Uchiha's Taijutsu Supreme

Konoha, Hokage Building~

The Third Hokage looked at Jiraiya's outfit with a face full of disdain. "Look at you, dressed like one of those aimless ronin from the Land of Fire. Where's the ninja in that outfit?"

Despite his words, the Third Hokage's eyes and the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth betrayed a sense of fondness.

He seemed to reminisce for a moment, as if seeing a small boy with white hair shouting at him.

That was a troublesome child, stubborn and headstrong, who refused to listen to his teachings. Even when he couldn't master throwing shuriken, he developed his own technique called "Shuriken: Throw Everything Away."

But despite all that, the Third Hokage had always been proud of him.

Patting Jiraiya on the shoulder, the Third Hokage said with a sigh, "It's good to have you back. You've finally grown up. You're starting to train hard and improve your strength, instead of just drifting through life like before…"

Jiraiya nodded, surprisingly not refuting the Third Hokage's criticism. Instead, he quietly examined the wrinkles and the slightly graying temples of the Third Hokage's face.

In the year and a half since they last met, the Third Hokage's appearance had changed greatly in Jiraiya's eyes.

In the past, Jiraiya had affectionately called him "Old Man," a nickname full of intimacy. But now, "Old Man" seemed to be an apt description for the current state of the Third Hokage.

Before the Second Shinobi World War, the Third Hokage still appeared as a "capable man in his prime," but now, he had shifted to the image of an old man.

"Old man is aging faster than I expected. Something must have happened, right? Even during the Second Shinobi World War, he didn't look this tired..."

"It must be the Uchiha clan. The guy must have taken over as clan leader and stirred up some real problems..."

Jiraiya shook his head and pulled out two bottles of fine sake, stuffing them into the Third Hokage's hands, ignoring his repeated attempts to refuse.

"Come on, old man, you don't understand. This is an acknowledgment from Mount Myoboku. Soon, I'll be a sage!"

"I, Jiraya of Mount Myoboku will become a sage, hahaha."

The two toads on Jiraiya's shoulders, Fukasaku and Shima, facepalmed in exasperation. "This is such an emotional reunion of master and apprentice. Well, we'll take our leave now. The food at home is about to burn…"

"Eh? Don't go, you two! I still haven't introduced you to the old man…"

With a puff of white smoke, Fukasaku and Shima disappeared.

The Third Hokage took out his pipe, leisurely filled it with a rich blend of tobacco leaves, lit it, and took a slow drag. After exhaling, he spoke slowly.

"Don't underestimate me… While my summoning beast, the Monkey King, doesn't have the deep foundation of Mount Myoboku, it's still a respected name in the ninja world. I'm well aware of the Sage Mode technique."

"Rather than introducing your two toads from Mount Myoboku, how about you tell me about your own strength?

You've been training outside for a year, surely you've made some progress? You're not still the underachiever you used to be, are you?"

In front of Jiraiya, the Third Hokage relaxed, speaking with a tone more like that of a family member teasing another, rather than the steady and serious demeanor of a Hokage.

"As for my strength, I haven't made much personal progress, but thanks to the help of the Great Toad Sage from Mount Myoboku, I can now bring along two toad sages and enter the strongest Sage Mode at will!"

"When I enter Sage Mode, my ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu all get several times stronger. With the assistance of the two toads, I can unleash many powerful techniques passed down in Mount Myoboku…"

Jiraiya boasted proudly about his training achievements before taking out a headband with the kanji for "Oil" inscribed on it and tied it securely around his forehead.

"This is Mount Myoboku's acknowledgment of me. From now on, I'll be the one to select which ninjas can inherit the toads and Sage Techniques of Mount Myoboku."

"You understand how significant that is, don't you, old man?" Jiraiya grinned mischievously, showing off the "Oil" headband.

The Third Hokage opened his mouth to reprimand Jiraiya, intending to question why he wasn't wearing the Konoha headband. But before he could say anything, Jiraiya's mention of "selecting ninjas for Mount Myoboku" immediately silenced him.

"Given that Mount Myoboku has invested so much into Jiraiya, granting him such power, it's no wonder he didn't bring the Konoha headband…"

"At this point, any ally we can gather isn't someone we can afford to lose…"

Jiraiya noticed the conflicted expression on the Third Hokage's face and immediately grew serious. "I understand the significance of the ninja headband. It represents a ninja's roots. Don't worry, I'm still a loyal ninja of Konoha."

"But right now, I have a more important task. The Great Toad Sage has prophesied a crisis that could lead to the destruction of the ninja world. I need to find the child of prophecy to save the world."

"But old man, you don't have to worry. I'll take care of Konoha's affairs before I leave, and I've seen much regarding the Uchiha clan…"

The Third Hokage furrowed his brows, weighing Jiraiya's words. He felt a bit dissatisfied, thinking to himself:

"Mount Myoboku… it's just a group of strong summoning beasts. How could they have the power to control human thinking?"

"A group of animals can predict the fate of the world? Mount Myoboku gave Jiraiya power, but it also influenced his mindset. I'll have to correct that one day…"

Despite this, the Third Hokage quickly decided not to press the issue. "The Uchiha clan situation is something a newly returned ninja like you can't possibly understand. It's a complex matter…"

The Third Hokage's face showed a hint of sorrow as the words "Uchiha clan" nearly pushed him to the edge of mental breakdown. He had been losing sleep over the situation, even resorting to smoking several pipes just to get some rest.

Jiraiya nodded. He had known about the tensions between the Uchiha clan and the higher-ups of Konoha since his childhood.

Take the previous Uchiha clan leader, Uchiha Setsuna, for example. He had once considered inciting a rebellion but was easily stopped by the then-Hokage, Senju Tobirama.

That incident had spread throughout the village, and even as a child, Jiraiya had heard whispers about it.

Looking out at the dark, gleaming Uchiha barrier in the distance, Jiraiya thought about the prosperous Uchiha commercial district and the security forces of the Aburame clan. He fell silent.

The changes were so great that he didn't even know where to begin.

Sighing, Jiraiya slouched in the chair opposite the Third Hokage, grabbed another bottle of sake he had given the Hokage, and took a deep swig.

"Old man, why don't you tell me what's going on with the Uchiha clan now… We're alone, so let's have a drink, and you can tell me all about it."

"It's a complicated matter that can't be explained in just a few words. Let's take it slow…"

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