Naruto: After Seclusion Becoming Naruto Grandfather

"You... you can't kill me!"

The Third Hokage's trembling voice echoed through the room.

Jiraiya froze at the words, momentarily stunned by their absurdity.

"Is that really what you think of me, Hiruzen?" Jiraiya asked bitterly, his voice laden with sorrow. His throat tightened, and his vision blurred as unshed tears stung his eyes. He clenched his fists, his entire body trembling with the weight of his emotions.

Unable to bear the accusation, he closed his eyes, willing the pain to subside.

The Third Hokage, realizing the gravity of his words, scrambled to correct himself. "No, Jiraiya, I didn't mean it like that—"

But Jiraiya cut him off, unwilling to hear more.

At that moment, the Third Hokage's time outside the black stone ran out. His translucent form was drawn back into the cursed object with a faint, ghostly wail.

Jiraiya opened his eyes, his expression hardened. He summoned an ANBU operative with a quick hand signal.

"Take this stone," he said coldly, gesturing to the black object imprisoning the Third Hokage's soul, "and place it in the stone tower on Hokage Rock. Assign someone to guard it."

He paused, his gaze distant. "If he asks for anything, accommodate him within reason... but ensure I never have to see him again."

The ANBU operative nodded silently, retrieved the black stone, and vanished.

The room fell silent, but the stillness was soon shattered by a slow, mocking clap.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Jiraiya's head snapped toward the sound, his senses sharpening.

A young man in a moon-white kimono lounged lazily on the Hokage's chair, his posture exuding confidence. The source of the applause was his gloved hands.

Jiraiya's pupils contracted, and an involuntary shiver ran down his spine. His teeth clenched as he forced the name out:

"Uzumaki... Chito."

The man in white stood leisurely, his movements unhurried and deliberate. He flashed a faint smile, almost disarmingly casual.

"Relax, Jiraiya," Uzumaki Chito said. "I'm not here to kill anyone. Though I could destroy all of Konoha with a single breath, I'm not a madman. I don't kill without reason."

He gestured dismissively. "Besides, you and your teacher just gave me a rather entertaining show. For that, I'll spare you."

Jiraiya exhaled sharply, his tense body relaxing slightly. He knew enough about Uzumaki Chito to trust his word—when this man made a promise, he kept it.

But the relief was short-lived. A surge of anger welled up in Jiraiya's chest, and he couldn't hold back.

"So, that's what we are to you? Puppets on a stage for your amusement?" he snapped. "You sit there, watching us struggle, reveling in our powerlessness. Does it make you feel superior?"

Chito's gaze didn't waver. He let Jiraiya's words hang in the air, his expression calm and unreadable.

When Jiraiya finally fell silent, Chito spoke, his voice measured and cold.

"Why am I doing this?" Chito repeated, almost to himself. "That's a good question."

His eyes darkened, his tone turning sharp.

"Sinners," he said. "That's what you are. What Konoha is."

His voice rose, filled with an icy conviction. "And you, Jiraiya, and your beloved teacher, Sarutobi Hiruzen—you are among the worst of them."

Jiraiya's brows furrowed in confusion, but his anger didn't abate.

"Sinners? Based on what, Chito?" he demanded. "If it's killing, then you've killed more people than anyone alive. You lived through the Warring States era, for Kami's sake. You've spilled enough blood to drown nations."

Chito raised an eyebrow, his expression almost amused.

"Yes, I've killed countless people," he admitted. "But they were my enemies. I killed them openly, with purpose."

He leaned forward, his gaze piercing.

"But you... and your teacher... killed your own. Your villagers, your disciples. The very people you were sworn to protect."

Jiraiya flinched, memories flashing through his mind. Familiar faces—some smiling, others bloodied and lifeless—haunted him.

"You're talking about Minato and Kushina," Jiraiya said quietly, his voice heavy with guilt. "This is revenge for them, isn't it?"

"If that's what this is about, I won't argue. I failed them. We all did. But you have the power to bring them back, don't you? If you're so determined to avenge them, why haven't you used your resurrection abilities to restore them?"

Chito's expression remained impassive, but his tone was unyielding.

"My resurrection isn't perfect," he replied. "It requires specific conditions."

He straightened, his eyes narrowing. "But whether I can bring them back or not isn't the point. Their deaths don't absolve you of your sins. You think that as long as someone else can fix your mistakes, you're off the hook?"

Jiraiya's heart sank. The cold logic in Chito's words was impossible to refute.

A shiver ran down his spine as he asked, "Then what do you want, Chito? What will it take for you to stop?"

Chito's lips curled into a faint smile, but his eyes remained cold.

"I want nothing," he said softly. "This isn't about me. It's about giving those who've been wronged the chance to put an end to it."

He turned to leave, his voice echoing behind him.

"When I stop... depends on him—and what all of you choose to do."

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