Tsunade stared intently at Jiraiya's corpse lying on the white bed with an eerily calm expression.

Although Tsunade had indeed prepared herself mentally for Jiraiya's departure, seeing him die in front of her still shook her to her core. The two bloody memories of the past seemed to resurface at that moment, and unnoticed by anyone, Tsunade's hands, hidden behind her back, were trembling slightly.

"Naruto, did Jiraiya leave any message?"

Tsunade took a deep breath and looked at Naruto, who was also silent beside her, and asked.

"No, Grandpa Jiraiya didn't have time to leave any words. Everything happened too fast, so fast that I couldn't react at all."

Naruto raised his head, but his once bright blue eyes were now filled with a dark gray. He no longer understood what he was supposed to do.

His mind was completely blank.

Right? Wrong?

What is it that I should do?

Naruto's mind was completely frozen.

"Naruto..."

Seeing Naruto's utterly dejected state, Tsunade wanted to say something, but in the end, all she could do was let out a soft sigh.

Can she blame Naruto?

No.

Because that 'enemy' was his own brother, and it was a huge mistake that Konoha itself had made.

Naruto's closest relatives are on both sides.

Tsunade can understand Naruto's feelings at this moment.

"Go back and get some rest. It's alright, everything will be alright, everything will pass, it's alright, it's alright, Naruto..."

Tsunade gently pulled Naruto into her arms and stroked his head as she spoke.

"Yes...yes...yes...Grandma Tsunade..."

The emotions that could no longer be contained.

That expression was completely impossible to maintain.

Shrugging shoulders.

Tears streamed down my face.

The sound of sobbing.

At this moment, Naruto's heart was truly released, and the sound of his heart breaking seemed audible.

Tsunade hugged Naruto even tighter.

Nothing needs to be said.

You don't need to do anything.

All that's needed now is for Naruto to unleash his power.

The separation between life and death is always the cruelest. For Naruto in this life, because he has never seen his parents in person, he doesn't have a particularly real feeling about it. He may feel lonely, sad, and envious of other people his age, but he can't really describe the kind of heart-wrenching pain.

But Jiraiya's death brought Naruto a pain that was unforgettable.

This happened right in front of him.

The scenes are even more exciting than those in the original work.

How could Naruto, who was not even 15 years old and had experienced things different from the Naruto in the original work, possibly withstand it?

Tsunade was also aware of this.

That's why we wanted Naruto to vent as much as possible. Crying doesn't necessarily mean weakness; it's a way to release emotions.

If you keep it all bottled up inside...

For Naruto, it was a very heavy and cruel thing.

Fatigue, sadness, and emotions released all at once.

After bursting into tears, Naruto fell into a deep sleep in Tsunade's arms.

"Mute".

"Yes, Lady Tsunade."

"Send Naruto back to rest first, then notify Iruka to go and look after Naruto, and then notify Shikaku, Inoichi, Kakashi and the others to come to my office."

Tsunade gently handed Naruto from her arms to Shizune, then spoke with a very resolute expression.

Naruto was just a child.

But she is an adult, and moreover, the Hokage of Konoha. Naruto can show his vulnerable side, but she cannot, especially now that Jiraiya has died in battle. Tsunade must bear all the responsibility.

This is her 'war!!'

The message was passed on quietly.

The group of people who rushed over, their faces filled with shock, arrived quickly.

In the Hokage's private office, Tsunade sat in the main seat, with Kakashi, Shikaku, Inoichi, and others standing on either side, each with an expression of profound solemnity.

Even Shikaku.

At this moment, they could not hide the shock in their hearts.

Jiraiya died in battle.

This was an extremely heavy blow to Konoha, not to mention that he died at the hands of Menma.

This represents a completely different meaning.

Shikaku could already sense the impending storm.

“Jingyin should have told you everything. Tell me, what should we do next, and what stance should we take?”

Tsunade crossed her arms and placed them on the table, looking at Shikaku and the others with an unprecedentedly serious expression, and asked in a deep voice.

"First, we need to ascertain the specific situation of the two battlefields. Fifth Hokage, who wins will greatly influence our next judgment. Judging from the fact that Uzumaki Menma was able to return from the Kirigakure battlefield, it is likely that Kirigakure has been defeated. We just need to determine the extent of the defeat. The next key point is Iwagakure. According to previous intelligence, the first wave of battles between the Hidden Light and Iwagakure ninjas should have already begun. The outcome of this war is the most important. If Uzumaki Menma can lead the Hidden Light to defeat Iwagakure as well, then, with all due respect, Hokage, we will likely face a very formidable enemy. However, if the battle ends in a draw, or even a defeat, it would be the most advantageous outcome for us."

Shikaku stepped forward with a serious expression and looked at Tsunade.

"Indeed, the outcome of this war is very important..."

Tsunade nodded and said.

For Konoha, the best outcome would naturally be a draw. As long as Hidden Light Village is severely damaged and Hidden Stone Village also suffers heavy losses, Konoha would not need to worry about anything.

But the possibility is not very high.

Tsunade believed she knew the Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure quite well; he was an extremely reliable old man who would retreat without hesitation if he sensed anything was wrong.

The Hidden Mist Village suffered a crushing defeat.

Jiraiya also died in battle.

That's definitely enough to shock Onoki.

Retreating is probably the most likely option for Iwagakure. The next best option is a stalemate at the border, where it will be difficult for either side to make a breakthrough.

"Of course, we also need to be prepared. If Iwagakure is really defeated, Hokage, my suggestion is to launch a war immediately, unite with Kumogakure and Sunagakure, and make sure to suppress Hikarigakure."

Shikaku took a deep breath, looked directly at Tsunade, and said seriously.

The Hidden Light Village cannot expand any further.

Uzumaki Menma was already so strong that he could easily kill even Jiraiya-sama, even though Jiraiya-sama was injured. This was enough to prove Uzumaki Menma's strength. To be honest, Shikaku had a very bad feeling that Uzumaki Menma's strength was far more than he had shown.

He might already have the strength of the First Hokage.

But every time this thought popped into his head, Shikaku would immediately dismiss it. It wasn't that his reason told him it was impossible, but rather that his emotions wouldn't accept such a development. Konoha Village, in particular, couldn't accept Uzumaki Menma becoming that kind of being.

can only say.

Lu Jiu has a high IQ.

In this situation, all one can do is be 'emotional'.

"Should we take the initiative?"

Tsunade pursed her lips, a thoughtful expression on her face.

Kakashi and Inoichi, who were sitting nearby, both changed their expressions and subconsciously exchanged a glance.

I must say this.

Even though the strategies of national ninja villages may change due to changes in the situation, it is really rare to see Konoha change its strategies repeatedly in a short period of time for the same person and the same matter.

But this seems to be a choice that Konoha had no other choice but to make.

"I understand what you mean, Shikaku. From now on, I'm entrusting everything to you. Make sure you're fully prepared!!!"

Tsunade took a deep breath and looked directly at Shikaku.

"Yes, Hokage-sama!!!"

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 461 The Deathly Silence

It just goes to show that plans can never keep up with changes.

Just two days after Tsunade made up her mind to observe the outcome of the war between Iwagakure and Hidden Light Village to decide on the next strategy for her own village, her direct subordinate ANBU, who were lurking on the distant border to gather information, sent back news that Iwagakure had been defeated, the Third Tsuchikage had been killed, and the Four-Tails and Five-Tails had likely been captured.

And this was specifically noted in the intelligence report.