Of the four major parties rushing back to Konoha—the Three Legendary Sannin and Obito Uchiha—the first to arrive was Jiraiya.
After all, he was still technically a shinobi of Konoha.
Although he had long since left the village because he could not tolerate many of its darker practices, he had continued to serve as an intelligence operative, supplying information to Konoha for years.
"I've already been spotted by several ninja, but no one has questioned ."
"So Konoha really has changed?"
"Or are they deliberately letting in so they can lure deeper before making their move?"
Jiraiya felt uneasy.
The news of Konoha's collapse had spread throughout the entire shinobi world.
He never believed it was fabricated.
Yet the village defenses seed astonishingly relaxed, even though everyone knew he had returned with uncertain intentions.
Soon, he reached the familiar gates of Konoha.
"You're Lord Jiraiya!"
"To enter the village, you'll need to register first."
Kotetsu Hagane recognized him imdiately.
A smile appeared on his face, but quickly faded as he awkwardly rembered his duty.
"All I need to do is register?"
Jiraiya asked.
"Yes."
"Honestly, things are much like before—if anything, they're more relaxed."
"Konoha is no longer a subordinate military village of the Land of Fire. It is now an independent nation, the Empire of Uruk."
"The regulations are less restrictive than before."
Izumo Kamizuki explained.
Both n respected Jiraiya deeply, and their words were as much courtesy as they were information.
"Is the Third Hokage… truly dead?"
Jiraiya hesitated before asking.
To him, it was difficult to imagine that Hiruzen Sarutobi, a man with countless layers of sches and contingency plans, had actually fallen.
"Yes."
"He has already been buried."
"Many people attended."
"His Majesty did not interfere."
Kotetsu answered quietly.
Uzumaki Shuji had not desecrated Hiruzen's corpse.
After all, the true culprits behind his parents' deaths were others.
"Your king… his surna is Uzumaki, correct?"
Jiraiya was surprised by how easily he was obtaining information.
The guards did not seem to view any of it as secret.
"Yes."
The two nodded.
Jiraiya asked no further questions.
He wanted to see the truth with his own eyes.
After completing the registration, he stepped into the village.
At first glance, little had changed.
Traffic at the gates was heavier than before, but everyday life seed strangely normal.
He eventually made his way to the Hokage Rock.
The Hokage Tower was gone.
The ruins had already been cleared away, leaving only an empty expanse.
When he looked up, he noticed that a new structure had been built atop the Hokage Rock itself.
Before he could climb up, soone blocked his path.
"Lord Jiraiya, the area above is now the royal palace. Unauthorized entry is prohibited."
Standing before him was Kakashi Hatake.
Jiraiya was visibly surprised.
But he also noticed that no other shinobi had surrounded him.
"Bang!"
"Aweso! I made three shadow clones so easily!"
Elsewhere, Naruto Uzumaki stared at the three shadow clones beside him, thrilled by how effortless it felt.
"This technique is much easier than the regular Clone Jutsu!"
"When you train, keep one extra shadow clone active and let it practice alongside you."
"That way, you'll gain additional experience."
"But your body is still growing, so the burden is too heavy for more than that."
"Once you're twelve, you'll be able to safely train with three or more clones."
Uzumaki Shuji patiently explained.
In addition to his own training, he was personally instructing Naruto.
Now that the old restrictions were gone, Uzumaki Shuji intended to teach Naruto everything he could.
The Ninja Academy had begun teaching C-rank techniques, but Shadow Clone Jutsu was B-rank and consud too much chakra for standard coursework.
That was why Uzumaki Shuji taught it himself.
"Yes!"
Naruto nodded enthusiastically.
He dispelled two clones, kept one active, and resud practicing water walking with his brother.
"Flying Thunder God really is difficult."
Uzumaki Shuji had spent most of his recent training ti studying Flying Thunder God Technique.
Considering its importance, he naturally could not ignore it.
But mastering it was no simple matter.
The version in his possession was the original Second Hokage model—not the improved version perfected by Minato Namikaze.
It required trendous talent.
At present, Uzumaki Shuji was still working through the basic stages:
Teleporting small objects.Establishing coordinates.Locking onto coordinates and transporting objects.Only after perfecting those steps would he dare to use it on himself.
The risk was too high.
One mistake could split his body in half or leave him embedded in a wall.
"Your Majesty, I heard you wanted to see !"
A man in a green jumpsuit and bowl haircut appeared in a blur.
It was Might Guy.
"It concerns the Eight Gates technique developed by your father."
"I want to make the first three gates part of the Academy's taijutsu curriculum."
"Since it belongs to your family, I'll offer compensation."
"What do you want in return?"
Uzumaki Shuji asked directly.
Guy had been away during the battle against Hiruzen.
When he returned and discovered everyone had already submitted to Uzumaki Shuji, he refused to accept it.
He had challenged Uzumaki Shuji personally.
Guy opened the Sixth Gate and nearly broke free of the Chains of Heaven.
Only after Uzumaki Shuji trapped him with illusion techniques and calmly presented Ea in front of him did the fight co to an end.
If Guy had reached the Seventh Gate, even Uzumaki Shuji would have struggled.
"There are no missions right now."
Might Guy's eyes sparkled.
"Can I beco a taijutsu instructor at the Ninja Academy?"
Watching Guy's overflowing enthusiasm, Uzumaki Shuji felt a brief concern for the future ntal health of his students.
Still, he nodded.
"Approved."
Guy imdiately dropped into a handstand and ran away upside down, shouting about youth.
Uzumaki Shuji watched him disappear.
"Jiraiya has returned."
"I doubt he ca to restore Konoha."
Looking down from the Hokage Rock at Jiraiya below, Uzumaki Shuji remained calm.
Unlike Hiruzen, Jiraiya had genuinely cared for Minato's children.
His kindness had never been rooted in manipulation.
But now, Uzumaki Shuji was the man who had killed his teacher.
How would Jiraiya respond?
Uzumaki Shuji had a feeling he would accept it more easily than most.
After all, in the shinobi world…
Killing one's teacher was hardly an uncommon thing.
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