Chapter 70: Jiraiya

Half an hour later.

With a heavy heart, Jiraiya slowly left the Uchiha district and stepped onto the village streets.

Then.

He was stunned.

Compared to the harmony and stability of the Uchiha district, the village was now a mess—he had barely walked two major streets before witnessing seven or eight incidents of quarrels, even two that escalated into outright brawls.

In addition.

Anbu were visible everywhere, and the newly appointed Police Department officers clearly had no idea how to handle these crises.

On one hand.

They couldn’t remain impartial!

No matter who backed the Uchiha—even the Hokage’s own Sarutobi clan—if they broke the law, the Anbu would arrest them, yet the Anbu clearly failed to do so.

But more importantly, they were tired and resentful.

At first, they could still patiently reason with people, but as time passed, their true Anbu nature fully surfaced.

If Itachi had a ninja clan backing Itachi, fine—but if not, they’d arrest Itachi without hesitation, and their violence was far harsher than the Uchiha’s, since Anbu were killers by trade.

This double standard only deepened the civilians’ resentment.

Jiraiya witnessed firsthand a villager who, in anger, pointed at an Anbu’s nose and cursed—only to be slapped, resulting in a broken arm, then immediately cuffed and dragged away.

There was no way around it!

The physical gap between ninja and civilians was too vast, and Anbu were an organization built for killing; even if they didn’t intend to harm him and had deliberately restrained their strength, the villager’s arm still shattered completely.

Jiraiya opened his mouth, trying to say something.

But, in the end.

After a long sigh, he simply shook his head and walked away.

Because he knew it would do no good!

Jiraiya himself came from a civilian background, so he understood village affairs well—there was rarely true right or wrong, and Anbu had only just taken over the Police Department; their involvement wasn’t even the core issue.

After all—they were Anbu!

Could Itachi possibly expect an organization that spends its days lurking in shadows, carrying out assassinations and dirty work, to handle petty village squabbles?

“Uchiha Jin, Itachi’re ruthless!”

“Itachi merely added a few requirements to the Police Department and pushed the entire village into a corner, yet Itachi’ve left them no legal grounds to retaliate.”

“The current state of the village is far worse than I ever imagined.”

“It’s too difficult for just me to handle.”

“Should I go find Tsunade?”

“No, forget it!”

“If she finds out about the rumors Uchiha has spread, who knows what that woman might do.”

“It’s hard.”

Jiraiya sighed helplessly, then returned to the Hokage’s office.

This time.

He didn’t enter through the window—he pushed the door open.

Clearly.

When he first returned to Konoha that morning, he hadn’t bothered to observe carefully, so his mood had been light.

Now, it was different!

After truly understanding the village’s situation, he had no desire even to visit the hot spring baths for inspiration.

And on the other side.

Sitting behind his desk, smoking, Hiruzen Sarutobi watched Jiraiya’s slumped figure without the slightest expression.

“What? Got knocked down?”

Jiraiya nodded dejectedly.

He randomly grabbed a chair, sat backward, propped his arms on the backrest, and let his head droop into his hands.

Yeah.

The village’s situation was too complicated—he didn’t know where to begin.

Uchiha Jin was too slippery.

He wasn’t a traditional powerhouse—if he were, Jiraiya could just fight him. But dealing with a schemer like this, he simply couldn’t think of a solution yet.

Because sometimes Itachi know something’s wrong, but Itachi can’t find a valid reason to stop it!

“It’s normal. Don’t overthink it.”

“I called Itachi back only to prevent Uchiha from going berserk.”

“Handling the Uchiha threat doesn’t require Itachi, Jiraiya!”

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke casually.

Clearly!

He never expected Jiraiya to solve these problems—he simply needed more powerful ninja in the village, since there were too few, and wanted them to serve as deterrents.

And on the other side.

Hearing Hiruzen’s words, Jiraiya exhaled in relief, then couldn’t help asking: “Although the Police Department’s justification sounds reasonable, the village’s chaos is already real—couldn’t we just remove the Uchiha from the Police Department entirely?”

“Then the village could gather all major ninja clans, have each contribute a few ninja, and reorganize the Police Department.”

Jiraiya offered his suggestion!

As long as he wasn’t the one in charge and didn’t bear the heavy burden, his mind began to turn again.

But unfortunately.

Hearing Jiraiya’s suggestion, Hiruzen Sarutobi rolled his eyes: “I’m sure Uchiha wouldn’t object—they’ve wanted to dump the Police Department for ages. But who’s going to take over?”

“Anbu have only been in charge for less than half a month, and their reputation is worse than the Uchiha’s ever was. Do Itachi think other clan leaders are fools?”

Jiraiya froze instantly.

Right… that’s true.

In the end, he could only sigh helplessly, wave his hand, and leave the Hokage’s office.

Before leaving, he said one thing.

“I won’t leave the village for now. If anything comes up, just come find me.”

“As for where I am—I’m sure Anbu can find me.”

“I’m off.”

After saying that.

Jiraiya walked away with casual grace; Hiruzen Sarutobi made no move to stop him.

Just as he’d said—he never expected Jiraiya to solve this.

After all, he knew better than anyone how slippery Uchiha Jin was; as long as Jiraiya stayed in Konoha, he’d be reachable when needed.

…

Time passed slowly.

After returning to the village, Jiraiya had briefly hoped to rise up and deal with Uchiha—only to be immediately shut down by Uchiha Jin, and the great hero Jiraiya once again became a lecherous wanderer.

And on the other side.

The Uchiha took no further action, remaining firmly within their own territory, while the Police Department had long since become a decoration, its functions entirely replaced by Anbu.

Uchiha Jin entered hibernation.

Every day, aside from necessary cultivation, he quietly restored his ocular power.

He was waiting.

Waiting for Danzo’s move.

Originally, Uchiha Jin could have killed Danzo outright—but he chose to spare him, to squeeze out his remaining value. Now, it was time for Danzo to prove his worth.

Three days later.

Danzo, carrying the Hokage’s signed authorization, began visiting the major ninja clans.

First stop: the Pig, Deer, Butterfly clans.

Nara clan, clan head’s residence.

Because Danzo had sent a formal notice ahead of time, Inoichi Yamanaka and Choji Akimichi were both present.

Watching Danzo enter, Nara Shikaku’s eyes grew cold.

After all—he was no friend.

Still.

He invited Danzo to sit and poured him a cup of tea.

“Elder Danzo, visiting the Pig, Deer, Butterfly—what business do Itachi have?”