After thinking it over again and again, Jiraiya finally agreed to Kakashi's invitation and began a secret investigation of the village.
Right now, his life had no clear direction anyway—so he might as well burn himself out for something meaningful. If Konoha could be reborn from the ashes like a phoenix, then maybe his life would actually amount to something.
At the very least, his involvement could keep Kakashi from going off the deep end and turning into the next rogue ninja.
And if they really managed to gather enough evidence to force the Third Hokage to step down… well, at least he could let the old man retire with a shred of dignity.
The two formed a quiet "investigation team" and started wandering around Konoha like suspicious middle-aged gossipers—asking questions, poking into things, and gathering opinions from villagers of all classes.
Unsurprisingly, the answers they got were wildly different depending on who they asked.
Looking at Kakashi's unusually serious face, Jiraiya couldn't help but ask,
"Where the hell did you learn these investigation methods?"
Kakashi paused for a few seconds before replying calmly,
"From Naruto."
Jiraiya blinked.
"I didn't take it seriously back then," Kakashi continued, "but now… it's actually pretty damn useful."
At the mention of Naruto, Jiraiya fell silent.
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became—Naruto really might be the Child of Prophecy. Only someone destined to shake the ninja world could have such insight at such a young age.
After several days of investigation and cross-checking information, the results became clear.
Konoha's higher-ups… were losing public trust.
And it was getting worse.
Especially after the Uchiha massacre.
Back then, villagers blamed everything on the Uchiha Police Force—complaining about oppression, abuse of power, all that bullshit.
But now?
The Uchiha were gone.
And guess what?
Life didn't magically get better.
The new law enforcement ninjas weren't any different. Same crap, different uniforms.
Even worse—the sudden disappearance of a wealthy and powerful clan like the Uchiha made people uneasy. If they could vanish overnight… who's next?
After hearing all this, Jiraiya's expression turned ugly.
Yeah… things were more screwed up than he thought.
Seeing the shift in Jiraiya's attitude, Kakashi took him to the abandoned Uchiha district.
The place felt like a ghost town—silent, empty, and depressing as hell.
After wandering for a bit, they found Sasuke Uchiha training alone in a small grove.
Even at his age, Sasuke already had strength comparable to a Chūnin. And those cold, sharp eyes—along with his two-tomoe Sharingan—caught Jiraiya's attention immediately.
"Kakashi," Jiraiya said, raising a brow, "you didn't drag me all the way here just to look at this kid, did you?"
He'd heard of Sasuke—the last Uchiha in the village. The Third Hokage paid attention to him, sure… but mostly because of Itachi Uchiha.
Whether Sasuke was a genius or not? Honestly, most people didn't give a damn.
Kakashi nodded.
"He's our only connection to the Uchiha… and to Uzushiogakure."
"And back in the academy, he was very close to Naruto."
After a pause, he added,
"Too bad Itachi hid him instead of taking him. Otherwise, he wouldn't be stuck here alone."
Jiraiya squinted slightly.
Yeah… there was definitely some sarcasm hidden in that sentence.
Sasuke noticed them and instantly pulled out a kunai—but relaxed after recognizing Kakashi.
"Kakashi-sensei," he said, "I've mastered the jutsu you taught me. What's next?"
Kakashi replied calmly,
"You should focus on strengthening your fundamentals and mastering the Sharingan. Chasing powerful jutsu too early will just screw up your growth."
Maybe he saw a bit of his younger self in Sasuke.
But Sasuke shook his head.
"I don't have time for that. I need to get stronger—fast."
"I have to kill Itachi Uchiha… and avenge my clan."
Ah, there it is. Pure revenge fuel.
Then Sasuke glanced at Jiraiya.
"…Who's this?"
Kakashi answered casually,
"One of the Legendary Sannin—Jiraiya-sama."
Sasuke's eyes lit up instantly. He rushed forward like he'd just found a cheat code.
"Jiraiya-sama! Can you teach me ninjutsu? I want to kill that traitor Itachi—for the village!"
Jiraiya: …yeah, sure, 'for the village.' Not because you're pissed as hell or anything.
He shot Kakashi a helpless look.
Kakashi just shrugged—not my problem.
After that, Kakashi had Sasuke explain everything he knew about the Uchiha incident and his past with Naruto.
Jiraiya listened carefully… and frowned.
On the surface, Sasuke's account matched what the Third Hokage had said.
But the details?
Way off.
Especially regarding Shisui Uchiha.
According to Sasuke, Shisui died at Itachi's hands.
But Jiraiya knew the truth—Shisui was alive, chilling in Uzushiogakure.
Even weirder, during a life-and-death crisis, Shisui didn't use his Mangekyō Sharingan.
So… where the hell did it go?
Was Naruto involved?
Unlikely—their relationship seemed solid.
Then who?
The masked man?
…or someone inside Konoha?
A name suddenly flashed through Jiraiya's mind:
Danzō Shimura.
That old bastard had always wanted to wipe out the Uchiha. Wrapped in bandages like a walking corpse, hiding god-knows-what.
Could it be… he took Shisui's eye?
And if Naruto found out about that… no wonder he lost faith in the so-called Will of Fire.
Kakashi noticed Jiraiya's expression and smiled faintly.
"Seems like you know more than I do, Jiraiya-sama. Care to share?"
Jiraiya's face darkened.
"…I've got an idea."
And it wasn't a pleasant one.
The more he thought about it, the worse it got.
Danzō wasn't just playing dirty—he was practically farming bloodlines like some sick collector.
And what pissed Jiraiya off even more?
The Third Hokage's silent approval.
No wonder Tsunade left.
No wonder Orochimaru went rogue.
Sure, Orochimaru had his own twisted issues—but Danzō wasn't any cleaner.
Their quiet conversation caught Sasuke's attention.
"Kakashi-sensei… Jiraiya-sama… do you know where Itachi is?"
Jiraiya looked at him and nodded.
"I understand your hatred. But with your current strength… you're not even close."
"How strong is he?"
Jiraiya hesitated, then pointed at Kakashi.
"Stronger than him."
"Beat Kakashi first. Then we'll talk about Itachi."
Kakashi: …wow, thanks for throwing me under the bus like that.
Sasuke glanced at Kakashi, then nodded seriously.
Alright. New target acquired.
After brushing Sasuke off for the moment, Jiraiya and Kakashi exchanged more information.
Kakashi was surprised to hear Shisui was alive—but quickly moved on.
Honestly, whether the Uchiha rebelled or not didn't matter much to him.
What he cared about was the truth behind his father's death… and how Konoha had been rotting from the inside.
Incidents like the Hyūga affair and the Uchiha massacre might have stabilized things on the surface—
—but underneath?
They were poisoning the very foundation of the village.
The Will of Fire was losing its meaning.
Trust between the Hokage and the ninja?
Cracking more and more each day.
Afterward, the two gave Sasuke some guidance on his training.
To them, Sasuke wasn't just a kid—he was a potential bridge to Uzushiogakure… and a key piece of evidence against Danzō and the higher-ups.
Suddenly—
Poof!
A puff of white smoke appeared beside Jiraiya.
A small toad popped out, carrying a letter.
Jiraiya opened it.
It was from Fukasaku.
The message was short and simple:
The Great Toad Sage has awakened. Come to Mount Myōboku immediately.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can visit my Patreon page:
Patreon.com/PhoeniXcel
I upload 2 chapters daily on Patreon!
There are 100+ advanced chapters available for you to read.
Your support would be greatly appreciated.
📢 Check out my new Naruto fanfic!
[One Piece: Pirate Chat Group]