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Konoha. Hokage's office.
A violent coughing fit cut off whatever Homura Mitokado had been about to say.
Both advisors turned to Hiruzen Sarutobi with suspicious looks.
"Hiruzen, are you all right?"
Koharu Utatane asked with concern. The village couldn't afford for the Hokage to fall ill right now.
"I'm fine. Really."
Hiruzen silently thanked whatever gods were listening.
Taiichi was still hidden behind him. If Homura said something too inflammatory, things could get ugly fast.
"Taiichi really isn't available for deployment right now," Hiruzen continued. "He has other duties to carry out."
Since even the Hokage had said so, Koharu had nothing more to add.
Still, if Taiichi couldn't go, where were they supposed to pull more manpower from to reinforce Tsunade?
"What about sending Jiraiya?" Homura suggested. "We signed a peace treaty with Sunagakure, didn't we? There's no reason Jiraiya has to stay camped in the Land of Rivers anymore."
It was a bold proposal. Sunagakure's track record was far from clean.
Hiruzen picked up his pipe and took a long draw. The smoke curled around his face as he considered the idea.
Sunagakure was exhausted. Right now they wanted nothing more than time to recover. Even if they saw an opening to take advantage of Konoha, they simply didn't have the numbers.
In that case, pulling Jiraiya might actually be workable.
He took another slow pull from the pipe, exhaled a long stream of smoke, and finally made his decision.
"Send word to Jiraiya. Have him head east immediately and link up with Tsunade. Leave his second-in-command in charge of the Land of Rivers forces."
The two advisors didn't argue further. Jiraiya's strength was reliable, and with his summoning contracts, the eastern front at least wouldn't collapse.
"Hiruzen, there's one more thing you should know."
One problem settled, another immediately took its place.
Homura's expression even carried a hint of excitement as he spoke.
Hiruzen, still riding the relief of having made a major decision, didn't catch the deeper meaning in Homura's tone. He lifted his teacup, took a small sip, and blew gently across the surface to move the floating leaves.
"Well? Spit it out. Why are you hesitating?"
"I only just received the report from Root. Fugaku Uchiha's son, Itachi Uchiha, has officially taken Matsushita Taiichi as his teacher."
Hiruzen's hand froze mid-motion. He took a long moment before finally swallowing the tea still in his mouth, then slowly set the cup back on the desk.
"Itachi has taken Taiichi as his teacher? That's news to me."
The man at the center of the conversation heard his name brought up again. He couldn't help wondering why it was always Homura who seemed determined to pick a fight with him. He couldn't remember ever having done anything to offend the man.
"So it's true."
Homura looked like he had expected nothing less.
"Hiruzen, you need to rein Taiichi in. The Uchiha clan is under constant scrutiny by the village. By doing this, is he trying to join them in rebellion?"
"Homura. Watch your words."
Hiruzen's palm slammed down on the desk, cutting him off. His eyes were colder than anyone in the room had ever seen.
"The Uchiha are still Konoha shinobi. They are our comrades. How can you throw around accusations like that so carelessly?"
Hiruzen was genuinely angry. Homura really had no filter. The Uchiha were one thing, but dragging Taiichi into it was crossing a line.
Even if Taiichi had rebellious thoughts—which he didn't—someone in his position and with his strength deserved the benefit of the doubt until he actually acted on them. You didn't just say it out loud.
Homura was practically shoving the man down the path of rebellion.
And Taiichi was standing right behind him. Hiruzen was genuinely afraid the boy might jump out and start throwing hands.
That would turn this into a real disaster.
Thankfully, Taiichi had more sense than that. Sensing no fluctuation in the chakra behind him, Hiruzen allowed himself to relax slightly.
"Hiruzen, everyone knows what the Uchiha want. They've never given up on the position of Hokage. That's an undeniable fact.
Now their clan head's son has taken Taiichi as his teacher. That's clearly suspicious."
Hiruzen's careful attempt to keep the conversation focused on the Uchiha alone had failed. Homura had immediately dragged Taiichi back into it.
Some ally he was.
For a moment, Hiruzen found himself missing Danzo Shimura. At least the two of them had understood how to work together when dealing with outsiders.
"Homura…" Hiruzen sighed deeply. "I'll speak with Taiichi about this. And the Uchiha are not the enemy. Surveillance is acceptable, but it must not go too far. Fugaku has been making genuine efforts to move closer to the village. We've all seen what he's been doing."
