The Sannin Will Always Be the Sannin

"But Sasuke just graduated, can he really do it?"

Upon hearing the two begin discussing Sasuke, Uchiha Itachi's ears immediately perked up.

"Sure, I took them out once before, and all three of them performed exceptionally well. They'll be fine participating in the Chunin Ninja Exams."

Sensing the intense aura of a certain brother-obsessed individual, Uchiha Shingen and Uchiha Shisui, as if on telepathy, exchanged a few brief words before changing the subject.

The troops crossed the last patch of forest and approached the main road.

This is a safe distance. Even Konoha Ninja must move towards the main road once they reach this distance, otherwise the Konoha Military Police Force on the high walls will mistake them for enemy infiltration and put them on high alert.

The reason for doing this is that Uchiha Shingen remembered the Sand Village Konoha Crush in the original timeline. The Jonin of Sunagakure first used the forest to infiltrate the vicinity of the high wall, and then summoned a giant snake to break through the wall.

What legitimate ninja didn't enter the sect through the righteous path?

If someone is near the high walls and still doesn't take the proper path, they're definitely not a decent person.

When the high walls of Hidden Leaf Village came into view, the troops had already entered the area along the main road.

The sight of over a hundred Konoha Ninja marching together was quite eye-catching; in the distance, a green channel had already been set up at the main gate.

When Uchiha Shingen arrived at the entrance, there were already ANBU ninjas waiting there.

"Lord Shingen, Lord Hokage is calling urgently."

"Alright, I'll go right away." Uchiha Shingen replied, then turned to Uchiha Shisui and Aburame Torune behind him and said, "The team is in your hands."

"Okay, Brother Shingen."

"Understood, Lord Shingen."

Nodding, Uchiha Shingen activated the Flying Thunder God Technique and headed towards the Hokage Building.

Since it's an urgent summons, we should go and return as soon as possible. We can also submit the lists of the smaller ninja villages at the same time.

After several teleportations, he entered the Hokage Building and headed to the Hokage's Room.

As soon as the office door opened, the first thing he heard was someone's overly hearty laughter.

"Lord Jiraiya?" Uchiha Shingen looked at the lecherous old man with surprise.

When Jiraiya from the original timeline returned to the village, two rounds of the Chunin Ninja Exams had already been completed.

Uchiha Shingen knew that this Toad Sage had been wandering outside the village for more than ten years. Besides searching for the Chosen One, he had spent most of his time gathering intelligence for Leaf Village, and even helping the village complete S-rank missions.

A typical example of someone who manages to balance work and personal life.

In the original timeline Naruto Uzumaki underwent a Jiraiya, who was the one who doted on Naruto the most, much like a grandfather doting on his grandson. To be honest, in the original timeline, Naruto probably cared for Tsunade.

"Oh! Shingen." Jiraiya was lounging on the sofa, chatting with his prized disciple, when he saw Uchiha Shingen. He raised his Teuchi greeting, "I gave away the latest collector's edition, so I didn't bring it to you. I'll make it up to you next time."

"It's alright, just supply Kakashi directly."

"Huh? Is Kakashi still reading the teacher's book?"

"What do you mean by 'return'? Is there anything wrong with my book?" Jiraiya was dissatisfied, feeling that his disciple did not have a deep enough understanding of his status as a literary giant.

However, while making light of the situation, Jiraiya silently observed Uchiha Shingen without revealing his true feelings.

Jiraiya was a witness to how Uchiha Shingen rose to prominence overnight.

The Battle of South Gate City that year marked the beginning.

The man who once needed the legacy of the Senju Muzoku Ninja to conquer South Gate City is now one of the most powerful ninjas in the Ninja World.

The Toad of Mount Myoboku also told Jiraiya many things about Uchiha Shingen.

"Shingen, can I ask you something?" Jiraiya asked frankly, "I heard that you no longer have the Sharingan, but the Rinnegan?"

"Yeah, I sparred with Nagato, and then I got lucky and leveled up my Dōjutsu."

"Good luck..." Jiraiya felt a bit insulted. "Your luck is terrifying. By the way, would you mind letting me take a look?"

