Slayer: Look directly at the Seraph, standing on the sun

Chapter 827 Jiraiya-sama

Inside the command tent of the Hidden Rock Battlefield, the lights were on full display.

Jiraiya stood confidently on a stool, pointing at the map and outlining a pursuit plan to the surrounding Jonin.

"Listen up! Iwagakure is a toothless tiger right now! We must take advantage of the chaos caused by the Raikage's death to push the battle line forward in one fell swoop and end this here completely..."

"Jiraiya-sama."

A cold voice interrupted Jiraiya's impassioned speech.

All eyes turned to the doorway, where Zhang Hai walked in expressionlessly.

Jiraiya's face immediately lit up with a smile when he saw it was Zhang Hai: "Yo, Zhang Hai! You've come at the perfect time! We've reserved the most crucial position for you in this counterattack plan. As long as you can once again perform like that..."

"I want to go back to the village."

Zhang Hai's words were brief and powerful, like an ice cube falling into boiling water, instantly silencing the bustling tent.

Jiraiya's smile froze; he even wondered if there was something wrong with his ears.

"What did you say?"

"I request to leave the front lines immediately and return to Konoha," Zhang Hai repeated, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

"What a joke!" Jiraiya jumped off the stool, his brows furrowed, his eyes filled with confusion and astonishment. "Now is the best time for us to launch a full-scale counterattack! Iwagakure is already in complete disarray. If we just put in a little more effort, we can win this war! You are one of the top combatants on this side. Are you trying to undermine morale by leaving at this time?"

The surrounding Jonin cast surprised and disapproving glances his way. At this crucial moment when victory was within reach, Zhang Hai, a hero of Konoha, was actually going to desert?

Ignoring the gazes around him, Zhang Hai looked directly into Jiraiya's eyes and calmly said, "The outcome here is already decided. Whether I'm here or not, the result won't change. But I have a premonition that a real crisis is approaching the village."

"A premonition?" Jiraiya laughed angrily. "You're going to give up an easy victory just because of a vague premonition?"

“My intuition has never been wrong. Besides…” Zhang Hai lowered his head slightly, concealing a hint of coldness in his eyes, “it’s time to settle some old personal scores.”

The atmosphere inside the tent was as frozen as a lake.

Jiraiya's gaze was sharp as a knife, fixed on the Uchiha boy before him who always seemed so enigmatic. The Konoha Jonin around him held their breath; no one dared to interrupt at this moment, for this was not merely a personnel reshuffle, but something that would determine the course of the entire battle.

"Personal grudges?" Jiraiya crossed his arms, his brows furrowed. "Zhang Hai, although I may seem unserious at times, I never waver when it comes to matters of principle. If you abandon your comrades at a crucial moment just for some personal vendetta, even if you are a genius of the Uchiha clan, I will never approve it."

Zhang Hai remained unmoved, showing no sign of backing down despite Jiraiya's imposing presence. He knew he couldn't expose the "Zero" organization's intelligence sources, which were his trump card as he walked alone in the shadows.

"Lord Jiraiya, please take your eyes off Iwagakure for a moment."

Zhang Hai walked to the hanging map, his finger sliding across the Land of Earth, finally landing on the Land of Water, which was surrounded by a vast ocean.

"As this war has dragged on, Kumogakure is crippled, Iwagakure is decimated, and Sunagakure is terrified. Only this one major power—Kirigakure—has not suffered a single loss in its main force, except for some symbolic support to Iwagakure with supplies and mercenaries earlier."

Zhang Hai's voice was calm yet carried a convincing chill, "Do you think that, given the nature of those madmen who follow the 'Blood Mist Policy,' they would just stand by and watch us achieve a great victory on the front lines, and then obediently wait for us to recover and then deal with them?"

Jiraiya's pupils contracted slightly, and his head, which had been feverish with the impending victory, instantly calmed down.

"You mean..."

"As you said, Iwagakure is now a toothless tiger, nothing to fear. But Kirigakure is like a venomous snake lurking in the dark grass. When we are ready to deliver the final blow to the tiger, exposing our entire back without any defenses, that is the best moment for this venomous snake to bare its fangs and launch a fatal attack."

Zhang Hai turned around and looked directly at Jiraiya: "Konoha is like an empty shell now. Our main force is all here and on the front lines with Kumogakure. If that viper takes advantage of the situation and strikes at our heart, even if we wipe out Iwagakure on the front lines, we will still lose this war because we have lost our home."

A deathly silence fell over the large tent. Several senior ninja advisors exchanged beaded sweat, cold sweat trickling down their foreheads. They had been blinded by their victory and had indeed overlooked this formidable neighbor who had remained silent all along.

Jiraiya remained silent for a long time, the playful and angry expressions on his face long gone, replaced by the weight and decisiveness of a commander. He paced back and forth in the tent, weighing the pros and cons.

“Although this is just your speculation and intuition, without any solid intelligence to support it…” Jiraiya stopped and sighed, “But even if there is only a one in ten thousand chance, Konoha cannot afford to gamble.”

He raised his head and gave Zhang Hai a deep look: "Your flying puppet is extremely fast, and it's currently the only fighting force capable of returning to the village to provide support in a short time. Alright, I approve your operation! But remember, if Wuyin doesn't make a move, you must return to the front lines immediately!"

"Understood." Zhang Hai bowed slightly, then turned and left.

……

Outside the camp, sandstorms raged.

Minato Namikaze stood atop a giant rock, gazing towards the distant Kannabi Bridge, his golden hair fluttering in the wind. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned around, revealing his signature warm smile.

"I heard you're going back to the village?"

"Hmm, I have a bad feeling. I need to go back and check." Zhang Hai walked to Minato's side, not explaining much about Kirigakure, but instead turning his gaze to the direction Minato was looking. "Minato-senpai, about the mission at Kannabi Bridge..."

That was the key mission to cut off Iwagakure's supply lines, and also a crucial part of ending the war completely.

"I've almost finished preparing for that mission, and I'll be leading the team out in the next few days." Minato's eyes gleamed with confidence.

"Wait a little longer," Zhang Hai's voice was somewhat heavy. "It would be best... to wait until I come back, and then we can go together."

Minato was somewhat surprised: "Why? Iwagakure should be too busy taking care of itself right now."

"Never underestimate that short old man, Onoki, and never underestimate Iwagakure." Zhang Hai recalled those three days and three nights when the Iwagakure ninja rushed towards the Raikage like moths to a flame, a complex respect appearing in his eyes. "When I was infiltrating Iwagakure, I witnessed the so-called 'Will of Stone' firsthand. In order to kill the Third Raikage, tens of thousands of Iwagakure ninja knew they were going to die, but not a single one retreated a single step, using their lives to wear down the strongest Raikage."