"Enough, brat. Stop messing with people at a time like this!" Jiraiya rubbed his forehead helplessly, though he felt slightly relieved—at least Uchiha Chuan had shown no greed upon seeing the Rinnegan.
The atmosphere turned subtly awkward. A gentle breeze blew along the riverbank, sending a few fallen leaves dancing through the air. Uchiha Chuan stretched lazily, breaking the silence. "Jiraiya-sama's business with me is settled, so tell me—what do you all want from me?"
"Wait, when was my business with you settled?" Jiraiya looked utterly baffled.
"Of course it was settled." Uchiha Chuan rolled his eyes. "I told you all that to let you know I can be reasoned with, and to tell you that the one you should be persuading isn't us Uchiha, but your teacher, the Third Hokage. If you can't persuade him, then you'll just be a double-standard sandwich, unable to accomplish anything. You might as well leave the village and go live your carefree life. Do you understand? Is that clear? Do you agree?"
The words were blunt and harsh, and Jiraiya's face alternated between pale and flushed. In the end, he gave a bitter smile. "You're really blunt! But how can you guarantee that we can trust you?"
"Heh." Uchiha Chuan's smile held a trace of mockery. "That's the key. As long as the Uchiha Clan still exists, you'll never be able to trust us, no matter what. So just keep being your wandering researcher."
Jiraiya finally fell silent, unable to refute him.
"All right, Perverted Sage, move aside!" Kushina suddenly shoved Jiraiya away. "Let me talk to Little Chuan!"
"Little Chuan, I've already confirmed that Nagato really is from our Uzumaki Clan." Kushina planted her hands on her hips. "Do you know about the Uzumaki Clan?"
Uchiha Chuan leaned against a willow tree