thefictionvixens Chapter 116 The Deal, the War Conference
Chapter 116 The Deal, the War Conference
Chapter 116 The Deal, the War Conference
He wore a black cloak and his face was covered by a distinctive fox mask.
The figure was relaxed, as if he had been sitting there for a long time, enjoying the astonishment of the crowd.
Almost instinctively, a collective gasp of shock pierced the otherwise silent conference hall.
Countless eyes suddenly contracted their pupils, and hearts pounded wildly in their chests. Who exactly was he?
When and how did they infiltrate, and even sit so brazenly behind everyone?! The vast majority of attendees were completely blank, failing to detect even the slightest sign of the other party's actions.
Seemingly sensing the focus of dozens of sharp gazes, the "Collector" lazily waved to the crowd, giving a joking greeting.
The corners of the fox mask's mouth, curled up in the light and shadow, seemed to truly bloom into a faint, eerie smile.
The shock that flashed in the eyes of Jiraiya, who was sitting in the main seat, and Shisui Uchiha, who was beside him, quickly subsided into a kind of almost tangible fear.
Jiraiya and Shisui Uchiha looked at the figure with deep fear in their eyes. They had reacted, but the opponent's speed was indeed very fast, almost no less than that of the Fourth Raikage!
Jiraiya's gaze tightened, fixed on that unsettling fox mask.
His jaw clenched, his deep voice crackling with barely suppressed rage, each word practically squeezed out between his teeth: "It's you!"
His mind flashed back to the heavy narration of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
It was this mysterious and unpredictable fellow who infiltrated Konoha during the Nine-Tails' rampage and when the village was at its most vulnerable, silently entering the location of the Book of Seals and stealing that crucial knowledge.
"That's right, it's me." A calm, unwavering response came from beneath the mask, carrying a hint of indifference.
"We in Konoha haven't even questioned you about theft yet, so what are you doing here now?" Jiraiya suppressed his urge to attack immediately and questioned him sharply.
Reason told him that the person in front of him was unfathomably powerful, as evidenced by the ghostly speed at which he appeared earlier; his combat strength was definitely at the pinnacle of the ninja world.
At this critical juncture where the village's survival is at stake, it would be unwise to create such a formidable enemy for Konoha.
Moreover, Minato Namikaze mentioned that this person did not harm any of the ninjas guarding the Book of Seals when he infiltrated.
He knew that silencing them would have been easier to keep secret, but he chose to show mercy.
This seems to indicate that his target is only the Book of Seals itself, and he may not necessarily harbor deep-seated malice towards Konoha.
Indeed, there was no sign of the book being leaked afterward, which relieved the Konoha leadership.
Jiraiya's thoughts were similar to Minato's, so although he was angry about the theft, he didn't feel deep hatred for it, but of course, his hostile attitude had to be made clear.
"Heh—" The collector yawned, seemingly bored, his gaze sweeping over the gloomy Konoha ninja in the tent. "Konoha's current situation is not good."
"No need for your concern!" Jiraiya puffed out his chest, his confidence tinged with determination. "Konoha will absolutely not lose!"
He already had a plan in mind: as long as his mentor, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, arrived in time to provide assistance, buying him the crucial time to activate Sage Mode—
Even Sage Mode couldn't directly confront Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, but it was enough to deal with the other two powerful enemies on the battlefield!
At that time, the balance of power will be reversed!
"Oh? Is that so?" The collector's tone carried a hint of playful mockery. "What a pity, I originally came with the intention of cooperating."
"Cooperation?!" Jiraiya's pupils contracted slightly. This unexpected word caused the scales in his heart to tip in an unusual way.
"That's right. I can hold off that troublesome Eight-Tails Killer Bee for you." The collector paused, a hint of a smile appearing behind his mask. "However, what kind of price will Konoha offer?"
"Isn't that enough?!" Jiraiya's suppressed anger surged once more.
"That thing?" The collector chuckled, as if he'd heard something ridiculous. "That's a collectible I acquired through my own skill," he thought, "how could it be considered payment for this collaboration? Of course, considering the 'collectible,' I can offer you—a discount."
He casually held up one finger.
An astronomical figure was presented in a dismissive manner!
hiss-
A collective gasp filled the tent, and the air itself seemed to grow colder.
"It's too expensive!" Jiraiya's voice trembled slightly at the outrageous price.
"This is a discounted price, a friendly price," the collector said leisurely. "And it's only valid for one sale."
This is a golden opportunity; once it's gone, it's gone forever.
Jiraiya fell into a long silence, the veins on his forehead throbbing faintly.
