126-130

**Chapter 126: The Money-Burning Tactic**


Meiguro silently stared at the approaching storm.

His heart was filled with helplessness.

The counterattack came too fast!

The storm's range exceeded the limit of his movement in such a short time, meaning he couldn’t avoid the massive force of the storm. So, just before the storm hit, he crouched down, raised his arms to shield his chest, and tried to minimize his exposed area.

The next moment—

The storm crashed into him.

“Weird?”Meiguro was lifted into the air like a kite, tossed far away by the storm. However, to his surprise, he realized that he hadn’t suffered much damage. He had expected to be torn to shreds! As a master of Lightning Style jutsu, he knew the cutting power of Wind Style all too well.

With a storm of this magnitude, he had honestly thought he was a goner.

Being sliced into pieces would have been a good outcome.

There was even a chance he'd be turned into minced meat by the wind blades.

But when the storm actually hit him, he noticed that while the storm was indeed powerful enough to blow him and his two subordinates away, Uchiha Sougen hadn't fully utilized the Wind Style's cutting power.

“Shisui!!”

Sougen, who had missed his mark with the first attack, didn’t rush to follow up.

Instead, he loudly called out to Uchiha Shisui.

On the battlefield, Shisui sheathed his sword, swiftly slashing the throat of an attacker charging from the side. Blood spurted from the wound like a broken pipe, but none of it stained Shisui’s sleeve. Shisui had already used his Body Flicker Technique to move quickly and appeared in front of Sougen in no time.

“What do you want me to do?”

Shisui asked.

“Go capture that guy named Moku,” Sougen said, raising the fan in his hand and pointing towards the retreating storm and Moku. “Don’t let him escape. He dared to strike at me, so he needs to be punished. Alive or dead, bring him or his corpse to me.”

As he spoke, Sougen shot Shisui a meaningful glance.

“Leave it to me!”

Realizing the implications, Shisui took a deep breath and chased after the storm. Meanwhile, Sougen surveyed the battlefield. All around him, there were sounds of battle, with Mist ninja fighting Mist ninja, and Mist ninja fighting Leaf ninja. Yes, the Mist ninja were fighting each other as well.

Once Moku, who was supposed to be in charge of welcoming them, had turned into one of the attackers, anyone with a bit of awareness could realize that the Mist ninja under his command were likely in the same situation as their boss. In fact, this was true. As soon as Moku attacked Uchiha Sougen, the intensity of the battle skyrocketed.

Originally, the Mist ninja had been pretending to fight each other, but now they joined forces to attack the Mist army that had returned with Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage. They likely didn’t intend to destroy the army but seemed to be stalling for time to kill the Fourth Mizukage and the Leaf ninja.

Sougen narrowed his eyes, his mind racing with thoughts.

“Damn it! A bunch of scum!”

Terumi Mei cursed in frustration.

The water whip in her hand was as agile as a living snake, tightly coiling around her target. She swiftly moved in to break the bones of the Mist ninja attacker. At that moment, she understood why the Fourth Mizukage had been so harsh on their own people before.

Indeed—

Compared to death, just breaking a few bones and spending a few months in bed didn’t seem like such a big deal.

With one foot on the Mist ninja who had passed out from pain, Terumi Mei quickly assessed the battlefield. She saw that the Mist attackers were converging toward the Fourth Mizukage and the Leaf ninja. They were throwing explosive tags like they were free, and despite the Leaf ninja’s battle-hardened experience, they had no choice but to fall back under the relentless barrage.

It really was a waste of money.

Explosive tags weren’t cheap, especially in the Land of Water. There weren’t many who specialized in Fire Style, and even fewer who were skilled in making explosive tags. Mist Village couldn’t produce enough of them, so they had to rely on the black market.

And the prices on the black market? Ouch! It was like cutting off a piece of their own flesh!

“Moku, that bastard.”

Terumi Mei gritted her teeth.

There was no way Moku had paid for all these explosive tags himself. The most likely scenario was that Moku had taken supplies that were meant for the front lines without permission. This port was the largest on the western side of the island and served as a crucial hub for supplies heading to the front. Naturally, they had stockpiled plenty of military goods here, especially explosive tags.

And now—Meiguro had taken full advantage of them.

“Mangetsu, Kisame, Zabuza, come with me to support the Leaf ninja. Let’s not let too many of those idiots die,” Terumi Mei ordered. By "idiots," she didn’t mean the Leaf ninja, but rather the Mist ninja who had launched the attack. After all, having spent days together at sea, she knew how deadly the small group of Leaf ninja really were.Meiguro’s young Mist ninja were skilled,

But compared to the Leaf ninja, they were no match. Even the defeated Mist veterans behind Terumi Mei could easily take them down. And let's not forget, talented individuals like Hozuki Mangetsu, Hoshigaki Kisame, Momochi Zabuza, and Ringo Ameyuri were all on her side.

