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"So, you're giving it to me even though you don't understand it yourself?"
The next day, in a secluded training ground at the heart of Konoha.
Kitagawa Gen stared at Jiraiya with a pair of dead-fish eyes, mimicking Kakashi's signature look. Jiraiya, for his part, wore an expression full of embarrassment.
Truthfully, he had no desire to take on this task from the beginning. But once the old man tossed the assignment his way, he simply washed his hands of it.
He had the nerve to call it focusing his energy on Konoha.
Jiraiya had no choice. Though he always called Sarutobi Hiruzen "old man" with a careless tongue, whenever something serious came up, he still stepped up without hesitation.
Rubbing his head full of spiky white hair, he forced out a few hearty chuckles, trying to lighten the mood, before finally speaking up.
"Eh, it's not really that big of a deal. Just give it a try.
Back when Minato was learning this jutsu, I couldn't help him much either. But he still managed to master it.
Oh right, Minato is the Fourth Hokage, in case you didn't know."
"But this just makes you look totally irresponsible."
Gen sighed in exasperation, voicing his complaint openly.
"You promised to teach me, and now you're just tossing this at me like it's some sort of afterthought. Honestly, it feels pretty half-hearted."
"Alright, alright, enough with the complaining."
Jiraiya was starting to get annoyed too. He paused to collect his thoughts before continuing.
"Just focus on studying the contents for now. Whether you manage to learn it or not, I'll still teach you something special afterward."
Something special?
Gen raised his eyebrows slightly. The first thing that sprang to mind was Sage Jutsu.
There was no denying its power. The last time he had tested it against Uchiha Obito using a shadow clone, the results were impressive, to say the least.
Had Obito not possessed the Sharingan and dodged at the last second, that strike might very well have blown his head clean off.
Naturally, Gen had been pondering how to legitimize his use of Sage Mode.
But he still had one lingering concern. Who knew whether the Great Toad of Mount Myōboku would be able to see through it?
"In that case, thank you, Jiraiya-sama."
After some thought, he decided to leave the explanation for later and simply express his gratitude for now.
He really didn't want to be questioned later with something like, Did you even say thank you?
"Work hard, kid."
Jiraiya nodded in satisfaction, but almost immediately afterward, he let out a quiet sigh.
"This technique was created by the Second Hokage. But to this day, only the Second and the Fourth have managed to use it properly. As for the rest..."
He trailed off and shook his head. The members of the Hokage Guard Platoon—well, best not to mention them.
Still, he didn't want to burden Gen with too much pressure, so he chose not to go further.
"Just do your best. No need to force anything. Go at your own pace."
"Got it. I understand."
Gen gave a small nod. As he looked down at the scroll in his hands, a strange feeling welled up within him.
Jiraiya really had that little faith in him?
"I'll take my leave, then."
Jiraiya gave Gen a pat on the shoulder and whispered quietly in his ear.
"Read it carefully. Once you finish, the scroll will self-destruct. Don't make any copies. And if you truly can't remember it all, go to the old man. Understood?"
"Yes."
Gen nodded again. He was familiar enough with this kind of protocol.
"By the way, how's Kakashi-sensei doing?"
"Him? He's much better. Honestly, he's far more clear-headed than I am."
At the mention of Kakashi, Jiraiya couldn't help but chuckle in self-deprecation.
"But that's how it should be. The next generation is always supposed to surpass the last. Anyway, this great sage is off."
With a casual wave of his hand, Jiraiya turned and departed with his usual flair. Gen carefully stowed away the scroll and muttered softly to himself.
"Looks like passing information along like this won't complete the mission. I'm going to need to work harder."
Trying to convey Obito's situation through someone else had been a kind of experiment on his part.
Unfortunately, the system didn't seem to acknowledge it. Or perhaps Kakashi simply wanted personal confirmation.
Which was understandable. Anyone in his shoes would find it hard to believe. Only by seeing it firsthand could he come to terms with it.
"Whatever. I should just focus on studying this jutsu. This is space-time ninjutsu we're talking about."
Space-time techniques—no one in their right mind would want to miss out on learning something like that.
Of course, the Flying Thunder God Technique came with its share of issues. It required placing a seal to teleport, and any halfway intelligent enemy would guard against that.
