Jiraiya stood outside the operating room, peering through the window at Tsunade as the surgery continued inside.
"Tsunade… this time you're being a little too aggressive," he sighed. "I just hope everything goes smoothly."
"Master Jiraiya, Master Tsunade has no choice," Kakashi said quietly beside him. "Over the past three years, the Uchiha's influence has expanded far too rapidly. I can hardly imagine a single shinobi clan developing to this extent."
Kakashi wasn't looking at the operating room. His gaze was fixed on the distant stairwell, standing guard with unwavering vigilance.
His eyes had already fully recovered from surgery.
Jiraiya glanced at Kakashi and sensed the Kage-level chakra surging steadily within him.
"Kakashi… you're probably close to my teacher Sarutobi Hiruzen now, aren't you?" Jiraiya said with a chuckle. "With mastery over five chakra natures, calling you the second-generation 'Professor of Ninjutsu' wouldn't be an exaggeration."
Kakashi quickly waved his hand.
"I'm still far from the Third Hokage, Master Jiraiya. You flatter me."
"Heh, I'm not exaggerating," Jiraiya replied. "You may still be a bit behind Hiruzen-sensei in his prime, but you've already surpassed him in his later years. If he'd had your level back then, he wouldn't have lost to Orochimaru."
Jiraiya paused, then frowned.
"Speaking of Orochimaru—any news on him lately?"
At the mention of Orochimaru, Kakashi stopped dwelling on comparisons.
"It's been confirmed that the Otogakure was founded by Orochimaru. However, with the Uchiha within Konoha and Akatsuki outside, we don't have the resources to deal with it. As for Orochimaru himself, he's been unusually low-profile these past few years. Sound ninjas rarely even take foreign missions."
"Oh?" Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. "That's not his style at all. He's definitely scheming something. And given his past dealings with the Uchiha, we can't let our guard down."
Jiraiya sighed.
"Once Tsunade's surgery succeeds, I'll make a trip to the Otogakure. Orochimaru was once my comrade—it's my responsibility to bring him back. With my current strength, I should be able to manage it."
He glanced at his left arm.
This Hashirama-grown limb had not only restored his arms, but vastly increased both his chakra reserves and control.
Even his Sage Mode had improved significantly.
In the past, when Jiraiya entered Sage Mode, noticeable toad-like features would appear on his face—far inferior to Naruto or Minato.
That flaw stemmed from imperfect chakra control.
As a result, techniques like Frog Kata and enhanced sensory perception were inaccessible to him.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been ambushed by the Asura Path back then and lost an arm.
Now, all those flaws were gone.
With a far more refined Sage Mode and the support of the two Great Toad Sages, Jiraiya could now rival his Fourth Shinobi World War counterpart—achieving what could truly be called Perfect Sage Mode.
Kakashi nodded slightly.
"Please rest assured, Master Jiraiya. I'll handle intelligence support and assist you in pacifying the Otogakure—"
Before he could finish, both men turned sharply toward the stairwell.
A figure slowly emerged from the shadows like a ghost.
"So lively here," the man said lazily. "What are you two chatting about?"
Rokuro stepped forward at an unhurried pace, wearing a pair of Terminator-style sunglasses. He looked cool—yet somehow very punchable.
"Uchiha Rokuro—how did you find this place?!" Kakashi demanded.
He immediately entered combat readiness. Kage-level chakra surged around him, cracking the tiled floor beneath his feet.
Rokuro glanced at him, then fixed his gaze on Kakashi's eyes.
"What an exceptional pair of eyes," he said softly. "If my perception isn't wrong, these were cultivated using First Hokage cells, weren't they? It seems Master Tsunade has finally made a breakthrough. I came at just the right time."
A far more terrifying chakra erupted from Rokuro's body.
Crack—crack
Tiles shattered. Even the walls began to fracture. Broken debris floated upward, defying gravity, as Rokuro advanced like a god of destruction.
Kakashi's expression darkened. His left foot unconsciously stepped back.
He had already lost the clash of presence.
"Kakashi, step aside," Jiraiya said calmly. "I'll handle this."
He moved forward, placing himself between Kakashi and Rokuro.
A mountain-like aura burst forth, completely blocking Rokuro's oppressive pressure. Kakashi exhaled deeply, his face tense.
Rokuro studied Jiraiya closely, focusing on his eyes and face.
"No obvious toadification… combined with the markings around your eyes," Rokuro smiled. "Congratulations, Jiraiya. You've finally become a Perfect Sage of Mount Myōboku. Compared to when we met at Orochimaru's island base years ago, you've improved tremendously. That must also be thanks to the First Hokage's cells, right?"
Jiraiya's expression changed sharply.
"That island years ago—" his eyes widened. "You… you were the Root ninja who ambushed me using Flying Thunder God?!"
Rokuro smiled faintly.
"I was quite grateful for your 'care' back then," he said. "That fight was the most cautious—and uncertain—battle I've ever fought. Without my modified Flying Thunder God, I wouldn't have dared face you."
"The Flying Thunder God user was you?!" Kakashi stepped forward in shock.
Connecting past events, realization struck him like lightning.
"So it was you… the one who used sealing arrays to extract the Nine-Tails' chakra, fought the Third Hokage with strange ninja tools, and helped Orochimaru defect—only you could've pulled all of that off!"
Jiraiya hadn't witnessed those events personally, but knowing the aftermath, he now saw it clearly.
