Naruto: Kurotsuchi Mayuri

Shisui was now as highly regarded in clan meetings as some of the elite Jonin and elders within the Uchiha clan. After all, he was currently Orochimaru's only Uchiha disciple, a direct connection between the Uchiha clan and Orochimaru.

The hope for the Fourth Hokage from the Uchiha clan had long been abandoned. Given Orochimaru's relative closeness to the Uchiha, his candidacy for the Fourth Hokage had been widely supported.

As for the Fifth Hokage, it also seemed unlikely, given the presence of Nara Kagetsu. His existence and techniques were also vital to the Uchiha clan and his relationship with Shisui was strong.

Even when some Uchihas occasionally felt like Shisui was merely Kagetsu's follower or subordinate, no one voiced any dissatisfaction. For the proud Uchiha, this was no small feat.

Shisui had even stated at previous clan meetings that, at the right time, he would have Kagetsu take the clan leader's child, Itachi, as his disciple.

If Itachi proved to be excellent enough, wouldn't the position of the Sixth Hokage eventually fall to the Uchiha?

Clan meetings used to be about arguments, venting dissatisfaction, and expressing dangerous emotions and rhetoric.

Now, while they still involved arguments and venting dissatisfaction, the topics and tone had changed dramatically.

Aside from venting their frustrations and cursing Danzo, the discussions still had some sense of purpose. 

The main topic shifted to how to use the Technology Development Department's resources to strengthen themselves with limited resources.

And most importantly—Itachi's training methods, one, two, or three!

Looking at the list of training methods, Shisui couldn't help but feel guilty. When he noticed a pair of somber eyes watching him, the feeling of guilt grew even stronger.

There was no need to search for the source of those eyes; Shisui already knew. They belonged to the leader of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku Uchiha, who had essentially been "deprived" of the right to educate his son, Itachi.

It wasn't that Fugaku had completely lost his right to educate Itachi—it had merely been forcibly shared. Every clan meeting now became a competition for the chance to be Itachi's teacher.

Given the Uchiha clan's proud nature, arguments inevitably escalated into "sparring matches," which were, in reality, all-out battles to prove who was most qualified to train Itachi.

As for concerns that strength alone might not make a good teacher, the Uchihas conveniently chose to ignore such details.

"Come on, Orochimaru isn't around, so I'll treat you all to a meal," Jiraiya said with a hearty slap to his chest.

At the mention of food, Anko's eyes lit up instantly, so bright it made Jiraiya feel a little uneasy.

Seeing Anko's blissful expression, Jiraiya suddenly remembered her voracious appetite. Realizing his mistake, he secretly decided to change the dinner plan from a barbecue feast to a more budget-friendly Ichiraku Ramen outing.

Looking at the travel-worn Jiraiya, Kagetsu asked, "Are you back to report on a mission?"

"That's right. I just met with the old man and handed over my report. Things are moving smoothly now. The Hidden Rain Village and the Akatsuki have reached a cooperative agreement," Jiraiya replied, a hint of relief and satisfaction on his face.

Originally, it seemed like the Akatsuki and the Hidden Rain Village were destined to clash. However, once the Akatsuki demonstrated their strength and their ability to bring in significant resources and wealth, the hesitant leaders of the Hidden Rain finally met with Yahiko and his group to reach an agreement.

Seeing his students walking their chosen ninja way filled Jiraiya with pride. Knowing that this cooperation didn't conflict with Konoha's interests and even indirectly supported his former students, Jiraiya felt that Kagetsu's help in facilitating this was something he owed deeply.

"Is that so? That's great to hear! They're not lost or afraid of their future or their way as shinobi," Shisui said, recalling the three young ninjas in the Land of Rain who were about his age. 

Their dedication to peace struck a deep chord in his heart. Seeing their progress brought him genuine happiness.

"Hahaha!" Jiraiya laughed heartily, completely ignoring the curious looks from those around him.

"By the way, about Kakuzu..." Jiraiya suddenly stopped laughing, casting a sidelong glance at Kagetsu beside him. His tone carried a hint of hesitation.

"I have leverage on him, plus I'm paying him," Kagetsu replied immediately, catching onto Jiraiya's implied question at the mention of Kakuzu's name.

Jiraiya was probably wondering: Can this guy be trusted? How did you even meet him?

"Is that so? As long as you're confident, that's fine." Jiraiya wasn't the type to meddle in others' affairs. Not even with Minato Namikaze, his own student—Jiraiya had never forced him to do anything against his will.

His relationship with Minato went beyond that of master and student; they were more like family. It was precisely because of Jiraiya's open-mindedness that Minato and Kushina found it so easy and natural to interact with him, like family.

Jiraiya had a decent grasp of Kagetsu's personality. Coupled with the Nara clan's reputation, he trusted that if Kagetsu was confident in controlling Kakuzu, then there was no need to press the matter. Prying too much would only make it seem like he was being pushy or distrusting.

"Ah, Lord Jiraiya! Welcome, welcome!"

At Ichiraku Ramen, the youthful owner and head chef, Teuchi, greeted Jiraiya warmly as he entered through the curtain.

"Four bowls," Jiraiya said casually, sitting down at the counter and holding up four fingers. "My treat!"

Anko, filled with energy, grabbed her chopsticks in anticipation. As soon as the steaming bowls of ramen were served, she ignored the heat and dove right in. 

Having mastered Fire Release, her body had long adapted to higher temperatures, making the ramen's warmth a non-issue for her.

The group of four refrained from discussing their earlier topics and instead focused entirely on their meal.

As the stack of empty bowls next to Anko grew taller and taller, Jiraiya's expression became increasingly complicated. Meanwhile, Teuchi, ever the diligent chef, was already bustling around, preparing more ingredients and swiftly placing fresh bowls of ramen in front of Anko.

After all, he had witnessed this kunoichi's appetite before!

"Come again soon!"

It was only after Anko patted her stomach and declared herself 70% full that the other three sighed in relief. They hurriedly got up from their seats and left the ramen shop, quickly bidding Teuchi farewell as they made their escape.

"Since you've handed over the mission in the Land of Rain, who will be taking over the task of liaising with the Akatsuki?" Kagetsu suddenly asked Jiraiya as they were about to part ways.

"The old man didn't tell me, but if I had to guess, it's probably going to be Orochimaru, or Hokage Assistant Shimura Danzo from the Root division," Jiraiya thought for a moment and replied.

Even though Jiraiya hated the shady, troublesome matters, it didn't mean he wasn't aware of how things worked. His nature would certainly lead him to delegate authority.

So, the only ones qualified to take over the task of managing communication and cooperation with the Akatsuki would be either Orochimaru, the current head of the Technology Development Department, or Root and Shimura Danzo, who handled external village matters.

After all, the benefits tied to Healing Tags would definitely need to be managed by someone with enough authority.

"Root, huh?"

Hearing the name of this organization and Shimura Danzo, Kagetsu and the others fell silent.

"Don't worry. If it's Hokage Assistant Danzo who takes over, I'll warn him not to do anything reckless." Jiraiya knew about the reputation of Root and Danzo's often extreme, unscrupulous methods.

It was hard to say whether, upon seeing the huge benefits hidden within the Healing Tags, Danzo wouldn't make some secret moves of his own.

"Of course, if Orochimaru can take over, that would be great." Jiraiya patted Kagetsu on the shoulder with a sigh.

He had already stopped trying to understand his teacher's thoughts. With Orochimaru not being in the village, it was hard to predict what kind of decision would be made.

****

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