“What a hassle,”

Hozuki Mangetsu grumbled, smashing yet another water clone. His Water Gun Jutsu even pierced through the explosive tags, rendering them useless. “These idiots are just asking to die, so why bother saving them? Even if we do, they won’t be grateful, and once we get back to the village, it’ll be nothing but trouble.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Moku might be a lost cause, but the ones following orders don’t necessarily know what’s really going on. And besides, we’re all Mist ninja. They’re our comrades.”

As Terumi Mei spoke, she had already dashed off.

Mangetsu scratched his head in frustration, letting out a tired sigh. He hated this kind of troublesome task. Capturing people alive was such a pain! Back in the village, it would mean trials, imprisonments, and executions, with more problems piling up like waves.

“This is such a hassle.”

Mangetsu muttered under his breath.

Despite his reluctance, he still stepped into action, using more restraint-based Water Style techniques like the Water Whip instead of the destructive Water Gun Jutsu.

Hoshigaki Kisame followed suit. As a model ninja, Kisame didn’t let personal feelings interfere with his mission. Terumi Mei was the deputy commander, and her orders were to be followed without question.

Of course, not everyone was as diligent as Kisame—Momochi Zabuza, for one, just watched from the sidelines.

Regardless of what Yagura had been through, Zabuza was convinced that he was an unfit and incompetent Mizukage. During their time on the ship, Zabuza had been thinking about gathering like-minded individuals to overthrow Yagura once he recovered. But now, someone had beaten him to it.

Zabuza didn’t plan on saving Yagura, but he also didn’t want to side with the attackers. Assassinating the Fourth Mizukage was something he wanted to do with his own hands, not as someone else’s lackey. So he simply ignored Terumi Mei’s orders, joining a group of other Mist jōnin who preferred to sit this one out, watching their comrades fight amongst themselves.

But even though Zabuza and his group chose not to act,

The attackers were no match for the Mist army returning from the front lines, especially with the Leaf ninja helping out. The attackers were starting to falter, and their commander, Moku, had been blown away by Sougen’s fan, making their situation even worse.

Yet as they were pushed into a corner, these young attackers became even more ruthless and bloodthirsty.

Realizing the difference in power,

They didn’t retreat to regroup. Instead, they launched a desperate, suicidal attack, relying on Water Clones carrying explosive tags to charge at their enemies.

“Boom!!”

“Boom!!”

Deafening explosions echoed one after another, evaporating the Water Clones and filling the air with thick, white mist. The already low visibility dropped further, and without strong sensory skills, it was nearly impossible to see anything.

“Damn it! Do these Mist ninja want to bankrupt the village by using so many explosive tags?”

Inuzuka Jaw muttered angrily, retreating to his comrades to escape the relentless waves of explosions with his ninja dog.

“They’re heading toward the Mizukage and Sougen-sama,”

Yamanaka Mokuren informed her companions through her Mind Body Jutsu, keeping track of the Mist ninja's movements.

“Going after Sougen-sama?” Kurama Yunhai remarked with a strange expression. If they were just targeting the Mizukage, who knew what would happen, but since they were also going for Sougen-sama, “Looks like we won’t need to lift a finger.” He said, and everyone around him nodded in agreement.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 127: The Uchiha Fire Fan's Emblem Has Yet to Be Tarnished!

From the very beginning, Sōgen sensed a subtle dissonance about the assassination attempt targeting Yagura Karatachi. The radical faction of the Hidden Mist, dissatisfied with Yagura's disastrous rule, initiated the assassination, which, on the surface, seemed perfectly justified.

However, the timing was off.

Instead of waiting for a moment when Yagura's forces were weakened, they launched the attack just after he had returned at the head of his army. Was the mastermind behind this operation not thinking straight? Or perhaps... the assassination was merely a ruse, with the attackers harboring a different objective.

Sōgen's thoughts stalled at this point. He was certain his deduction was correct, but he still hadn't figured out what the attackers' true goal was.

"What can a few small fry really do?"

Sōgen glanced at the Mist ninja emerging from the dense fog, their bodies covered in explosive tags already triggered. It was likely another water clone. With a casual flick of his flame-patterned fan, infused with only a small amount of chakra, he summoned a gust of wind that easily dispersed the fragile water clone. The flames from the exploding tags were blown back toward their source by the gust.

Yet, the trouble with these "flies" was that they kept coming, relentless and hard to swat.

Relying on a mass of explosive tags to clear a path, the attackers forced the Leaf ninjas back, creating a narrow lane that led straight to Sōgen. As wave after wave of Mist ninja, both water clones and real bodies, rushed at him, blood and water splattered across the already pockmarked battlefield.

