Sarutobi Hiruzen was stunned.
White Fang's words also stirred the crowd.
"Who is Uchiha Jin?"
"He's from the Uchiha clan, but not..."
The speaker was immediately met with a barrage of eyes glaring at him, some even turning red with irritation, causing him to swallow his words.
The Uchiha clan was formidable, to say the least.
Jin also shot the man a piercing gaze.
I'll remember you.
As the civilians in the crowd murmured in confusion, it didn't take long for a ninja to clarify.
"He's the one who developed the basic internal energy technique."
"They say he's an Uchiha who could rival the Second Hokage."
"I heard a lot of people on the frontlines survived thanks to that basic internal technique."
Among the ninja, Uchiha Jin's name was well-known. However, among the civilians, not many knew about him.
Listening to the ninjas discuss, the civilians looked perplexed.
They didn't know what the basic internal technique was, but hearing that it had saved lives made them remember his name. After all, almost every household in Konoha had someone who had become a ninja.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was now stuck in a tough spot.
If White Fang had asked for anyone else, even a civilian ninja with a questionable background, he could have agreed immediately.
But Uchiha Jin was a different story.
The jutsus within the Scroll of Seals could not be revealed to the Uchiha. What if one of them used those techniques to become powerful?
Uchiha Jin becoming stronger with those techniques was also a problem.
He had deliberately suppressed the opportunity for Jin to see the Scroll of Seals.
Although he knew Jin wasn't aligned with the rest of the Uchiha clan,
he was still an Uchiha.
Hiruzen eyed White Fang's indifferent expression, uncertain whether the man was doing this deliberately.
Uchiha Jin, who was in the crowd, looked completely bewildered.
Wait a minute.
Why am I suddenly involved in this?
He was just a bystander here.
However, this was also an opportunity, and Jin decided to see how things would unfold.
As for whether Sarutobi Hiruzen would hold a grudge against him?
Did Uchiha Jin care about that?
He already had similar plans; offending Hiruzen was inevitable sooner or later.
White Fang, seeing Hiruzen's hesitation, added, "Lady Tsunade has also agreed to support Uchiha Jin's request."
This only made Hiruzen more troubled.
He wanted to push this matter aside, but with White Fang's stance and the many eyes of the Uchiha clan on him, he couldn't refuse.
If he refused, it wouldn't just be the Uchiha who were upset. The remaining ninjas would spread the news, tarnishing the reputation he had worked so hard to build.
He could suppress this in private, but now that it was out in the open, he couldn't ignore it.
He really felt that he and White Fang were destined to clash.
Tsunade's approval also meant he had no real way to prevent Uchiha Jin from viewing the Scroll of Seals. After all, sometimes the "Princess of Konoha" had more sway than the Hokage himself.
The elders in the clan were still very much alive.
"Fine," Hiruzen finally said, nodding as if nothing had happened.
He would figure out a way to delay things later.
As Hiruzen made his decision, Uchiha Jin stepped out of the crowd.
"Then, Lord Hokage, may I take a look at it now?"
Uchiha Jin grinned at Hiruzen.
It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured all over him.
The two advisors standing behind him could do nothing but look helplessly at Hiruzen.
"Now...?"
"The ceremony for honoring White Fang is over, after all."
Jin cut off Hiruzen's attempt at an excuse.
Jin understood very well that some things couldn't be delayed. If he let this drag on, it would all fall apart.
"I..."
Sweat began to bead on Hiruzen's forehead as he racked his brain for a solution.
Jin stood there calmly, waiting for Hiruzen to perform. Power earned through reputation came with its own burdens.
To deal with Hiruzen, raw strength wasn't necessary. This was the method Jin had always intended to use; White Fang had just accelerated the timeline.
"Or perhaps it's because I'm an Uchi..."
"Alright." Before Jin could finish, Hiruzen cut him off.
Some things simply couldn't be said out loud.
Hiruzen looked deeply at Uchiha Jin.
He realized that this Uchiha Jin wasn't as hot-headed as he seemed on the surface.
"Homura, take him to see the Scroll of Seals."
Mitokado Homura stood up with a grim expression.
"Follow me."
"Thank you, Lord Hokage."
Jin then grinned at Hiruzen, offering an insincere apology.
Hiruzen felt a surge of blood rush to his head, barely suppressing it before he erupted.
Although he was smiling, his face alternated between shades of red and green.
How unsightly.
Jin followed Homura out of the Hokage Tower.
Looking at the buildings that gradually came into view…
"Isn't that the Third Hokage's house?"
"That's the Hokage Residence. Only the Hokage can live there. The originals of all Konoha's jutsu are stored there."
"Hokage Residence."
Jin recalled his memories of watching Naruto in his previous life.
He vaguely remembered the Fourth Hokage and his wife living in an ordinary house. He wasn't entirely sure about this memory.
If that was indeed the case...
Then there was much to be said.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was truly despicable.
"Tsk tsk." Jin clicked his tongue in wonder.
Hiruzen was irredeemable, truly irredeemable.
Arriving at the entrance of the Hokage Residence, Homura heard Jin's strange noises and turned to him with a frown.
"Are you sure you want to see the Scroll of Seals? The Uchiha Clan's collection of jutsu is likely no smaller than Konoha's."
Homura was making a last-ditch effort.
"And you should know that the Scroll of Seals is a village secret. After you see it, you will be constantly monitored by Anbu."
"I have a clear conscience and nothing to hide. I'm not afraid of that."
Jin showed no sign of backing down. If it weren't for the fact that few Konoha ninja had learned the jutsu in the Scroll of Seals, would he have gone through all this trouble?
Homura gave Jin a long look.
He pushed the door open and led the way.
They continued down to the basement of the residence, where a door inscribed with the word "Seal" appeared before them.
"Wait here."
Homura pushed open the door and went inside.
Through the crack in the door, Jin saw rows of bookshelves filled with scrolls.
If they all contained jutsu...
Then he understood why Orochimaru had said a normal person couldn't learn all the jutsu in a lifetime.
Soon, Homura returned with the scroll labeled "Scroll of Seals."
"Here. You have one hour to look at the jutsu inside."
This was enough time for a person to memorize a single jutsu.
It was also the allotted time for anyone who applied.
"Here?"
Jin looked at the surrounding corridor, dimly lit due to being underground. It would be difficult to even read the text clearly in this environment.
"Right here." Homura nodded firmly.
This was the greatest restriction he could impose.
Jin looked at the bespectacled middle-aged man and smiled.
You old fox.
Not bad.
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