He had too many things to consider: the survival of Konoha, the lives of the ninja, the heavy financial burden—
After a long silence, he finally spoke in a low voice, with a final hint of caution: "How can we be sure—that you have the power to stop the Eight-Tails?"
This is not child's play; there is no room for the slightest mistake.
The collector stared at Jiraiya, pondered for a moment, and decided to bring out something "genuine".
"Proof? Yugito, the Two-Tails Jinchuriki of Kumogakure, should be able to prove my strength. Speaking of which, Konoha's ability to hold on until now might—be thanks to me." He chuckled, a hint of something deeper in his voice.
"What do you mean?!" Jiraiya's brows furrowed into a knot.
"Haven't you noticed that since Killer Bee arrived on the battlefield, that Nekomata's strength has declined significantly?" The Collector dropped the bombshell.
"Could it be?!" A startling thought exploded in Jiraiya's mind, and his eyes widened in shock. "That mysterious force that fought the Two-Tails earlier—was it you?!"
The collector nodded slightly: "Exactly. However, at the time I only wanted to borrow something from that cat to take a look, so—I kindly let her go. With this kind of strength, holding off the Eight-Tails shouldn't be too much, right?"
Like a bolt of lightning cleaving through the fog, Jiraiya's mind instantly cleared.
So that's how it is! If this person can truly restrain the Two-Tails Jinchuriki on his own, then what he said is true!
If he could keep the Eight-Tails occupied, creating an opportunity for the "Ino-Shika-Cho" trio to deal with the weakened Two-Tails, and then have "Shisui of the Body Flicker" hold off the Fourth Raikage—
Then the crucial time difference arrives! Enough for him to activate Sage Mode!
Once Sage Mode was activated—Jiraiya's gaze suddenly sharpened like a blade, sweeping across the battlefield outside the tent, which was filled with blood and fire. The unforgettable pain of death that had been brought to Kumogakure instantly transformed into a chilling killing intent.
"Really—I can only use it once?" Jiraiya gritted his teeth, making a final confirmation.
This is a high-stakes gamble that requires all-out effort.
"Only once." The collector's tone left no room for argument. "But once is surely enough, isn't it? One of the legendary Sannin of Konoha, Lord Jiraiya—you must still have some trump cards up your sleeve, right?"
The fox mask turned towards Jiraiya, its empty eye sockets seemingly able to see into people's hearts.
Jiraiya's heart skipped a beat! He forced himself to remain calm and did not deny it.
The moment his thoughts were revealed, the surrounding Jonin looked at him in surprise, their eyes filled with worry and a faint glimmer of hope.
At this moment, the harsh reality overwhelmed all doubts: if it could reverse the situation on the battlefield, the potential value of paying this heavy price far exceeded the ever-increasing, cold list of casualties in Konoha!
Taking a deep breath, Jiraiya's hesitation was completely replaced by decisiveness: "Deal! May I ask—how should I address you?"
He stared intently at the other person.
"Call me the Collector." The voice behind the mask seemed to ponder for a moment. "Actually, this name was given by a ninja who could use space-time ninjutsu during the Nine-Tails' rampage. I thought it was pretty good, so I used it."
"Buzz!"
A muffled thud! Jiraiya slammed his fist on the table, leaping to his feet like a startled beast. His eyes blazed with unprecedented fury as he glared at his opponent, his voice hoarse with rage: "You know that masked man?! Where is he?!"
The name of the culprit who caused the Nine-Tails disaster, killed countless Konoha comrades, and nearly killed his beloved disciples Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki is a wound in his heart that can never heal!
"Calm down, Mr. Jiraiya." The collector's tone remained calm and indifferent, seemingly oblivious to the overwhelming hatred emanating from him. "It was just—a chance encounter."
A powerful surge of chakra coursed through Jiraiya's body, his clenched fists cracked, and his chest heaved violently.
After a long while, he finally managed to suppress his almost uncontrollable rage with immense willpower. He sat back stiffly in his seat, still panting, and asked, "How much deposit do you want?"
His voice was hoarse with a hint of weariness.
"At least half." The collector didn't hesitate at all, as if he were discussing a very ordinary transaction.
Jiraiya frowned.
This amount is enormous! He simply cannot come up with that amount right now.
His gaze shifted to the assembled Jonin standing solemnly within the tent. After a moment's thought, he said in a deep voice, "I will cover the majority of this cost. The remainder will require the advance payment of all of you comrades present."