Not to mention, truly powerful opponents had reaction times that defied belief. Just look at how Minato almost got countered by Killer Bee while fighting the Fourth Raikage's team.
Even so, this was not the kind of technique one could afford to pass up. The only question was whether one could learn it or not. There was no room for debate about whether it should be learned.
"And besides, the Ōtsutsuki clan seems to possess space-time powers innately, don't they?"
As he walked slowly along the path toward home, Kitagawa Gen began piecing things together in his mind.
There was no need to mention Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. As for Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki, he had demonstrated spatial teleportation. He seldom used it, but it was undeniably part of his arsenal.
Ōtsutsuki Urashiki possessed Yomotsu Hirasaka, a technique that allowed spatial travel, and even had the terrifying ability known as "Temporal Rewind," a manipulation of time itself. Then there was the most formidable of them all, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki. Within his personal dimension, even a Ten-Tails beast had been imprisoned.
"So then, is space-time manipulation something the Ōtsutsuki naturally awaken once they reach a certain level of strength? Or is it granted through Kekkei Mōra?"
Kitagawa Gen could not arrive at a definitive answer. He did not understand the true origin of these powers. However, regardless of what the truth might be, he had already made up his mind to attempt it himself.
***
Konohagakure, Root Division Headquarters
Deep beneath the surface, Shimura Danzo, who had regained partial authority, was reviewing the intelligence his subordinates had brought back.
To him, the sensation of reclaiming power was nothing short of exquisite. He had loathed the feeling of being cast aside after being dismissed from his position.
Even though he had continued to operate in secret during that time...
Still, mere partial control was far from enough to satisfy him.
His ambition had never changed.
What he desired was the Hokage's seat!
"The split within Kirigakure is growing more severe, and there is a high possibility of civil strife breaking out?"
Say what you will of Danzo—however loathsome he might be, his efficiency in intelligence gathering was beyond reproach.
As the shadow lurking behind the shinobi world, his spies were planted across the nations. Otherwise, Hiruzen Sarutobi would not have spared his life even after Danzo had once tried to assassinate him.
Then again, perhaps it was because of their old friendship...
"So, Uchiha Obito and that mysterious organization were hired by one of the Kirigakure factions to move against the other?"
Danzo analyzed the possibilities in silence. He had no particular opinion on the civil unrest in Kirigakure. In fact, he would have been delighted to see the entire village fall into ruin.
"Hmph. Uchiha Itachi talks a good game about being a spy for Konoha, yet he has not delivered a single useful piece of intelligence."
He gave a cold snort moments later.
"Hiruzen really has grown soft in his old age. How can he allow such threats to continue existing? And that Uchiha Obito... what a cruel irony. The so-called hero of Konoha was actually the mastermind behind the Nine-Tails incident a decade ago. The Uchiha clan..."
At the mention of Uchiha Obito, Danzo's eyes gleamed with a dark hunger.
He was convinced that the eye Obito possessed was a Mangekyō Sharingan, and such a rare and powerful dōjutsu naturally ignited his deepest greed.
Especially now that he had already acquired a portion of Senju Hashirama's cells through Orochimaru's help. He had come to understand that suppressing the rampant activity of those cells required a Sharingan to stabilize the chakra.
As for the specifics of how it worked, he had no idea. That snake Orochimaru had not explained it, but the results spoke for themselves.
That only made his desire burn even stronger.
"If only I could get my hands on that eye..."
Danzo murmured under his breath, eyes fixed on the report in his hands. After brooding over the matter for a long while, a thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.
"Perhaps I can fan the flames in Kirigakure even more. That way, I can send someone in to test the waters."
A Mangekyō Sharingan. He absolutely refused to let such a treasure slip away. Even though he had seen with his own eyes the bizarre abilities Obito had displayed that night, he still wanted to try his luck.
And as for the risk of exposure?
The Root operatives would not be traced back to him. Shifting the blame to Kirigakure would not be difficult.
At worst, he would gain more intelligence, which would serve him well in the future.
"If that is the case, then I must divert Jiraiya's attention. That man will definitely go to Kirigakure. In that case..."
Danzo's lone visible eye narrowed faintly, glinting with calculation. His mind was already formulating a new plan.
"I suppose I will have to trouble you once more, Orochimaru..."
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[Chapter End's]
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