This only deepened Sōgen's confusion.

Why sacrifice lives like this? What was their true purpose?

As another Mist ninja charged at him, Sōgen, almost out of instinct, swung his flame-patterned fan. The fierce wind scattered the water clone but failed to disperse the gleam of a blade, bright as moonlight. The blade, wrapped in wind chakra, sliced through the broken water clone and cut through the gusting wind.

A diminutive assassin, standing less than 1.5 meters tall, seized the moment when Sōgen's defense was open to make a desperate, all-or-nothing stab. It was a suicidal strike, but Sōgen was unfazed by the sudden attack. This was what he had been expecting all along!

A sense of relief washed over him, as though the other shoe had finally dropped.

He wasn't afraid of tricks—only of tricks that were hidden, like a thorn stuck in his throat. Now that it was out in the open, he could deal with it.

"Your blade isn't fast enough!"

Though he couldn't pull back his fan in time to fend off the assassin, Sōgen still had his left hand. Drawing the long sword from his left side, the blade burst into flames as it left the scabbard. Fire met wind, and the two blades clashed in midair.

**Uchiha Style: Great Flame Sword!**

Elemental advantages weren't absolute.

Fire may counter wind, but if the wind is strong enough, it can still extinguish a small flame. Unfortunately for the assassin, the breeze he summoned was no match for Sōgen's roaring inferno.

**Boom!!!**

It was as if a dozen explosive tags had gone off at once. Instead of extinguishing the flames, the wind blade only fueled Sōgen's Great Flame Sword. The surging fire consumed the assassin instantly, his body reduced to a charred husk in an instant.

Even the cold-blooded Mist ninja hesitated momentarily when they saw their comrade's gruesome fate. That brief hesitation was enough for Sōgen to pinpoint their positions. He sheathed his sword and waved his fan, sending a violent gust that dispersed the fog, revealing two Mist ninja using Earth-style jutsu to sneak up on him.

These two were clearly more skilled than the previous attackers, likely not just cannon fodder. Their hardened bodies indicated a high level of mastery in jutsu, suggesting they were notable figures in the Hidden Mist.

But as soon as they emerged, Sōgen's flame-wreathed skeletal hand struck them with lightning speed, flinging them like rag dolls. Unable to change their hand seals in time, they were forced to endure the crushing force with only their hardened bodies to protect them. Their bones groaned under the strain before they finally gave out.

The searing pain shattered their consciousness, and they plunged into darkness, knowing nothing more.

"If you want to watch, then open your eyes wide."

Enveloped in the protection of his deep-crimson ribcage, Sōgen's thoughts wandered. A sudden idea struck him: perhaps the Mist ninja's goal wasn't to assassinate Yagura or even him.

Maybe this was all just to test his strength!

Looking back on the sudden assassination attempt, the Mist ninja's focus had shifted more and more toward him rather than Yagura. But trying to kill Sōgen with such a small force was a fool's errand. The mastermind behind this attack couldn’t be that naive, so the most likely explanation was that this was just a probe.

Of course, if it was a probe, it was an overly dramatic one. That's why Sōgen hadn't considered this possibility earlier. But now that he had, he was more than willing to show the Mist ninja the true power of the Uchiha!

One of his reasons for coming to the Hidden Mist was to instill fear.

To remind these Mist ninja, who had long been isolated and grown arrogant, that they were the descendants of those who had once been defeated by the Senju and Uchiha, driven from the mainland and forced to huddle together for survival. Even though the Leaf had lost the glory of the Senju...

The Uchiha's fire fan emblem had not been tarnished!

No matter who you are—a Kage, a Jinchūriki, or a tailed beast—you will submit to the might of the Uchiha.

"Not bad!"

A grin spread across Sōgen's lips. He was actually enjoying this peculiar "welcoming ceremony." In the spirit of reciprocity, he figured he should give them a return gift. "Well, then... consider this my gift for visiting the Land of Water for the first time!"

The left hand of his Susanoo rose, three deep-crimson magatama spinning in its palm. This was the **Yasaka Magatama**, a technique capable of rivaling a tailed beast's bomb, used by all who had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and summoned Susanoo.

The magatama were hurled.

In the next moment, blinding light erupted from the port, followed by an earth-shaking explosion. Like ripples from a stone dropped into a pond, shockwaves tore through the area, shredding nearby Mist ninja—whether real or clones. Without powerful defenses, none could withstand the Yasaka Magatama's onslaught.

When the dust settled, there wasn't a single person left standing.

...A kilometer away from the port, Ao stood atop a residential building, groaning in disbelief. His hands were clasped in a seal, and the veins around his right eye bulged like small snakes. Though covered by a black eye patch, his Byakugan saw everything.