"There's nothing to worry about." Uchiha Shingen nodded, closed his eyes, activated the Cursed Seal, and when he opened his eyes again, his eyes had become exactly the same as Nagato's.

Uchiha Shingen's eyes Jiraiya a long time without saying a word.

They're exactly the same.

"Your... ability is the same as Nagato's?" Jiraiya said, subconsciously picking up his teacup to drink tea, slurping it down, and half of the goji berries were gone.

"I tested it, and the basic abilities of the Rinnegan are the same as the Sharingan," Uchiha Shingen said. "However, the Chakra consumption is actually lower than that of the Sharingan."

He didn't explain the relationship between the Rinnegan and the Two-Tails 'Chakra.

This is not something I can discuss in the Hokage Building; it would only cause trouble if I did.

As for the low Chakra consumption, that's true. After all, when he uses the Rinnegan, only half of each unit of Chakra is his own, and the other half comes from Matatabi.

Of course, it still consumes more energy than when using the Sharingan, much more, but here, Uchiha Shingen lied.

Jiraiya someone who valued the village above all else; he was even willing to harm Tsunade for its sake. However, Uchiha Shingen couldn't be sure which kind of "village" Jiraiya meant.

"Oh..." Jiraiya stroked his chin. Although he wanted to analyze it properly, his understanding of the Rinnegan was very limited, so he couldn't analyze anything and it was all for nothing.

"Oh, right, Lord Hokage, I brought back the lists of several villages." Uchiha Clan took out several scrolls from his storage bag, all of which were official registration documents he had collected during his visits to various ninja villages.

"Thank you for your hard work, Shingen."

Chapter 48 The Legendary Sannin will always be the Legendary Sannin

Namikaze Minato opened the list of candidates that Uchiha Shingen had already drafted and glanced at it.

It was discovered that more than half of them were from Amegakure.

"Amegakure, still going all out," Namikaze Minato sighed, then showed the list to Jiraiya.

"Shingen, do you think Amegakure is trustworthy now?" Namikaze Minato asked.

"I can't figure it out." Uchiha Shingen thought for a moment and gave this answer.

I also took the Rinnegan.

Uchiha Shingen knew what Nagato wanted to do, but he truly had no idea how Nagato would actually do it.

After all, fickleness is the defining characteristic of ninja organizations.

The seemingly stable alliance between Leaf Village and the government over the years has relied on the lingering influence of killing the Fourth Raikage and the practice of spending money lavishly.

But judging from the way the ANBU has recruited so many people over the years, it's clear that they've been targeting Leaf Village behind the scenes.

They're not stupid; they know that Leaf Village is spending money while simultaneously exploiting them, so everyone is making money while passing on the costs.

"Jiraiya- sensei, what do you think of Amegakure?" Namikaze Minato turned around and started teasing his teacher.

Jiraiya had also finished looking at the list by then.

"Amegakure's strength is now greater than when Hanzo was there." Jiraiya; Amegakure had been his primary focus of investigation over the years.

Nagato, you've changed so much...

But if Leaf Village is threatened, Jiraiya abandon his soft side.

However, he still didn't really like staying in the village.

Jiraiya looked at Uchiha Shingen.

The current Uchiha Shingen, like the legendary Legendary Sannin of yesteryear, is the face of Leaf Village, in the prime of his life.

The young man who used to get excited at the mention of task funds and bonuses is now an important participant in the village's revenue and expenditure planning.

Time flies.

But more importantly, it's about strength. For this village, a top expert would bring about too many changes.

The village is now more complicated than it was back then.

Jiraiya knew everything, and because he knew everything, he preferred not to stay in the village.

"Let's forget about Rain Village for now; what's important is the winds blowing in the Ninja World," Jiraiya said. "To be honest, the reason I came back this time is because I'm not confident."

"Teacher, have you encountered some difficulties?" Namikaze Minato asked eagerly. "I'll have the ANBU help you."

You're such a good student! You're already conscripting people as soon as I get back?

"It wasn't me." Jiraiya waved his hands repeatedly. "I'm all set for myself, so what problems could I possibly have? It's just that lately... all countries are ramping up their weapons production and purchases, and the black market is very active. By the way, Shingen, you're quite familiar with the black market, right? Haven't you heard anything from your side?"

