The Regression Of Jiraiya

The situation surrounding Uzushiogakure was rapidly deteriorating. 

The once-powerful village was now facing a dire threat from multiple fronts. 

Kumogakure and Iwagakure, two of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, had forged an alliance.

This alliance put immense pressure on Uzushiogakure, threatening to overwhelm its defenses and crush its autonomy.

But the looming crisis didn't end there. 

Rumors circulated that Sunagakure and Kirigakure were contemplating a similar alliance, potentially joining forces with Kumo and Iwa to isolate and conquer Uzu. 

Amidst this turmoil, a glimmer of hope emerged from an unexpected source. 

Konohagakure, another of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, displayed signs of support for Uzushiogakure. 

While the reasons behind Konoha's stance remained shrouded in speculation, their potential intervention offered a lifeline to Uzu.

If war were to erupt, it would not simply be a conflict between four major villages against Uzushiogakure. 

Instead, it would escalate into a full-scale war, pitting Konoha and Uzu against the combined forces of Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and potentially Sunagakure and Kirigakure. 

The risks were higher than ever, and the fate of Uzushiogakure hung precariously in the balance.

Uzumaki Ashina, his brow furrowed in concentration, sat at his desk, the bitter taste of medicine lingering on his tongue. 

He had been feeling significantly better since he started taking the recently developed medicine.

The medicine was sent from Konoha. It was created by none other than Jiraiya.

It had been almost two years since he lived and studied there. He should be at the age where he enrolled in Shinobi Academy.

"Jiraiya, that brat." 

He mused, a hint of affection in his voice. 

"Who would have guessed that he possessed such skill in medical ninjutsu?" 

The thought brought a warm smile to his lips. 

"A path that many deem useless," 

He continued, his voice laced with irony. He was one of many that thought it was useless but now it had helped him greatly.

In the harsh and unforgiving world of shinobi, where life and death danced on a razor's edge, the value of life was often overshadowed by the pursuit of power and victory. 

Medical ninjutsu, with its focus on healing and preservation, was often seen as a frivolous pursuit, a waste of precious time and resources that could be better spent honing combat skills.

The effects of medical ninjutsu were not immediate. They did not offer the instant power that could turn the tide of battle. 

In the heat of combat, where split-second decisions could mean the difference between life and death, the slow and deliberate process of healing was seen as a liability.

The situation had drastically changed. All previous assumptions were incorrect. Now that medical ninjutsu could be truly combined with Fuinjutsu.

The revelation of the "seal of a hundred strength" was a game-changer. 

It was a seal designed to bolster the Uzumaki's already formidable fighting capabilities, enabling them to sustain prolonged battle.

This seal drew inspiration from the renowned strength of the hundred seals of Senju Tsunade in the future. 

While not as potent as its predecessor, it possessed the ability to significantly amplify the combat prowess of Uzushiogakure's military force. 

With this seal, a single Uzumaki ninja could now potentially rival the combined strength of four or five ninja from any other village. 

And at that moment when Ashina thought happily of what was going to change with the seal.

An elder came toward him and said to him,

"Patriarch, we've received a letter from Konoha," 

It was the Grand Elder Uzumaki Shinzo, he said as he extended a sealed letter towards Ashina. 

"It's from Shimura Hanzo."

Ashina's expression hardened as he took the letter, his eyes narrowing with caution and suspicion. 

The name Shimura Hanzo was infamous, echoing through the annals of shinobi history as a man whose loyalty was as fleeting as the wind, always shifting to align with his own self-interests. 

A master manipulator and strategist, Hanzo was known for his cunning and ruthlessness, his actions driven by an insatiable thirst for power and influence.

The patriarch's mind worked, recalling the tales of Hanzo's exploits, his reputation as a formidable warrior and a shrewd politician preceding him. 

He was the grandfather of Shimura Danzo, a man who had inherited his ancestor's cunning and ambition, serving as one of the disciples under the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. 

The Shimura clan's legacy was intertwined with that of the Senju and Uchiha, their lineage stretching back to the Warring States Era.

Ashina's fingers traced the intricate seal on the letter, his thoughts consumed by the possibilities that lay within. 

"What could Shimura Hanzo, a man known for his pragmatism and opportunism, possibly want from the Uzumaki clan?"

The patriarch knew that he had to be careful, for Hanzo was not a man to be underestimated. 

His every word, every gesture, could be a calculated move in a larger game, a game where the stakes were high and the consequences dire.

Ashina's face contorted with anger as he read the letter, his hands trembling with barely restrained fury. 

With a forceful gesture, he tore the letter into shreds, scattering the fragments across the floor like fallen leaves. 

"He dares to make such a proposal?" 

Ashina's voice dripped with disdain, each word laced with contempt.

Shinzo was wondering what the letter was about to make Ashina be this angry.

"He expects me to believe that he would willingly lend his aid in our fight against Sunagakure and Kirigakure? Does he truly think me a fool?"

Ashina paced the room, his mind racing with a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. 

The audacity of the offer was almost laughable, an insult to his intelligence and experience. 

He knew better than to trust the words of a man who had proven time and again to be deceitful and manipulative. 

"If I had any intention of dragging Jiraiya into this war," 

Ashina reasoned aloud, his voice echoing in the empty chamber, 

"I would not have sent him to Konoha." 

His decision had been made with Jiraiya's safety in mind, a desperate attempt to shield his great-great-grandson from the horrors that awaited him on the battlefield. 

Ashina clenched his fists. 

He would not allow Jiraiya to become a pawn in this deadly game, a sacrifice to the insatiable hunger of war.

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