Jiraiya

Kakashi and Kagami Uchiha were summoned to the Hokage Office ahead of time.

Aside from those few times at the start of the school year, this was Kagami Uchiha's first close-up encounter with the Third Hokage.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was a notorious heavy smoker. Even with two children in front of him, he still held his pipe between his teeth and exhaled wisps of purple smoke.

It was difficult to associate this increasingly stooped old man with the highest authority in the Land of Fire.

Yes, the highest authority.

Ever since the shinobi village system began, the decision to start or end a war had rested with each village's Kage.

When the Second Hokage went to Kumogakure to sign a peace treaty, did he need to call the Daimyo?

When the Third Hokage mobilized his subordinates, did he need the Daimyo's approval?

It was just that, compared with the billions of ordinary people, the hundreds of thousands of shinobi were still too few. Someone like the Daimyo was needed to lead the common people.

The Land of Fire's Daimyo only possessed the authority to appoint a Hokage in name. In reality, every Hokage was chosen by Konohagakure itself.

Even Danzo, the Fifth and a Half Hokage, had intimidated the Daimyo with a single look.

But what use was the Daimyo's certification?

The village's Jonin had to pass a vote of confidence. Until the day Danzo died, no one thought he had ever truly been Hokage.

Only someone carved into Hokage Rock counted as a Hokage!

The later Third and Fourth Shinobi World Wars, for example, were started at the command of each village's Kage. The Daimyo only needed to sit back and watch.

Even Sunagakure, the village most severely affected by economic conditions, later joined forces with Orochimaru, intending to flex its muscles for the Land of Wind's Daimyo with the Konoha Crush Plan.

The outcome was just a little clownish.

Coming back to himself, Kagami Uchiha nodded. "I've heard of Jiraiya, a powerful shinobi known as one of the Sannin."

Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled kindly. "Your abilities are excellent. I want you to graduate early and train under Jiraiya."

"If you perform well, you may even become his disciples."

"The youngest Jonin right now, Namikaze Minato, is his disciple too!"

Jiraiya... Namikaze Minato...

Kagami Uchiha's thoughts churned.

The old Third Hokage had handled the Uchiha extermination incident coldly. From his standpoint, he was not a good person.

But before that incident happened, it was clear that Sarutobi Hiruzen had still wanted to reconcile with the Uchiha.

Later, he allowed Minato, who was close to the Uchiha, to take his place. Perhaps that had also been one of his considerations.

What kind of person was Namikaze Minato?

The Ninja World's heartthrob, with the Blondie trait to boot.

The Uchiha Clan's thousand-year tradition and ironclad rule forbidding the Sharingan from leaving the clan had been set aside just because of Minato's reputation.

And he had not even become Hokage at that time!

Joining Jiraiya's faction was actually a signal from the Third Hokage.

In every shinobi village, the position of Kage was basically passed down between masters and disciples or fathers and sons.

The Third Hokage wanted to tell the Uchiha: You have a chance. You are members of the village too.

Originally, he had favored an Uchiha youth named Obito. That child was so friendly he hardly seemed like an Uchiha.

But now, Kagami Uchiha and Kakashi both had serious psychological problems. One was withdrawn, while the other was devastated by his father's departure. Both needed a little sunshine.

Hadn't the few Uchiha who had interacted with Namikaze Minato all become more cheerful afterward?

Sarutobi Hiruzen had played his trump card against gloomy characters—Namikaze Minato!

Kakashi had not yet recovered from the tremendous loss caused by his father's departure. Hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's words, he nodded indifferently.

If Kagami Uchiha had not stubbornly refused to leave the Ninja Academy, he would have graduated long ago.

Kagami Uchiha had no reason to refuse.

Leaving aside everything else, Jiraiya's ability to teach was beyond doubt.

Nagato, Minato, Naruto... Ah, no, that was Naruto.

Several of his disciples had at least reached Kage Level. Even Yahiko had been able to take on the role of Deva Path.

Being Jiraiya's disciple would not be bad.

I want to kill your teacher, but that won't stop me from becoming your disciple.

