As Hatake Kusuo continued to watch, he eventually saw it: Zetsu trading a pair of crimson eyes with a glasses-wearing Kabuto.
"Those must be Fugaku's eyes," Kusuo recognized them. In the original story, there was no indication of what abilities these eyes possessed. However, dōjutsu were often closely related to the user's personality.
Itachi was prone to deep contemplation and was decisive and extreme in his actions. His eyes' abilities reflected this: Amaterasu, the black flames that could burn anything to ashes, and Tsukuyomi, a genjutsu that trapped victims in an illusory world. The same was true for Sasuke. His constant desire for revenge and his wish to destroy the Five Kage led him to inherit the black flames of Amaterasu. At the same time, his tendency to be easily led by others resulted in Kagutsuchi, the ability to control the shape of the black flames.
As for Obito, he was just a pitiful fool living in his own virtual world, constantly hiding behind a mask. Kamui, as powerful as it seemed, was merely a reflection of his desire to escape reality.
Therefore, the Uchiha clan's dōjutsu were truly tied to their personalities. Fugaku, who was so patient that he even forgave his own son's betrayal, likely had a dōjutsu related to the word "humiliation." His desire was to escape the clan's humiliating status and restore its glory. Because of this, Kusuo guessed that this Mangekyō's ability was likely one that enhanced the user's own power. Unlike Madara's overwhelming arrogance, which led to a dōjutsu that increased the power and range of his jutsu, Fugaku's dōjutsu probably enhanced the abilities of the Sharingan itself.
Of course, for now, this was all just speculation. As he watched on, Kusuo didn't see anything else of value, but he now had a complete grasp of Obito's progress.
"That guy Obito is moving fast. No, it's more that Orochimaru's technology is just too monstrous."
The scene flashed, and Hatake Kusuo returned to the real world. The crimson Sharingan on Morino Ibiki's arm fell dormant once more.
"Lord Kusuo, what did you see?" Ibiki asked promptly.
Kusuo shook his head, his expression neither pleased nor displeased—it was perfectly calm. "The sealed images showed the Akatsuki's activities. The situation is not optimistic."
Ibiki's heart tightened. Intelligence on the Akatsuki? "Lord Kusuo, what are our next steps?" In his view, since they knew the Akatsuki's plans, they should formulate a strategy to wipe them out.
However, Hatake Kusuo shook his head. "The images only showed the inside of a secret room; I don't know the exact location. Furthermore, my informant cannot reveal anything about the Akatsuki, so there's no rush on that front. The most urgent matter right now is to achieve a breakthrough in clone research. I have a great use for it!"
"Yes, I understand!" Ibiki nodded, his face grim. After they settled on a time for the Breathing Style lesson, Kusuo sent him away.
The situation was becoming tense, reaching a critical point. Konoha's war effort had stabilized. Iwagakure and Kumogakure were essentially too afraid to send troops after being single-handedly beaten into submission by Kusuo. Currently, only Kirigakure was struggling to hold on. Konoha's victory was only a matter of time.
But Kusuo knew that once Obito's clones were complete, that would be the moment the Akatsuki attempted to create a Rinnegan through the fusion of Yin and Yang Release. The secret of the "Power of All Creation" was no longer a secret. A pair of Rinnegan that truly belonged to someone was a completely different concept from a borrowed pair. At the very least, there was no hope for Hinata to use Limbo, a technique exclusive to Madara's Rinnegan. In the original story, even Obito, as the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, couldn't do it. Therefore, he had to be on guard.
"It's time to visit that place."
Hatake Kusuo set off immediately for the Hokage's office. Tsunade was in a very good mood. Faced with a siege from three of the Great Nations and the Akatsuki, the Fourth Great Ninja War had seemed like a guaranteed loss, yet they had somehow managed to win! How could Tsunade not be happy?
"You brat, you finally remembered to come see me!" she exclaimed happily, looking up to see Kusuo's red-clad figure entering her office.
"What do you mean 'remembered to come see you'? You make it sound like there's something between us," Kusuo said, waving his hand dismissively with a complicated expression.
"Oh, is that so!"
BOOM!
An aura of power erupted from Tsunade. Instantly enraged, her immense chakra sent all the documents on her desk flying. "It's only been a month or two, and you've already learned to talk back, you brat!"
In her heart, no matter how powerful Hatake Kusuo became, Tsunade would always see him as a younger brother, like Nawaki. Perhaps there were some other complicated feelings mixed in, but she would forever see herself as an older sister figure.
"Alright, alright, I won't argue with you." Kusuo waved his hand, not wanting to bicker with Tsunade. He had a purpose for being here.
"Where is Master Jiraiya? I need to see him."
Hearing this, Tsunade felt a pang of jealousy. "So you really only show up when you need something. You haven't fulfilled your duties as Hokage's Guard at all!"
"I was forced into the position in the first place. You're the one who insisted," Kusuo retorted without a hint of guilt.
"You!"
"Hmph!" Tsunade huffed. "That guy Jiraiya is probably at some bathhouse. You should be able to find him if you wander around the streets." She proudly puffed out her chest, noticing the brat's gaze automatically scan her like a targeting system. Hmph, I knew it, you little rascal, she thought smugly.
When Tsunade looked up again, Hatake Kusuo was gone. A second later, she saw his departing figure through the large floor-to-ceiling window.
"That brat! He could at least say goodbye before leaving... So infuriating!"
...
Konoha wasn't that big, but Kusuo didn't actually know how many bathhouses there were. However, if you were to ask which one Jiraiya frequented the most, it would undoubtedly be the one right next to the yakiniku restaurant.
Sure enough, just as he turned the corner, he saw a tall figure squatting by a wall, peeking inside with a lecherous grin.
"Ahem, ahem-hmmm~!" Kusuo stood behind him and coughed deliberately.
Jiraiya's body jolted violently. He whipped his head around. "You scared me! Oh, it's you, kid." He patted his chest, his heart still racing, as he recalled their first meeting. It had been at this very bathhouse, and the kid had scared him in the exact same way.
"Master Jiraiya, I need your help with something," Kusuo said, getting straight to the point.
Huh? Jiraiya was both pleased and puzzled. The kid finally had a use for him as a mentor, but what puzzled him was, with the kid's incredible strength, what could he possibly need help with?
Hatake Kusuo's gaze was clear and determined. "I want to go to Mount Myōboku."
-------
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