Danzo's expression darkened.
He was seriously considering walking out of the venue right then and there.
Not long after the race started, Might Guy had abandoned his 4WD and vanished from the track entirely in full view of the audience—only to return mid-race, pick a fight, and get disqualified for assault.
Then came Kakashi, the Copy Ninja of Konoha, who "retired" from the race under suspiciously fake circumstances, clearly throwing the match.
And now Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin, was just standing there, not moving at all…
Seriously?!
Were all the embarrassing screw-ups coming from Konoha's side?
And more infuriatingly, they were all from the Sarutobi lineage.
Absolutely humiliating.
Danzo's scowl deepened.
What the hell was Sarutobi teaching these shinobi?!
Just remembering the scolding he received earlier from the Iwagakure representative—who demanded to know if Konoha's ninja had any sense of sportsmanship left—made his blood boil.
Why the hell should I take the blame for this nonsense?!
Might Guy was from Sarutobi Hiruzen's side. That man even once tried applying to join Root, and Danzo had personally rejected him for being unqualified.
So if anyone needed to answer for this embarrassment, it should be Konoha's "shining light"—Sarutobi Hiruzen… or…
Danzo raised his eyes, looking at the meditating Jiraiya and the now-enraged Tsunade smashing her way forward on the track.
Those two were the real culprits.
Still, as Konoha's "Shadow," the one who silently protected the village from behind the scenes, Danzo couldn't allow himself to get hung up on petty things like this.
He sighed and turned toward the Kazekage beside him.
"I heard that Jiraiya has also become a distributor?"
"Oh, that?" Rasa nodded with a smile. "Yes, he actually became a distributor before you did. But don't worry—he won't interfere in the Fire Country market."
From a certain standpoint, the markets Jiraiya had access to were actually even broader than Danzo's in the Fire Country.
However, in terms of overall purchasing power, they still couldn't compare.
The Fire Country remained the most prosperous nation of the current era, and with Konoha located within it—it was also the strongest shinobi power in the world.
"So," Rasa continued, "you don't need to worry about your hold on the Fire Country being threatened. That said..."
He sighed meaningfully.
"Most of the Fire Country is still undeveloped. Your products haven't reached much of the population. President Danzo… your mission is a long one."
Danzo nodded solemnly.
"That's indeed a problem. Manpower is scarce, and I've been forced to give up on developing some of the more remote areas."
"But as a high-ranking member of Konoha, and as a citizen of the Fire Country—how could you focus only on the wealthy and ignore the poor?" Rasa said with a casual smile. "It's the impoverished areas that need your guidance even more. The rich should be looked after, sure—but the poor can't be neglected either."
"Two hands—both must be strong. President Danzo, can you really bear to see the underprivileged continue living in hardship?"
"...Old me..." Danzo let out a soft sigh. "I truly cannot bear it. Your words today have struck a chord. When I return, I'll make sure to take it into consideration."
But internally—
Danzo's brow subtly furrowed.
Clothing, food, shelter, and transport… No, it's more than just that.
This might be another way to tighten his control over Konoha.
...
Meanwhile, in the spectator stands—
"What's Pervy Sage doing?"
Little Naruto clutched his trophy with pride, eyes fixed on the still-immobile Jiraiya down below.
"He's just standing there with two toads. Is he planning to..."
He narrowed his eyes at Kakashi with suspicion.
"...run away like you did?"
Bonk!
Kakashi casually smacked Naruto on the head, rolling his eyes as he lazily glanced at the boy.
"Who ran away?"
This was called strategic foresight.
Running?
Please. Ninja never "run away"—they simply make tactical retreats when needed.
He shook his head and kept watching the track.
"A ninja's actions can't always be judged by logic."
"..."
Was that even a valid excuse?
Naruto pouted, clearly unconvinced by Kakashi's explanation, but too unsure to argue back.
Then he glanced around.
"Where's Guy-sensei? Why isn't he here yet?"
Probably won't be released until the race ends, Kakashi thought, sighing as he continued watching Jiraiya.
"He should be about ready."
As soon as he finished—
"He's moving! He's moving! After all this time, he's finally moving!"
Tobi's voice boomed across the arena, yanking the audience's attention back to Jiraiya.
"Toad Sage's driver has opened his eyes! He's looked down—he's looked up! What will he do next?!"
"He stood there for so long—and now Jiraiya and his car are moving again. No—wait a minute!"
A sudden shift in tone—
"What's that? Did Toad Sage just get tattoos?! No no no—his car and his face both have the same markings! Is this the secret he's been holding back all this time?!"
"Wait—its speed is increasing! And maneuverability too—it's unreal! What kind of technique is this?!"
"He's catching up! He's catching up!"
Tobi was practically bouncing in place—if he weren't tied to a stake, he might have leapt into the air.
"It's happening! The embattled Byakugō car—could it finally be getting some backup?! Oh my god—what am I seeing?! The Byakugō car… it's got tattoos too?! Even its driver?!"
"What the hell are these two 4WD cars doing?!"
From afar, Tsunade heard Tobi's voice echo and clenched her fists.
She had no idea whether to laugh or scream.
She thought Jiraiya had abandoned her. And now, surrounded by enemies—especially that disgusting Kumo-nin who kept staring at her chest like a pervert—she was burning with rage.
Still… for the sake of that 100 million... 1 billion prize, she'd save revenge for later.
She'd already memorized that guy's face—Raikage's younger brother, the Eight-Tails jinchūriki from Kumogakure. Rapper. Show-off.
If he cost her this match…
Watching her for even a second should cost him at least ten million.
She was this naturally beautiful—he was getting one hell of a free show.
But what she didn't expect was—
Just after she activated her Strength of a Hundred Seals, that damned bastard Jiraiya finally showed up!
"You jackass! You're so dead after this!"
But since she'd already released her seal, there was no turning back now.
Fuming, she slammed her Byakugō car forward with renewed ferocity.
Jiraiya had stayed still so long that multiple enemy 4WDs had already caught up.
"For the sake of vi—VICTORY!!"
With a roar, Tsunade and the Byakugō car charged forward, smashing rival 4WDs like a battering ram.
The other ninja villages' racers couldn't help but flinch.
"Now that… that's the power of a Legendary Sannin."