"Only someone with your strength, scheming mind, and mastery of sealing techniques could do this," he said grimly. "But you were only five years old back then. If not for that, I should've suspected you long ago."
Both men grew solemn.
They understood—Rokuro revealing such secrets meant he intended to kill.
They didn't fear death.
What they feared was Tsunade behind them.
If Rokuro broke into the operating room, the consequences would be unthinkable.
Especially for Jiraiya—abandoning Tsunade and fleeing was utterly impossible.
"Gentlemen," Rokuro said lightly, spreading his arms. "The era has changed. Why cling to such narrow-minded divisions? Open your eyes to this world. Uchiha unification is the inevitable trend. No individual, no organization can stop it."
"Not you. Not Tsunade inside that room. Not even all of Konoha."
"Since resistance is futile, why not join me? Let's build a world without slaughter, without war."
At this moment, Rokuro looked like a cult leader, arms raised, preaching passionately—completely unguarded.
Yet neither Jiraiya nor Kakashi dared strike.
If warriors of their caliber went all-out here, the entire underground facility—let alone the operating room—would be annihilated.
And Tsunade, mid-surgery, would certainly die.
Cold sweat formed on Jiraiya's forehead.
"Uchiha Rokuro," he said firmly, "you want the Uchiha to unify the shinobi world? That's a delusion. When a threat capable of shaking nations appears, the Five Great Countries will unite instantly. Do you really think the Uchiha alone can stand against the entire world?"
He was stalling—buying time for Tsunade.
At that moment, Rokuro's eyes transformed into Mangekyō Sharingan, staring through his sunglasses at both men.
"Don't look into his eyes!" Jiraiya shouted.
"I understand," Kakashi replied calmly. "These past years of blindness were painful—but not without reward. I've mastered fighting by sound."
Kakashi closed his eyes completely.
Jiraiya couldn't do that—but he had his own method.
Chakra surged violently through his body. His white hair flew wildly.
If not for the color, he'd look like a Super Saiyan.
Rokuro observed him closely.
"This is… a taijutsu similar to the Eight Gates?" Rokuro murmured. "By accelerating chakra flow, you massively boost resistance to genjutsu while enhancing physical attributes. The drawback is losing access to high-level ninjutsu—but your base power compensates."
He clapped lightly.
"Well done, Jiraiya. You really put thought into countering the Uchiha."
"People say the Second Hokage was a ninjutsu inventor," Rokuro continued. "But in my view, his achievements existed because of us. Without constantly thinking about how to counter the Uchiha, he wouldn't have been so driven."
"The same goes for you. This technique boosts genjutsu resistance, taijutsu, and possibly even casting speed. Though complex ninjutsu become unusable, simpler, practical ones become faster."
Jiraiya's face darkened—Rokuro was entirely correct.
"Damn Sharingan…"
"Too kind," Rokuro replied. "Even Kakashi—a non-Uchiha—became the Copy Ninja with one Sharingan. For a true Uchiha, analyzing techniques is trivial."
Rokuro turned to Kakashi.
"By the way, Kakashi—closing your eyes only works against ordinary visual genjutsu. Mangekyō-level techniques aren't so easily blocked."
"Don't try such cheap tricks," Kakashi snapped. "Visual genjutsu has strict range limits and usually requires surprise. And I didn't just close my eyes."
Seals crawled across his eyelids as he performed hand signs, locking his eyes shut with fuinjutsu.
"Amazing," Rokuro nodded. "Eyes closed plus sealing—double insurance. That blocks most visual genjutsu."
"But Mangekyō still breaks through. That said…"
Rokuro smiled.
"I don't need to bother."
Before Kakashi understood
BAM!
He was sent flying by a kick.
A heavy crash echoed.
Kakashi's right arm bent outward at a grotesque ninety-degree angle—not at the joint.
"Agh!"
As he screamed, Kakashi opened one eye.
The one who broke his arm… was Jiraiya.
"Kakashi," Jiraiya said coldly, stepping on his chest. "Rokuro is the hope of the shinobi world. You should not oppose him."
Pressure increased.
Kakashi felt his ribs compress, organs crushed, breath failing.
"Ji—Master Jiraiya… what's wrong with you?!"
"Genjutsu—Release!"
He slammed his remaining hand against Jiraiya's thigh.
Nothing changed.
"…No way."
"That's right," Rokuro said calmly. "This isn't ordinary genjutsu. It's Kotoamatsukami, Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyō technique. He once intended to use it to brainwash the entire Uchiha leadership."
Kakashi instinctively looked toward Rokuro
And his consciousness blurred.
Negative memories twisted. Hostility dissolved. Perception shifted—slowly, irresistibly.
Rokuro even fabricated memories.
Fighting side by side. Shared missions. Life-and-death battles.
This was Kotoamatsukami's true nature.
By altering—or creating—memories, it reshaped the victim's will.
They say personality is shaped by childhood.
Kotoamatsukami was the ultimate proof.
In theory, to make a woman who despises you fall in love, all you need is a melodramatic tragic-romance memory.
Once implanted, affection becomes inevitable.
For Kakashi, that wasn't necessary.
Men bond easily—shared drinks, shared battles, shared danger.
Under Kotoamatsukami's influence, Kakashi became Rokuro's devoted admirer.
After subduing both Jiraiya and Kakashi, Rokuro kicked open the operating room door.
"Alright~" he said cheerfully.
"Your turn, Tsunade. Now… what kind of memories should I give you?"
END OF CHAPTER
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