"Gathering material?"
Fugaku, Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Chōza, and Yamanaka Inoichi subtly formed a loose encirclement around Jiraiya.
Their expressions were unreadable.
After all, this was one of the Legendary Sannin—
someone whose stories they had grown up hearing.
None of them dared to take this lightly.
Fugaku's Sharingan quietly turned scarlet once more.
And Shikaku—having already acknowledged Kai's leadership—did not hold back at all.
Full support.
Since he had chosen a side, he wanted to see what Konoha would become after this so-called change.
Across from them, Jiraiya's carefree grin slowly faded.
For once, even he found the situation slipping beyond expectation.
He hadn't anticipated that returning to Konoha wouldn't bring a warm welcome—
—but instead, being blocked right at the village entrance.
Who was he supposed to complain to?
His teacher, the Third Hokage?
Hiruzen-sensei was probably barely holding himself together right now.
Jiraiya shook his head and sighed.
"Move aside. You four aren't my opponents."
"Maybe not," Fugaku replied coldly,
"but we still have to try."
Just as he was about to act—
Footsteps hurried in from behind.
Tap, tap, tap.
Fugaku glanced over, then froze.
"Second Elder?"
"Clan Head! We found the evidence you asked for!"
"The inheritance left by the Fourth Hokage—every last bit of it—was 'temporarily managed' by the Shimura clan and the Utatane clan, then laundered into their own operating funds!"
Two sentences.
That was all it took.
The atmosphere instantly shifted.
Fourth Hokage.
Inheritance.
Embezzlement.
The keywords hit like thunder.
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Then—
"…Someone actually dared to swallow the Fourth Hokage's inheritance?"
"No wonder Naruto couldn't even eat properly…"
"Shimura… Utatane… looks like it's time for a visit."
Their murmurs made Jiraiya slowly lower his raised hand.
Wait.
If there was no mistake—
The Fourth Hokage was his student.
The previous so-called Child of Prophecy.
"So… after Minato died, even his inheritance couldn't be protected?"
Jiraiya fell silent.
He stood there, staring at Naruto's back as he was carried away by the medical team.
A complicated emotion welled up in his chest.
Bitter.
Heavy.
Painful.
"Curious why a Hokage's legacy couldn't even be kept safe?"
Kai's voice suddenly came from the side.
He followed Jiraiya's gaze and spoke quietly:
"Before the Fourth Hokage died, he believed that with the Third Hokage, with you, with Kakashi around—his child would never suffer."
"So he chose death, split the Nine-Tails in two, all to make it easier for Naruto to become a jinchūriki."
"And to make the village more willing to accept him."
"But who could've imagined…"
"That a hero's orphan would be treated as a demon fox?"
Crack.
Those words landed like a sledgehammer on Jiraiya's chest.
For a moment, his mind went blank.
He even forgot why he had returned to Konoha in the first place.
"Haa…"
"Haaa…"
He took several deep breaths before finally steadying himself.
Then he turned and looked at the Uchiha boy beside him.
His voice was calm.
"So. How do you plan to handle it?"
He was asking about the stolen inheritance.
"What belongs to whom… goes back to whom."
Kai's gaze seemed to travel dozens of kilometers away, landing on the Shimura and Utatane clans.
"Any clan that ate what it shouldn't have—will spit it back out."
"After that, I'll establish an inheritance foundation."
"A dedicated department will manage and supervise it, distributing funds regularly."
The village had grown too large.
With growth came corruption.
But—
As long as the foundation existed,
those orphans would at least receive what was rightfully theirs.
The wind passed through the forest again.
This time—
It wasn't cold.
It was clear.
Jiraiya's turbulent heart slowly settled.
He suddenly turned to Kai and asked:
"May I observe?"
His voice was low.
There was even a trace of request in it.
Kai's lips curved slightly.
"Of course."
No fear of being watched.
If anything—he wanted him to watch.
The rift between the Third Hokage and his three disciples had existed for a long time.
Handled properly, it could yield three powerful assets:
Medical.
Intelligence.
Technology.
Besides—
Kai still owed Naruto something.
Repaying that debt personally?
That would be too troublesome.
Of course, Kai would never admit that part of the reason was to keep farming traits seven days later.
Dead people had a one-year cooldown.
Living people?
Seven days.
If he could pull a few more Sage-type traits…
Sustainability would stop being a problem.
And more importantly—
He wanted to see what would happen if the three great sage arts were fused into one.
While he was thinking—
Jiraiya suddenly spoke again.
"Do you know about Amegakure?"
The question came without warning.
Even Kai paused.
"Amegakure?"
"Yes. A land shrouded in rain year-round. One of the flashpoints of the Second Shinobi War."
Kai didn't answer.
He waited.
Jiraiya continued.
"Recently, I discovered that Amegakure's leader seems to have changed."
"Changed?"
"Yeah. Replaced by the head of some mysterious organization…"
Jiraiya hesitated, then glanced at Kai.
"And near the village, I encountered a strange being."
"Completely pale. Didn't look human at all."
He left the rest unsaid.
He wanted to invite Kai along.
Originally, this was something he'd only monitor from afar.
Amegakure's constant rain made intelligence gathering extremely difficult.
Going in recklessly was dangerous—even for him.
But now—
After witnessing Kai's strength—
That buried thought resurfaced violently.
Kai's abilities—especially that space-time technique—
Were practically divine tools for reconnaissance.
Add reverse summoning, and retreat was guaranteed.
Take Kai out of Konoha.
Prevent further upheaval.
Investigate Amegakure safely.
It was perfect.
Across from him—
Kai's expression remained calm.
But inside, ripples spread.
"So Jiraiya has already brushed against the Akatsuki…"
"And that pale creature…"
"…should be the so-called 'Traveler'—White Zetsu."
Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon -> patreon.com/SorenSwiftTL