After this battle ends and I return to Konoha, I, Jiraiya, will report this sum of money to the Hokage, and he will order it to be returned double on his orders! If there is even the slightest falsehood, may I be condemned by heaven and earth, and may everyone despise me!
His words were resolute and forceful.
The surrounding Jonin exchanged glances, but none of them doubted that Jiraiya was lying.
In Konoha, Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin, was a man of unquestionable reputation.
For a moment, only the rustling sound of banknotes turning over could be heard inside the tent.
For the sake of the village and for the peace of the deceased, these Jonin who had experienced bloody battles looked at each other and silently reached a consensus.
One by one, the ninja tool kits were opened, and the treasured savings were taken out—pieced together from various sources, and in a short time, a small "mountain of money" was indeed built up from a heavy price.
Jiraiya picked up the heavy stack of banknotes, imbued with the warmth and hopes of the Konoha ninja, and solemnly handed them to the collector.
The collector took the banknotes, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes behind the mask, before he chuckled softly, "You're really trusting? Aren't you afraid I'll run off with this huge sum and disappear without a trace?"
Jiraiya took a deep breath, staring directly at the eerie fox mask. His voice was low and powerful, carrying an undeniable trust and a final warning: "The Fourth Hokage once spoke of your mercy in sparing the lives of the guarding ninjas. Based on that, today—I will trust you this once!"
If you keep your promise and help Konoha resolve this calamity, then regarding that matter, as long as you do not disclose its contents to the public or use it to harm Konoha, Konoha will wipe the slate clean and never pursue it again!
He paused, then a powerful surge of chakra, strong enough to tear apart the dark clouds of Amegakure, suddenly erupted, instantly enveloping the entire command post. The sharp aura made the air feel heavier, and every word was like an icicle: "But, if you dare to betray our promise and abscond with the funds—then I will hunt you down to your death, traversing the entire ninja world. Konoha will issue the highest level of wanted notice: an S-rank kill order! A fight to the death!"
Faced with this resounding warning and surging killing intent, the collector merely chuckled lightly, as if a gentle breeze had swept by. It was impossible to tell whether the laughter was mockery, indifference, or—approval of the deal.
He didn't say anything more, but simply put away the banknotes that represented a heavy transaction.
As the collector expressionlessly counted and accepted the thick stack of banknotes, a pang of heartache flickered in Jiraiya's eyes.
That money was his "wife fund," which he had saved up for many years by living frugally and saving every penny, in preparation for getting married in the future!
At that moment, it turned into smoke and vanished without a trace with the collector's movements.
Jiraiya suppressed the slight tremor brought on by the reluctance in his heart, and shook his head violently, as if to shake all distracting thoughts out of his mind.
He took a deep breath, his voice now carrying a resolute decisiveness: "Now that the money is in place, let's discuss the tactics for the next engagement!"
The collector didn't react much, simply nodding slightly to indicate that he was listening attentively.
Regardless of the final plan, his core mission remains clear: to contain the Eight-Tails with all his might; everything else is not within his consideration.
In order to develop more effective tactics, Jiraiya chose to reveal some of his own trump cards.
He swept his light over every elite ninja present and solemnly explained his strongest form to everyone.
The special working principle of "Sage Mode" and its fatal weakness: activating it requires undisturbed gathering of power, which takes a very long time.
This candor caused a sense of guilt to appear on the faces of the elites present.
They knew that it was precisely because their own strength was still lacking that they could not buy Jiraiya even a moment's delay in the fierce battle against the Fourth Raikage's offensive. This was why, despite having such a powerful trump card, he was always struggling to find an opportunity to use it and was constantly in a passive and defensive situation.
After a brief silence, a heated but purposeful discussion broke out in the tent.
With everyone brainstorming, a relatively simple yet core new tactical plan gradually took shape.
It only needs to make one key adjustment to the personnel deployment in the previous round: replace Jiraiya with the Collector to face the ferocious Eight-Tailed Gyūki.
The most crucial role change falls on Jiraiya himself. He will withdraw from the front lines and race against time in the rear to complete the Sage Mode, which requires a long period of preparation.
Once his power is fully gathered, he will immediately appear at the heart of the most dangerous battlefield!
Jiraiya will replace Uchiha Shisui, who is currently struggling to hold off the Fourth Raikage, and personally take over the fight against the infamous "A"!
This time, Jiraiya's goal was far more than just to defeat or repel; a chilling, almost tangible killing intent suddenly ignited in his eyes!
His eyes, which usually held a hint of unruliness, now held only a chilling, piercing light.
The goal of his plan was clearly etched in his vision: to kill the Fourth Raikage here, at any cost!
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