Hiruzen didn't want to keep arguing. He laid it out plainly, then rubbed his temples. He was truly tired.
Once the Third War ended, he would hand the hat to Minato. That was the most honest thought in his mind right now.
Homura looked ready to continue, but Koharu placed a hand on his arm.
She could see Hiruzen's patience wearing thin, and she also felt Homura's words had gone too far.
As Hiruzen had said, the Uchiha's recent actions showed they were trying to draw closer to the village.
Once the two advisors finally left, Hiruzen took another long pull from his pipe before speaking.
"Taiichi. Come out."
A ripple passed through the shadows by the bookshelf. Taiichi stepped into view.
He walked up to Hiruzen, removed his mask without being asked, and looked at the Hokage who was clearly about to light his pipe again.
"Hokage-sama, smoking is bad for your health. You really should cut back."
Hiruzen's hand paused. He looked up at Taiichi and saw nothing but genuine concern on the boy's face. With a small sigh, he set the pipe down.
"When I'm stressed, I like a smoke. You'll understand that feeling… in a few more years."
Taiichi made a face, clearly unimpressed, and muttered under his breath, "I think you smoke when you're happy too."
His voice was quiet, but shinobi had sharp senses.
"I see you're really asking for a beating these days. Your courage keeps growing."
"Not at all. I do everything openly and honestly. No secrets. Anyone who asks gets the same answer."
Taiichi said it with complete conviction. He had never planned to hide the fact that he had taken Itachi Uchiha as a student.
In fact, Hiruzen only finding out today surprised him a little.
"Well? Tell me what you were thinking. Homura's approach was extreme, but he's not entirely wrong. The Uchiha do require careful handling."
Taiichi nodded, agreeing with the Hokage's assessment. It wasn't just the Uchiha. Any clan that grew powerful enough would eventually draw the village's caution.
The Uchiha were simply more noticeable—strong, and a little… intense.
"Hokage-sama, the Second took Uchiha Kagami as his student back then, didn't he? He hoped Kagami-senpai would serve as a bridge, gradually bringing the Uchiha into the village.
After Kagami-senpai died in battle, the trust between the village and the Uchiha broke. Their relationship hit a low point.
Now, because of Yohei, the Uchiha are willing to rebuild that bridge with the village.
Isn't this the perfect opportunity to solve the problem peacefully?"
Hiruzen looked at the young man speaking so passionately in front of him. That energy, that vitality—it reminded him of himself when he was young.
But—
"Taiichi… have you ever thought about becoming Hokage?"
"Huh?"
The question came out of nowhere. Taiichi needed a moment to process it. How had the conversation suddenly jumped to whether he wanted to be Hokage?
After a brief pause, his expression shifted into clear disgust.
He had been acting as the Hokage's bodyguard for a while now. He knew exactly what the job entailed.
Honestly? He wouldn't last a single day doing that.
Endless paperwork. No time for himself.
No wonder Tsunade had thrown in the towel the moment Kakashi could stand on his own as Fifth Hokage. And once Naruto was ready, Sixth Hokage Kakashi had immediately stepped down to enjoy some peace.
The position of Hokage really wasn't something everyone wanted.
Especially not someone like Taiichi, who still had ambitions when it came to his own strength. A job that drained your spirit like that held zero appeal.
"What's with that face?!"
Taiichi's look of revulsion hit Hiruzen like poison.
It was almost funny. If Taiichi had actually wanted the hat, Hiruzen would have been worried about what kind of chaos he might cause.
But the moment Taiichi showed open disdain for it, Hiruzen felt oddly offended. Having something you valued treated like garbage would sour anyone's mood.
"Hokage-sama, you know me. I spend all day training. Any free time I get, I want to be outside. If you hadn't pulled me into ANBU, I'd probably already be traveling the world.
The Hokage's seat… it's not for me."
Taiichi spoke with complete sincerity. He looked two seconds away from raising three fingers and swearing to the heavens.
Hiruzen was momentarily speechless. Everyone had their own path. What could he say?
If Taiichi truly had no interest in the position, then his closeness with the Uchiha was simply him trying to strengthen the village's relationship with them.
After all, Taiichi's own standing was secure. No one betrayed their own class.
And Hiruzen trusted his own judgment. Taiichi wasn't lying. He really didn't care about the hat.
"Taiichi, if you're willing to be that bridge, then you need to take it seriously.
