Aren't You the Strongest Hokage?

At first, Kitagawa Gen was still wondering what new tricks Jiraiya might pull out.

In the end, he opened with the Rasengan right away, and that truly made Kitagawa Gen feel there was no need to pretend anymore!

Aside from Chakra control and ratio adjustment, the key to the Rasengan was control over Chakra shape transformation.

Just as he had told Jiraiya, Purple Lightning was the product of shape transformation and nature transformation taken to the extreme.

Since he had already mastered Purple Lightning, even if he still needed to deepen his understanding, dealing with one Rasengan was easy.

As for that intelligence analysis...

At any rate, his performance at school had not been bad, and besides, during the time he had been out with Kakashi, he had also shown his own intelligence-analysis ability.

At this level, there was basically no major problem, especially since he had even given a disclaimer.

"Lord Jiraiya? Hey, hey, Lord Jiraiya?"

Looking at Jiraiya, who was lost in a daze, Kitagawa Gen immediately put on an utterly innocent expression.

"Did I do something wrong somewhere?"

"Ah..."

Jiraiya lifted his head blankly. A moment later, he came back to himself, his whole body feeling a little numb.

"No, very good. Very good..."

Jiraiya felt like his tongue had gone thick, and even his speech was not very smooth.

But at this moment, he seemed to understand a little what Kakashi had meant earlier by "before long, I won't have anything left to teach him."

Teaching a genius really was a bit depressing. Before long, there truly would be nothing left to teach...

"You performed very well. We'll stop here for today."

When Jiraiya said that, even he felt his face grow a little hot.

How long had it been since they had come out of the hospital?

And he was already ending it?

It had not even lasted as long as a trip to the red-light district!

But he had no choice. He had truly been drawn in by Kitagawa Gen's words.

"I'm going to find the old man. The Third Hokage, that is. What you said just now was a little messy, but there was logic to it, and it gave me some ideas.

"I have to talk to him about this. Today, just go play by yourself. Anyway, you'll be training with me during these days, so I'll teach you properly."

"Uh, does your 'teach me properly' mean the same as today, where you leave me behind?"

"..."

Jiraiya simply ignored Kitagawa Gen. He turned his head and ran off on his own.

Seeing this, Kitagawa Gen could only shrug, but this was also what he had hoped to see.

"I wonder if this method can complete that exclusive side quest..."

"What are you doing, calling me here?"

Konoha Hospital, inside Kakashi's ward.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Jiraiya in confusion, then glanced at Kakashi, who was just as baffled, before asking in a low voice.

"Old man, that kid Kitagawa Gen really is incredible."

Jiraiya sat down in a chair with a thump. He scratched his head in distress, then looked at Kakashi at the side.

"I think I understand how you felt."

"?"

Kakashi looked blank, while Jiraiya continued.

"Teaching a genius kid like that really can leave a person at a loss.

"Do you know? Although I knew the characteristics of his Purple Lightning, I still couldn't help testing him.

"But that kid actually watched me use the Rasengan once, and then successfully replicated it. Seriously..."

At this point, even Jiraiya himself could not help rubbing his brow. Minato Namikaze had spent three years on it because research and development costs had to be considered.

He himself had spent three months learning it. Although there had also been the factor of improving the technique, he had still genuinely spent a lot of time.

But what about this kid?

He had finished it in the blink of an eye. Even with Jiraiya's good mentality, he still felt a little depressed.

"Lord Jiraiya has seen Gen's Purple Lightning too, right?"

Kakashi sat up slightly and muttered.

"With that technique as a foundation, techniques requiring shape transformation and nature transformation aren't too difficult for him.

"Back when I taught Gen the Earth Release Barrier, he also mastered it very quickly, and even carved the faces of the Past Hokages onto the wall.

"From that time on, I knew Gen's talent with techniques was especially outstanding."

"That Purple Lightning is indeed especially excellent. As far as I remember, only the Third Raikage did something similar."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded. He was filled with emotion toward such talent as well. As the "Professor of Ninjutsu," he was very clear on how difficult it was.

