Trust

Jiraiya pondered for a moment and nodded slightly. "I understand. I have to say, you had a lot of nerve to hand the Jinchuriki over to him."

Hearing this, Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose, leaned back in her chair, and sighed. "After being on guard for so long, trust has to go both ways. Someone had to make the first move. Besides, based on the information we have, if nothing unexpected happens, Uzumaki Reikawa's abilities should be of great use against Akatsuki in the future. This risk is worth taking."

"Mm—"

"Then I'll go check on them," Jiraiya said after some thought. That kid had hidden himself so deeply that Jiraiya had nearly been fooled. But considering their previous interactions, he probably was not a bad person.

Naruto rubbed his eyes and slowly woke up. When he found Kakashi and Uzumaki Reikawa both staring at him, panic immediately welled up inside him. "Why are you both looking at me? Is there something on my face?" Then he suddenly remembered. "Right, did you succeed, Brother Reikawa?"

Uzumaki Reikawa nodded. "Your ninjutsu should be easier to use now, but try not to draw on the Nine-Tails' chakra. If you become dependent on it, not only will you be more likely to go berserk and hurt the people around you, but Sasuke will also pull farther and farther ahead of you."

Just then, a bold voice rang out as Jiraiya arrived. "Reikawa is right, Naruto. Next, you'll begin some grueling training. Do you have the confidence for it?!"

"Pervy Sage!" Naruto's eyes lit up when he saw Jiraiya, and he cried excitedly, "You have time to keep teaching me now?!"

"What Pervy Sage?! Call me the Toad Sage, brat!" Veins bulged on Jiraiya's forehead as he gave Naruto a loving knock on the head.

"Ow, ow!" Naruto immediately clutched his head and squatted on the ground, drawing circles with a miserable expression.

"Besides, some things have happened recently, and you need to improve your strength as quickly as possible." As Jiraiya spoke, he gave Uzumaki Reikawa a meaningful look, indicating that he wanted to talk alone.

"Huh?" Naruto looked confused and was just about to ask something.

Seeing this, Kakashi walked over, pressed a hand onto Naruto's head, and vigorously ruffled his hair. "Let them talk alone for now. Go practice by yourself for a while. Try using some ninjutsu and see whether anything has changed."

"How is Naruto doing?"

"I had a talk with the Nine-Tails. We settled things peacefully. At the very least, Naruto shouldn't go berserk when he uses the Nine-Tails' chakra from now on."

"!"

Jiraiya was somewhat shocked. The Nine-Tails had actually listened to him. But perhaps that was the secret of his ninjutsu. To avoid making Uzumaki Reikawa feel resistant, Jiraiya did not press further for the time being.

Changing the subject, he asked, "How much do you know about Akatsuki?"

Uzumaki Reikawa sighed at that. "I don't know much about Akatsuki, but I know what my abilities mean to them. I can't beat them. I only joined Konoha because I didn't want them to forcefully recruit me. Of course, in exchange for lodging, I'll help out wherever you need me."

"Mm..." Jiraiya did not know what to say to that. Was he supposed to tell Uzumaki Reikawa that it was all Danzo's fault?

"But honestly, I think I'm starting to like Konoha as it is now." As Uzumaki Reikawa said this, his expression visibly relaxed, carrying a faint smile. "If possible, after everything is over, I want to live here peacefully."

Jiraiya silently looked at Uzumaki Reikawa, then suddenly said the same thing Tsunade had said. "If you're willing, Konoha will always be your home."

"...Thank you."

Uchiha Gen hurried to the vicinity of his "Uchiha Gen" clone and dispelled it after confirming that its view was blocked.

After receiving the clone's memories, he suddenly noticed a crow circling overhead, seemingly searching for his trail. Itachi?

But if it was flying so conspicuously, White Zetsu had probably already seen it. Uchiha Gen stepped out, and the crow slowly landed on his arm. He removed the note tied to its leg.

After processing the information, Gen's expression darkened. "Akatsuki is actually moving ahead of schedule!" But the Jinchuriki were currently all in their respective hidden villages, so there should still be time.

Except for the Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura. If nothing unexpected happened, based on the time when the Three-Tails had revived in his previous life, Yagura should have already drawn the attention of the Hidden Mist higher-ups. Under Ao's Byakugan, the fact that he was being controlled would be exposed, allowing the control to be lifted. As for why he had died in the end, nobody knew.

If Nagato wanted to begin capturing the Tailed Beasts ahead of time, then the Fourth Mizukage could not die now. Though Obito hated the Mist ninja, he should still put the bigger picture first. Yagura probably would not die for the time being.

If he wanted time to develop, then he either had to kill the Three-Tails' Jinchuriki now or stop Akatsuki from capturing the Tailed Beasts.

At that thought, a spark of inspiration suddenly flashed through Uchiha Gen's mind. Perhaps he had been trapped in a dead end. Other than chakra, his clones were not actually much weaker than his main body. He could use the identity of Hyuga Mokujin, who had never appeared before, to take jobs in the underground Black Market—protection jobs or bounty missions—and grow stronger through battle.

But to earn enough recognition to be hired, he first had to make a name for that identity. Once he had more clones, after the various nations came under Akatsuki's pressure, he could offer to accept missions to protect Jinchuriki. That would also let him keep track of the Jinchuriki in every village.

When the time was right, he could flip the table in one stroke. Uchiha Gen knew full well that he was only a dead man. Before being revived, his strength could no longer improve. He might seem powerful now, but in the later era when meteors were casually hurled around, there was actually very little he could do. Ending this endless cycle directly in the early stages was his best solution.

Moreover, because he was a Reanimated Body, malicious impulses toward life occasionally surfaced within him. Though he could forcibly suppress them, who knew what might happen if his emotions were stirred too intensely?

As Uchiha Gen considered it, perhaps he should pay Orochimaru a visit... Not only did he want to understand the principles behind Impure World Reincarnation and see whether there was a way to resolve his condition, but more importantly, he needed to make sure that if someone from Akatsuki died later, he would not lose the chance to get their signature. Though if someone really did die, perhaps he could use Impure World Reincarnation to bring a few people back and relieve his boredom?

That thought inexplicably excited Uchiha Gen. Mainly because, when the time came, he would not be the only miserable bastard anymore.

Meanwhile, the reason Itachi had sent the information to Uchiha Gen was mainly because, with Itachi currently heading to Konoha, Uchiha Gen was undoubtedly the best candidate. As for being discovered? Itachi had merely informed a fellow organization member. What was wrong with that? Even if he was questioned, he had the excuse that Uchiha Gen could help capture Tailed Beasts.

However, White Zetsu had been too far away, and his vision had temporarily been blocked. He had only vaguely seen something fly past and then fly away, unable to determine what it was. More importantly, whenever he got even slightly closer, he felt as though Uchiha Gen would notice something. This left him extremely frustrated, even making him feel that Uchiha Gen had known of his existence all along.

At the same time, Orochimaru, who was being thought of by all sides, was not in a very good mood either. Kimimaro's Kekkei Genkai Disease was nearly impossible to suppress, and Sasuke had not come looking for him. He had to wait for an opportunity, such as when Akatsuki began gathering the Nine-Tails...