Jiraiya squeezed his eyes shut, took a deep breath, and opened them again.
The scene before him did not change. It was no genjutsu. Members of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans were casually walking the streets of the Uchiha compound. Kakashi Hatake stood near a training ground, and Might Guy's booming voice echoed as he exercised nearby.
Jiraiya's composure finally broke. He marched directly toward Kakashi.
"Kakashi!" Jiraiya demanded. "What are you and the Ino-Shika-Cho doing here? Are you on a classified mission inside Uchiha territory?"
Jiraiya's Internal Monologue: This makes no tactical sense. The Ino-Shika-Cho and Kakashi are the core pillars of the Hokage's faction. Why would they associate with a clan on the brink of rebellion?
Kakashi, currently on patrol duty, looked mildly surprised to see the Toad Sage back in the village. He answered with flat, unbothered honesty. "There is no mission. We have officially defected to the Uchiha."
Jiraiya felt his defenses shatter. Jin Uchiha's verbal abuse had barely phased him because he knew Jin was a rational, calculating enemy. But hearing a loyalist like Kakashi admit to treason filled him with profound despair about Konoha's future.
"Why?" Jiraiya asked, his voice strained.
Kakashi remained calm, his visible eye devoid of emotion. "I attempted to assassinate Elder Danzo last night. Guy intervened to assist me. After that, returning to the Hokage was impossible. Only the Uchiha Clan has the military strength to protect us from execution."
He offered no further justification, and Jiraiya didn't need one.
Jiraiya's Internal Monologue: Kakashi is right. He has spent years in the Anbu Black Ops; he knows the village's political darkness better than anyone. If Hiruzen had to choose between punishing Danzo and executing Kakashi, Hiruzen would sacrifice Kakashi to maintain the administrative balance. And I... I am a wanderer. I cannot offer Kakashi asylum. I have no right to judge his choice.
"Why assassinate Danzo now?" Jiraiya asked quietly.
"To avenge my father," Kakashi replied, his tone laced with a lazy indifference that masked his true intent.
Jiraiya fell entirely silent. The mention of Sakumo Hatake brought back grim memories.
System Context: Decades ago, Sakumo Hatake, known as the 'White Fang', was Konoha's greatest hero, whose reputation rivaled the Hokage's. He committed suicide after the village condemned him for abandoning a mission to save his comrades.
As one of the legendary Sannin, Jiraiya knew the classified truth. Hiruzen and Danzo had orchestrated the smear campaign. They hadn't intended for Sakumo to die; they merely wanted to destroy his political capital because his immense popularity threatened the Hokage's absolute authority. They assumed Sakumo would swallow the disgrace, let the darkness taint his record, and continue serving as a broken tool.
Instead, Sakumo possessed an unbending spirit. He chose death over a dishonored life.
Looking at Kakashi, Jiraiya realized he could not preach the 'Will of Fire' here. He could lecture a hostile stranger like Jin Uchiha about village loyalty, but he could not look Sakumo's orphaned son in the eye and tell him to forgive the leadership that drove his father to suicide.
Defeated, Jiraiya patted Kakashi on the shoulder and walked away without another word.
As Jiraiya left, Kakashi watched him go, his expression unchanged.
Kakashi's Internal Monologue: Jiraiya is fundamentally a good man. But he is an unreliable leader. A commander who cannot protect his own subordinates will never earn true loyalty. Jin Uchiha, for all his ruthlessness, protects his people and has a high probability of winning this conflict. Following the Uchiha is the only logical path forward.
***
Jiraiya continued wandering through the Uchiha compound. As long as outsiders did not trespass into classified areas, the Uchiha permitted free movement. However, the more Jiraiya observed, the heavier his heart grew.
The security was suffocating. He sensed overlapping patrol routes, hidden sentries, and a massive concentration of chakra signatures. Most alarmingly, every single guard was a Jonin or an elite Special Jonin.
System Explanation: Ninja are ranked by capability. Jonin are elite commanders, Chunin are mid-level captains, and Genin are entry-level foot soldiers.
Spotting a passing Nara clan member, Jiraiya intercepted him. "Where are the Chunin and Genin?" Jiraiya asked, unable to hide his curiosity.
The Nara, recognizing the Sannin, answered cautiously. "Almost all the mid and low-level Uchiha ninja have been deployed to run the Military Police Force in the village proper."
Jiraiya's mouth twitched as the strategic reality set in.
Jiraiya's Internal Monologue: They sent the lower ranks out to maintain basic village security, while hoarding every elite, high-level fighter inside their compound walls. This isn't just a defensive posture. They are fully mobilized and ready to launch a decapitation strike against the Hokage at a moment's notice.
Suddenly, Jiraiya spotted a familiar figure walking ahead. He quickly caught up and threw an arm around the man's neck.
"Shikaichi?" Jiraiya said, recognizing the senior Nara clansman. "Don't tell me you defected to the Uchiha too? Come on, let's have a chat."