For Kitagawa Gen to have such achievements at such a young age, there was no way he would not be happy. This was a talent of Konoha!

"But Jiraiya, even if his talent is outstanding, there's no need to make such a fuss. Kakashi still needs rest."

"If it were only one Rasengan, I wouldn't be like this."

Jiraiya sighed, his expression becoming much more serious.

"And he also analyzed that guy from last night. That gave me an idea..."

Jiraiya quickly recounted everything from before.

Whether it was his trimmed-down account of Kakashi's experience, or the analysis Kitagawa Gen had made using only that limited information, he explained it all clearly.

"Although this line of thinking isn't comprehensive, I think it can still be used as reference. If it really is like this..."

"Then this Obito Uchiha is extremely dangerous, and even that organization is extremely dangerous. After all, even Wood Release..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned as he added to it. Right now, he felt his scalp tingling.

Although Kitagawa Gen's categorized analysis still seemed full of holes, it also seemed able to clearly explain many issues.

Only, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked somewhat worriedly at Kakashi. He understood the Uchiha Clan's temperament all too well!

Those people were especially obsessive. If this was really the case, then things would be troublesome.

"Kakashi..."

"Hokage, I'm fine."

Kakashi's mood seemed somewhat low. He also understood why Jiraiya had come here to lay everything out.

But very soon, he shook his head and spoke with incomparable seriousness.

"Whether that's true or not, I actually understood one thing a long time ago. If he really is Obito, then he has also done things that cannot be forgiven.

"Whether it's the destruction caused by the Nine-Tails Night, or sensei and the others... so there's no need to worry about me."

Kakashi was still Kakashi in the end. Although his mentality had indeed taken a blow, he could still maintain the calm he ought to have.

Otherwise, during the Fourth Shinobi World War, he would not have regained his clarity and pierced Obito's heart with Chidori without the slightest hesitation.

Even when Obito was on the verge of death, he had been the one who wanted to go in and finish him off, only to be stopped by the Fourth Hokage...

Although at that time, he had a disciple like Naruto to awaken his heart, was it not the same for him now?

To Kakashi, Kitagawa Gen was truly a "new beginning"!

A past comrade returning from the dead was something worth being happy about for him, while a past comrade walking down the wrong path was something that made him sad.

But none of that would affect him too much. Instead, it made his heart feel full and gave him even more motivation!

He already had a clear goal. He wanted to figure all this out. He wanted to know what had happened to Obito, and exactly who had turned Obito into this!

"The urgent matter is still to investigate properly. Whether it's that guy suspected to be Obito, or that organization, both should be treated this way."

"Exactly. We won't slack off on these matters."

Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally smiled. He looked at Kakashi and spoke sincerely.

"It's truly good to see you pull yourself together, Kakashi.

"You must remember, no matter what that guy is thinking, the real Obito Uchiha is in our hearts, and even more so in your left eye."

"I understand."

Kakashi touched his left eye, then nodded.

"Thank you, Hokage."

"All right, enough of that."

Jiraiya spoke from the side, cutting the two of them off. His expression returned to its previous casualness.

"Anyway, didn't the old man hand this matter over to Danzo? Just urge him more. Let's talk about that brat instead.

"How are we supposed to teach him next? He learns things way too fast, doesn't he?"

"Kitagawa Gen?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned. After thinking for a moment, he came up with an idea.

"How about this. I'll give you the Flying Thunder God Technique, and you go teach him."

"Huh?"

Jiraiya froze, then pointed at himself in disbelief.

"Me?"

"Mm. With Kakashi like this, he clearly can't do it. Guy is more suited to taijutsu, so only you can."

"Hey, hey, old man, I don't even know this technique!"

"Try teaching it and see. Aren't you very good at training disciples anyway?"

"Old man, don't go too far. Why don't you do it yourself? Aren't you the strongest Hokage?"

"..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's breath caught. He forcefully resisted the urge to smash the pipe in his hand onto Jiraiya's head. After glancing at Kakashi, who had neatly turned his head and pretended to be dead, he took a deep breath.

"...Jiraiya."

"Mm?"

"Shut up!"

"..."