Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its character belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I make.
Chapter 11: Reaction
The Root ninja wanted to stop Tsunade from escaping this place freely just earlier they noticed Jiraiya whispered something to her. Her mood who was angry suddenly changed and it full of calculation, but because they lacked any valid reason to officially detain her, they didn't try to stop her from leaving. Even though many among them strongly suspected she was hiding something. Their instincts told them something was amiss, but suspicion alone was not enough to act against the Princess Senju.
As for Jiraiya, the situation was slightly different. Although they also lacked concrete justification to detain him, the commotion he had caused earlier gave them a slight advantage—an excuse to bring him in for questioning. The Root ninja attempted to forcibly escort him to meet Danzo directly. However, Orochimaru intervened at the last moment, having noticed that they were heading toward Root Headquarters. Jiraiya, of course, was neither weak nor foolish. Together, he and Orochimaru managed to stop the Root operatives. Since the Root had no valid reason to take him to their base, they were forced to relent and reluctantly accompanied Jiraiya to the Hokage's office.
"Jiraiya?" Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, said in surprise upon seeing him.
"Hokage-sama, we found him behaving suspiciously, so we decided to detain him," one of the Root ninja explained, attempting to justify their actions and conceal their true intention—to deliver Jiraiya directly to Danzo.
Hiruzen raised a skeptical eyebrow. His gaze turned to Jiraiya. "What did you do earlier to provoke the Root ninja to have such a reaction?"
Jiraiya expression was grave. "It's the Uzumaki Clan… they're still alive," he said, voice low but loud enough to be heard by Hiruzen.
"What?" Hiruzen stood abruptly from his chair, the shock evident in his face. Before he could inquire further, the door burst open with force.
"Hey, brat, stop spewing nonsense. Tell us everything!" barked Danzo as he strode in. He had just received the Root report and rushed to hear directly from Jiraiya. Danzo had known from his Root ninja who escorting the other village to Uzushiogakure that the people from Uzumaki Clan are still alive, but their location was unknown.
"Danzo, what are you doing barging in here?" Hiruzen tone turned sharp, his eyes narrowing in disapproval.
"Of course, I'm trying to interrogate him," Danzo replied smoothly, though irritation simmered beneath his calm exterior. He wanted to vent his anger because of the failed attempt to get the Fuinjutsu scroll from Uzumaki Clan during the last raid and also he wanted to hear the first report about Uzumaki Clan on how they survived.
"I am the Hokage," Hiruzen stated firmly, his voice filled with authority and a growing sense of distrust.
Danzo, who in previous encounters might have stormed out of the office in frustration, didn't do so this time. Instead, he leaned against the doorframe and gestured mockingly. "Well, what are you waiting for then? Question him, Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen exhaled deeply, regaining his composure. He sat back down, keeping his eyes fixed on Jiraiya. "Tell me everything. How did you meet them?"
Jiraiya nodded and began recounting the tale. "It started when Gamaryohi contacted us. A large group of people appeared on Mount Myoboku without any summoning contract—something nearly impossible to do. That's when I knew something unusual was going on."
—Mito-sama—
At the same time, far from the Hokage office, Mito Uzumaki sat alone, carefully unsealing a scroll. Her eyes scanned its contents until she found a small envelope embedded within. The seal on the letter was unfamiliar but bore the unmistakable spiral of the Uzumaki Clan. Her heart skipped a beat. With trembling hands, she opened the envelope and began to read.
Dear Mito-sama,
I am the new Uzukage of Uzushiogakure. My name is Uzumaki Raiken.
There are many with the name Raiken, but I am the older brother of Uzumaki Kushina. You would most likely remember me from hearing from Kushina.
The purpose of this letter is to inform you of what truly happened to our clan. Over 500 people survived the attack on Uzushiogakure. We have hidden ourselves in one of the most secure and secluded places on Earth.
The previous Uzukage entrusted the position to me before departing with several elders and Jonin to face the invaders. We found it strange—why would four major ninja villages coordinate an assault on us, and yet there was no warning from Konoha? We encountered enemy scouts nearly 100 kilometers from the island. That was our first and only warning.
There is a sealing symbol at the bottom of the scroll. Channel your chakra into it, and it will summon us for a meeting.
—Uzumaki Raiken, New Uzukage.
As Mito finished reading, her breath grew heavier. She clenched the scroll tightly in her hands. Raiken had mentioned in a letter that Uzushiogakure scouts detected intruders 100 km from Uzushiogakure. . Why, then, had Konoha failed to act in time? How could they not have detected such a large military movement so close to their ally?
The official explanation was that the warning came too late. Konoha had only learned of the attack when a dying Uzumaki ninja, heavily wounded and bleeding out, had stumbled into their territory. That report had come from Danzo himself. He claimed the ninja succumbed to his injuries before revealing much.
But now, pieces of the puzzle weren't fitting. Mito had always trusted her instincts and right now, they screamed that something was terribly wrong. She stared at the summoning symbol at the bottom of the scroll. Without hesitation, she pressed her palm against it and channeled her chakra.
The scroll began to glow.
Back in the Hokage's office, Jiraiya story continued to unfold, about their plan to meet Mito sama first. The Third Hokage remained still, absorbing every word.
Beside Jiraiya, Orochimaru remained silent, arms crossed, listening intently. His sharp eyes occasionally shifted toward Danzo, who stood by the wall, expression unreadable.
A long silence followed once Jiraiya finished his tale. For a brief moment, no one spoke.
Then, Hiruzen broke the silence.
"Summon Mito-sama to this office immediately. We will give them explaination why our attack was so late" said Hiruzen.
Danzo said nothing, but his fingers clenched slightly.
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Powerstones please.... I give this book for free, why not exchange it with powerstones.
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Author Notes: If you want to read advance chapter you can go to my patreon.
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