Jiraiya's eyes darkened as he stared down at his chest, fingers brushing near the bandages hidden beneath the hospital gown.
"I thought they were dead," he said quietly. "All of them. But clearly… they're not." He clenched his jaw. "What I don't understand is how they ended up with Nagato's eyes."
He let out a low chuckle. "They really did a number on me."
"Yeah," Naruto said bluntly. "They did."
He leaned forward.
"But going back to that—those eyes. I heard they're called the Rinnegan." Naruto's voice was steady, analytical. "That would explain how they're collecting the tailed beasts. With that power, you can summon the Gedō Statue, right?"
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. "Yes… where are you going with this?"
Naruto didn't hesitate.
"Well, from what I've heard, your student Yahiko—and the others—have those eyes. Except Konan. They were all pierced with black rods too." He paused. "And I heard one of the bodies you fought is being researched right now."
Jiraiya's breathing slowed.
"My theory," Naruto continued, "is that Nagato is controlling all of them simultaneously. The Rinnegan allows shared vision, and those rods act as conduits—transmitting chakra directly into their bodies."
He looked Jiraiya straight in the eyes.
"Which means… none of the people you fought were actually alive."
The room went silent.
Then Jiraiya's eyes widened.
"…That's it," he breathed. "That's exactly it!"
He suddenly tried to sit up, pain flashing across his face as he sucked in a sharp breath. Still, his expression was alive—focused, clear.
"I remember now! I knew those faces—every single one of them!" he said urgently. "They were all shinobi I fought in the past. All confirmed dead."
He laughed, half in disbelief, half in triumph. "Nagato wasn't fighting me himself. He was using corpses—using them like puppets!"
He turned toward Naruto.
Naruto was smirking.
"Call Tsunade," Jiraiya said immediately.
Naruto was already standing.
"Already on it."
Naruto vanished in a blur.
One moment Tsunade was seated behind her desk, the next—
He appeared directly behind her.
"When did you leave a seal he—" Tsunade began.
She didn't get to finish.
Naruto wrapped an arm under her knees and another around her back, lifting her clean off the floor.
"No time for questions," Naruto Uzumaki said calmly.
POOF
They vanished.
A second later, they reappeared inside the hospital room.
Tsunade stared at Naruto in disbelief. Then she noticed how she was being held.
Her face instantly turned red.
"P-Put me down!" she shouted, flailing slightly.
Naruto chuckled and gently set her on her feet.
Jiraiya burst out laughing. "Wow… this is a first. You only blush like that when you're drunk—or when you're with—"
"SHUT UP!" Tsunade snapped, stepping forward and smacking him on the head.
THWACK.
"Owww!!" Jiraiya groaned. "I'm still a patient, you know!"
"Good," Tsunade shot back. "Then act like one."
She turned and sat down in the chair Naruto had been using, arms crossed, expression sharp again. "Now. Why am I here?"
Naruto and Jiraiya exchanged a look.
"Well," Jiraiya said, "we've got a theory."
Minutes passed as everything was explained—the bodies, the rods, the shared vision, the Rinnegan's abilities. Tsunade listened in silence, her brow furrowing deeper with every detail.
When it was over, she leaned back slowly.
"…That explains everything," she muttered.
She looked at Naruto. "So. What do we do?"
Naruto didn't hesitate.
"I think those chakra receiver rods have a range," he said. "Which means the caster—Nagato—has to be nearby. Somewhere high, with enough coverage to maintain control."
He met her gaze. "I think they're coming to the Leaf next."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "What makes you say that?"
"I'm pretty sure they've already collected all the tailed beasts," Naruto replied. "Except me. And the Eight-Tails—I'm not sure about him."
He shrugged. "It's a hunch… but I can feel it. They're on their way. Right now."
The room fell silent.
Tsunade stood up.
"Then we evacuate the village," she said firmly.
Naruto shook his head. "Or we stop them before they even step inside."
She turned to him.
"I'll fight them," Naruto continued. "While I keep them busy, you and the others search for the real body—the caster."
Tsunade studied him closely. "You're sure you can handle them?"
Naruto smiled. Not cocky. Certain.
"Definitely."
She held his gaze for a few seconds… then nodded.
"If you say so," she said. "We'll gather the teams and plan immediately." She turned back toward him. "Can you take me back?"
Naruto stepped forward without a word and lifted her again—effortless, natural.
She sighed sharply. "You're enjoying this."
"Maybe a little," he replied.
Before vanishing, Naruto glanced at Jiraiya and gave him a quick wink.
POOF
They disappeared.
Jiraiya lay back against his pillow, laughing quietly to himself.
'…Who knew my Naruto had it in him,' he thought.
After Naruto dropped Tsunade off, she wasted no time.
The Hokage's office became a storm of movement and urgency. One by one, jōnin and chūnin were summoned, the gravity of the situation evident the moment they stepped inside.
Tsunade stood behind her desk, hands planted firmly on the wood, her voice sharp and commanding as she relayed everything—Akatsuki, the Rinnegan, the threat approaching the Leaf.
Orders were given swiftly.
Squads were dispatched to the outer perimeter of the village, forming a wide surveillance net far beyond the walls. Sensor-types took high ground, barrier teams reinforced detection seals, and messenger units were placed on standby.
The plan was simple and brutal.
Contain. Report. Stall.
The moment anything unusual happened, a message would be sent back—and Naruto would be deployed immediately.
When the last shinobi left the office, Tsunade finally sat down, exhaling slowly as she reached for a stack of paperwork.
Even with war looming, the village still needed to function. She began signing documents, her pen scratching steadily across the page.
Then—
BANG.
The office door swung open without warning.
Tsunade's pen stopped.
Standing in the doorway were three figures she had no interest in seeing right now.
Homura Mitokado
Koharu Utatane
And between them—
Danzo Shimura
Danzo stood with his cane in hand, his visible eye cold and calculating, his presence alone enough to sour the air in the room. Homura and Koharu flanked him, their expressions stern, unreadable.
Tsunade slowly leaned back in her chair, eyes narrowing.
"…What do you want?" she asked flatly.
Danzo's lips curved ever so slightly.
"We heard you're mobilizing the village," he said calmly. "Without consulting the council."
The tension in the room thickened instantly.
Tsunade's gaze hardened.
"And?" she replied. "Since when do I need permission to protect my village?"
Danzo took a step forward, his cane tapping softly against the floor.
"That depends," he said, "on whether your decisions are driven by logic… or by emotional attachment."
Tsunade's fist clenched.
Behind his bandages, Danzo smiled.
TO BE CONTINUED