Uchiha Territory.
"Lord Kawasaki, a message just arrived from the Hyuga Clan," Uchiha Keimei reported. "Jiraiya has returned to the village."
"Oh?" Kawasaki, who was inspecting the defensive detection barrier, straightened up.
It was good to be on friendly terms with the Hyuga. Any movement from the outer patrol teams would be reported to the Uchiha immediately.
"Understood. I'll leave the rest of the inspection to you."
Kawasaki had already handed over the daily maintenance of the defensive detection barrier to Keimei. Once Keimei, Iori, and Daichi became proficient with the barrier, Kawasaki selected several more talented clan members for training so they could be rotated in the future.
Kawasaki knew Jiraiya very well. He was considered one of the strongest shinobi of his time. If he hadn't been tricked by the toads into a near-suicidal mission, Pain likely wouldn't have dared to attack Konoha so easily.
But his personal life was a serious problem. With the Third Hokage recalling him, Jiraiya would definitely go see Naruto. Since Kawasaki had already helped Naruto, he couldn't let Jiraiya lead the boy astray.
With a few leaps, Kawasaki headed toward the Guard Corps. A short while later, he emerged, tucking away a scroll he was holding.
Inside the Hokage's Office.
"Old man, I'm back." Jiraiya casually vaulted through the window into the Hokage's office.
The Third Hokage had already received news of Jiraiya's return. He was long accustomed to his student's undisciplined attitude.
Without looking up, the Third Hokage continued to handle his paperwork. "Any news on Orochimaru?"
Seeing the Third ignore him, Jiraiya wrinkled his nose. Though he was officially pursuing Orochimaru, he had slacked off, spending his time soaking in hot springs and gathering material for his books.
He slumped into a chair, leaning back. "Nope. I only know he headed north, but his exact location is a mystery."
At that, the Third Hokage looked up, lit his pipe, and took a deep drag. "Konoha is facing troubled times," he said wearily. "Now that you're back, don't leave again."
Looking at the Third's increasingly aged face, Jiraiya's smile faded. In just a few years, the Hokage seemed to have aged a decade. The vigor of the once-heroic shinobi was gone.
My master... he's really gotten old.
"Old man, how did you get so old?" Jiraiya's tone was complex—a mix of sorrow, worry, and a hint of anger.
"Hmph!" The Third Hokage grew annoyed at the comment and rapped his pipe on the desk. "It's because you refuse to take up this burden! Do you think I'd be this worn out otherwise?"
Hearing this, Jiraiya scratched his head in embarrassment. "You know I'm not cut out for that stuff, old man."
The Third understood Jiraiya's personality and didn't press the matter, instead changing the subject to the Uchiha.
"You saw the new Uchiha territory on your way back, didn't you?"
Jiraiya nodded. "Why did they move so far away?"
The Third sighed helplessly. "The past oppression of the Uchiha was too severe. Combined with Danzo's actions, they now want nothing to do with Konoha."
The story of how Danzo coveted Shisui Uchiha's eyes, stole one, and nearly drove the entire clan to rebellion had finally spread throughout the ninja world. Now, even the most remote countries had heard of it, and Konoha's leadership had become a laughingstock among the other hidden villages.
Jiraiya had naturally heard the rumors. He never had a good impression of Danzo to begin with. He even suspected that Danzo was involved in Orochimaru's defection, but that old fox covered his tracks too well for Jiraiya to find any proof. Thankfully, the Third had already ordered the disbandment of Root.
"But it's not right to have the Uchiha Clan isolated outside the village like this."
The Third spread his hands in resignation. "There's nothing we can do right now. The Uchiha just gave us a 'grand gift' and haven't explicitly threatened rebellion. They even relinquished control of the Military Police Force. What justification could we use to force them back into the village?"
Jiraiya scratched his head, admitting he was useless at such matters. "I don't have a solution either."
The Third shook his head. "The Uchiha Clan now has two pairs of Mangekyo Sharingan. No one in Konoha can control them anymore."
"Mangekyo..." As one of the Sannin, Jiraiya was well aware of its power.
"Old man, you don't want me to test Uchiha Kawasaki, do you?" Jiraiya asked.
The Third Hokage shot him a sideways glance. "Or should I go myself?"
Jiraiya could only agree reluctantly. "Fine, I'll find an opportunity."
"I'm gonna go take a walk!" Before the Third could reply, he vanished in a flicker and leaped out the window.
...
"Pervert!"
Screams erupted as countless women fled the hot springs inn.
Jiraiya, who had claimed he was going for a walk, had instead gone to the hot springs to peep on women for "research" for his book. He hadn't expected a Hyuga to be there, and he was discovered instantly. Jiraiya had no choice but to flee.
News of a peeping tom at the hot springs spread quickly. A nearby Hyuga patrol team arrived swiftly on the scene.
They saw a man with white hair and a red coat being chased by a large crowd.
"Damn pervert!"
"Get him!"
The patrol leader, Hyuga Hayato, noticed his younger sister in the crowd. His heart tightened, and he immediately gave chase.
"Aiko, what happened?!"
Hyuga Aiko glanced back and saw her brother. Without slowing down, she explained as she ran.
"My friends and I came to the hot springs to relax when we heard this disgusting laugh... I used my Byakugan and saw that guy hiding in the corner, peeping at us while we were bathing!"
Hyuga Hayato was furious. How long had it been since Konoha had a pervert like this? Did he think their security team was invisible?