"Lord Jiraiya, I don't manage the clan's business," Uchiha Shingen said. "Besides, as far as I know, the clan mainly relies on the association's channels for business now, and we don't have much contact with the black market anymore."

There is news, of course, but we can only roughly judge the direction of the situation. The Uchiha Clan stopped supplying Explosive Tag to the black market a year ago and switched to purchasing materials in order to stockpile weapons.

Besides, while the Uchiha Clan may have members in the black market, there are far more people in the Hokage Building.

The office door was suddenly pulled open.

"Jiraiya, what did you find out that made you suddenly come back?" Sarutobi Hiruzen the way, followed by a flurry of big shots entering the room.

A familiar scent suddenly filled the office.

The smell of fireworks.

Sarutobi Hiruzen always had his beloved pipe with him at all times, taking a few puffs whenever he felt like it.

"Old man, smoke less," Jiraiya said.

"I'm getting on in years, this is all I have for fun," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, then took a bite to prove he wasn't lying.

"Really... you old codger, don't you know secondhand items are harmful?" Jiraiya felt a headache coming on just looking at him. "I was talking to Minato, and the atmosphere has been getting weirder and weirder lately."

"Peace has lasted too long; someone will always want to stir things up," Mitokado Homura said. "Jiraiya, have you found out anything more specific?"

"It's because we can't find it that we find it troublesome," Jiraiya said. "Everyone's actions are the same, which means anyone could become a target."

"Shingen, how's work going?" Uchiha Fugaku asked Uchiha Shingen.

"It went very smoothly, everyone cooperated well," said Uchiha Shingen.

Uchiha Fugaku nodded.

He came partly because he was an assistant, and partly to give Uchiha Shingen some face.

Uchiha Shingen can represent the Uchiha Clan in a certain sense, but he can also represent the entire Police Force.

His Hokage's assistant can be considered a product of something other than the Hokage's will.

Their rise to power was entirely due to the Uchiha Clan's control of the association, a powerful tool that allowed them to leverage the prevailing trend.

As the Police Force has grown stronger, his influence has gradually increased, but he is a clear-headed person who knows his place.

The Tobirama Squad, represented by the Third Hokage, was originally part of the Hokage system. They were forced into this situation and effectively control four major departments: education, administration, medical care, and interrogation. Furthermore, even after the expansion of the ANBU, they still maintain actual control over ANBU.

After the Uzumaki Clan was reorganized, the new Hokage system, centered around Namikaze Minato and his wife, was considered a centrist faction, with its main support coming from the Jonin and the advisory group.

The Uchiha Clan controls the Police Force and the association.

But money is only important when it's scarce, and after so many years, it's become less important in the game.

The Uchiha Clan's sole pillar has always been martial prowess.

As long as this part doesn't cause any problems, there's at least a minimum guarantee of a Police Force job.

Therefore, Uchiha Fugaku's principle was that he would give up anything except people.

Moreover, it possesses the Rinnegan, which is bound to cause trouble.

Although everyone in the office back then acted like they were just lazy bums, accepting whatever came their way, the Uchiha Clan now holds Tenten clan meetings, let alone other people.

"Shingen, you're back!" Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a smile. "We all know about what happened in the Land of Rain. You really showed the village's spirit. Thank you for your hard work."

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura smiled and nodded.

"Third, please don't praise him. He's clearly just asking for trouble," said Uchiha Fugaku. "Don't worry, I'll talk to him properly."

"Fugaku, you're too harsh." Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head. "Young people should be encouraged more."

"No, the stronger he is, the more he should consider the village. He can't be like before, unable to bear even the slightest grievance." Uchiha Fugaku's attitude was very firm.

"Alright, Fugaku, don't be so harsh this time. Look, Amegakure sent twenty-one people this time," Namikaze Minato said with a smile.

Jiraiya watched this scene unfold, and now he wanted to leave.

No matter when I come back, this place is the most eerie.

A person who is here is a completely different person from one who isn't.

"Lord Hokage, Clan Head, if there's nothing else, I'll be taking my leave. I still have a lot of things to do with the ANBU," Uchiha Shingen said at the opportune moment.