Not to mention that Itachi was only ten years old, and it would still take time for him to mature and grow into his strength.
"Old man, I'm back."
With a slightly gloomy expression, Jiraiya pushed open the window of the Hokage's office and casually perched himself on the windowsill, his usual carelessness written all over his face.
In all of Konoha, only Jiraiya had the gall to enter the Hokage's office through the window. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was long used to his eccentric student's antics.
"It's good to see you back. I believe you've already heard what's going on in the village…"
Sarutobi turned to greet him, intending to give a rundown of the recent issues plaguing the village, but Jiraiya's brooding look made him stop mid-sentence.
"No need to talk about the village. I've already heard enough."
Waving his hand dismissively, Jiraiya jumped down from the windowsill, slumped into the sofa, and scratched his hair in frustration.
"It's just my luck. I got punished by a brat the moment I stepped back into the village."
Punished? By a brat?
Sarutobi was visibly confused by those words.
In Konoha, who could possibly rein in Jiraiya?
"A kid named Uchiha Hiko. I had just returned and was out gathering 'research materials' when I got caught by the patrol. He humiliated me, criticized me to my face, and even forced me to swear a poisonous oath or else he'd report it to the Police Department."
Sarutobi: "…"
He had called Jiraiya back urgently, but the moment he returned, instead of coming directly to report in, he went to peep on someone bathing?
Getting caught was bad enough, but being forced to swear an oath? By a child?
It felt like Sarutobi was meeting a different Jiraiya than the one he remembered.
Back then, Jiraiya would have bolted the moment he was spotted!
He couldn't have known that Hiko's relentless barrage of humiliating insults and sharp words stunned Jiraiya into freezing on the spot.
By the time Jiraiya tried to flee, it was already too late.
"This brat named Uchiha Hiko… he's something else."
Rubbing his rough chin thoughtfully, Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, replaying the earlier encounter in his head. Slowly, he realized he had been completely outmaneuvered.
"He's clever, brave, and not lacking in strength either."
Sarutobi gave a rare approving nod.
He briefly recounted some of Hiko's recent actions and achievements.
As Jiraiya listened, his eyes widened in disbelief until his jaw nearly dropped.
From what he knew, most Uchiha feared provoking Danzo. Danzo had a knack for pinning blame and assigning vague, dangerous accusations, always managing to look down on the entire Uchiha from a self-righteous pedestal.
Then there was Hiko.
Shameless, brazen, and sarcastic—he'd insulted Danzo to his face, hurled twisted logic at him, and left the old war hawk fuming and bleeding emotionally.
Hiss…
This kid wasn't someone to mess with.
Thank goodness I didn't try to run, Jiraiya thought to himself, otherwise the fallout might have been much worse.
Understanding what had happened with Danzo, Jiraiya couldn't help but feel relieved.
But a new concern surfaced.
An Uchiha with that kind of defiant attitude? Danzo wouldn't take it lying down.
Sensing Jiraiya's strange gaze on him, Sarutobi nearly choked on his own breath and snapped:
"I'm keeping a watchful eye on the Uchiha, not plotting their destruction. That kind of thinking is Danzo's alone."
"Ahem, I'm not worried."
Jiraiya chuckled, rubbing his palms sheepishly.
"After all, the Uchiha aren't to blame for what happened back then. Besides, they're part of the village. We push too hard and risk provoking them. That would be catastrophic."
"Uchiha's strength isn't something to be taken lightly. If we pressure them too much and they push back… even if the village manages to suppress them, the cost would be enormous."
A clash with the Uchiha wouldn't come cheap. Even in victory, Konoha would be weakened.
And once word got out, who's to say other villages wouldn't seize the opportunity?
Iwagakure and Kumogakure had always been watching Konoha from the shadows, ready to exploit any weakness.
Unlike the other elders, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade never harbored deep prejudice against the Uchiha.
Jiraiya believed in equality and fair treatment. Even after the Nine-Tails' rampage, he never saw the Uchiha as scapegoats.
Orochimaru, on the other hand, simply craved their Sharingan for his own dark pursuits.
Tsunade? As long as you didn't make trouble, she considered you a fellow villager. Her internal judgment was far more reasonable, despite her outward double standards.
It was only the likes of Sarutobi, Danzo, and other elders who viewed the Uchiha with constant suspicion.
Confirmed: Naruto deserves a good smack one of these days.
"I know."
The Third Hokage lit his pipe and took a long drag.
"That's why I've always supported investigating the masked man's identity while closely monitoring the Uchiha. It's Danzo who's constantly trying to force the issue."
"Anyway, enough about that. What mess has Danzo created this time that's gotten everyone so worked up?"
Jiraiya rolled his eyes. He had long since grown tired of hearing the same arguments. He knew he couldn't change his teacher's stance, so he didn't bother trying anymore.
He'd rather deal with the Daimyo's affairs quickly so he could leave the village again and continue his search for the Child of Prophecy.
At the mention of the Daimyo, Sarutobi's expression darkened.
His relaxed posture vanished as he put his pipe down.
"The Daimyo's mansion received a tip from the bounty guild. The intel claimed Danzo plotted to assassinate the Fire Daimyo and support a replacement."
"I suspect a traitor in the upper ranks. The details leaked were too accurate."
This was bad.
Jiraiya groaned and scratched his messy hair again.
"So now we not only have to calm the Daimyo's wrath, but also find the mole?"
"Exactly."
Sarutobi nodded solemnly.
"That's why I had to call you back urgently."
"…Troublesome."
Jiraiya sighed in defeat. He didn't want to waste any more brainpower.
He'd just follow orders and not think too hard about it.
He had better things to do—like finding Naruto.
"We need Tsunade back. The village needs her."
Sarutobi's tone turned firm.
"Daimyo from multiple nations will gather at the Fire Daimyo's mansion. This is their way of testing us, pushing pressure onto Konoha. Tsunade is the only one who can handle this diplomatically."
"That's easier said than done."
Jiraiya forced a smile.
Tsunade had been wandering from town to town, gambling and accumulating debts everywhere. She was a walking financial disaster.
And more than that, she wanted nothing to do with Konoha anymore.
If she were interested, she'd have returned already, given how quickly news traveled.
"Alright, I'll give it a shot. But I'm not promising anything. What happened back then hurt her deeply."
Jiraiya stretched, climbed back onto the windowsill, and glanced back.
"Old man, be prepared—Tsunade's not the easiest to convince."
"I'm heading out."
After leaving the Hokage's office, Jiraiya went to look for Naruto.
Unfortunately, Naruto was still in class, nodding off on his desk.
Jiraiya grinned mischievously.
"Still got that wild energy bottled up, huh? Time to find somewhere to let it loose…"
"Kid's good at describing things."
Since class wasn't over and waiting around was boring, Jiraiya decided to go enjoy himself a bit before tracking Tsunade.
As night fell, Hiko dismissed his little follower, Chongquan, and left the Police Department.
Passing by Ichiraku Ramen, he paused in thought and finally stepped in.
"Teuchi, a large bowl of ramen. Extra meat. With sides."
"Long time no see!"
Teuchi clapped his hands and chuckled.
"Just so you know, extra sides come with extra charges!"
Hiko smiled faintly. "Feel free to add what you want. If you're bold enough, come to the Police Department to collect."
"Hahaha!"
After a hearty laugh, Teuchi got to work, skillfully preparing the noodles.
Soon, a steaming bowl of ramen was served. Hiko picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.
As for the customary "Itadakimasu," he completely skipped it.
Watching him eat…