Hiruzen Sarutobi had never intended to fully occupy Agakure.
With Hanzo the Salamander still alive, no nation could ever truly conquer Agakure. At most, they could seize so of its territory.
Because Hanzo was simply too powerful.
"Hanzo the Salamander is already dead. I killed him."
Jiraiya spoke calmly as he t Hiruzen's gaze.
"What did you just say?" Hiruzen's pupils contracted, his pipe slipping from his fingers. Every movent betrayed the sheer shock he felt at the revelation.
"Hanzo is dead. I also eliminated the Wind Country's Jinchūriki, and I have already sealed Shukaku."
Jiraiya's voice remained indifferent.
"How did you accomplish this?" Hiruzen could no longer control his expression, his face filled with disbelief.
"Sensei, I did it with my own strength. Now that Hanzo is gone, we have the power to completely wipe out Agakure's shinobi and take full control of their land."
Jiraiya's response was firm.
A storm raged in Hiruzen's mind as he struggled to process Jiraiya's words.
How had Jiraiya grown so powerful in just six months?
Defeating Hanzo single-handedly was already unbelievable—but sealing a Tailed Beast as well? It felt like a dream.
Without hesitation, Hiruzen imdiately gathered Konoha's senior leadership.
Thirteen individuals sat before him—n and won who held the highest authority in Konoha. Very few were from civilian backgrounds; most were the heads of prominent clans or influential elders.
Hiruzen relayed Jiraiya's accomplishnts to them.
For a long mont, silence filled the room.
"Lord Hokage, is this true? Hanzo the Salamander has really been killed?" Koharu Utatane finally broke the silence, still struggling to believe it.
The other shinobi wore similar expressions of shock.
Hanzo had dominated the shinobi world for decades.
And now they were being told—out of nowhere—that he was dead? And that Jiraiya, one of their own, had killed him?
Jiraiya wasn't even sixteen yet.
How could soone so young defeat the so-called 'Demi-God' of the ninja world?
"There's no need for your skepticism." Jiraiya's voice was cold as he observed their reactions. "Hanzo is dead. If you don't believe , you're free to verify it on the front lines."
"Sensei, now is the perfect opportunity to take Agakure. Mobilize our forces imdiately. Let lead the final assault and claim their territory once and for all. If we fully occupy Agakure, Konoha's strength will surge beyond all other great nations."
Jiraiya turned to Hiruzen, his tone firm.
"Erasing Agakure would have serious consequences," Hiruzen replied, shaking his head. "The other great nations won't just stand by and let us do this. We must tread carefully."
Even with Hanzo dead and Agakure leaderless, Hiruzen remained cautious.
Because if Konoha annihilated Agakure's shinobi and seized their land, the other great nations would undoubtedly turn their attention toward the Land of Fire. It could provoke a multi-front war.
"Exactly. The Land of Fire is already the strongest of the five nations. If we seize another country's territory and claim its resources, the other nations will never let us be. They'll target us relentlessly."
Koharu nodded in agreent.
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes as another council mber prepared to speak.
"I don't care what any of you say. I will destroy Agakure. If we allow their shinobi to live, they will bear an eternal grudge against us."
Jiraiya's voice turned icy. "And if the other great nations secretly aid Agakure and help them recover, they will beco a dagger aid at Konoha's throat. I will not allow that to happen."
"You fear the pressure of the other great nations—I understand. But they are not a united front. They will not work together against us. As long as they remain divided, none of them are strong enough to challenge Konoha."
His words carried unwavering determination.
"Jiraiya, mind your tone! Are you saying you would defy Lord Hokage's orders?" Homura Mitokado barked, his voice laced with anger.
"I don't intend to defy anyone. But if soone tries to hold Konoha back, if they stand in the way of our village's rise to power, I will not tolerate it."
Jiraiya's expression turned cold.
If the elders refused to support him, he would take matters into his own hands.
If necessary, he would stage a coup and purge Konoha of its rigid traditionalists.
"Jiraiya, what are you implying? Are you suggesting that Lord Hokage's decisions are hindering the village's growth?"
Homura's face darkened as he glared at Jiraiya.
"Enough." Hiruzen cut in before the tension could escalate further. "Jiraiya, where have you sealed Shukaku? Is the seal secure? Should we send the sealing corps to reinforce it to prevent any accidents?"
Though Jiraiya's words had irked him, Hiruzen refrained from rebuking him.
Because Jiraiya's strength was now on par with his own.
More importantly, he didn't want to create a rift between them. If their ideological divide continued to widen, it could destabilize the village.
Later, he planned to have a private conversation with Jiraiya—to explain the dangers that war could bring to Konoha.
He understood Jiraiya's ntality. Such power at such a young age—of course, he would have ambitions.
"Lord Hokage, Shukaku is sealed securely."
Jiraiya shook his head.
He had killed Hanzo, yet Hiruzen still refused to launch a full-scale invasion of Agakure. The frustration within him was already boiling over.
He no longer felt the need to address Hiruzen as 'Sensei.'
He knew that with Hanzo's death, his own reputation would spread across the shinobi world. The other great nations would fear him.
Now was the perfect mont for Konoha to seize control of Agakure.
The other nations might not like it, but they wouldn't be able to stop it either.
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Pls Drop so Power Stones
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