Saving the Uchiha clan starts with becoming the clan leader.

this problem,

Hozuki Mangetsu was taken aback, and Hayama Shirakumo, standing beside him, also stammered, swallowing back all the prepared remarks. This... this question is really interesting! Asking if the Mist Ninja are allies of Konoha? Does it mean this group of monks, old men, and children has some connection to Konoha?

Hozuki Mangetsu laughed, and things took an interesting turn.

Baiyun Yeshan, however, was in a bad mood. He had a stern face, as if he owed someone money and was being pressured to pay it back.

At this moment,

Di Lu was also under immense pressure, his heart was pounding and he was in a terrible state of mind.

They waited anxiously for the ninja's response.

He had assumed that such a large group of chakra fluctuations would be from Konoha ninjas, but what appeared in his field of vision was a gray expanse that he couldn't quite describe. Why were there so many Mist Ninjas here? It was simply... utterly incomprehensible.

My brain, which was already throbbing with headaches, felt like it was about to shut down.

However, the pursuers, including Tenmoku, were becoming increasingly impatient and showed no signs of wavering despite the appearance of the Mist Ninja. Jiraiya had no choice but to try his luck and shouted, hoping that the reason these Mist Ninja were able to appear in this location, which could be described as the heart of the Land of Fire, was related to Konoha.

If the gamble pays off, then there will be a chance to take advantage of the situation and gain the help of these Mist Ninja;

If we lose the bet, these Mist Ninjas are secretly infiltrating the Land of Fire to plot something... Heh, it's just a matter of dying anyway. Maybe we can even get some credit for the fight between Tenmoku and the Mist Ninjas. Either way, it's not a loss!

Also, I should mention here that I didn't see Baiyun Yeshan and the others from the Dilu.

It wasn't that he lacked eyesight, but rather that all the members of the Shirakumo Hayama squad were imitating their captain by standing on the trees, their green vests blending perfectly into the environment, making them difficult to spot without careful observation. Additionally, there were too many Mist Ninjas, and the dozens of gray figures were quite eye-catching, causing the Shirakumo Hayama squad standing on the trees to be completely overlooked.

Not just land,

Even Tenmoku didn't notice the existence of the Shirayuki Yeyama squad, as his attention was drawn to the large number of Mist Ninja.

"Mr. Baiyun, what should we do next?"

Hozuki Mangetsu looked at Shirayuki Hayama, whose forehead was covered in beads of sweat, and asked.

"Let me ask about the situation first."

Shirokumo Hayama forced a smile and said, "Konoha ninjas also have that principle of prioritizing missions. They don't care if they abandon their comrades in order to complete a mission. On the contrary, if they abandon a mission for the safety of their comrades, that would be a big mistake. Konoha's White Fang, who was once regarded as a hero by countless villagers, was defeated because he made such a mistake."

but,

Times are changing, and ninjas are not static either.

Especially after the deaths of the Third Hokage and Danzo, the White Fang incident was overturned and widely disseminated as irrefutable evidence of the Third Hokage and Danzo's evil deeds. In this process, some so-called ironclad rules of ninjas were gradually shaken, and the question of which is more important, mission or comrades, once again became a hotly debated issue.

And Baiyun Yeshan,

He's a centrist who doesn't want to please either side. He believes that whether the mission or one's companions are more important depends on the situation. If the mission involves the safety of the village, then the mission should naturally take precedence. If the mission isn't that important, then the lives of one's companions should be preserved as much as possible...

We've gotten a bit off-topic.

However, because Baiyun Yeshan held this belief, he did not immediately drive Dilu and the others away in order to ensure that his mission would not be disturbed. Instead, he chose to inquire about the situation first and then decide what to do next based on Dilu's answer.

"I am Baiyun Yeshan, a Jonin of Konoha. May I ask what business you have with Konoha ninja?"

Shirokumo Hayama stepped forward, leaping down from the tree and standing in front of the group of Kirigakure ninja. He held a longsword that was already drawn, clearly prepared to use force to drive them away if Jiraiya's answer did not satisfy him.

[Chapter 283. The Hokage's Disciple?]

"Konoha ninja?"

