Naruto: After Seclusion Becoming Naruto Grandfather

"By the way," Uzumaki Chito remarked with a sly smile as he turned to leave, "while I despise the Third Hokage, I must admit his idea wasn't entirely bad. Using the Daimyo of the Land of Fire to unite the ninja world against Shin-Konoha... it's clever."

He chuckled darkly. "I imagine Naruto would have quite the headache dealing with that."

Jiraiya, already reeling from the confrontation, felt a chill run down his spine. His voice was dry and shaky as he managed to ask, "Uzumaki Chito, are you planning to start the Fourth Ninja World War?"

"Do you even realize how many lives would be lost?" Jiraiya's voice trembled with sorrow and desperation.

Though he appeared brash and resilient on the outside, Jiraiya's heart had always been tender. The thought of plunging the world into another catastrophic war was more than he could bear.

Uzumaki Chito turned, his face calm but his words merciless.

"How many people die is of no concern to me."

And with that, he vanished, leaving Jiraiya to stare at the empty space where he had stood, paralyzed by a growing sense of despair.

Jiraiya sat heavily in the Hokage's chair, his shoulders slumping as his mind swirled with Chito's words. But after a long silence, a flicker of resolve ignited in his eyes.

He raised his voice, firm and commanding. "Someone, summon Nara Shikaku!"

A nearby ANBU operative darted away silently to carry out the order.

Moments later, Nara Shikaku entered the Hokage's office, his sharp eyes immediately taking in Jiraiya's unusually serious demeanor.

"Jiraiya-sama," Shikaku said with a sigh, sensing trouble, "what's happened?"

Jiraiya recounted his conversation with Uzumaki Chito, his voice heavy with frustration and grief. When he finished, he leaned forward, his eyes locking onto Shikaku.

"Chito intends to drag the entire ninja world into a war against Shin-Konoha," he said. "Do you have any ideas, Shikaku? Anything at all?"

Shikaku rubbed his temples, his expression pained.

"Jiraiya-sama," he admitted, "you're asking a lot. Uzumaki Chito is no ordinary opponent. He's a force of nature. What kind of strategy can we devise against someone like him?"

He paused, his brow furrowing in thought.

"That said, based on his behavior, I don't believe he'll act directly unless Shin-Konoha is at a significant disadvantage. If this war happens, it will likely be a prolonged conflict—and one we're doomed to lose."

Jiraiya leaned back in his chair, his face pale. "Doomed to lose," he repeated, the words heavy on his tongue.

Shikaku nodded grimly. "The best we can do is mitigate our losses and focus on survival."

Jiraiya slumped further, the weight of Shikaku's words crushing him. "If Naruto retaliates... he'll destroy Konoha completely," he whispered. "And I'll be the Hokage who failed to protect my village."

Shikaku felt a pang of sympathy for Jiraiya. He understood the immense pressure the Fifth Hokage was under. The weight of leading Konoha through such an unprecedented crisis was enough to break anyone, even someone as strong as Jiraiya.

But Shikaku's mind was always calculating, and as he sifted through the information at hand, an idea began to take shape.

"Jiraiya-sama," he said cautiously, "there may be one path forward. It's risky and difficult, but it's not impossible."

Jiraiya sat up, his eyes wide with hope. "What is it? Tell me!"

Shikaku hesitated for a moment before uttering a name that made Jiraiya's blood run cold.

"Orochimaru."

Jiraiya's expression darkened, disbelief flashing across his face.

"Orochimaru?" he repeated incredulously. "You can't be serious, Shikaku. He's one of the most hated men in Konoha. He's responsible for the deaths of countless innocents, including the Third Hokage. How could he possibly help us?"

Shikaku met Jiraiya's gaze evenly.

"Don't forget," Shikaku said, "Orochimaru holds the key to the Edo Tensei. If there's anyone capable of standing against Uzumaki Chito, it's the collective strength of the greatest shinobi in history."

Jiraiya's fists clenched, conflicting emotions swirling within him. He had spent his life chasing Orochimaru, hoping to redeem his old friend, only to watch him descend further into darkness.

The thought of turning to Orochimaru for help felt like an unbearable betrayal of everything Jiraiya stood for.

But the alternative...

"Are you saying we need to ally with Orochimaru to summon the dead and fight Uzumaki Chito?" Jiraiya asked, his voice heavy with doubt.

Shikaku nodded. "It's the only chance we have," he said. "To defeat Chito, we'll need more than just our current forces. We need the strongest shinobi who've ever lived. And Orochimaru is the only one who can make that happen."