Seeing through objects was just one of the Byakugan's basic abilities.

Since the beginning of the assassination attempt, Ao had been stationed here, observing Uchiha Sōgen on behalf of Master Gen, who was too old and frail to move. His mission was not to interfere but to observe the leader of the Leaf delegation: the young head of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Sōgen.

Just as Sōgen had suspected, this was indeed a test.

But it wasn't orchestrated by Master Gen. The unrest in the Hidden Mist was real. Yagura’s harsh, blood-soaked policies had given rise to numerous rebels like Zabuza Momochi. Even Gen, with his immense prestige, couldn't control everyone.

"Is this... Susanoo?"

Ao muttered the name Master Gen had told him, staring at the monster that had yet to reveal its full form but had already unleashed power comparable to a tailed beast. He struggled to maintain his composure, biting down on his lip to calm the turmoil in his heart.

"So this is what Master Gen wanted to see... This kind of power..."

It was clear now: the current Hidden Mist was no match for the Uchiha.

**Chapter 128: Double Act**

On the nameless island, Sougen had used Susanoo, cutting off the wooden giant's head summoned by White Zetsu. Although it appeared only briefly, the colossal presence was undeniable, and many witnessed the deep crimson Susanoo, resembling a demonic god.

In a letter to Elder Genji, Yagura Karatachi mentioned Susanoo, though he admitted he didn't fully understand it. In his time, Susanoo was already a legend of the Uchiha Clan, and he hadn't deliberately studied such things. Not only Yagura, but Mei Terumi also wrote a letter, mentioning Susanoo as well. However, unlike Yagura, Mei's generation had no idea what Susanoo was, describing it using terms like "deep crimson," "humanoid form," "as massive as a Tailed Beast," and "wielding a gigantic sword" to recount her observations to Elder Genji.

Receiving the letters awakened Elder Genji's long-forgotten memories.

It was from a time before the Hidden Mist Village was even established. Alongside the First Mizukage—who wasn’t yet the Mizukage—and Byakuren, they traveled to the newly founded Leaf Village, intending to challenge the world-renowned Hashirama Senju. However, before encountering Hashirama, they met Madara Uchiha.

Thus,

In Elder Genji’s memory, Byakuren, who had never known defeat, suffered his first loss. The power of Susanoo left an indelible impression on him. Byakuren had always seemed unimaginably powerful to him, yet Madara's strength surpassed even that, making him realize that there’s always someone stronger.

After that encounter, Byakuren, previously known as a 'fearless warrior,' became more tempered and adept at dealing with people.

"Susanoo? Is this the true power of the Sharingan?" Ao murmured.

He understood why the Hyuga Clan, despite their powerful Byakugan, remained inferior to the Uchiha. While the Byakugan had strong supportive abilities, it was ultimately just that—supportive. It could see through Sharingan’s illusions but was powerless against a colossal force comparable to a Tailed Beast.

At least, Ao couldn’t think of any way to counter Susanoo.

---

At the port,

Susanoo halted at its second form, where muscles and tendons formed over a skeletal frame, wrapped in a cloak of chakra. Under Sougen’s control, it attacked the assailants with bare hands, unleashing wave after wave of relentless assaults.

He could feel the strain on his eyes, though it was manageable, especially after he had gained some advantage against Obito. Strangely enough, he noticed that with each use of Susanoo, while his ocular power was depleted, his control over it became smoother.

Initially, wielding Susanoo was like donning armor for combat. Now, it felt as though the 'armor' was fusing with his flesh and bones. One day, controlling Susanoo might feel as natural as moving his limbs.

"Boom!!!"

Another punch shattered the ground into dust. The overwhelming power of Susanoo crushed the remaining attackers' morale. When their leader was smashed into pulp, the rest, losing their command, crumbled entirely.

"Run! He's not human, he's a demon from the Leaf!"

"I don’t want to die!!!"

"Help me! Someone, help! My leg is broken."

There was no escape. When Sougen unleashed Susanoo, the Leaf ninjas instinctively distanced themselves. Any clan in the Leaf with roots tracing back to the Warring States Period had records of Susanoo.

Though it hadn't been utilized in a long time, with Susanoo's reappearance, the records left by ancestors were once again brought to the forefront. Clan leaders and elders studied them and realized why the Uchiha were so formidable.

The scattered Leaf ninjas set up a net, blocking all escape routes.

The port became Sougen’s hunting ground.

"Clan Leader Uchiha, please show mercy. I assure you that I will give a satisfactory explanation for this assassination attempt. For now, grant me some face."

Yagura Karatachi, dragging two unconscious Jonin from the Mist, stood before Susanoo. His raspy voice was filled with exhaustion, both physical and mental.