When Di Lu looked at Bai Yunyeshan who suddenly appeared, he was stunned for less than half a second before a glimmer of hope truly emerged in his heart.

"I am Jiraiya, a ninja monk from the Fire Temple. I am being chased by a group of wanted criminals. Please, friends of Konoha, save me!" Jiraiya cried out for help, and at the same time, he ran even faster, wishing he could sprout wings from his sides and fly directly to Shirokumo Hayama's side.

The ninja monks of the Fire Temple?

Upon hearing Jiraiya's answer, Hayama hesitated. Konoha and the Fire Temple were allies with a good relationship, but that was a relationship between two organizations. It did not mean that the ninjas of Konoha and the monks of the Fire Temple were close partners.

As mentioned earlier, Konoha also has a principle of abandoning comrades in order to complete a mission, even though this principle has been shaken. Even though Hayama Hakumo is a centrist who values ​​comrades, the problem is that Jiraiya is a monk from the Fire Temple, not a Konoha ninja.

Allies and family members are completely different.

Baiyun Yeshan makes this distinction very clearly.

The old man beside Jiraiya, and the child Jiraiya was holding, did not appear to be from Konoha.

"I'm sorry, Master Dilu, I have important duties to attend to and cannot interfere in your affairs. Please do not come any closer." After careful consideration, Baiyun Yeshan chose to refuse Dilu and his companions' approach.

At the risk of inevitably dragging the Kirigakure delegation into trouble of uncertain magnitude, they extended a helping hand to the Fire Temple's allies.

He can't do that.

The reason is simple: he was the only Jonin present from Konoha, and all his subordinates were Chunin. The higher-ups in the Eastern Border Defense Force didn't believe anyone in the Land of Fire would be foolish enough to attack the Kirigakure delegation… Therefore, if Hayama chose to rescue Jiraiya and the others, he would inevitably have to rely on the power of the Kirigakure.

after all,

The group chasing Jiraiya consisted of four Jonin-level experts, and it was uncertain whether there were more accomplices.

Despite the large number of people in the Mist Ninja delegation, there are only six Jonin-level experts, including Ambassador Hozuki Mangetsu. The risk of them rescuing Jiraiya is extremely high.

At this moment—

"White Cloud Jonin".

Dunbei spoke up, the old man, whose strength was clearly about to give out, shouted with all his might: "The child in Jiraiya's arms is a descendant of the Tsuchigumo clan, the granddaughter of En no Gyoza. The Tsuchigumo clan has an agreement with Konoha that when our clan is in danger, Konoha must do everything in its power to lend a helping hand."

"I'm sorry, I know the Tsuchigumo clan is an ally of Konoha, but... a child cannot represent an entire clan, and I alone cannot represent Konoha. Moreover, I am currently carrying out a more important mission, so I can only apologize."

Shirakumo Yesan hardened his heart and refused again.

He knew that the Tsuchigumo clan, like the Fire Temple, was indeed an ally of Konoha, but as for that agreement... he didn't know. Only the higher-ups of Konoha knew about the agreement. Although Hakuryuu Hayama was a Jonin, he was still far from being a high-ranking member!

Regardless of any agreement, the key issue now is that there are only four Konoha ninja here, and he is the only Jonin. Unless he asks the Mist Ninja for help, he is willing but unable to do so.

As he spoke,

His longsword flashed through the air, leaving a conspicuous sword mark on the ground.

"Gentlemen, please stop! If you come any closer, I will take action."

Baiyun Yeshan's attitude was quite firm.

Now that the decision has been made, it must be carried through to the end.

Jiroku and Dunbei hurriedly stopped in their tracks, not daring to approach any further. They could clearly feel the fierce killing intent emanating from Shirokumo Yesan, and it was obvious that he was not joking or trying to scare them. If they dared to cross the line, what awaited them was definitely that sharp sword.

only--

If Baiyun Yeshan is unwilling to help them, where can they escape to?

