Boom!
Under a cloud of dust and broken trees, Jiraiya in Sage Mode was seen with wide eyes, trembling and rubbing his shoulders as he got up. The soreness in his body made him gasp in pain.
"This brat's speed and strength are simply unbelievable."
At this moment, Jiraiya's face was swollen and bruised, and breathing in causes blood to flow from his nostrils. The two old toads on his shoulders were also in a sorry state.
"Be careful, Jiraiya!"
Without needing further warning from the Sage, a flash of lightning appeared, and Jiraiya roared in anger, spewing a great fire from his mouth.
Fire Release: Great Flame Bomb
With a loud boom, the lightning tore through the massive fireball, but by then Jiraiya was nowhere to be seen.
"Got you!"
Suddenly, a dark shadow sprang from underfoot. It was the tongue of the toad belonging to Sage Fukasaku, wrapping around his leg. Then, with a great force, he was smashed hard onto the ground.
With a thunderous roar, Uchiha Yoru in his Thunder God Armor revealed a calm smile.
"Lord Jiraiya, it seems this is as far as you go."
However, just then, the toad on Jiraiya's shoulder, Sage Fukasaku, suddenly gathered a Water Gun and swiftly attacked. Facing this strike, he quickly dodged, not daring to be careless.
The Thunder God Armor is powerful, but he wasn't reckless enough to resist every ninjutsu head-on. It wasn't a matter of fear, but rather a waste of chakra.
Sage Art: Chidori
Sage Art: Massive Rasengan
The collision of solid chakra shattered the surrounding land, and after a final roaring explosion, two figures were thrown out in disarray.
Boom, boom~
As the two exchanged blows in the forest, only afterimages flickered, with tree stumps breaking and deep pits forming in the ground.
The collision of Taijutsu was giving Jiraiya a headache. This brat, with his Thunder God Armor, was like wearing a turtle shell, making ordinary Taijutsu and ninjutsu attacks completely useless.
"Little Jiraiya, you won't get anywhere with Taijutsu against this brat. Change tactics."
The toad on his shoulder couldn't help but hurriedly speak, and Jiraiya was also frustrated. He wanted to change tactics, but the problem was this brat didn't give him a chance.
Boom, boom~
In the treetops of the forest, Shizune was watching the scene from afar, dumbfounded and muttering, "Lady Tsunade, is that really my classmate Uchiha Yoru?"
They were classmates at one point, but now the gap between them was hard for him to believe.
"Tch, this brat."
Tsunade couldn't help but snort coldly, turning to Shizune and saying, "Let's go, Shizune."
After calling Shizune, Tsunade stepped out of the barrier, with Shizune following closely. However, as they emerged, they saw several dark figures flickering in the forest.
"Lady Tsunade?"
Shizune exclaimed in surprise at this scene, but Tsunade disdainfully said, "This brat really doesn't take any losses."
It turned out that Tsunade had realized something when she saw someone approaching, and that was that this brat had his own plan from the beginning.
…
The barrier only has soundproofing effects, and while in Sage Mode, Jiraiya's sensory abilities greatly increased. He naturally also noticed someone approaching, and his face changed immediately.
''Brag, you!"
Gasping for breath, Uchiha Yoru's face showed a smile. Although he had no injuries, Jiraiya in Sage Mode, whether it's in physical or ninja skills, is no longer at the level of an average Kage-level ninja.
More importantly, he was relying on the defense of the Thunder God Armor.
"Lord Jiraiya, since you said you don't want me to use you to establish my reputation, out of respect for the Sannin, I didn't notify anyone else."
Uchiha Yoru said casually, as the forest where the two were fighting was in a state of disarray.
Their exchange was more of a probe than a real fight. Jiraiya wanted to test out the abilities of the Mangekyo Sharingan, while Uchiha Yoru wanted to gauge the strength of Jiraiya in Sage Mode.
Although they didn't use their full strength, they both got a sense of each other's abilities.
Uchiha Yoru was secretly shocked; Jiraiya in Sage Mode was indeed strong. In the original story, he was able to fight on par with the Six Paths of Pain, even without knowing the information beforehand. He indeed had some tricks up his sleeve.
Jiraiya was even more astonished inside. This brat's Mangekyo Sharingan abilities weren't exposed at all, but his current strength was already troublesome.