Despite defeating three Jonin, he had rushed over to plead with Sougen not to massacre the attackers. Most were young, talented Mist ninjas, and he couldn’t bear to see them perish here.

After about five or six seconds, the deep crimson glow receded like ebbing tides, and Susanoo disappeared. Sougen walked toward Yagura, saying, "Mizukage, I’ll be expecting Mist Village’s explanation."

"Clan Leader Uchiha, rest assured. Even if Mist Village has to sell everything, we will satisfy you."

Yagura sighed in relief as Susanoo vanished, then made a solemn promise.

There was no need for the Mizukage or the Uchiha Clan Leader to intervene further. The attackers, already mentally defeated, surrendered without resistance to the Mist ninjas who arrived from the front lines.

While the prisoners were being gathered, Shisui Uchiha returned empty-handed and knelt before Sougen.

"Clan Leader, I failed to capture Mumei. Please punish me."

"Mumei escaped?"

Yagura was surprised to hear this. Mumei must have grown stronger to evade Shisui.

"Escaped?"

Sougen raised an eyebrow, "Shisui, do you remember my order?"

"…Regardless of whether alive or dead, bring Mumei back." Shisui paused to recall, then repeated the command.

"Forget about punishment. What should I do? Cut off your fingers? I’m not that foolish. Since you remember my order, bring Mumei back before we return to the Leaf."

"Understood, Clan Leader."

Shisui bowed.

"Mizukage, could you help prepare travel documents for Shisui to avoid unnecessary conflicts?"

Granting a Leaf ninja permission to freely travel in the Land of Water would allow him to gather intel openly. Yagura hesitated but ultimately agreed. He had little choice, considering the strength disparity.

"Clan Leader Uchiha, Mumei will be caught, even if it’s at the ends of the earth." Yagura attempted to refuse politely.

"Yet Zabuza Momochi escaped and even attempted to assassinate the Third Hokage in the Leaf. Your hunter-nin have slacked off in recent years."

Sougen’s rebuttal left Yagura sighing.

He already knew about Zabuza's assassination attempt, which was one reason behind the Leaf's demands for compensation.

The Land of Water was isolated overseas. Even if Leaf ninjas gathered intel, Mist Village couldn't compete with them at the moment. As long as the Leaf didn’t intend to destroy Mist Village completely, everything was negotiable.

Yagura had to convince himself of this.

"Leave it to me."

Yagura took a deep breath and summoned a guard to prepare the documents, stamping them with his seal as the Mizukage.

"Thank you, Mizukage."

With the documents, Shisui’s movements in the Land of Water would be much smoother. As long as he didn’t attack first, he wouldn’t need to worry about encountering Mist ninjas.

"Move quickly, find the target, and return without delay."

"I understand. This time, I will find him."

Shisui carefully stored the documents. The hunt for Mumei was just a cover; his true mission involved a potentially hidden Six Paths tool.

(End of Chapter)

**Chapter 129: The Returning Sage**

Konoha Village, Yamanaka Flower Shop.

As the head of the Yamanaka clan, Inoichi Yamanaka didn't run the flower shop to support the family financially. The shop had been passed down through generations of clan leaders. Although "generations" might be a bit of a stretch—it was only the third generation, given that Konoha's history spanned less than sixty years.

The daily management of the flower shop was mainly handled by Inoichi's wife. A young girl they hired helped out, and their precious daughter, who was growing into a young lady, also lent a hand after school. She would often cling to her mother and share secrets like, "Sasuke from class is so handsome."

When Inoichi learned that his precious daughter had a crush at the ninja academy, he was devastated. He dragged his friend Nara Shikaku to a tavern for a drink, where, after getting drunk, he embarrassingly cried in the streets. Thankfully, his reliable friend Shikaku used the Shadow Imitation Technique to restrain him and quickly whisked him away before he could embarrass himself further.

Otherwise, many intelligence ninjas in the village might have experienced the disillusionment of seeing their idol fall from grace the next day!

"Sigh, what am I going to do in the future?"

The gentle woman sitting behind the counter, arranging flowers, let her thoughts drift. She imagined the commotion that would arise when her daughter eventually got married.

"Ring!"

The bell above the shop door chimed.

The woman set aside her thoughts about the future, stood up with a warm smile, and looked at the customer who had entered. It was an old man, tall and robust, with long white hair reaching his lower back. Two red streaks ran down from his eyes, and he wore a red cloak over a brown outfit, with wooden sandals clacking loudly as he walked.

"Good day, sir. What kind of flowers would you like?"

The woman thought the old man seemed familiar, but since she had married shortly after graduating from the ninja academy, her social circle wasn't very broad. She scanned her memory but couldn’t recall his identity.

Nonetheless, the slight confusion didn’t disrupt her composure.