Kamanosuke and the others have caught up. This time, Kamanosuke did not sneak up from underground, not because he wanted to fight Jiraiya openly, but because he was worried that sneaking underground would cause a conflict with the group of Kirigakure ninja and Konoha ninja.

to be frank,

When it was discovered that some of these Mist Ninja were actually from Konoha,

Kamanosuke and Tenmoku subconsciously felt that the operation was probably going to fail. However, just as they were hesitating about whether to retreat, they heard Shirakumo Hayama and Jiraiya shouting at the top of their lungs. It seemed that these Mist Ninja and Konoha Ninja did not intend to get involved.

then,

"Gentlemen of Konoha and Kirigakure, we don't want to cause unnecessary trouble. Our target is only those three. We will leave immediately once we have dealt with them." Kamanosuke spoke up at this moment. He was unsure if Shirakumo Hayama would change his mind; he was simply trying his best to maintain the current situation.

This buys them enough time to deal with the three from the Earth.

of course,

He was telling the truth. Destroying Konoha was indeed their ultimate goal, but that didn't mean they would kill every Konoha ninja they saw. Right now, he had no intention of causing trouble for Shirakumo Hayama; he was only thinking about killing Jiraiya and the others as soon as possible.

Shirokumo Hayama stood rooted to the spot, sword in hand, staring indifferently at Jiriku and the others who were chasing after him.

He wasn't sure if what the two groups of people were saying was true or false.

I don't intend to distinguish them.

Just stick to your own position.

At this moment, despair was evident in Dunbei's eyes. His strength was no longer enough to support him in continuing his desperate escape. Although Jiraiya was still quite strong, carrying Miss Hotaru meant he couldn't run very fast. Even if he managed to get around the Mist Ninja and Konoha Ninja, he probably wouldn't get very far.

Right now,

Di Lu had a splitting headache.

No matter how hard he racked his brains, he couldn't think of a way to break the deadlock. Bai Yunye's resolute attitude left him completely speechless. Moreover, time was running out; thoughts raced through his mind, while in reality, time was also slipping away like an arrow…

"Damn it!"

Di Lu couldn't help but curse inwardly, thinking, "So be it! At worst, I'll go down to the Underworld and keep Bei Gen company. But... if possible, I still need to find a way to protect the Earth Spider Firefly in my arms. I've been entrusted with a task, and I'm bound to do what I'm promised to do. I promised the Traveler to protect the Earth Spider Firefly, so I won't let anyone hurt her before I die."

He came up with an idea and immediately put it into action.

"Jonin Shirakumo, this child is the granddaughter of En no Gyoza and the future disciple of the Hokage's assistant. It doesn't matter whether we live or die, but this child is the only one to be taken to the Hokage's assistant." As Jiraku spoke, he decisively tossed the Tsuchigumo Hotaru in his arms toward Shirakumo Hayama.

This move—

This truly shocked Baiyun Yeshan.

He doesn't care about the granddaughter of the Enno Gyoza, but he does care about the Hokage assisting your future disciple.

This is fucking ridiculous!

Are you kidding me?

This is a scam, right? It's definitely a scam... right?

Veins bulged on the back of Baiyun Yeshan's right hand. He was utterly disbelieving of what Lu had said, but... but... in such matters, it's better to be safe than sorry! So much so that even as he watched the girl falling toward him, he never raised his sword to strike.

Watching the unconscious Tsuchigumo Hotaru fall freely towards him, Shirokumo Hayama subconsciously released the longsword in his right hand and stretched out both hands at the same time... only to catch empty air.

That's right,

He missed.

A flash of lightning appeared in his vision, and Ringo Ameyuri, following Hozuki Mangetsu's orders, took the initiative and used the Tsuchigumo Hotaru.

"Hey, Jiraiya, right? You said this kid is the Hokage's disciple... is that true?" Hozuki Mangetsu grinned, revealing sharp, shark-like fangs that gave off an inexplicable killing intent. The young man in front of him was like a knife with its sharp edge fully exposed.

"Yes."

Jiraiya nodded calmly, "The Hokage's assistant is currently in the Daimyo's residence. Senior En no Gyoza and I just took our leave today. The reason we say he's a future disciple is because En no Gyoza is getting old and doesn't want his granddaughter to leave his side. He's thinking of having her become the Hokage's assistant after he passes away..."

Clang—

The kunai, crackling with lightning, shot towards the ground, but was blasted away by Hozuki Mangetsu's Water Gun.

"Quiet down, you scum, I'm listening to someone!"