If they were enemies in a life-and-death battle, the outcome would probably be fifty-fifty. If the opponent revealed the ocular jutsu of the Mangekyo Sharingan, it would be unpredictable.
"Little Jiraiya, this evil Uchiha brat is very strong."
The toad sage on his shoulder couldn't help but show a serious expression. Fighting with this brat, they already faced the risk of death.
Jiraiya looked helplessly at the brat, and with no other choice, he clapped his hands, causing the two toads on his shoulder to disappear, and the barrier around them began to slowly dissipate.
Uchiha Yoru also smiled and put away his overwhelming Thunder God Armor, "After all, I am now the Head of the Police Department. The incident with the former Head Fugaku has always been taken seriously. I haven't left for long, and my subordinates are already worried."
He looked as if it had nothing to do with him, and it was just his subordinates being worried. This scene made Jiraiya feel both helpless and resigned.
"Brat, I don't mind if you want to run for Hokage, but Konoha really can't withstand another war!"
After the probing, realizing that Uchiha Yoru's strength was enough to shake the village, Jiraiya finally sighed and chose to persuade.
Facing Jiraiya, Uchiha Yoru just sneered and taunted, "Lord Jiraiya, you got it wrong. It has always been the Uchiha taking a step back, but some people keep pushing forward. Now you're saying I will bring war to the village?"
"Why don't you say that some people are already preparing to bring war to the village!"
With this last sentence, Jiraiya's face changed. He was not a fool; he understood the implication of these words.
The village said the Uchiha already had tendencies of a coup, but now the Uchiha are saying the village is preparing to make the first move.
"Yoru!"
"Clan Head!"
"Big Brother Yoru!"
Just then, shouts were heard from the distance. Uchiha Yoru slowly sheathed the Kusanagi Sword at his waist, while at this moment, the figure of Jiraiya had already disappeared.
Looking at the approaching group, Uchiha Yoru smiled and casually waved his hand to indicate: "Erase the traces of the ninjutsu."
Although the people said nothing, the seriousness in their eyes could not be hidden. Such a big commotion, not to mention the familiar traces of ninjutsu.
The Fire Release ninjutsu using toad oil was not unfamiliar to these high-level ninjas, especially since it had only been a few years since the end of the Third Great Ninja War.
The name of Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin, weighed heavily on their hearts. Uchiha Yoru clearly understood what this scene meant.
Or rather, from the beginning, Jiraiya deliberately used this signature ninjutsu to tell everyone that he, Jiraiya, had returned, and at the same time, to deter the Uchiha from acting rashly.
…
Hokage's Office.
"Old man! Is this what you've done?"
After returning to the village, Jiraiya naturally conducted an investigation. He angrily threw the scroll he had researched onto the desk, glaring at his teacher, the Third Hokage.
"Jiraiya."
The once formidable Third Hokage, now already aged with white hair and clear age spots on his face, his frail and hunched figure disappointed Jiraiya even more.
"Jiraiya, as a member of the Konoha, and now the evil Uchiha!" Danzo, standing by, continued to speak ominously, but Jiraiya interrupted him without hesitation.
"Hmph! Evil Uchiha? What about the Root?"
Jiraiya, with eyes full of rage, stared at Danzo. Root did not appear during the Nine-Tails incident, and his close friend Orochimaru was expelled, who also had connections to Root. He was already filled with anger.
Facing the furious Jiraiya, Shimura Danzo, who also needed people at this time, scoffed coldly and stopped speaking. If he couldn't provoke Jiraiya, he could at least avoid him.
The aged Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the annoyed Jiraiya and sighed deeply, his voice low and sad: "Jiraiya, you have seen the development of the Police Force, especially the support Uchiha Yoru has gained from various ninja villages."
As he spoke, fear was evident in Hiruzen's eyes, while Danzo angrily said, "This is betrayal! Uchiha Yoru has even accepted various weapons from the Cloud and Rock villages."
Mentioning this only fueled Jiraiya's anger. He slammed the table hard. He didn't want to confront the Third Hokage, but he wasn't afraid to confront Danzo.
"Danzo! Stop talking nonsense. If it weren't for you pushing them too hard, would the Uchiha clan be like this? And about accepting support from the enemy, so far, I haven't seen the Uchiha do anything detrimental to the village."