"Just a bouquet of white chrysanthemums, please."

His deep voice and solemn expression, along with his choice of flowers, made the woman’s smile fade, replaced by a respectful demeanor. She selected a bouquet of white chrysanthemums, wrapped it carefully, and handed it over. Without saying another word, the man paid and left.

Watching his white hair flutter as he walked away, the woman suddenly recalled an event from many years ago, when she was a student at the academy shortly after the Second Great Ninja War had ended. At that time, the academy principal had invited the famed "Three Legendary Ninjas" to speak to the students.

Back then, she had seen a nearly identical back, radiating confidence. Now, that back seemed weathered and worn by the passage of time.

"Lord Jiraiya?"

The woman’s eyes widened in surprise.

She finally remembered the prominent figure who hadn’t returned to Konoha in years. In a rush, she instructed the shop assistant to take over, then hurried to the Yamanaka clan's grounds to report Jiraiya’s visit to the clan elders. One of the elders took the matter seriously and personally went to find Inoichi.

And so,

The higher-ups in Konoha were informed that Jiraiya, one of the legendary "Three Ninjas," had returned.

"Jiraiya is back!"

Akimichi Torifu, seated in his large office chair, sighed with a complex expression.

Nara Shikaku and Inoichi were at a loss for words, while Hyuga Hiashi and Aburame Shibi, who felt less involved, remained silent.

Aburame Shibi had returned from the front lines.

The war had ended, and he hadn’t joined the delegation negotiating with the Sokuma organization; they had Shikuro for that. Instead, he and Akimichi Choza had brought the victory news back to the village.

"Now that Jiraiya is back, I guess I can finally step down as the acting Hokage," Torifu said, looking relieved. Still, no one responded, as agreeing with him might sound like saying, "You're right, Lord Hokage, you should retire." Shikaku and the others weren’t foolish enough to voice that thought.

Seeing the silent group, Torifu sighed, understanding their mixed feelings.

He himself had a complicated relationship with the role of Hokage. Only by sitting in the Hokage's chair could one truly understand its weight. He began to see why Hiruzen had clung so tightly to the position.

"Shikaku, what do you think we should do next? We can’t just sit here doing nothing."

Naturally, Torifu turned to Shikaku, the "strategist."

Shikaku felt a bit troubled, though he had anticipated the problem would eventually fall on him. After a brief pause, he spoke, "Jiraiya returned alone, and none of the Anbu sent to find him came back. This situation might be more complicated than we think."

Torifu was taken aback.

He hadn’t noticed these details.

"Do you think there could be some unexpected twist?" Torifu frowned. He wasn’t close to Jiraiya, one of Hiruzen’s disciples, and only knew him as one of the legendary Three Ninjas, renowned for his strength and high standing in the village.

"Lord Jiraiya is... a bit unpredictable."

Shikaku chose the term "unpredictable" carefully.

"Unpredictable?"

Torifu’s frown deepened. "Are you saying he... might refuse the role of Fifth Hokage?" Having dealt with the Nara clan for years, Torifu had learned to decipher their subtle hints.

He found it hard to believe.

"This is the Hokage we’re talking about! Who would refuse to become Hokage?"

To Torifu and the other elders, the position of Hokage was irresistible. Many of them had dreamed of it in their youth, even knowing that Hiruzen was Tobirama’s favored disciple.

People like Danzo, who clung stubbornly to their ambition, probably never gave up on becoming Hokage, even at the end.

Therefore,

He couldn’t fathom anyone rejecting the Hokage title.

"We should meet with Lord Jiraiya first and clarify his intentions. That way, we can make necessary preparations. If he declines, then we must accelerate the search for Tsunade; it’s taking too long," Shikaku suggested.

"I agree."

Hiashi promptly voiced his support.

"I know a bit about Jiraiya’s temperament, so it’s best to ask him directly, rather than making assumptions."

Torifu was stunned; even Hiashi agreed. Was Hiruzen’s disciple truly so unconventional as to refuse such an opportunity?

"Inoichi, Shibi, what are your thoughts?"

"I trust Shikaku’s judgment."

Inoichi expressed his support for Shikaku. The bond between the Ino–Shika–Cho trio wasn’t just for show.

"I have no objections."

Shibi’s stance was clear. Although he wasn’t familiar with Jiraiya, he had been close friends with Minato, who deeply respected his teacher, despite occasionally lamenting Jiraiya’s quirks and escapades.

Still, Minato’s admiration shone through.

Thus, Shibi was confident that Jiraiya was a worthy elder.

"Alright then... Shikaku, Hiashi, please go meet Jiraiya and find out where he stands. If he’s interested in becoming Hokage, we’ll begin preparations. If not, we need to speed up the search for Tsunade," Torifu instructed.

