Hidden Rain Village.
Aburame Ryoma reported the intelligence revealed by Kakashi and Rin to Danzo.
Danzo was instantly shocked: "What?! The Rinnegan?"
Today there were simply too many shocks—first Madara, then the Rinnegan.
If it happened a few more times, Danzo might just be shocked to death.
Danzo stared intently at Kakashi and Rin, releasing a dark and gloomy aura toward them.
"Is what you say true?"
Kakashi finally realized what a stupid thing he had done; he really wanted to slap his own mouth. Why did he blurt everything out?
Unlike Rin, Kakashi was a Jonin. Although he had only recently been promoted, a Jonin was still a Jonin, the backbone of the Village, eligible to participate in major Village meetings.
He knew that within the Anbu, there was a mysterious Root commanded personally by the Hokage Assistant, Shimura Danzo.
Root originally complemented the Anbu as its training department. Later, with the outbreak of the Third Great Ninja War, Root's power grew greater and more independent.
Root gradually came to obey only Danzo's orders, carrying out missions by any means necessary.
Though it was said they didn't kill the old or the young, to them, the old were young and the young were old.
They would slice an earthworm lengthwise and shake an egg until the yolk was scrambled.
Danzo was indeed the Hokage's assistant, but his relationship with the Third Hokage was both cooperative and adversarial; he was a deeply contradictory person.
Now that he knew about Nagato's Rinnegan, he might take drastic measures that could affect Minato-sensei's mission.
Danzo's aura was like a dark demon, making Rin feel somewhat breathless. In her fear, she couldn't help but speak out.
"Elder Danzo, we—"
Kakashi grabbed Rin's arm, stopping her words.
Danzo looked at Kakashi with extreme gloom: "Kakashi, can even I not know about your mission?"
Kakashi wanted to explain something.
Suddenly, a Yellow Flash appeared before them; it was Minato, bringing Kurenai with him.
"Minato-sensei!"
"Kurenai!"
Kakashi and Rin were overjoyed, but they couldn't help feeling a sense of loss because Obito was not with them.
Danzo and Aburame Ryoma immediately noticed the signs of battle on Minato, and there were traces of blood at the corner of his mouth.
Minato was injured? Konoha's Yellow Flash, a top-tier Ninja who mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, was actually injured?
Danzo's mood instantly soured.
"Minato, exactly what kind of enemy did you encounter?"
At this point, it was no longer the time to keep secrets.
Nagato's previous attack on Minato had already proven that their talks had failed.
The people of the Akatsuki didn't believe that Nagato's Rinnegan belonged to Madara.
Minato's claim was just his word; there was no clear evidence to prove Nagato's Rinnegan was Madara's.
Perhaps Nagato was the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths, and the Rinnegan was his own awakening.
Madara had learned that the Rinnegan was on Nagato and sent Ryou to steal it.
But regardless, the Rinnegan on Nagato was being targeted by Madara, and Konoha would absolutely not allow Madara to obtain it.
However, the Akatsuki didn't trust Minato, even though Minato was nominally the senior brother of Nagato and the others.
They didn't even show the basic courtesy of offering a cigarette upon meeting; who would treat you as a senior brother?
If Minato wanted to gain the trust of Nagato's trio, he had to go get Jiraiya. Only Jiraiya was a Konoha Ninja whom Nagato's trio truly trusted.
But Jiraiya was recovering from injuries at Mount Myōboku and couldn't spare the time.
Ryou could seize Nagato's Rinnegan at any moment; there wasn't enough time for Minato to return to Konoha to bring reinforcements.
He had to get the support of Root's strength.
"Elder Danzo, it's the Rinnegan's ocular jutsu..."
If possible, Minato really didn't want to cooperate with Danzo.
Danzo's thinking was too extreme, and his methods were too cruel.
He simply wasn't a righteous Ninja.
Minato wanted to return to Konoha to call for people, but now Konoha's main forces were being reorganized, and it would take time to reach the Land of Rain.
Minato could only cooperate with Danzo.
