At the same time.
The Hokage Building.
Jiraiya pushed open the doors to the Hokage’s office, threw himself onto the sofa, and poured himself a cup of tea before finally turning his attention to the Third Hokage:
“What do you want with me at this hour?!”
“Old man, my writing process is at a critical juncture right now.
Every single second is incredibly precious.”
The Third Hokage swept a weary gaze over him and huffed in annoyance:
“So many years have passed, and you still have this unreliable attitude.”
Regarding his three disciples, the Third Hokage felt a profound sense of helplessness.
Tsunade was a direct descendant of the First Hokage and had rendered countless meritorious services to Konoha over the years; she should have been the most suitable candidate to inherit the seat of Hokage.
It was a tragedy that during the Second Great Ninja War, she first lost her lover and then watched helplessly as her younger brother was die on the battlefield, leading her to develop a severe hemophobia.
Forget inheriting the position of Hokage; she couldn’t even set foot on a battlefield anymore.
Orochimaru was the most steady in his conduct, with a sharp, clear mind.
But in recent years, his movements had become increasingly mysterious.
Even he, as his teacher, found it harder and harder to see through him.
He was secretly having far too many private dealings with Danzo, and no one knew what he was truly scheming.
Looking at it this way…
Jiraiya, who seemed unreliable in daily life but was always the most dependable person during a crisis, had ironically become the most suitable candidate to inherit the seat of Hokage.
It was just a pity that his heart simply wasn’t in it.
At this thought, the Third Hokage sighed inwardly, quickly gathered his scattered thoughts, and asked:
“How much do you know about this man, Uchiha Shingen?!”
Jiraiya paused slightly, set down his cup of tea, and looked at the Third Hokage:
“If you’re asking about his talent as an author, he is a heaven-sent genius.
I have never seen anyone at that age possess such extraordinary ability.”
“If it weren’t for the fact that he’s only thirteen this year, I would have assumed he was a veteran player who had spent decades mastering the game of love.”
“His understanding of desire and emotion is simply beyond imagination…”
Jiraiya grew increasingly animated the more he spoke, completely oblivious to the increasingly bizarre expression on the Third Hokage’s face.
After a long while, the Third Hokage finally couldn’t hold back anymore and actively interrupted Jiraiya’s monologue:
“So, the time you’ve spent together…
you really were just discussing creative writing?!”
“Writing those…”
“Those filth-ridden books of yours?!”
As he spoke, the Third Hokage subtly moved a file, covering the copy of Make-Out Hell sitting on his desk.
This movement naturally didn’t escape Jiraiya’s perception.
A hint of a teasing smile appeared on his face:
“Don’t hide it~”
“Old man, you aren’t actually reading those quite intently yourself, are you?!”
The Third Hokage’s old face flushed red.
He began to argue defensively:
“I am merely concerned about the current status of my students!”
“Heh~”
Jiraiya didn’t believe a word of it, casting a sideways glance at the Third Hokage:
“You don’t need to put on an act in front of me, do you?!”
“Teacher Sarutobi~!”
“You brat!”
The Third Hokage laughed, but quickly smoothed over the topic:
“Then, as a shinobi, as an Uchiha, what do you think of him?!”
Jiraiya’s expression sobered instantly.
He immediately understood why the Third Hokage had sought him out.
His brow furrowed slightly as he said:
“Are you trying to use him as a breakthrough to resolve the tension between the village and the Uchiha?!”
The Third Hokage nodded slightly:
“Initially, I had no such intention.
But Danzo has taken notice of him, and he seems to have mistakenly assumed that your interactions with him were secretly authorized by me.”
“Since things have reached this point, I truly want to test whether such a possibility exists.”
“Is that so…”
Jiraiya replied softly, then fell silent.
After pondering for a moment, he said:
“He is indeed vastly different from other Uchiha clan members.
He lacks the arrogance that seems to be a hereditary trait of the clan, and in his words, there is no sign of that fanatical obsession with his lineage.”
“In terms of personality, he’s actually more like someone from the Nara clan—lazy, devoid of grand ambitions, afraid of trouble, and completely focused on rotting away in the Police Force.”
“Given his personality, the probability of him being willing to do this kind of thing is not high.”
“That likely won’t be up to him anymore.”
The Third Hokage sighed, a layer of gravity settling into his eyes.
“Danzo has already taken notice of your interactions.
He wrongly assumes I’m reaching out to control the Uchiha.
With his personality, even if he finds nothing, he will ruthlessly snuff out that possibility entirely.”
“It’s not impossible that he might even move directly against Uchiha Shingen.”
Jiraiya’s pupils constricted slightly.
He abruptly stood up from the sofa, his expression turning unimaginably grave.
If it were any other consultant in Konoha, even if they were wary of the Uchiha, they would never dream of moving against them at this sensitive moment.
If he truly judged it to be necessary, even if the risks were astronomical, he would absolutely pull the trigger at this very moment!
Bang—!
Just as the master and disciple were conversing, the office doors were violently pushed open.
Two Anbu Black Ops operatives under the direct command of the Hokage appeared before the Third Hokage, their voices stern:
“Lord Hokage!”
“Recently, Consultant Danzo’s surveillance of the Uchiha clan—specifically the intensity of his surveillance toward Uchiha Shingen—has suddenly increased.”
“Traces of Root shinobi in action have been detected tonight; the target appears to be the Uchiha!”
The Third Hokage’s fingers tightened violently, warping the pipe in his grip.
His face turned hideous to the extreme in that very instant.
He had anticipated that Danzo might not be able to control his impulses, but he never dreamed Danzo had become insane enough to go this far.
If he actually took action against Uchiha Shingen at this moment, the Uchiha clan—who he had spent so much effort and energy to placate—would likely erupt into an immediate, full-scale riot!
“Teacher Sarutobi, I’ll go take a look!”
Realizing the severity of the problem, the playful, cynical look completely vanished from Jiraiya’s face.
The aura around his entire body condensed sharply.
Even without making a single move, the sheer crushing pressure of the legendary Sannin erupted without restraint, exerting an impact on the two Anbu operatives that was not a whit weaker than the Third Hokage himself!
“I’ll have the Hokage’s Anbu go with you!”
“Yes!”
…
Swish—!
Shisui’s figure moved with fluid grace, tailing Uchiha Shingen closely.
His movements were exceptionally agile, like a cat tracking its prey, darting through the small, winding paths without drawing the attention of a single passerby.
“Captain Shingen…”
“Just how strong are you?!”
Gazing at the slouching, lazy, and slovenly figure ahead, Shisui’s eyes burned with anticipation.
During the time he had been in the Police Force, he had heard many rumors about Uchiha Shingen.
The invisible man at the Ninja Academy, average talent, lazy personality, zero ambition…
more like a salt-cured fish lying on a shelf.
But for a man like that, how could his logic and methods for handling sudden crises be so precisely and efficiently executed?!
There was only one answer…
Uchiha Shingen was hiding his true strength!
As for exactly how much he was hiding—let me…
test it out!
Shisui’s eyes narrowed, and his two-tomoe Sharingan silently activated.
Bang—!
He exerted a sudden burst of power beneath his feet, practically cracking the ground, and used the force of the rebound to launch himself forward.
In the blink of an eye, he had closed the distance to Shingen’s back.
A kunai spun around Shisui’s fingertip; he grabbed it in a reverse grip and lunged fiercely at Uchiha Shingen!