Shikaku sighed,

Finding Tsunade wasn’t easy. The "Legendary Sucker" had accumulated significant gambling debts earlier in the year, and to avoid her creditors, she had been actively hiding, causing immense trouble for the Anbu.

In the past, gathering intelligence on Tsunade was simple because she hadn’t bothered concealing her movements.

But now that she was hiding, locating the skilled medical ninja and "Princess of Konoha" was no easy feat.

"We’re on it," Hiashi nodded.

It wasn’t a burdensome task to meet Jiraiya and ask him a question. Like Shibi, Hiashi didn’t care much who became Hokage, as long as it wasn’t Hiruzen. The Hyuga’s involvement with the role was minimal this time around.

As for the future,

That was for the next generation to decide.

Hiashi and Shikaku left the Hokage office and followed the Anbu’s report, tracking Jiraiya to the cemetery, where they found him standing before the grave of the Third Hokage.

"Lord Jiraiya."

"Lord Jiraiya."

Hiashi and Shikaku approached and greeted the tall man.

"Oh! If it isn’t Hiashi and Shikaku?" Jiraiya turned around, his face showing no signs of grief, but rather a bright, cheerful smile as he greeted them. "Long time no see!"

end

**Chapter 130: The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki in the Land of Water**

When Jiraiya received the news of the Third Hokage's death, he didn’t feel much sadness or grief. He was silent for less than a minute before he continued sitting on the tatami mat in the inn, leaning over the desk to resume writing.

Everyone dies eventually. The old man was already over sixty, which was quite a long life compared to the average lifespan of the previous Hokages. Passing away at this time wasn’t necessarily a bad thing; it was time for a new Hokage to bring something different to the village of Konoha.

After thinking it over for a while, he decided to return to the village.

It wasn’t for the position of Hokage, as he had no aspirations for that. He returned to investigate some things and meet certain people.

August, also known as Hazuki or the Month of Autumn Winds, marked the transition from summer to autumn according to the official calendar of the Land of Fire. However, unfortunately, Konoha’s climate remained scorching. As Jiraiya returned to the village, he sighed at the harsh sunlight, bought a bouquet of white chrysanthemums from the Yamanaka flower shop, and wandered around the cemetery for a while before finding the small tombstone of the Third Hokage.

Jiraiya knew this was just a symbolic grave.

A ninja’s body is highly valuable; otherwise, there wouldn’t be specialized corpse disposal units. As the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi’s body was undoubtedly of great value and couldn’t be openly buried in Konoha’s cemetery. The bodies of the previous Hokages were all secretly interred, with only a handful of the village’s top officials knowing the actual burial sites.

Jiraiya, as a wanderer away from the village, didn’t have the qualifications to know such secrets. Of course, if he were willing to return and succeed as the Fifth Hokage, all the village’s secrets would be open to him. But he had declined that option.

There were many symbolic graves like this in the cemetery.

They were mainly for comforting the living, providing a place for them to find solace while also confusing spies and those with ill intentions.

After offering the white chrysanthemums at the tombstone, Jiraiya made no further moves. He didn’t have anything to say to his deceased teacher. He was merely paying respects, fulfilling his duty as a disciple. It didn’t even matter to him if this wasn’t Hiruzen Sarutobi’s real grave.

Just as he was considering where to go next, visitors arrived.

They weren’t strangers—Hiashi Hyuga and Shikaku Nara. Although different in age and rank, they had dealt with Jiraiya many times during the Third Shinobi World War.

“Lord Jiraiya, it’s been a long time. You’re still as impressive as ever!”

Shikaku Nara’s tone was full of respect.

“Shikaku, you look a bit worn out, even growing a beard. Hiashi, too. You’re... not the youngsters you used to be,” Jiraiya sighed, recalling memories of fighting alongside the previous generation leaders of the Hyuga and Nara clans during the Second Shinobi World War. Now, the comrades of the past were no longer standing in front of him.

“My son is already five years old,” Shikaku said helplessly.

Hiashi Hyuga didn’t say anything; his daughter was also five. But before Jiraiya, they were still considered juniors.

“Haha! Is that so? Speaking of which... Naruto should also be around five, right?” Jiraiya mused, having only seen Naruto when he was an infant.

Five years ago, while traveling, Jiraiya received news of Minato’s sacrifice and rushed back to the village, only to find he was too late to change anything. Minato and Kushina had both passed away, and the Third Hokage had reclaimed his position, leaving only infant Naruto in the nursery at Konoha Hospital.

Seeing his old teacher don the Hokage hat once more, Jiraiya felt stifled. However, there was nothing he could do. The Third Hokage had been his mentor, and during the Nine-Tails attack, the Third hadn’t just stood idly by; it was Jiraiya who hadn’t arrived in time.

