That's All I Have to Say

Everyone in Konoha who had come into contact with the mysterious man was dead.

According to Anbu intelligence, after the Fourth Hokage drove the man off, he had gone after Uchiha Sora.

The place where the two fought was still a wasteland to this day.

Jiraiya wanted to know who the man was, and Uchiha Sora was his only lead.

Uchiha Sora smiled faintly. "Information is a ninja's lifeblood. Surely, Lord Jiraiya, you aren't so naïve as to think you'll get answers just by asking."

Shisui grew even more tense.

If it came to a fight...

Shimura Danzō's heyday was too far in the past for him to remember, but Jiraiya was different.

The ninjas of Shisui's generation had all grown up hearing the legends of the Sannin!

Even Kakashi, a prodigy who had become an Anbu Captain at such a young age, hadn't even had the courage to fight Orochimaru!

After a brief silence,

Jiraiya smiled mildly. "What do you want?"

Uchiha Sora held out his hand. "Fifty million ryō."

"This information is definitely worth that much!"

"No problem."

Jiraiya didn't even try to haggle. He pulled a bankbook from inside his robes.

"There are thirty-seven million ryō in here. I'll have someone deliver the rest to the Uchiha compound. How does that sound?"

To Jiraiya, Minato wasn't just a student. He was more like a son.

A son in whom Jiraiya had placed great hopes.

He had died without anyone knowing the truth, and Jiraiya was desperate to find out what had happened. A little money meant nothing to him.

Uchiha Sora took the bankbook and slipped it into his robes without checking it.

Jiraiya only acted careless around Naruto. He wouldn't try anything underhanded at a time like this.

Of course, Uchiha Sora didn't let his guard down. He wouldn't entrust his safety to someone else's character.

"Madara Uchiha."

After taking the money, Uchiha Sora spoke slowly.

At the name, Jiraiya's pupils contracted sharply.

Just as Shisui had grown up listening to the legends of the Sannin, Jiraiya's generation had grown up listening to the legends of the Two Heroes of the Ninja World.

Hearing that name out of the blue, Jiraiya's first instinct was to deny it.

"Impossible! That man died many years ago!"

"I thought so too, but that's what he called himself," Uchiha Sora continued.

"He tried to recruit us under the name Madara Uchiha."

Jiraiya shook his head. "Uchiha Sora... I don't mean to be rude."

"But the fact that even you managed to drive him off is completely at odds with the Madara Uchiha I remember."

Jiraiya had read the Anbu's detailed report.

Rayquaza was undeniably powerful, but it couldn't be stronger than the Nine-Tails.

Just who was Madara Uchiha?

He was someone who could control the Nine-Tails at will. How could Rayquaza have driven him off?

Uchiha Sora shook his head. "I couldn't say. I've heard the legends of the Valley of the End too. Maybe Madara Uchiha was badly wounded in that battle and still hasn't recovered."

"And before he fought me, he had already fought the Fourth Hokage once."

"And besides... he really did control the Nine-Tails, didn't he?"

"Other than that man, the only one who might be able to do that is Clan Head Fugaku. But Fugaku has a perfect alibi. You can ask Shimura Danzō if you don't believe me."

"No..."

"There's one other possibility."

Jiraiya's gaze turned deep as he stared intently at Uchiha Sora.

"You seem to have forgotten someone. Someone capable of wielding a power like that natural disaster... Sora, you can do it too, can't you?"

Uchiha Sora smiled faintly. "I have an alibi too."

"When the Fourth Hokage was fighting that man, I was busy beating the daylights out of Danzō."

Jiraiya fell silent for a moment, then shook his head helplessly.

"Based on my guess, that man shouldn't be Madara Uchiha. He's more likely to be Madara Uchiha's successor."

"Sora, have any Uchiha gone missing in recent years without their deaths being confirmed?"

Uchiha Sora's pupils contracted slightly.

A ninja with that much experience really could get close to the truth with just a little information.

"About that... you'll have to ask Shimura Danzō."

Uchiha Sora started passing the buck. "One of our missing clan members is more likely to have fallen into that man's hands, isn't he?"

Jiraiya knew what had happened in the village, and he felt a little awkward now.

The old man's old friend really hadn't played fair...

"About that... I'm truly sorry."

"Sora, no matter what conflict lies between the Uchiha and the village, that man is an enemy to both of us. You agree, don't you?"

Uchiha Sora nodded.

Uchiha Obito had gone mad. He didn't consider the Uchiha his allies; to him, everyone in the world was an NPC.

Thinking it over, he decided to cause Uchiha Obito some trouble, so he wouldn't have time to come and torment the Uchiha Clan.

He spoke up.

"He said he would take us to the Land of Water. That may be where his base is."

"That's everything I know. It's worth what you paid."

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"That's valuable information, all right..."

Jiraiya looked at the two of them, then thought for a moment before speaking. "Before Minato left, he still considered the Uchiha his allies."

"Sora... if..."

"If I became Hokage and gave the Uchiha the standing they deserve, would you be willing to come back?"

Jiraiya wasn't making an empty boast.

With his status and influence, he could become Hokage if he wanted to.

Uchiha Sora met his gaze and smiled. "The Uchiha will take what they want for themselves. We don't need handouts from you."

Jiraiya smiled ruefully and shook his head. "It's not a handout... Never mind. This is too much trouble."

He braced his hands on his knees and stood, speaking slowly.

"Hey, Sora..."

His aura gradually spread, like a savage beast lurking in the night. Even the flames seemed to shrink away from it.

"Let's put what happened earlier aside... but if you dare attack the village..."

"When that time comes, I'll kill you!"

His killing intent wasn't strong, but it was utterly pure!

Uchiha Sora didn't flinch. "Get one thing straight."

"The village betrayed us. Don't stand there all high and mighty and say something so ridiculous."

He stood up, his tomoe spinning in his eyes and a slightly unhinged smile tugging at his lips.

A chilling surge of ocular power burst forth, and the flames blazed higher.

"Keep running your mouth, and I'll leave you here, Jiraiya!"

After a long while, Jiraiya sighed and let his aura fade first.

"Sorry. I lost my temper."

"I still hope we can make peace, like our predecessors did. It took so much to build this village..."

He turned away, looking somewhat dejected.

"I'll go to the Land of Water. If I find anything, I'll share the information with you."

Watching him walk away, Uchiha Sora couldn't help calling after him.

"Jiraiya, you're missing the point."

"Hm?"

Uchiha Sora knew his next words would work against the bigger picture.

But he wasn't without feelings.

The Fourth Hokage and his wife were among the few people who had treated the Uchiha kindly, and Uchiha Sora had benefited from their kindness too.

For the sake of his clan, Uchiha Sora hadn't chosen to help the Fourth Hokage. But he didn't want their child to suffer the same fate.

He didn't want that child to be treated the way he had been in his previous life.

He knew all too well how awful that felt.

"Forget the Fourth Hokage, who's already dead, and Orochimaru, who's deserted the village..."

"If you truly care, you should be doing more to protect the Fourth Hokage's child."

Jiraiya stopped in his tracks.

"Thanks for the reminder... The old man will take care of Naruto, and I'll come back to check on him often too."

Watching Jiraiya walk away, Uchiha Sora felt disgust rise within him.

That was all he had to say...

If Naruto still had to go through all that, then he couldn't blame Uchiha Sora for showing him the right path!