Two days later, in the Hokage Office of the Hokage Building. Uchiha Fugaku, who was thinking about the election, suddenly frowned. He walked

Two days later, in the Hokage Office of the Hokage Building.

Uchiha Fugaku, who was thinking about the election, suddenly frowned.

He walked out of the Hokage Office and came to the platform on top of the Hokage Building, where he saw a man.

This was a man with white hair, a forehead protector marked with the word "Oil," and red lines under his eyes.

It was Jiraiya, one of the two people he least wanted to see.

He frowned and said,

"I blocked the news, but I didn't expect you to still hear about it and rush back."

"You didn't want me to return?"

Jiraiya asked.

"Of course. With your reputation in the village, if the idea of you running for Fifth Hokage spreads, I'm afraid many will nominate you."

Uchiha Fugaku nodded.

Jiraiya was one of the Legendary Sannin, had fought in both the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars, and had a strong reputation in the village.

Although his own prestige had recently skyrocketed, he couldn't guarantee he would be able to suppress a returning Jiraiya and win the election for Hokage.

"Why did you kill the Third Hokage?"

Jiraiya asked coldly.

"I didn't kill the Third Hokage."

Uchiha Fugaku shook his head.

"The daimyo ordered him to be stripped of his position, and I temporarily took over. The Third Hokage refused to step down and fought me. During the battle, he used the Shiki Fūjin, trying to die with me, but he failed."

"Shiki Fūjin?"

Jiraiya frowned. Naturally, he knew this forbidden technique well—his student, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, had died using it.

Still, he did not trust Uchiha Fugaku and was not ready to believe him so easily.

"I want to see the body of the Third Hokage."

"All right, follow me."

Uchiha Fugaku led the way, and Jiraiya followed. The two entered the underground Anbu base and reached the room where the Third Hokage's body was kept.

Jiraiya stepped forward and carefully examined the corpse. After a while, he stood up.

Though the body bore injuries, none were fatal. There was no sign of poison either.

The cause of death was the exhaustion of the body, which resembled Minato Namikaze's case—consistent with death by the side effects of the Shiki Fūjin.

He raised his head and looked at Uchiha Fugaku, who had been silently standing nearby.

"Why did the daimyo strip him of his Hokage title?"

"Because he made too many mistakes and caused too many problems."

Uchiha Fugaku answered.

"Too many mistakes? Like what?"

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow.

"He forced Hyuga Hizashi, head of the Hyuga branch family, to die. He ordered the Anbu to spread rumors and frame me. And he abused the orphan of the Fourth Hokage."

Uchiha Fugaku replied.

"Abused the orphan of the Fourth Hokage?"

Jiraiya's face darkened.

The Fourth Hokage was his student, and his death at a young age was a source of deep sorrow.

To now hear that his son had been mistreated—it was infuriating.

"That's right."

Uchiha Fugaku nodded firmly.

"Because of that, his reputation in the village fell dramatically, and the daimyo removed him from office."

"But even so, I don't believe he would abuse the Fourth Hokage's child. He had to know that if such a thing were discovered, the consequences would be disastrous."

Jiraiya shook his head.

"No, he had a reason."

Uchiha Fugaku said.

"Don't forget—Minato's son is the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki of this generation."

"What does that have to do with the abuse?"

Jiraiya was puzzled.

"If everyone else bullies and isolates the Jinchūriki while only one person is kind to him, who do you think that child will become attached to when he grows up?"

Uchiha Fugaku asked with a faint smile.

"..."

Jiraiya's face changed slightly. He understood what Fugaku meant.

The Third Hokage had created a harsh environment around the Jinchūriki, isolating him, so that only he would be seen as the one source of kindness and protection.

This way, the Jinchūriki would become emotionally dependent on him, making him easier to control.

Jiraiya wanted to deny it and say his teacher would never do that—but he remembered the shadow behind the Third Hokage's gentle image, and could not speak.

The Third Hokage was not as noble as he seemed.

"I want to meet the boy myself and confirm it."

"All right."

Uchiha Fugaku nodded and ordered an Anbu to bring Uzumaki Naruto.

Before long, the child was escorted in.

"Uncle, you called me? What did you want to talk about?"

Because of Uchiha Mikoto, Naruto already knew who Fugaku was.

Seeing Uchiha Fugaku, he asked naturally.

"This man is your father's teacher. He asked to meet you."

Uchiha Fugaku said, then stepped aside.

"My father's teacher?"

Naruto looked at Jiraiya curiously.

"That's right, kid. I'm your father's teacher."

Jiraiya stepped forward, a smile forming on his face.

"Then how come I've never seen you before?"

Naruto asked suspiciously.

Jiraiya felt guilty and forced a smile.

"Sorry, I've been away from the village these past few years and didn't get the chance…"

As they continued talking, Jiraiya began asking Naruto about his life growing up in the village.

With each word, Jiraiya's fists clenched tighter.

Though he already believed what Uchiha Fugaku had said, hearing it firsthand from Naruto filled him with anger.

Naruto was the son of the Fourth Hokage—a man who died protecting the village—and he had suffered like this?

Eventually, Jiraiya asked Uchiha Fugaku to let the child go rest.

His hostility toward Fugaku had eased considerably. Then he asked,

"You want to become the Fifth Hokage?"

"Yes. I want to become the Fifth Hokage."

Uchiha Fugaku nodded.

"The Uchiha and Senju founded Konoha together, but no Uchiha has ever become Hokage. Becoming Hokage has been the Uchiha's wish for generations."

"I won't enter the Fifth Hokage race. But I have one condition."

After some thought, Jiraiya said.

Originally, he had no desire to become Hokage. He had returned only because he heard Uchiha Fugaku had supposedly killed the Third Hokage.

Regardless of his faults, the Third Hokage was still Jiraiya's teacher.

But after confirming the truth of his death and learning about his abuse of the Fourth Hokage's child, Jiraiya no longer wished to interfere with the election.

"What's your condition?"

Uchiha Fugaku asked.

It would be best if he could prevent Jiraiya from running using a condition.

"I want to take Naruto away from the village for a few years. I'll raise and train him."

Jiraiya said.

"All right."

Uchiha Fugaku agreed without hesitation.

With Jiraiya, there was no need to worry about Naruto's safety.

And with Naruto's personality, there was no risk of him becoming an enemy later.

(End of this chapter)

***

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