The Uchiha problem has existed since the First, through the Second, and into my time. It has never been properly solved. I want it resolved once and for all under the Fourth.
Your actions could be the key."
Taiichi's mouth curved into a small smile. So the old man was finally on board with his idea. He had expected to argue for much longer.
"Don't worry, Hokage-sama. Things are different now. The village has Lady Tsunade, Master Jiraiya, Minato, Sakumo-senpai, and me. Any one of us can keep the Uchiha clan in check. This is the best time we've ever had."
Exactly. When you were strong enough, you didn't need to worry about ghosts and monsters. Anyone who stepped out of line got punched.
"All right, all right. Go do your job. Stop bragging about yourself all day."
Hiruzen laughed and waved him off. Feeling Taiichi slip back into the shadows behind him, he returned to the mountain of paperwork on his desk.
In the Land of Rivers, Jiraiya received the order from the village almost immediately.
When he read the contents, a rare, genuine smile appeared on his face.
It had been nearly three years since he last saw Tsunade. The thought of seeing her again made him strangely eager.
Images of her face floated through his mind. The more he thought about her, the more his expression turned… questionable.
He quickly wiped his mouth, made sure he looked presentable, then gathered his subordinates, handed over his current responsibilities, and left the camp at once, heading for the eastern front.
"Lord Jiraiya is a true role model for us all. He doesn't waste a single second when it comes to serving the village."
Seeing how decisively Jiraiya moved, many of the shinobi around him looked at him with admiration. They felt like they had found their purpose in life and even approached their boring patrol duties with renewed enthusiasm.
It took him only a single day to cross the Land of Rivers. Moving without rest, he reached the eastern front camp on the coast of the Land of Fire.
That kind of speed required a shinobi to travel without sleep.
Hearing Tsunade's familiar voice coming from the central command tent, Jiraiya couldn't hold back any longer. Full of enthusiasm and a touch of dramatic exhaustion, he charged straight inside.
He didn't even wait for the guards to announce him. He threw the flap open, flashed his brightest smile, and locked eyes with Tsunade the moment he stepped in.
"Ahahaha! Tsunade! I'm here! Did you miss me?"
His voice was so loud it shook dust from the tent ceiling.
Everyone inside jumped. Who in their right mind would barge into the central command tent without being announced? Did they think Lady Tsunade's fists were light?
Once they saw who it was, understanding dawned on their faces.
Oh. It was him. That explained it.
Too bad Taiichi wasn't here. He would have started praying for Jiraiya on the spot.
He had heard Shizune complain more than once that Lady Tsunade had repeatedly said Jiraiya and Orochimaru had no sense of friendship—
Tsunade was currently standing with her back to the entrance, using a wooden pointer on a map while discussing the next phase of operations with her staff.
The moment she heard that familiar, blood-pressure-raising voice, her grip on the pointer tightened.
Crack.
The wooden stick snapped cleanly in two.
Tsunade took a deep breath, calmly tossed the broken pieces aside, and worked hard to control her emotions before spitting out two words in a flat, dangerous tone.
"Who is it?"
She didn't even turn around.
Jiraiya's smile froze for a second, but immediately bounced back like rubber.
Completely ignoring the increasingly tense atmosphere in the tent, he strode forward, rubbing his hands together, his voice dripping with oil.
"Hey now, it's been so long you can't even recognize the voice of your loyal, handsome, and reliable partner Jiraiya anymore?
The second I got the old man's order, I dropped everything in the Land of Rivers and rushed here day and night without stopping to support you.
Look, look—my geta are even worn out. Aren't you touched?"
He even lifted one foot to show the front of his wooden sandal, which really did have a chunk missing.
Tsunade finally turned around slowly. With a single gesture, everyone else in the tent wisely filed out.
Only then did Jiraiya, dense as he was, finally sense that something was wrong.
There was zero warmth in Tsunade's beautiful amber eyes. She crossed her arms and looked down at his stupid face from above.
"Touched?"
Her voice carried the distinct sound of grinding teeth.
"Yeah! I'm so moved I could cry. I'm moved that a person as important as you could forget so easily. It's been almost three years and you couldn't even send one toad messenger.
I'm moved that the great Jiraiya is so busy—busy collecting material in hot spring towns, so busy you completely forgot you even had a partner named Tsunade.
But now the old man sent you here! Oh, how wonderfully 'loyal and reliable' of you!"