Naruto: I, the villain template, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 29 The Wind Rises (Seeking monthly votes!!!)

The border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain is shrouded in white mist even at midday.

This is the camp where Konoha ninja are stationed. You can see tents of various sizes crammed together, boxes of emergency supplies being moved around, and stretchers and wounded people coming and going.

The ninjas gathered in twos and threes in the tents, listening to the wails and screams that sounded like demons coming from inside, and eating their emergency food in a dry manner.

"Lady Tsunade will bring them back," one of the ninjas muttered to himself.

"It's hopeless, the injuries are that severe." Another ninja shook his head and said with a wry smile, "Even Lady Tsunade's own brother..."

In the innermost tent, the light from the electric lamp was somewhat dim.

Tsunade stood silently like a corpse, her long, light yellow hair slightly disheveled, her brown eyes staring blankly at the white cloth.

The atmosphere of pain and sorrow was so intense that it was visible to the naked eye.

"Tsunade!"

A tall, white-haired ninja strode in from outside the tent.

But upon seeing Tsunade standing there, and the corpse covered by a white sheet at her feet, he fell into a long silence.

"I'm very sorry and regretful about what happened to Nawaki..."

He took a soft breath, his pale lips unconsciously tightening, and said, "If I were here..."

He was still traveling around searching for the "Child of Prophecy" according to the prophecy of the Great Toad Sage.

Because of the increasingly tense situation in various countries, with tensions rising and large-scale military operations brewing, the old man urgently recalled him.

Upon returning, I heard such devastating news.

— Rope Tree accidentally walked into a trap during the mission and was killed by an explosive tag.

"Enough! Jiraiya, this has nothing to do with you. You don't need to take responsibility for this!"

Tsunade suddenly looked up at him, her tone extremely cold and hard, a self-deprecating smile on her face: "Perhaps, for ridiculous reasons, dying on the battlefield is the fate of a ninja."

Seeing Tsunade's expression, Jiraiya felt a pang of pain in his heart.

Then a surge of anger welled up, but he didn't know who to vent it on.

Should we blame the old man?

However, Nawaki was already old enough to go to the battlefield. This was Nawaki's own choice and Tsunade's tacit approval. The old man even specially arranged for Orochimaru to protect him.

Should we blame Orochimaru?

But he had done all he could. It was only because Rope Tree, on his first battlefield experience, ignored warnings and acted rashly that he died from a rudimentary explosive tag trap.

Should we blame Rope Tree?

But he had just turned twelve and was just a kid dreaming of becoming Naruto...

creak!

Jiraiya stood silently to the side, slowly clenching his fist.

Despite being an incredibly tall and imposing man, one could immediately sense his inner powerlessness.

War, oh, this is war, an endless war.

Rope Tree was just a speck of dust crushed in the war; besides him were countless others who perished.

Jiraiya could no longer think of a way to end the war. He had no ability to stop it, nor any reason to stop it. He knew his own insignificance and could only place his hopes on the elusive "Child of Prophecy".

But Jiraiya didn't realize that in his search for that mysterious Child of Destiny, he was losing even more.

The more he loses, the more powerless and desperate he feels. He can only believe in the miraculous prophecy of the Great Toad Sage and yearn to achieve everything through the miracle known as the "Child of Prophecy".

He didn't even dare to think about what would happen if the "Child of Prophecy" was a lie from the very beginning.

Because that's all he has left.

"Tsunade..." Jiraiya's mouth opened slightly.

"Who do you think I am?" Before he could finish speaking, Tsunade coldly interrupted him, "I don't need your comfort. As for Nawaki..."

At this point, she took a breath, closed her eyes, and whispered, "I want to wait for that bastard who hid in Kumogakure to come back and give me an explanation in person."

She is the strongest medical ninja in the entire Hidden Leaf Village, and she now carries the trust of all the Hidden Leaf ninjas. She must not show weakness at this time.

"As for you..." Tsunade looked at Jiraiya at the tent entrance and said expressionlessly, "Now that you're back, go do your job and don't interfere with my work."

Tsunade's attitude softened somewhat, but her intention to get rid of him was clear.

Clearly, even though she knew it had nothing to do with him, she still felt some resentment.

"...Okay." A hint of disappointment flashed in Jiraiya's eyes, but he still turned and walked out without saying a word.

Meanwhile, on the tower closest to the border of the Land of Rain, as they were talking in the camp...

Two ninjas on duty were intently watching the direction of the Land of Rain.

In the hazy mist, all I could see was a vast expanse of fog, its milky white hue like looking out at the sea from a tower, with only a few tall towers vaguely visible hidden in the sea of ​​fog.

The midday fog was just as thick on the border of the Land of Rain, and he felt it was no less misty than that of the Land of Water, which was an island nation.

Just then.

Click.

"Um?"

The ninja wearing the eagle-face mask frowned slightly as he looked around.

Was there any strange noise just now?

However, the border was quiet at this time.

The only sounds were the wind, the rustling of leaves, and the soft breathing of my companions beside me; it was so quiet that even the chirping of insects seemed to have vanished.

The trees stood silently there, the sunlight filtering through the thick fog and shadows, the branches swaying in the wind, as if countless figures were hidden among them.

What exactly is wrong?

That was... the sound of the wind?

No, what's missing?

A faint breeze swept by, making the hairs on his neck stand on end.

It was a faint smell of blood, carried on the wind through the air.

And it's very close!

"...Star, can you smell it?"

Coming to his senses, he stared intently into the distance and nudged his companion beside him.

Although his tone was full of doubt, if you listened carefully, you could hear even more fear in his words.

Despite the overwhelming smell of blood, he, a ninja with keen senses, saw nothing.

But just as he reached out, a crisp sound rang out.

pat!

When the hawk-faced ninja subconsciously turned his head, he saw only an perfectly intact head, with the cautious expression on its face from when it was alive.

What...

Before the astonished eagle-faced ninja could react, a cold glint flashed in his peripheral vision.

puff! !

A knife pierced his terrified head, the blow even dispersing a large amount of mist, and like a gourd, it pinned the two heads together!

"Did you all hear that too?"

Yun Chuan, holding the two heads swaying in the wind, tilted his head and looked towards the Konoha camp, chuckling softly, "The wind is picking up."

(End of this chapter)