On the western front, Konoha's forces had breached the defenses of Takigakure and Kusagakure several days earlier and were now mopping up the remaining resistance.
Once he successfully forced Takigakure and Kusagakure to surrender, he would move on to reinforce other fronts.
However, Jiraiya had an even more important goal—to prove to the entire world that he was the greatest, most legendary, and manliest ninja in history.
He even dreamed of teaching an all-boys course at the Ninja Academy titled "Jiraiya Teaches You How to Be Irresistible to Women."
Of course, setting aside those pipe dreams, Jiraiya was facing a pressing issue.
This issue did not come from the frontlines themselves because the situation there was going smoothly.
Once the Frost Country's rugged terrain ceased to offer strategic advantage, the Northeastern Alliance had completely lost its ability to resist. They could no longer mount organized defenses, much less halt Konoha's advance.
Konoha's forces advanced like an unstoppable tide, with Kumogakure's army advancing close behind. Together, their allied forces moved as one massive war machine—none could withstand their relentless advance.
Kumogakure's army would conquer Hoshigakure next and then turn their attention northward toward the Land of the Moon, where some smaller ninja villages still stubbornly resisted. These smaller villages viewed this conflict as a rare opportunity—a chance to challenge the giant that was Kumogakure.
While Kumogakure focused on suppressing the resistance in Hoshigakure, Konoha's forces would continue clearing out the remaining pockets of resistance in the Frost Country before finally destroying its heart—the Shimogakure stronghold.
The problem lay not in the plan nor in its execution.
The issue lay in the fact that Konoha's rear had been repeatedly harassed by enemy forces.
Even during the time when they were locked in confrontation with the Northeastern Alliance along the Frost Country border, this problem had existed—and it continued to this day.
Otogakure had not officially joined the war effort, but clearly wasn't about to miss out on the feast either. So, they had begun making covert maneuvers in the shadows.
To uncover Otogakure's movements, Jiraiya temporarily handed over command of his unit to Shikamaru Nara and personally led a small team back to the site where they had first detected signs of Otogakure ninja after entering the Land of Rice.
In truth, Jiraiya did not particularly enjoy being a commander; he had only taken command due to his vast experience and legendary reputation.
Although he wasn't bad at commanding operations, compared to him, Shikamaru was far more suited for the role. Therefore, Jiraiya decided to hand over command to Shikamaru while he himself took a small squad of elite operatives to deal with these elusive Otogakure ninja.
Naturally, the people Jiraiya brought along were all carefully handpicked.
Among them were: a young man from Konoha's strongest tracking clan, another boy possessing both a calm mind and insect-controlling abilities, and a girl wielding the Byakugan… For Jiraiya, this promised to be a delightful journey.
At the very least, even if this mission turned up nothing, he certainly wouldn't find the journey dull.
When Jiraiya specifically asked Team 8 to join his squad, they were all stunned. They didn't even know whether Jiraiya recognized them, let alone being personally chosen by him. Kiba Inuzuka was so excited he nearly jumped up. "Who are we going after?" Kiba eagerly asked, and Akamaru barked along with him. Together with Jiraiya, they moved through the dense forests of the Sound Country. Jiraiya wasn't bothered by Kiba's enthusiasm; instead, he really liked this energetic young man. "I heard that our frontline logistics units have been frequently attacked by Sound ninja recently. Therefore, I intend to find out exactly where these Sound ninja hide." "Are we declaring war against the Village Hidden in the Sound too?" Hinata anxiously asked. Ever since the battle in the Land of Frost started going smoothly, she had finally managed to relax a bit, only to face a new enemy now unexpectedly. "Hmm, it seems they really want to fight us," Jiraiya said, turning around and winking at Hinata to reassure her. "I will never allow them to keep attacking my subordinates, nor will I let them go unpunished. Don't worry, Hinata. If I thought you weren't up to this mission, I definitely wouldn't have brought you here." Jiraiya's words reassured Hinata considerably. He was the teacher of both the Fourth Hokage and Naruto; if he believed bringing them was no issue, then there certainly was none. She had to believe that. Now was not the time for hesitation—in this turbulent age, one must be decisive and brave. Kurenai was gone. She had returned to Konoha with her child and Asuma's. This meant Hinata had to become stronger and prove to others that she was as reliable as Kiba and Shino. Moreover, those Leaf ninjas attacked by the Sound also needed her help. She must give her best performance. "Of course, we're fine!" Kiba Inuzuka patted his chest proudly. "Just watch us! And don't forget to take me as your apprentice when the time comes!" "I believe someday I will surely become the Hokage!" Jiraiya chuckled, "You've got spirit, kid. However, I've retired and won't take apprentices anymore. I already trained two Hokages, almost exhausting myself, and even lost an arm to one of them. I certainly don't want to go through that again." "How can that be, Lord Jiraiya?" Shino Aburame spoke calmly as always, "You don't seem old at all. And even though you lost an arm, your strength remains at the level of a Hokage." "Kids, you're still young and don't understand my troubles." Jiraiya picked up Shino's words and began talking nonstop about his "great achievements." "I know, you young people always dream of doing great deeds and becoming heroes admired by all. Don't worry, if you truly want to rise above others, feel free to come find me. I will definitely pass on everything I know and make you into great ninja just like me!" The three members of Team 8 looked at Jiraiya with strange expressions, until Shino finally broke the silence.
"...Though I don't fully understand what you just said, I believe you meant it sincerely."
"Whatever..." Kiba muttered, twitching his nose. "I can smell Genji's scent on the wind."
Genji was one of the Ninja captured by the Otogakure ninjas. Kiba had worked with him before, so he was very familiar with his smell.
Originally, Genji had only been assigned a simple short-term mission along with several other teammates. They were supposed to return a long time ago. Yet, they never came back—disappearing without a trace.
Jiraiya nodded, signaling for Kiba and Akamaru to lead the way. He believed they would soon locate the Otogakure ninjas' hideout. Then, he would send in a stealth strike team to eliminate them all.
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