So You Really Can Do Whatever You Want!!!

Jiraiya's mind went blank.

He had never imagined that the moment he stepped into Konoha, Uchiha Yoru would turn him from one of the revered Sannin into a missing-nin of Konoha.

Wasn't that a little too ridiculous?

"Heh..."

He gave a quiet, bitter laugh, his eyes filled with complicated emotions.

Jiraiya was an idealistic ninja who firmly believed in the legend of the Child of Prophecy.

However, idealism often meant a lack of reason.

Perhaps it was precisely that pure faith that gave this renowned hero of the Ninja World his unique charm.

But Uchiha Yoru was different.

He knew all too well that in the Ninja World, weakness was a sin.

The law of the jungle applied in the Ninja World, too.

To Uchiha Yoru, Jiraiya's stubbornness seemed especially laughable.

The excuse of "searching for the Child of Prophecy" had sent him wandering the world, keeping him away from Konoha for years.

When the Nine-Tails Incident happened and news arrived that his student had died, he hadn't even been willing to take a look.

And now, suddenly, he remembered to care about his student's son?

But aside from Naruto having his name, there was no connection between them at all!

He'd chosen to stand by and do nothing back then, but now he came running to make a show of concern. Wasn't that just disgusting?

More laughable still, Jiraiya had pinned his hopes on an insubstantial prophecy based on nothing more than a few words from a toad.

And what was the result?

In the future of the original story, the so-called "Child of Prophecy" won the Ninja War, yet still failed to bring true peace.

Conflict continued, and hatred never faded.

This grand performance of destiny, burdened with such high hopes, had been nothing but a joke.

"Uchiha Yoru, Naruto is the Fourth Hokage's son. He shouldn't have had to suffer like this!"

Jiraiya took a deep breath, his words tinged with anger.

"Oh? So you know he's a hero's son?"

Uchiha Yoru sneered.

"Then why didn't you come back and reveal his identity, or protect him, when Naruto was being discriminated against and bullied?"

"The Fourth Hokage must have made Naruto a Jinchūriki because he wanted the Nine-Tails to serve the village!"

"Spare me your hypocritical act!"

"Minato would never think that way about his own child..."

Jiraiya frowned, confusion and anger in his eyes.

Uchiha Yoru shook his head casually, a trace of mockery showing in his eyes.

"Namikaze Minato's Will of Fire was definitely purer than yours."

"When he decided to make Naruto the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, the strength of that conviction was moving."

Uchiha Yoru spun a story with an easy smile, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as though he were enjoying Jiraiya's inner turmoil.

There were all sorts of opinions about why Namikaze Minato had made Naruto a Jinchūriki.

Some said he was a born political animal.

Making his own child a Jinchūriki not only stabilized the village but also paved the way for Konoha's future interests.

Others said he was simply a man who loved too deeply.

When his wife died, he no longer wanted to live.

He left Naruto behind as a keepsake for the village, entrusting him with a hopeless wish that Konoha would treat his child well.

Of course, it could also have been a recurring bug from some manga author. There were so many bugs that there was no way to fix them all.

Uchiha Yoru was more inclined to believe it was a combination of all three explanations. You had to hand it to that dying Minato: even on the verge of death, he'd planned everything flawlessly.

But unfortunately, he'd trusted the wrong people!

"For the Will of Fire, Uchiha Itachi killed his own family with his own hands. He didn't even spare his fellow clan members."

"And for the Will of Fire, Namikaze Minato sacrificed his dearest loved ones without hesitation—his wife and son!"

Uchiha Yoru sighed softly before continuing. "That's the price of inheriting the Will of Fire!"

He paused, then took a deep breath, his gaze sharp as a blade. "Uchiha Itachi followed the Hokage's orders, while Namikaze Minato was the Hokage himself."

"In other words, the 'Will of Fire' is the Hokage's will!"

Uchiha Yoru didn't think there was anything wrong with what he'd said.

What had the God of Shinobi once proclaimed the Will of Fire to be?

Sacrifice, protection, the passing on of hope—these beautiful words had once inspired countless ninja to fight with all their might.

But from the moment he drove a blade through Madara's back, that ideal had already been twisted. His Will of Fire had begun to become a tool of control.

The Will of Fire as it stood now was no longer about protection. This so-called "will" had long since been swallowed by the shadows of power and history.

And now, he, Uchiha Yoru, was the one who got to decide what the Will of Fire meant!

"You... I... this..."

Jiraiya's lips trembled with anger. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond.

"That's not what the Will of Fire means! You're twisting it!"

His voice was full of anger, the veins at his temples faintly throbbing.

Faced with Uchiha Yoru's utterly absurd argument, he should have scoffed. And yet, somehow, those words stirred a trace of doubt in his heart.

—The Will of Fire was just the Hokage's will?

Huh?

The brat in front of him... did actually have a point?

No!!

Jiraiya shook his head sharply, driving those ridiculous thoughts from his mind.

He fixed his eyes on Uchiha Yoru and spoke with conviction.

"Uchiha Yoru! That's not what the Will of Fire means!"

"Sacrificing yourself to protect the village isn't about serving one person's selfish desires! The Will of Fire means protecting your family, your comrades, and everything you hold dear!"

Jiraiya's eyes blazed as he tried to sway the man before him with his words.

Uchiha Yoru merely looked at him coldly, his eyes full of indifference.

To him, an innocent idealist like Jiraiya was of no use.

"Jiraiya..."

Uchiha Yoru's voice was low, carrying an irresistible pressure. "Your existence is a threat to Konoha as it stands."

"I'm a reasonable man. I'll give you a chance—"

Before he could finish, an aura of murderous intent began to fill the air around them.

"Obey me and serve Konoha."

"Otherwise—"

In an instant, the air around them seemed to freeze. Killing intent spread like a tangible force, bearing down heavily on Jiraiya.

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed, his heart sinking.

Though he had seen countless battles, he could still clearly feel the crushing weight of that pressure.

"So the rumors were true..."

He spoke in a low voice, his words suppressing his anger and unwillingness to yield.

"Did you really slaughter those clans to the last?"

Jiraiya's accusation didn't faze Uchiha Yoru. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, his eyes indifferent.

"Sorry."

His voice was low and calm, as if he were stating the most ordinary fact.

"With enough strength, of course you can do whatever you want."

As his words fell, the air seemed to shudder as if torn apart.

Two completely different auras collided in an instant, sending invisible ripples through the air.

Jiraiya felt a tightness in his chest. His opponent's tangible pressure bore down on him like a boulder, making it hard to breathe.

This guy's chakra... it was too powerful!

Jiraiya's heart surged with shock.

As one of the Sannin, a wielder of Senjutsu, when had he ever felt pressure this overwhelming?

Yet now, Uchiha Yoru had him completely pinned down with his aura alone!

Uchiha Yoru narrowed his eyes slightly, a hint of amusement flashing in them.

"Interesting."

As he raised a hand, space warped, and the phantom form of a Susanoo gradually appeared, unleashing a terrifying torrent of chakra.