Chapter 297: Old Man Hiruzen, You've Become Weak!
"He really is just a rat in a ditch, meow!"
Looking at the magma-spewing giant approaching them from the distance, and factoring in Obito's hasty exit, Kojirō had clearly pieced together that the masked Uchiha had lost his nerve.
"Since he's just a rat, Kojirō will definitely catch him sooner or later!"
Uchiha Izumi, huffing and puffing, carefully scooped Kojirō into her arms. Her heart ached as she looked over the numerous cuts and bruises marking the cat's body. She knew all too well that if Kojirō hadn't stepped up to intercept Obito, she wouldn't have stood a ghost of a chance against him on her own.
"You bet, meow!"
"I'm an expert at catching rats!"
Kojirō shifted around in Izumi's embrace to find a more comfortable spot. It was battered and bruised, but it refused to let its pride take a hit.
As the girl and the cat conversed, Uchiha Ikeizumi deactivated his Susanoo and walked over to them.
"Was it Obito who attacked you?"
Taking in their injuries, a rare flash of cold, murderous intent flickered across Ikeizumi's eyes.
To borrow a turn of phrase from a certain soul-lander: Uchiha Obito, you already possess a path to death!
It was a pity Konan and Nagato were so utterly counterproductive. He had explicitly handed them all the intelligence on Obito's betrayal, yet instead of purging the snake in their own grass, they had turned their weapons against him first.
"Yes, meow!"
"His space-time dōjutsu is pure cheating, meow!"
"If it weren't for that bizarre space-time trick, Obito's actual combat skills would be nothing to write home about, meow!"
Kojirō nodded vigorously. Holding out against Uchiha Obito for several minutes—even if it meant mostly serving as a punching bag—was an exceptional feat for a ninja cat, and it had done a phenomenal job surviving the encounter.
"A space-time dōjutsu..."
Ikeizumi nodded slowly. He understood the mechanics of Kamui intimately, and while forcing a breakthrough with brute-force methods wasn't impossible, it was highly inefficient.
If he wanted to corner and lock down Obito regardless of when or where he appeared, the Flying Raijin Jutsu would be a much more fitting tool for the job.
"Once we return to Konoha, I'll submit a formal request to study the Flying Raijin scroll. If I master the Flying Raijin, dealing with Obito will become significantly easier."
Ikeizumi noted aloud. Over all these years, he hadn't actually requested to learn any of Konoha's restricted kinjutsu.
He had already carved out an illustrious name for himself during the Third Shinobi World War, but back then, the Uchiha clan's internal library provided more than enough jutsu to occupy his time. Furthermore, because his tactical style heavily prioritized Lava Release, he simply hadn't felt a pressing need for standard high-level ninjutsu.
However, given his stellar record and monumental contributions to the village, gaining access to a restricted scroll or two would be a trivial matter.
"Once we get back to Konoha this time, will Lady Tsunade officially take over as Hokage?"
At the mention of Konoha, a spark of longing lit up Izumi's eyes. This journey across the sea to the Land of Water marked her very first extended departure from the Land of Fire, and she was beginning to feel deeply homesick.
"Lady Tsunade will absolutely be elected Hokage!"
As Izumi summoned a miniature Katsuyu to begin treating Kojirō's wounds, the little slug chimed in with absolute certainty.
In truth, the sentiment was already a foregone conclusion. Across the current Konoha, from the elite Jonin down to the everyday civilian populace, the vast majority were heavily leaning toward Tsunade taking up the mantle of the next generation's Hokage. After all, as a medical ninja, the sheer number of lives she had pulled back from the brink of death was unquantifiable.
Combined with her pedigree as the granddaughter of the First and Second Hokage, her status as a direct disciple of the Third, and her nominal title as the Princess of the Land of Fire, the moment Tsunade formally declared her candidacy, the question in everyone's mind wouldn't be whether she could win—it would be: Who cares what Sarutobi Hiruzen thinks anymore?
"Tsunade's public support in the village is growing higher by the day..."
