Trust

Jiraiya nodded thoughtfully. "I understand. I have to say, you were quite bold to hand over a Jinchuriki to him."

Hearing this, Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose, leaned back in her chair, and sighed. "We've been on guard for so long, but trust is a two-way street. Someone has to take the first step. Besides, based on the intelligence we have, if Uzumaki Reikawa's abilities are as described, he should be of great help in dealing with the Akatsuki later on. This risk is worth taking."

"Hmm... I'll go check on them, then." Jiraiya pondered. That kid had hidden his true depth so well that even he had almost been fooled. Still, thinking back on their interactions, he didn't seem like a bad guy.

Naruto rubbed his eyes and slowly woke up, only to find Kakashi and Uzumaki Reikawa both staring at him. He panicked instantly. "Why are you both looking at me? Is there something on my face?" He then suddenly remembered, "Right, did you succeed, Brother Reikawa?"

Uzumaki Reikawa nodded. "You should find it easier to perform ninjutsu now, but try not to rely on the Nine-Tails' chakra. If you develop a dependency, not only will you be prone to berserk rages that could hurt those around you, but the gap between you and Sasuke will only continue to widen."

Just then, a boisterous voice rang out as Jiraiya arrived. "Reikawa is right, Naruto. You're about to begin some grueling training. Are you confident?!"

"Pervy Sage!" Naruto's eyes lit up with excitement upon seeing Jiraiya. "You have time to keep teaching me?!"

"What Pervy Sage! Call me the Toad Sage, you brat!" Jiraiya felt a vein pop on his forehead and gave Naruto a loving rap on the head.

"Ow, ow!" Naruto immediately clutched his head, crouching on the ground to draw circles in the dirt with a miserable expression.

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

"Eh?" Naruto looked confused, just about to ask what was going on.

Seeing this, Kakashi walked over, pressed down on Naruto's head, and ruffled his hair vigorously. "Let them talk for a moment. You go practice on your own for now; try releasing some ninjutsu and see if there are any changes."

"How is Naruto?"

"I spoke with the Nine-Tails. We reached a peaceful resolution. At the very least, Naruto shouldn't go berserk when using the Nine-Tails' chakra from now on."

"!" Jiraiya was shocked. The Nine-Tails had actually listened to him? This was likely a secret of his ninjutsu, and to avoid making Uzumaki Reikawa feel alienated, he didn't press for details.

He changed the subject. "How much do you know about the Akatsuki?"

Uzumaki Reikawa sighed at the question. "I don't know much about the Akatsuki, but I know what my abilities represent to them. I can't beat them, and joining Konoha was simply to avoid being forcibly recruited by them. Of course, as a form of rent, I'll help out if you ever need me."

"Hmm..." Jiraiya didn't know what to say to that. Should he tell Uzumaki Reikawa that it was all Danzo's fault?

"But honestly, I think I'm starting to like Konoha as it is now." Uzumaki Reikawa's expression relaxed, and a faint smile appeared. "If possible, after everything is over, I'd like to live here in peace."

Jiraiya watched him in silence for a moment, then suddenly said the same thing Tsunade had. "If you wish, Konoha will always be your home."

"...Thank you."

Uchiha Gen hurried to the vicinity of his "Uchiha Gen" shadow clone and, after confirming his line of sight was obstructed, dispelled it.

After receiving the memories, he suddenly noticed a crow circling overhead, as if searching for his trail. Is it Itachi?

But if it were flying so conspicuously, White Zetsu would have already seen it. Uchiha Gen stepped out, and the crow slowly landed on his arm. Uchiha Gen pulled out the note tied to its leg.

Once he digested the news, Gen's heart sank. The Akatsuki are moving ahead of schedule! However, since the Jinchuriki were all in their respective villages, there should still be time.

Except for the Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura. If things went as expected, based on the timeline of the Three-Tails' resurrection in his past life, Yagura should have already caught the attention of the Mist high command. He would be exposed as being controlled under the gaze of Ao's Byakugan, leading to the control being broken—though the reason for his eventual death remained unknown.

If Nagato wanted to start capturing the Tailed Beasts early, the Fourth Mizukage couldn't die yet. Although Obito hated the Mist, he would likely prioritize the bigger picture, so Yagura should be safe for the time being.

If he wanted time to grow stronger, he either had to kill the Three-Tails' Jinchuriki now or prevent the Akatsuki from capturing the beasts.

At this thought, Uchiha Gen had a flash of inspiration. Perhaps he had been hitting a dead end. His shadow clones were not much weaker than his main body, aside from the chakra pool. In fact, he could take jobs in the black market under the identity of the never-before-seen Hyuga Mokujin, taking on protection or bounty missions to fund his growth through combat.

However, to be hired, he had to build a reputation under that identity first. As he created more clones, and as various nations faced pressure from the Akatsuki, he could offer his services to protect the Jinchuriki, thereby gaining control over their movements.

When the time was ripe, he could flip the table in one fell swoop. Uchiha Gen knew clearly that he was just a dead man; he couldn't improve his strength until he was truly resurrected. He might seem strong now, but in the later stages when meteors were being thrown around like pebbles, his options would be limited. Ending this cycle of schemes early was his best path.

Moreover, because of the malice that occasionally surfaced due to his Impure World Reincarnation body, he could suppress it by force, but who knew what might happen if he were emotionally agitated?

Uchiha Gen pondered. Perhaps he could pay Orochimaru a visit... not just to understand the principles of the Impure World Reincarnation and see if there was a way to solve his condition, but more importantly, to ensure that if someone in the Akatsuki died, he wouldn't lose his "signature" source. And if someone really did die, he could always use the Impure World Reincarnation on a few people to pass the time.

Thinking of this, Uchiha Gen felt inexplicably excited—mostly because he wouldn't be the only one suffering anymore.

As for Itachi, he had sent the message to Uchiha Gen primarily because he was heading to Konoha and was undoubtedly the best candidate to deliver it. As for being discovered? Itachi was simply informing a fellow member of the organization; what was the problem with that? Even if questioned, he had the excuse of helping to capture the Tailed Beasts.

However, White Zetsu, being further away and having his vision temporarily blocked, had only vaguely seen something fly past. He couldn't confirm what it was. The main issue was that whenever he got even slightly closer, he felt like Uchiha Gen would discover him, which left him incredibly frustrated—he even felt like Uchiha Gen had known about his existence all along.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru, who was being kept in mind by all parties, was in a foul mood. Kimimaro's Kekkei Genkai Disease was becoming impossible to suppress, and Sasuke hadn't come to find him. He had to wait for an opportunity—perhaps when the Akatsuki began collecting the Nine-Tails...