A Sage's Pursuit of Power

"That's impressive, defeating the Raikage."

"Not necessarily. He only lost a finger. The Raikage still has fighting strength."

"But Aoba isn't injured either."

"Indeed, just this result is already remarkable. This is a one-on-one battle. Even the White Fang back then might not have been able to achieve this."

"Awesome, Konoha really is the strongest."

"Wake up, it's not Konoha that's strong, it's Aoba."

Hearing the discussions of the Konoha ninjas behind him, he couldn't help but smirk slightly.

It was worth the effort of drinking two bottles of life potions. It seemed the effect of his sortie had been achieved.

What these people didn't know was that Aoba's chakra was nearly depleted. If the Raikage intended to continue fighting, Aoba would have to turn and run.

But that was no longer a concern, as reinforcements had arrived—the real reinforcements.

Across the battlefield, the enraged Raikage clearly wasn't planning to back down. Killer Bee beside him was beginning to emit a terrifying aura.

If these two brothers teamed up, even Konoha's so-called reinforcements wouldn't be enough to handle them.

However, just as they were about to act, a massive shadow fell from the sky.

With a thunderous crash, a gigantic being appeared between the Cloud ninjas and Konoha ninjas. Jiraiya, the Sage of Toads, had finally arrived.

"Raikage-sama, ambushing Konoha ninjas on the Fire Country's soil isn't something an Kage should do."

"Hmph, in war, everything is fair game. Your Konoha used such tactics plenty of times."

"Is that so? When we used them, it was during a time of war between two villages. Has Cloud Village officially declared war on Konoha now?"

Jiraiya's verbal sparring was surprisingly effective. With just a few words, he seized the initiative.

The Raikage wanted to retort, declaring outright that they were indeed at war, but he knew he couldn't. As a Kage, making such a declaration would mean an official declaration of war. This would lead to Konoha retaliating with similar ruthless tactics against the Cloud ninjas.

It was a bitterly ironic situation.

The Raikage dared to brazenly rampage through the Fire Country because he knew Konoha adhered to the rules. As long as he didn't officially declare war, Konoha wouldn't dare to fight back with full force.

His approach was typical of bullying someone who plays by the rules: he strikes, takes advantage, and runs if the opponent fights back. If he finds the opponent too weak, he escalates to killing and burning to ensure the situation is hopeless.

The original intent of this operation was to weaken Konoha's effective forces in preparation for a declaration of war. Unfortunately, the strategy had failed.

Not only did they fail to truly weaken Konoha's forces, but they had also found themselves at a disadvantage.

It might sound harsh, but the twenty or so Konoha ninjas who died previously were likely worth less than the Raikage's finger in terms of value.

If he were to declare war now, Konoha's three Sannin would likely pursue him relentlessly.

The Raikage, having experienced three wars, knew that Konoha's three Sannin were genuine Kage-level experts. Facing them, the outcome was uncertain.

Moreover, they had the home advantage, and if the battle dragged on, his group could be annihilated.

Jiraiya didn't rush him; he just stood on high ground, subtly pressuring the Cloud ninjas.

As one of Konoha's few top-tier combatants, Jiraiya had long been away, chasing after the so-called child of prophecy.

Many knew why Jiraiya was reluctant to return to Konoha, but no one was willing to speak openly about it.

However, in critical moments, he still respected the Third Hokage and returned in time to confront the threat from the Cloud ninjas.

Standing atop the massive toad, Gamabunta, Jiraiya's appearance was as flamboyant as ever. This was his usual style, but this time it made Aoba feel a bit awkward.

Jiraiya's dramatic entrance overshadowed Aoba's previous achievements. The Konoha ninjas at the scene began shouting for the Sannin, Jiraiya-sama.

His previous efforts were meant to draw attention and set the stage for future plans, including annoying Konoha's higher-ups and making a mark.

Now, however, Jiraiya's appearance had diminished the impact of his battle.

Jiraiya seemed to sense this and glanced at Aoba. Aoba knew he noticed. As Konoha's last ninja who understood Sage Mode, Jiraiya could definitely sense the natural energy he had mobilized, despite the short duration and high intensity.

But clearly, now wasn't the time for that. Jiraiya merely gave Aoba a glance before continuing to confront the Raikage and Killer Bee.

In his prime, Jiraiya wouldn't be able to take on these two alone. His Sage Mode was too slow to be effective against high-speed fighters like the Raikage.

However, after the fight with Aoba, the Raikage was already somewhat depleted. Coupled with the loss of another finger, his strength was noticeably reduced. Although Killer Bee remained as a backup, he wasn't invincible. Konoha also had Tailed Beasts.

Even though Konoha's Tailed Beasts couldn't be freely mobilized at the moment, the Cloud ninjas weren't aware of this.

The Raikage was reluctant to give up, but his guards were advising him to withdraw.

Jiraiya's arrival indicated that more Konoha ninjas would soon arrive. They only had their current number of troops in the Fire Country.

If they were surrounded by Konoha's forces, the elite team led by the Raikage could be entirely wiped out.

Their previous strategy of concentrated power to inflict quick damage and then retreat had failed. It was time to withdraw.

The Raikage knew this but couldn't accept the dismal result of his meticulously planned strategy.

Both strategically and personally, he had lost thoroughly. And all of it was thanks to the Konoha ninja named Aoba.

The Raikage felt a strong urge to kill him at all costs.

He had an instinct that if he didn't kill Aoba today, this person would become a significant threat to the Cloud ninjas in the future.

From the recent actions, the Raikage could clearly see that Aoba was entirely different from the other "rule-abiding" ninjas of Konoha.

This person was powerful and deeply calculating, far superior to the likes of Hiruzen. If he became Hokage in the future, Konoha might turn into something he dreaded.

Thinking this, the Raikage spoke up.

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