Besides... killing one's master was not simply a tradition of the Konohagakure faction?

Bang.

"Yo! You two must be Kakashi and Jing!"

A tall, white-haired man was squatting on the windowsill of the Hokage Office.

His long white hair reached his waist, and the red markings beneath his eyes were especially eye-catching.

"Idiot! Couldn't you use the front door?"

Looking at the swaying window, Sarutobi Hiruzen exploded in fury.

With a thud, Jiraiya landed and patted Sarutobi Hiruzen on the shoulder. "We're both old now. Don't get so worked up. It's bad for your health."

"Hmph! Since you know I'm old, hurry up and take the burden off my shoulders!"

In Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes, Jiraiya was the most suitable candidate to become Hokage.

He loved the village, cared for his comrades, possessed great strength, cherished peace, and even shared Sarutobi Hiruzen's hobbies.

"Hahaha, give me a break. I can't take your position."

Jiraiya laughed it off and turned his gaze toward the two children.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Jiraiya!"

That simple?

Kagami Uchiha had even prepared himself to hear lines about being the Toad Sage and the like.

"Hatake Kakashi."

"Kagami Uchiha."

An even simpler self-introduction.

"Jing-kun..." Jiraiya stroked his chin and smiled. "The old man mentioned a companion of his who had the same name."

"That was my grandfather." Kagami Uchiha was frank.

Unlike other transmigrators, he fully acknowledged his identity.

His grandmother was family, Shisui was family, and most of his clansmen were family too.

People had flesh-and-blood hearts. Kagami Uchiha remembered that they had treated him well.

"Really? Then, by that reckoning, you can call me Uncle!"

"Kakashi too. Sakumo-nii treated me well in the past."

As he spoke, Jiraiya wrapped an arm around both of them, his prickly white hair scraping against their tender faces.

Kagami Uchiha almost reacted instinctively and stabbed him.

After struggling a little, he realized that it was difficult to break free without using his real strength, so he let it go.

With the same dead-fish eyes as Kakashi, Kagami Uchiha said impatiently, "Jiraiya, there's a strong smell of women's rouge on you. It's too pungent."

"Hahaha, you're mistaken. That's the smell of food. You'll taste it yourself someday."

Jiraiya awkwardly released the two of them. He exchanged a glance with Sarutobi Hiruzen, and the two lecherous old men tactfully looked away.

He jumped onto the windowsill and waved to the two of them.

"Come on, boys."

"I don't accept just anyone. Catch up with me first. Consider it your first test!"

Kakashi turned to look at Kagami Uchiha.

"Why are you looking at me? Are we familiar?"

Watching the Little White Hair chase after the Big White Hair, Kagami Uchiha shook his head helplessly.

This Jiraiya is way too extroverted. As an introvert, I can barely take it.

Sarutobi Hiruzen watched him with amusement in his eyes. "If you don't set off soon, you're going to lose to Kakashi."

You really know how to provoke an Uchiha.

Kagami Uchiha curled his lip disdainfully. "I'll give him three minutes. He'll still be eating my dust."

"Hahaha, Jing-kun is quite confident."

He leaped onto the windowsill and glanced back at Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Seriously... I can't see even the slightest trace of malice in those eyes.

What a complicated person...

Then again, people were complicated by nature.

Chakra gathered beneath Kagami Uchiha's feet, and he shot forward with the Body Flicker Technique.

Before long, he caught up with Kakashi. He could not even be bothered to leave a taunt behind, giving Kakashi only his back to look at.

Damn it... How dare he ignore me!

Kakashi gritted his teeth and sped up, but the distance between them only grew.

Gradually, Kagami Uchiha noticed something wrong.

Jiraiya suddenly accelerated ahead of them, vanishing from sight at a speed far beyond that of an ordinary Jonin.

It was as if some emergency had suddenly occurred.

Kagami Uchiha's thoughts stirred, and crimson appeared in his eyes.

I see it...

I sense it...

This incredibly violent Chakra...

It's the Nine-Tails!!