Inside the Daimyo's residence of the Land of Waves.
Naruto was hunched over his desk, deeply engrossed in his work. At times, his brows furrowed in concentration, and at others, he scribbled furiously.
Compiling a textbook was proving to be more difficult than he had imagined, and now he was feeling overwhelmed.
Knock knock knock!
A series of short, urgent knocks interrupted Naruto's train of thought.
Naruto couldn't help but rub his temples, trying to suppress his frustration. He had given orders that no one should disturb him at this time unless it was an emergency.
"Come in!"
As soon as Naruto spoke, Izumi burst into the room, her usually calm face now filled with excitement.
"Sir, Jiraiya and Hatake Kakashi are heading toward the Land of Waves. Captain Inabi has already gone to intercept them."
Without waiting for Naruto to ask, Izumi spoke up, her clear eyes shining with a fierce fighting spirit.
Since awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan, she had yet to face a truly formidable opponent. Her sparring sessions with Naruto always ended in her being completely outmatched, and with others, she had to hold back. Now, she finally had a chance to go all out.
Hearing this, Naruto was also surprised. He hadn't expected Jiraiya and Kakashi to appear near the Land of Waves.
'Given Konoha's current precarious situation, why would Jiraiya leave the village and travel across the ocean? What was his goal?'
After a brief moment of thought, Naruto understood.
'It seemed Konoha was seeking aid from Kirigakure. However, they likely hadn't anticipated that the Land of Waves was now under my control, or they wouldn't have walked right into my territory.'
'What an unexpected turn of events. But where would this wind blow? It seems the situation was becoming more and more intriguing.'
Naruto looked at the eager Izumi and asked, "You want to fight Jiraiya?"
Izumi's eyes lit up as she replied excitedly, "Please, Naruto-sama, grant me this opportunity!"
Naruto simply smiled and said, "Your current strength probably isn't enough to match him."
Among the Sannin, Jiraiya was likely the strongest at this point. Orochimaru was obsessed with immortality, and most of his strength lay in his ability to survive. Tsunade, on the other hand, leaned more toward being a Medical-nin, and she probably hadn't even overcome her hemophobia yet.
Hearing this, Izumi was momentarily stunned. She didn't doubt Naruto's words, as the entire Uchiha Clan trusted him unconditionally. She just hadn't expected that even the Mangekyo Sharingan wouldn't be enough to match Jiraiya.
"You're still too young. While you possess immense power, your combat experience pales in comparison to the Sannin, who have survived two wars."
Naruto comforted her, then stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"However, there are other, more suitable opponents for you to test your skills against."
Naruto had already sensed that, aside from Jiraiya and Kakashi, there were three other powerful Chakra signatures nearby.
---
On Mei's ship, the two sides, who had been in a standoff, were now puzzled by the voice coming from the approaching ship.
"The Land of Waves? If we continue on this course, we will indeed pass through their waters, but..."
Ao, who was piloting the ship, explained. Though he didn't finish his sentence, everyone understood his meaning. As one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, Kirigakure didn't need to concern itself with the opinions of a small nation like the Land of Waves.
"Alright, alright, I told you there must be a misunderstanding."
Jiraiya spoke up again to ease the tension, and at the same time winked at Kakashi, signaling him to put away his kunai.
Seeing this, Mei also signaled Ao and Chojuro to lower their weapons. However, her expression remained grim as she turned to Ao, "Ao, did you not follow the designated route?"
Ao looked somewhat embarrassed as he said, "This way is faster."
Mainly, they had taken this route while chasing Kisame, and none of the other small nations had raised any objections. Ao had chosen the fastest route back to the village, not expecting the Land of Waves to be so bold.
"Hmph!"
Mei snorted coldly, clearly dissatisfied with Ao's explanation. However, with outsiders present, she couldn't reprimand him openly. She couldn't afford to undermine her own people's morale.
She ordered the ship to slow down and waited for the other vessel to approach.
When the massive patrol ship stopped nearby, Mei and her team finally got a clear look at the newcomers.
Five figures stood firmly at the bow of the ship, like five unshakable statues… tall, imposing, and radiating an overwhelming presence.
The leader, clad in a black cloak that fluttered in the wind, had jet-black hair that cascaded down his broad shoulders, swaying gently. The sunlight from behind cast his silhouette onto the sea, creating a massive shadow.
His face was hidden within this shadow, making it impossible to discern his features. Only his crimson eyes pierced through the darkness, emitting a chilling light. These eyes burned like flames, fierce and wild, yet filled with an unnamed fury, as if they wanted to incinerate everything in their path.
Beside him stood four others, also dressed in black cloaks, their expressions solemn. They stood silently, like loyal guardians.
Though they had been excited at the prospect of facing the Sannin, now that the moment had arrived, they had regained their composure. While they could afford to underestimate their enemies strategically, they had to take them seriously tactically.
"Uchiha..."
The expressions of Mei and her team grew serious. Although they believed they wouldn't lose, facing the Uchiha still cast a significant shadow over their hearts.
During the Third Ninja World War, the Uchiha had been the main force blocking Kirigakure's advance. This was especially true for Ao, who was now breaking out in a cold sweat.
Back then, he had caught a distant glimpse of Uchiha Shisui with his Byakugan and had been so terrified that he immediately retreated.
"Has Konoha really fallen so far that it needs to ally with Kirigakure?"
Inabi's tone carried a hint of mockery. After all, he had fought against Kirigakure Ninjas during the Third Ninja World War.
Hearing this, Mei and her team frowned, 'What did he mean by that? Was he looking down on our Kirigakure?'
Before Mei could retort, Jiraiya spoke up, his face filled with regret and his voice sincere.
"Although this might not be the right time or place, I still want to apologize to you, the Uchiha Clan, on behalf of Konoha."
With that, Jiraiya bowed deeply to the five Uchiha before continuing.
"This matter was caused by Danzo and the Sandaime Hokage. Both of them have now been removed from their positions. Tsunade is the current Hokage, and if the Uchiha are willing to return, she will help the clan reintegrate into Konoha."
Jiraiya's words were earnest, but they did not leave any ripples in the hearts of the five Uchiha.
Inabi's lips curled into a mocking smile as he declared loudly.
"Of course the Uchiha Clan will return to Konoha!"
"After all, Konoha is the village that the Uchiha and Senju built together!"
"What was once lost, the Uchiha will reclaim with their own hands!"