"I suppose the moment Uchiha Ikeizumi returns and the Jonin council vote begins, Tsunade will officially be the next Hokage."
Strolling past the courtyard of the Ninja Academy, Jiraiya watched the students running around the grounds, letting out a heavy, melancholic sigh.
He distinctly remembered Tsunade swearing up and down in the past that she would never touch the Hokage seat. Nawaki's tragic death had always remained a jagged shard embedded deep within her heart.
Yet, Jiraiya had never anticipated that for the sake of enforcing Absolute Justice, Tsunade would take the initiative to aggressively campaign for the position.
"The position of Hokage is ultimately trivial; what truly matters is the Child of Prophecy destined by fate!"
"No matter what Uchiha Ikeizumi and Tsunade attempt to achieve, before the Child of Prophecy who will reshape the world, their brilliance will be like comparing a tiny firefly to the full moon."
Perched on Jiraiya's shoulder, Shima spoke in a quiet, solemn tone. As one of Mount Myoboku's elder sages, her faith in the Great Toad Sage's prophecies was absolute and unshakeable.
"But the Child of Prophecy is far too wary of you, Jiraiya!"
Fukasaku, the elder toad on his other shoulder, chimed in with deep gravity. While he held Jiraiya in high regard as Myoboku's summoner, there was one glaring issue.
"Jiraiya, I strongly suggest you do something about those atrocious habits of yours. Right now, every time the Child of Prophecy sees you, he immediately shouts 'Pervy Sage!' If the uninformed villagers hear that, they'll think Mount Myoboku only trains sleazy degenerates!"
"I've already mended my ways..." Jiraiya muttered, looking thoroughly put-out and slightly defensive.
"Besides, Konoha has completely uprooted all the shrubbery outside the women's bathhouse now, and they've doubled the security patrols! Even if I wanted to do some field research, there's physically no way to pull it off!"
Bringing up the topic filled Jiraiya with a mix of indignation and profound sorrow.
He truly couldn't comprehend the village's sudden obsession with public bathhouse renovations. Why on earth did they choose to overhaul the security guidelines now, right when he, Jiraiya, finally decided to stay in the village for an extended period?
Was this not a targeted attack on an honest man?
Reflecting on how incredibly long it had been since he last gathered "materials" for his novels, a look of utter existential despair settled over Jiraiya's face.
He swore to himself that the absolute moment he guided the Child of Prophecy onto the correct path, he would flee Konoha immediately. The ninja world was vast, and he firmly believed that distant hot springs and remote taverns would still welcome him with open arms!
Meanwhile, inside the Hokage Residence.
"You sent operatives to ambush Uchiha Ikeizumi?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at Koharu Utatane. Though phrased as a question, his tone carried the absolute weight of a certainty.
"How did you know—"
The question slipped out of Koharu's mouth automatically. But meeting Hiruzen's solemn, piercing gaze, she experienced a fleeting, jarring illusion that the withered man before her was still the formidable 'God of Shinobi' from his prime.
"Go back to the detention cell and stay there."
"Uchiha Ikeizumi is on his way back."
Hiruzen closed his eyes, a profound sense of disappointment washing over him. Koharu's short-sightedness was becoming a liability. While Ikeizumi's methods were undeniably extreme and borderline tyrannical in his eyes, the young Uchiha was still a loyal shinobi of Konoha and one of the village's most devastating military deterrents.
Hiruzen was already losing sleep over the possibility of Ikeizumi severing ties to remain permanently in Kirigakure. If Ikeizumi traced this assassination plot back to the village leadership, Hiruzen genuinely feared the young man would turn his back on Konoha for good.
"Hiruzen, you have grown incredibly weak and soft!"
Koharu snapped, her face contorting with anger. "Your seat as Hokage is about to be usurped by Tsunade! Even Homura has turned his back on you to support her! And yet, when I act as your most unwavering loyalist to secure your position, you demand that I voluntarily lock myself back in a cage?"