Fifth Generation Hokage

The streets of Mist Harbor were lined with shops, their signs looming in the mist like faded ukiyo-e prints.

Occasionally, a seagull would fly overhead, letting out a sharp cry that echoed through the fog.

Kou and Jiraiya walked in the same direction, maintaining a subtle distance between them.

Kou put on an air of indifference, hands shoved deep into his pockets, his pace as casual as if he were out for a stroll.

That signature roguish smirk still hung on his lips, but the eyes hidden behind his sunglasses were currently tracking Jiraiya's every move with his peripheral vision.

He pondered rapidly in his mind:

Why on earth would this old pervert come to the Land of Water?

Is he here for research? No, if he wanted research material, why not go to the Land of Lightning? Aren't the tall, tan-skinned beauties there more his type?

He grumbled inwardly with a hint of mockery, but beneath that sarcasm lay a deep sense of gravity:

...Is he here to investigate intelligence on the Akatsuki?

In the original timeline, Jiraiya had always been investigating information regarding the Akatsuki organization.

His initial guess for the location of the Akatsuki's base wasn't the Land of Rain, but the Land of Water—a place equally isolated, yet with a much deeper foundation.

Coming here to investigate the Akatsuki, that actually makes sense.

A flicker of doubt crossed Kou's eyes:

But this chance encounter is far too suspicious, as if... it were orchestrated by someone.

So, who could possibly know the assembly point for this mission, have the ability to track Jiraiya's movements in the Land of Water, and ensure they would inevitably cross paths?

It's really hard to guess, isn't it? (He gritted his teeth.)

Kou looked around silently, his gaze beneath the sunglasses turning profound.

His eyes swept over the blurred outlines of the buildings in the mist.

Having awakened his Mangekyo, his strength had surged, and he could now sense something watching them from the shadows.

Nagato, that guy is probably observing us from somewhere nearby right now.

Kou reached a cold conclusion in his heart:

He can collect intelligence on me while simultaneously distracting this old pervert Jiraiya.

By using my presence to mislead him into thinking the Akatsuki base is in the Land of Water, he reduces the risk of the organization being exposed.

What a clever scheme.

He sighed from the bottom of his heart, a trace of chill flashing through his black eyes:

However... trying to use your Uncle Kou? You're twenty thousand years too early for that.

Kou's lips curled slightly as he calculated frantically in his mind:

I was worried about how to slip away under the nose of this old pervert Jiraiya, but now, I have a "summoning beast" I can use.

If a confrontation becomes unavoidable later, I'll just lure that guy out.

Don't blame me, "Leader"... you're the one who started playing games first.

As he plotted his next move, he glanced at Jiraiya, who had been silent since the beginning.

Almost simultaneously, Jiraiya's gaze shifted toward Kou.

Their eyes met, they froze for a second, and then, with tacit understanding, they both looked away.

Watching Jiraiya's hesitant expression, Kou sighed inwardly.

To be honest, even now, he hadn't fully let go of the fact that Jiraiya had stood him up back then.

After all, before that, he had always believed his relationship with this old pervert was quite good.

Although they hadn't experienced one of the "three great iron-clad bonds of men"—going to a brothel together—he had participated in the creation of the first volume of Icha Icha Paradise, and he had even drawn the illustrations himself!

Not to mention the master-disciple relationship that was never officially acknowledged; just having that connection alone should have been enough to prove they were close, right?

But reality proved that he had overestimated his relationship with Jiraiya.

Kou looked at Jiraiya, a complex emotion flashing through his black eyes:

If that letter back then hadn't been written by me, but by Minato instead, perhaps everything would have been different.

His lips curved slightly, the arc carrying a hint of self-mockery:

Whether it's Jiraiya, Minato, or Obito, with whom I spent the most time...

Perhaps I am the arrogant one, for always believing I was close to them and could influence them...

"Kou."

Jiraiya's voice suddenly rang out, breaking the long silence between them.

"Hmm?"

Kou looked at Jiraiya with some surprise. His brow furrowed slightly, and a trace of confusion flickered in his black eyes.

At this moment, Jiraiya seemed to have finally sorted out the emotions in his heart.

His shoulders were no longer slumped, and the light in those murky eyes had turned clear and bright.

He looked at Kou before him, his gaze devoid of guilt or hesitation, holding only a solemnity that was unquestionable and born of deep deliberation.

"Are you truly not going to reconsider, Kou?"

His voice was heavy, as heavy as a boulder sinking into a deep pool:

"Return to Konoha."

"...Ha? Are you serious?"

Kou stared at Jiraiya with a look of utter astonishment.

He had expected Jiraiya to ask about his current situation over these past years, hoping to pry some intelligence regarding the Akatsuki out of him.

At the very least, he expected questions about Mei Terumi, who was by his side.

But... return to Konoha?

His mind went blank for a split second, immediately followed by a sense of absurdity.

Kou looked at Jiraiya, suppressing the dissatisfaction in his heart, and said speechlessly:

"With your intelligence network, you should already know, shouldn't you, about what happened to the Uchiha clan not long ago?"

Jiraiya fell silent.

He lowered his gaze, and the expression on that bold face gradually shifted from silence to heaviness.

He tacitly admitted it.

Kou laughed, a laugh born of sheer anger.

He looked at Jiraiya, his black eyes filled with mockery:

"Don't tell me you can't see the problems in that, or the role Konoha played in it—do I need to point it out for you?"

His voice grew colder, the chill piercing through the mist and stabbing straight at Jiraiya's heart:

"At a time like this, you want me, a rogue ninja, to 'return' to Konoha?

Do you think the Uchiha clan wasn't wiped out thoroughly enough, and you want to drag me in to round out the numbers?"

Kou's fingers curled slightly, the light in his eyes sharpening like a blade about to be unsheathed.

Listening to Kou's sarcastic words, Jiraiya slowly shook his head.

His gaze remained fixed on Kou's face, the light in his eyes still clear, not dimming in the slightest because of Kou's mockery.

"No, that is not what I meant."

His voice was steady, as steady as if he were stating a conclusion he had pondered for a long time.

"...Then what do you mean?"

Kou responded with feigned impatience while keeping his hand turned away from Jiraiya, preparing to weave hand signs at any moment.

Jiraiya looked at him with a deep gaze, his expression turning serious:

"I have indeed heard about the annihilation of the Uchiha clan. Although it is hard to believe, I have to admit... there is definitely someone among the Konoha high command who deliberately facilitated this."

His voice grew heavier, carrying a long-suppressed, erupting anger:

"I intend to return to Konoha, find the Old Man, investigate the truth behind the Uchiha massacre, and bring the mastermind behind it to justice."

His gaze landed on Kou's face, filled with pleading, expectation, and resolve:

"Konoha... needs to change now!!"

"Come back with me, Kou! Trust me this one time, and I will definitely give you, and the Uchiha, an explanation!!"

Jiraiya looked at the bewildered Kou before him and solemnly stated the decision he had pondered for so long:

"In the capacity of Konoha's—Fifth Hokage."