The next day, early morning.
News of a sudden rebellion within the Ino–Shika–Chō clans, with half of their members choosing to leave and ultimately defect to the Uchiha, was once again placed on Hiruzen Sarutobi's desk.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes were fierce.
He didn't even need to find Shikaku Nara to guess the true reason behind this matter.
It was nothing more than them realizing that his side was in a predicament, so for the future of the Ino–Shika–Chō, they had now made a diversified investment, hadn't they?
Internal strife?
All members of the Nara Clan were inherently intelligent, and coupled with their lazy nature, the internal atmosphere of the Nara Clan was quite harmonious, completely devoid of the petty squabbles found in other Ninja Clanss.
The Yamanaka and Akimichi clans were practically the same.
Because of their close ties with the Nara Clan, they rarely oppressed their own members. For so many years in Konoha, there had been no rumors of feuds within the Ino–Shika–Chō.
And now?
As soon as his side fell into decline, the Ino–Shika–Chō suddenly had internal strife?
Heh!
Fooling ghosts!
Keeping half of their members seemingly loyal to him now was also just for the future of the Ino–Shika–Chō.
So no matter who wins or loses, the Ino–Shika–Chō will remain safely out of harm's way?
Hiruzen Sarutobi snorted inwardly!
Right now, he would endure it for the greater good, but once he dealt with the Uchiha, he would show them how he would punish them.
Yes.
He might not be as smart as Shikaku Nara, but he had been Hokage for so many years, so Shikaku Nara's schemes certainly couldn't escape him.
Thinking of this, he regained his composure.
Hiruzen Sarutobi pulled out a brand new pipe again and started smoking while looking at the Village outside the window. At this moment, he was still the Hokage who had ruled Konoha for decades.
Even with the Uchiha out of control and the Ino–Shika–Chō unstable, it still didn't make him lose his composure.
And, just then.
On the windowsill of the Hokage Office, a man with white hair appeared.
He always wore geta sandals, exuding a carefree and unrestrained demeanor, and had a forehead protector with the character 'Oil' on it. After jumping from the windowsill into the office, he said in a very flippant tone, "Old man, after all these years, you haven't changed a bit!"
"Tell me."
"What exactly happened that made you so urgent to call me back to the Village?"
And, in response.
Hiruzen Sarutobi finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw this man.
Jiraiya!
His feelings for this disciple of his were very complicated.
After all, the other party truly cared about the Village, and if the Village encountered trouble, he would definitely take action.
But, similarly.
His entire mind was focused on finding the saviour, which made him very helpless.
However, forget it!
This was not the time to talk about such things. He didn't even bother to remind him to use the front door. First, he briefly explained the recent events in the Village, and then directly stated his true purpose.
"Jiraiya, stay!"
"I am completely old now, and I can no longer stabilize the Village."
"Only with you as the Fifth Hokage can the Village truly achieve peace."
Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke with deep sincerity.
He truly hoped Jiraiya would take the position, as he was a political idiot, and even if he became Hokage, he could still wield power from behind the scenes.
Moreover... considering Jiraiya's prestige, other Ninja Clanss would also show respect.
At that time, the Village would be completely stable, and his own power would not be lost. It was like killing countless birds with one stone.
More importantly, Jiraiya wasn't power-hungry!
Once he had trained Asuma, he could directly succeed him as the Sixth Hokage.
But, unfortunately.
Jiraiya shook his head without even considering it.
"Old man, give up."
"I will absolutely not become Hokage, because I have more important things to do."
"However—the Uchiha?"
"I'll go talk to him first."
After speaking.
Jiraiya didn't bother with Hiruzen Sarutobi and went straight to the Uchiha compound.
However.
Jiraiya, who was originally prepared to force his way in, after sensing the dense network of overt and covert sentries, and the patrol teams as far as the eye could see, ultimately decided to honestly report his arrival.
Otherwise... he estimated that a fight would break out before he even had a chance to talk.
The Uchiha respect strength!
So, after learning Jiraiya's identity, they naturally didn't make things difficult for him. After getting Uchiha Jin's approval, they directly led him to Jin's courtyard.
Front hall, reception room.
After brewing tea for the two, Uchiha Yue bowed and left the room.
Uchiha Jin didn't bother to greet Jiraiya. After taking a sip of the tea in his hand, he spoke to Jiraiya, "You shouldn't have come back. This has nothing to do with you."
"Go find your savior. Why did you have to come back and get involved in this mess?"
Jiraiya pondered silently.
Finally.
After finishing the clear tea in his hand, he spoke directly, "I have my own plans. Let's talk about the main issue first."
"I've already heard the situation from my teacher, but I still want to hear the Uchiha's side. I still hope everyone can sit down and talk properly."
"The Village belongs to everyone; there's no need to make it so tense!"
Jiraiya's tone was solemn.
He could feel the current chaos and tension in the Village, and he truly hoped that the Village could return to peace.
And, in response.
Uchiha Jin shook his head: "It's useless for you to talk to me about this. The Uchiha are just passively retaliating."
"As long as the Village stops persecuting the Uchiha, apologizes for past events, and ensures that those who deserve to die receive their proper judgment, then all problems can completely disappear."
"But, similarly!"
"If the Village dares to continue playing tricks, then the Uchiha, even if it means the annihilation of our clan, will drag Konoha down to death with us!"
Uchiha Jin's tone was firm.
He had no good feelings towards Jiraiya.
A guy who was fooled to death by a toad, a capable but extremely cowardly fellow.
If he were truly willing to become the Fifth Hokage, then perhaps he could directly break his schemes.
But, unfortunately.
He couldn't do it!
So, at this moment, Uchiha Jin was merely exchanging pleasantries with Jiraiya.
"Like what?"
Jiraiya became serious: "What has the Village persecuted you for?"
"Too many," Uchiha Jin shook his head. "It's impossible to list them all."
"You can go investigate such matters yourself. If you truly want to do something about this, then first return Danzo's right Mangekyo Sharingan and the several Three-Tomoe Sharingan on his arm."
"I don't care about the Hashirama cells on Danzo, after all, even Tsunade, a Senju Clan member, doesn't care, and the other Senju Clan members have all been completely wiped out."
"But the Sharingan, no!"
"Although the Uchiha were almost annihilated by the Konoha Leadership, since I, Uchiha Jin, have taken power, I am bound to seek justice for my clansmen!"