Jiraiya wasn't a fool. The village called him back, obviously wanting a helper, but he didn't want to be a tool in a power struggle, so he warned both sides.
"Whoever thinks of starting a war, I'll confront them."
Jiraiya made his stance clear, causing Danzo to snort in dissatisfaction. If he didn't need Jiraiya right now, he would have already confronted him.
Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, looked at his student with complex emotions. He knew his student was disappointed in him, but for his own steadfast beliefs and the will of fire, he would not compromise.
"Jiraiya, spend the next few days investigating in the village, walk around and see."
In the end, Hiruzen handled the situation delicately. With his student's return, the burden on his shoulders was somewhat lightened.
"Where's Tsunade?"
"Cut it out, old man. You know Tsunade's temper. If it were her, Danzo might have lost his other eye."
Seizing the opportunity, Jiraiya mocked Danzo, causing Danzo to widen his eyes in anger, snorting coldly before slamming the door and leaving.
Hiruzen laughed hoarsely at this scene. Tsunade's temper might indeed be able to blow off the doors of the Hokage's office.
…
On the other side, inside the tavern.
Shizune was shockingly looking at Lady Tsunade, as if seeing her for the first time, filled with astonishment.
Although Lady Tsunade still carried her usual air of arrogance, this time it was clearly different. She actually accepted a pour of sake from Uchiha Yoru. It was known that since three years ago, she had been moderate in her drinking and had not indulged in heavy drinking.
"Lady Tsunade, this is the best sake."
Uchiha Yoru, with a smile on his face, gently filled a cup with sake. Tsunade, seeing this, casually raised her cup, first bringing it to her nose for a light sniff, and then scoffed disdainfully.
"Brat, what best sake, it's clearly fruit wine."
Uchiha Yoru, not the least bit embarrassed by Tsunade's scolding, nodded with a grin: "That's right, the best fruit wine, beautifying and not harmful to health."
With a light sip, Tsunade narrowed her eyes. As a princess of the Senju clan, she had tasted many fine wines. She was not savoring the taste, but rather scrutinizing the young man before her.
"The sake is good, but this person!"
Tsunade teased with narrowed eyes. However, before she could finish, Uchiha Yoru laughed and took over, gently holding her cupped hand and pouring more sake.
"Of course, the person is also the most beautiful."
Looking at the refilled cup, Tsunade internally cursed the shameless brat, thinking he was avoiding her words.
"Brat, the commotion you've caused in these three years is not small. Now, the entire ninja world is spreading your name."
"And your speech, your thoughts are too dangerous..."
Tsunade went on a tirade of criticism, while Uchiha Yoru sat to one side, maintaining a smile, not showing any anger, occasionally pouring her more sake.
After a long while, Tsunade, her throat dry from talking, couldn't help but snort, "Hey, brat, I've been talking for so long, are you not listening at all or just not taking it seriously?"
Tsunade, as if trying to provoke Uchiha Yoru, but he just shrugged casually, laughing: "I'm listening, but if I don't do this, what should I do?"
"What should you do?"
Tsunade was stunned by the direct question, her mind racing with various intelligence reports. Finally, she lowered her voice: "Then why did you accept help from Cloud and Rock?"
"Help?"
Hearing this, Uchiha Yoru's face suddenly showed a realization, smiling at Tsunade as if to say, no wonder you came.
"Lady Tsunade, is it illegal to accept help from the villages of Cloud and Rock?"
Uchiha Yoru looked over with such an easygoing smile, causing Tsunade to narrow her beautiful eyes, and then she burst into laughter the next moment.
"Brat, you really are shameless."
Tsunade instantly understood Uchiha Yoru's meaning: I'm not breaking the law, others want to help me, why shouldn't I accept it?
The two exchanged cryptic words, laughing in the private room. Shizune, accompanying them, was awkwardly at a loss for the first time, burying her head and quietly playing the role of a mascot.
It seemed that Lady Tsunade and Uchiha Yoru had known each other for a long time, and quite well at that, even hinting at a sense of overfamiliarity.
Shizune was shocked by her own speculation, shaking her head internally, thinking how she could be so fanciful. How could Lady Tsunade have any relation with her classmate Uchiha Yoru?
~~~
Read 90 Chapters in Advance on Patreon! 3 months worth of Chapters! Go now!