Two days later, inside the Hokage's office in the Hokage Tower.
Uchiha Fugaku, who had been contemplating the upcoming election, suddenly furrowed his brows.
He left the office and stepped onto the rooftop platform of the Hokage Tower. There, he encountered a man.
The man had white hair, a forehead protector with the kanji for "oil," and red markings beneath his eyes.
It was none other than Jiraiya, one of the people Fugaku least wanted to see right now.
Fugaku frowned."I already sealed off the news. I didn't expect you'd still hear about it and rush back."
"You didn't want me to return? " Jiraiya asked.
"Of course not. With your reputation in the village, if word spread that you intended to run for the Fifth Hokage, there would be no shortage of supporters rallying behind you."
Fugaku nodded slightly.
Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin, had fought in both the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars and held immense prestige within the village.
Though Fugaku's own reputation had surged recently, he wasn't confident he could outshine Jiraiya should he campaign for the position of Fifth Hokage.
"Why did you kill the Third Hokage? " Jiraiya asked coldly.
"The Third wasn't killed by me." Fugaku shook his head.
"The Daimyō ordered his removal from office, and I was appointed acting Hokage. The third refused to step down and fought me. During our battle, he attempted to drag me down with him by using the Dead Demon Consuming Seal—but he failed."
"The Dead Demon Consuming Seal? "
Jiraiya frowned. Of course he knew this forbidden technique all too well. His own student, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, had perished using it.
But no matter what Fugaku said, Jiraiya did not trust him easily.
"I want to see the Third Hokage's body."
"Fine. Follow me."
Fugaku led the way, with Jiraiya close behind, until they reached the underground ANBU base where the Third Hokage's body was kept.
Jiraiya stepped forward and examined the body carefully. After some time, he stopped.
The Third bore injuries, but none were fatal, nor was there any sign of poison.
The cause of death was natural physical collapse—exactly the same as Minato's case—clearly the aftereffects of the Dead Demon Consuming Seal.
Jiraiya lifted his gaze toward Fugaku.
"Why did the Daimyō strip him of the Hokage title? "
"Because of too many mistakes, which caused grave consequences for the village," Fugaku explained.
"Too many mistakes? Such as? " Jiraiya pressed.
"Forcing Hyūga Hizashi, head of the branch family, into death. Spreading false rumors through ANBU to frame me. And mistreating the orphan left behind by the Fourth Hokage."
"Mistreating the Fourth's child? " Jiraiya's face darkened.
The Fourth Hokage had been his student. His sacrifice at such a young age remained Jiraiya's eternal pain. To now learn his orphaned child had been abused—it filled him with rage.
"It's true," Fugaku affirmed."Because of these deeds, his reputation in the village collapsed. The Daimyō stripped him of his position. Yet despite his age, he clung to the office, refusing to step down, which ultimately led to our battle."
"I don't believe it. He had no reason to mistreat the Fourth's child. He knew such an act, once discovered, would cause disastrous consequences."
"You're wrong. He had a reason," Fugaku countered."Don't forget—the Fourth's orphan is this generation's Nine-Tails Jinchūriki."
"What does that have to do with mistreatment? " Jiraiya frowned.
"If everyone around the Jinchūriki treats him with coldness—even cruelty—while the Third alone shows kindness, who do you think the boy would cling to when he grew up? "
Jiraiya's expression shifted. He understood the implication.
The Third had deliberately fostered an environment of isolation and bullying so that the Jinchūriki would become attached to him alone.
Jiraiya wanted to deny it, but he remembered the hidden side beneath his teacher's kind façade. Perhaps…it was possible.
"I want to see the boy myself. I'll hear it from him directly."
"Very well," Fugaku nodded, summoning an ANBU to fetch Uzumaki Naruto.
Soon after, Naruto was brought before them.
"Uncle, did you call me? What for? "
Because of Mikoto, Naruto was already familiar with Fugaku.
Fugaku gestured to Jiraiya."This man was your father's teacher. He wanted to meet you."
"My father's teacher? " Naruto looked at Jiraiya curiously.
"That's right, kid," Jiraiya said with a faint smile, emotions stirring in his chest."I was your father's teacher."
"Then why haven't I ever seen you before? " Naruto asked suspiciously.
Guilt flickered in Jiraiya's heart. He forced a smile."Sorry… I've been away from the village all these years. I never had the chance to visit you."
As they spoke, Jiraiya carefully guided the conversation toward Naruto's life in the village.
With each answer, his fists clenched tighter, his anger rising.
He had already half-believed Fugaku's words. But to hear it directly from Naruto—to hear how the child of the man who gave his life for the village had been shunned and mistreated—ignited a fury within him.
At last, he asked Fugaku to send Naruto back.
Looking at Fugaku again, the hostility in his eyes had eased.
"You want to be the Fifth Hokage? " he asked.
"Yes," Fugaku nodded firmly."The Uchiha and the Senju together founded Konoha, yet no Uchiha has ever become Hokage. For generations, my clan has longed for this."
"I have no desire to contest the Fifth Hokage position. But I have one condition," Jiraiya said after a moment's thought.
He had never truly cared about becoming Hokage. The only reason he had returned was because he thought Fugaku had killed his teacher. Now that he knew the truth—and had seen for himself how the Third had treated Minato's son—he had no more reason to pursue the title.
"What condition? " Fugaku asked. If agreeing could keep Jiraiya from entering the race, that would be ideal.
"I want to take Naruto away from the village for a few years—to care for him and train him," Jiraiya said firmly.
"Agreed," Fugaku replied without hesitation.
With Jiraiya at his side, Naruto's safety would never be in doubt. And with Naruto's nature, Fugaku wasn't worried about him growing into an enemy.