The stifling feeling made it impossible for him to stay in the village. He declined the Third Hokage’s request to stay and left again, continuing his endless journey after confirming that infant Naruto was well taken care of.

Now, with the death of Hiruzen, Jiraiya had revised his travels and returned to Konoha.

“How is Naruto? Has he started attending the Ninja Academy?” Jiraiya asked casually, but the simple question did not receive an immediate answer. Hiashi Hyuga maintained a distant demeanor, while Shikaku Nara couldn’t avoid answering—after all, the acting Fifth Hokage was Danzo, and pretending to know nothing about the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki would be too obvious.

After a few seconds of silence, Jiraiya frowned and looked at Shikaku Nara’s troubled face. “Shikaku, has something happened to Naruto?”

“It’s not exactly like that. Naruto... isn’t in the village right now,” Shikaku answered hesitantly.

“Not in the village?”

Jiraiya repeated the bewildering answer. What did it mean that the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki wasn’t in the village? He suddenly recalled that the village had recently gone to war with the Mist. Could it be that they sent five-year-old Naruto to the battlefield?

“Shikaku, tell me, where is Naruto?”

“If nothing went wrong, he should be with the Uchiha clan leader in the Land of Water,” Shikaku replied.

“The Land of Water?”

Jiraiya’s eyebrows shot up, anger flashing in his eyes.

“Shikaku? Don’t tell me the situation in the village has deteriorated so much that you had to send a five-year-old Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to the battlefield. Explain, what’s going on?”

Cold sweat dripped from Shikaku’s forehead as he inwardly cursed. What was this situation? They were supposed to seek Jiraiya’s advice, not be questioned by him, especially about such a sensitive matter.

If Jiraiya weren’t the Third Hokage’s disciple, Shikaku could have candidly explained Naruto’s predicament. But since Jiraiya was the Third’s disciple, he couldn’t tell how close their relationship was, even if he suspected something.

It was the classic dilemma of “I can criticize him, but others can’t.”

The last thing Shikaku wanted was for Jiraiya to think they were shifting the blame onto the late Third Hokage.

“The situation is complicated. In fact, it’s safer for Naruto to be with the Uchiha clan leader,” Shikaku said, trying to avoid the "danger zones" of the conversation.

Jiraiya’s frown deepened.

“Jiraiya, let me explain,” Hiashi Hyuga stepped in to help Shikaku. Shikaku breathed a sigh of relief and gave Hiashi a grateful look.

“Hiashi, what exactly is going on?” Jiraiya asked in a more familiar tone, realizing that Naruto’s situation was more complicated than he had initially thought.

“It’s... quite a complicated story,” Hiashi began, pausing to organize his thoughts. “Lord Jiraiya, are you aware that the Third Hokage concealed Naruto’s identity as the Fourth Hokage’s child?”

“I know.”

Jiraiya nodded. “The old man told me. To protect Naruto, he planned to change Naruto’s surname to keep people from discovering his identity as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. By the way, what is Naruto’s surname now?”

Upon hearing the question, Hiashi and Shikaku exchanged surprised glances.

“It’s Uzumaki, Uzumaki Naruto,” Hiashi answered.

“Uzumaki?”

Jiraiya was stunned.

Changing from Namikaze to Uzumaki? What kind of strategy was that? Were they trying to make it obvious that Naruto was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki? The two previous Nine-Tails Jinchuriki of Konoha were both from the Uzumaki clan. Especially after the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools, the surname Uzumaki had become even rarer than Namikaze.

“This name was...?”

“It was chosen by the Third Hokage five years ago, not long after you left the village,” Hiashi explained. “Unfortunately, the secrecy within the Anbu didn’t hold. At some point, a rumor spread in the village that Naruto was the ‘demon fox,’ and now almost everyone believes he is the reincarnation of the fox that attacked the village five years ago.”

Jiraiya closed his eyes.

He wasn’t a fool.

He could read the implications behind Hiashi’s words: Naruto’s life hadn’t been as well cared for as he had imagined. In fact, it was the opposite. The life of a child accused of being the ‘demon fox’ would be anything but pleasant...

He didn’t doubt the truth in Hiashi’s words.

There was no reason for Hiashi to lie to him, even if some statements were subjective. The fact that Naruto was regarded as the demon fox seemed undeniable. In his spare time, Jiraiya had often thought of Naruto, imagining him happily growing up under the village’s careful protection. He had wondered if Naruto would grow up to resemble Minato more or Kushina.

But reality had cruelly shattered all his expectations.

“What does all this have to do with Naruto being sent to the Land of Water?” Jiraiya asked, setting aside further questions about Naruto’s life. He planned to look into it himself

(End of chapter)