Chapter 207: Jiraiya — A Guaranteed Rescue
Kitsuchi was filled with unspoken frustration. The Hidden Mist forces had a Byakugan user among them, making pursuit impossible. If they tried to follow, they'd be discovered immediately. And if the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, realized they were being tracked, wouldn't he retaliate?
Kitsuchi could only endure Ōnoki's scolding in silence. He didn't dare talk back.
Only after the Third Tsuchikage had vented his anger did Kitsuchi cautiously explain that the Mist had a Byakugan user, making pursuit futile.
Ōnoki fell silent for a moment. Though he understood, his pride wouldn't allow him to back down. Acting as if nothing had happened, he ordered the search to continue.
Two days later, after scouring nearly the entire Land of Lightning, Ōnoki finally had to admit that Yagura and his troops had already escaped.
Helplessly, he gave up on retaliation. Chasing the Mist Ninja all the way back to Kirigakure would be too risky. They might have brought only a hundred men this time, but the true situation in the Hidden Mist was uncertain. Intelligence was just that—intelligence. What if the Mist still had more forces hidden away?
Ōnoki wasn't foolish enough to charge headlong into enemy territory on a hunch.
Although Kitsuchi's division had lost all their spoils to the Mist, the other squads' gains remained intact. It wasn't a total loss.
Ōnoki then began transferring part of the local population from the Land of Lightning back to the Land of Earth and organized miners to extract the remaining mineral resources. Like a swarm of ants, Iwagakure's shinobi methodically stripped the land bare.
A few days later, as sections of the Lightning Country's population migrated away, the region grew eerily desolate.
Meanwhile, Yagura Karatachi and his men successfully returned to the Hidden Mist Village.
With the massive haul of resources, the long-impoverished Kirigakure finally began to recover. The looted food supplies were distributed, and for the first time in a long while, the starving villagers ate their fill.
From that point on, Yagura's reputation among his people began to improve slightly. The pressure he'd been under—so heavy he'd once considered suicide and abdication—finally eased.
He couldn't help but feel a flicker of gratitude toward Konoha.
If the Leaf hadn't wiped out Kumogakure and freed up this entire resource-rich region, he might not have survived as Mizukage.
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Land of Fire – Konohagakure
The weary Uchiha Yashiro squad finally returned after more than a full day of nonstop travel.
The woman they escorted was in critical condition; her shallow breaths could stop at any moment. The little red-haired girl beside her looked utterly exhausted.
Uchiha Yashiro wasted no time. After sending a messenger to inform Hokage-sama, he immediately took the woman to Tsunade for emergency treatment.
Knowing the address of Tsunade's newly assigned residence, he went straight there.
As expected, Tsunade wasn't home—but fortunately, Shizune was.
From Shizune, they learned that Tsunade and Jiraiya had gone to Pansi Hot Springs for a foot bath.
Without hesitation, Yashiro's team rushed there.
Soon, led by fellow clansmen, they found the private room where Tsunade and Jiraiya were relaxing.
Tsunade blinked in surprise at their sudden arrival until Yashiro quickly explained the situation.
Her gaze fell upon the frail woman, and the moment she saw that long, dark-red hair, she froze.
That unmistakable crimson—she was from the Uzumaki Clan.
Tsunade's great-grandmother, Uzumaki Mito, had shared the same vivid hair color.
"Alright," Tsunade said calmly, rising to her feet. "There's no equipment here. Let's go straight to Konoha Hospital."
She didn't hesitate. For a descendant of her great-grandmother's clan, she would do everything possible to save them.
Jiraiya, seeing Tsunade spring into action, eagerly joined in.
Moments later, the room was empty, leaving the two massage attendants exchanging confused looks.
Realizing their clients wouldn't be returning soon, they packed up and headed back to the staff quarters.
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By the time Yashiro and Tsunade arrived at Konoha Hospital, Uchiha Fugaku had already received word at the Hokage Office.
He abandoned his nap, deciding to go see for himself. He had originally planned to bring Nara Shikaku along, but seeing how busy the man was, Fugaku went alone.
The report said Uchiha Yashiro had brought Karin's mother to find Tsunade.
So Fugaku first stopped by Tsunade's residence—only to learn she'd gone to the hospital. He turned around and headed straight there.
At the hospital, Fugaku soon spotted the little girl.
She had bright red, ear-length hair, sharp red eyes, and wore a pair of oversized black glasses with one broken temple—clearly something she'd picked up secondhand. Her round face, though smeared with dirt, still carried the softness of childhood. The tattered, short-sleeved shirt she wore barely fit her, and she shivered slightly from the cold.
Fugaku could tell that, with a bath and a fresh set of clothes, she'd be quite a cute child.
He examined her carefully and was relieved to see no bite marks on her body. It seemed that, at this point in time, the Grass Village hadn't yet treated Karin as a living medical supply.
In the original timeline, that cruel fate only began after her mother's death.
At least for now, she was unscarred—something Fugaku found quietly comforting.
He smiled gently at the nervous little girl.
"Hokage-sama," Uchiha Yashiro and his team bowed respectfully.
"Mm." Fugaku gave a small nod, glancing toward the closed operating room doors.
"How is it inside? Can she be saved?"
Karin's hands clenched tightly at her chest.
Her mother was all she had left—if she lost her too, she didn't know what she'd do.
Her wide red eyes turned anxiously to Yashiro, silently begging for reassurance.
"I'm not sure," Yashiro admitted honestly. "But Lady Tsunade seemed very confident."
"Relax," Jiraiya interjected with a grin. "Tsunade's hemophobia is gone. If she's the one operating, even someone with one foot in the grave can be pulled back."
Fugaku turned, noticing Jiraiya for the first time. The man's relaxed, carefree expression made it clear he was enjoying his stay in Konoha.
Indeed, ever since his return, Jiraiya had been living an almost blissful life. His new house was just a few steps away from Tsunade's, and every day he dragged her along to the Pansi Hot Springs for massages and foot baths.
For once, life in the village truly suited him.
And as for Uchiha Fugaku—the man who had brought about such peaceful, comfortable days for Konoha—Jiraiya couldn't help but feel genuine respect.
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