It was better for Danzo to get the Rinnegan than for Madara to get it.
Minato told Danzo about his previous encounter with the Akatsuki.
Danzo listened intently; Minato hadn't been driven away by force.
Rather, he had been forced to abandon the mission and retreat because he was restricted on multiple fronts.
On one hand, Uchiha Ryou was hiding in the shadows, ready to launch a sneak attack at any time.
On the other hand, the members of the Akatsuki had rushed forward. Those were innocent people whose rhythm had been manipulated by Ryou, and Minato couldn't possibly hurt them.
Moreover, Minato had a burden like Kurenai by his side.
Danzo frowned as he listened, secretly thinking Minato was too pedantic. If it were him, he would have captured the Akatsuki members in reverse.
He would seize eight or ten of them and make Nagato hand over the Rinnegan; if he didn't, he'd kill them.
Hiruzen's disciples and grand-disciples had been corrupted by a life of peace and comfort; only Orochimaru was to his taste.
But Orochimaru had been killed by Madara.
It was a pity; he could only tearfully take over Orochimaru's subordinates in Konoha.
After Minato finished speaking, the problem facing Danzo and Minato was: how should they convince Nagato to go to Konoha?
No, that was only Minato's problem.
Danzo's problem was: how should he seize Nagato's Rinnegan?
Danzo touched the area where his right eye was wrapped in bandages.
Danzo wasn't actually blind; his right eye was a transplanted Sharingan. As for where it came from, naturally, it was 'picked up from the ground'.
Danzo knew it, and the people of the Hyuga Clan knew it too; everyone was a master of playing dumb.
How could a Sharingan compare to the Rinnegan? Those were the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths, which legend said governed the power of life, death, and the cycle of reincarnation.
Minato had been knocked back by the Rinnegan's ocular jutsu in just one exchange. Only eyes like those could deal with Madara's Mangekyo Sharingan.
Danzo suddenly reacted: "Minato, you said Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan are Jiraiya's disciples?"
Minato nodded.
Danzo's expression was somewhat gloomy: "That damn Jiraiya. No wonder he stayed in the Land of Rain after the war ended; it turns out he discovered the Rinnegan."
"He kept such important intelligence hidden. Is he even still a Konoha Ninja?"
Minato defended his teacher's reputation: "Elder Danzo, Jiraiya-sensei will always be a Konoha Ninja, but Nagato is the child of prophecy spoken of by the Great Toad Sage."
"The child of prophecy is of great importance; we cannot let the power of the Great Nations interfere with his future."
Danzo shouted at Minato: "So what if it's the Great Toad Sage? So what if it's Mount Myōboku? Where has your Will of Fire gone?"
"Don't you know that the interests of the Village come first?"
"What if one day that boy named Nagato becomes an Amegakure Ninja and invades Konoha?"
"Who will be responsible then? Will you? Or will Jiraiya?"
"..."
Minato remained silent, simply standing there like a student being punished.
Kakashi, Rin, and Kurenai were also lectured by Danzo along with Minato.
This matter was also to be blamed on Mount Myōboku.
"Ninjas cannot be swayed by their own summoning beasts; they are just a pack of animals."
"Although the Three Great Holy Lands, Mount Myōboku, Shikkotsu Forest, and Ryūchi Cave, have brought great help to Konoha, they are also constantly swaying the Village's politics."
"In the future, the Village should establish a Summoning Department, and summoning beasts must also learn the Will of Fire."
"If the Great Toad Sage doesn't learn the Will of Fire, then its prophecy is nothing but deceptive heresy."
The Messenger Toad in Minato's pocket couldn't take it anymore and wanted to jump out to point at this old fogey's nose and curse him.
The Great Toad Sage was an elder who taught the Sage of Six Paths Senjutsu; how could he be described as a beast by this old fogey?
You're the beast, your whole family are beasts!
Minato firmly held down the Messenger Toad. Now was not the time for conflict; he had to endure!
"If the Slug Sage Katsuyu doesn't learn the Will of Fire, then its healing is just practicing medicine without a license."