Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its character belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I make.
Chapter 186: Betrayal Started
Uzumaki Mito had taken advice from Setsuna seriously. Since then, she no longer tried to suppress Danzo and Hiruzen as she once did. Instead, she chose a different path. She began training Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Sakumo in the art of fuinjutsu. This approach allowed her to keep the seal knowledge alive while giving Hiruzen indirect access to the information. She knew that Jiraiya had the most close relationship with Hiruzen and he deeply respected Hiruzen. Once he learned the seals and master the fuinjutsu, it was only a matter of time before Hiruzen would learn them as well through his student. Mito didn't forbid her students from passing down what they had learned. In fact, she encouraged sharing by letting Jiraiya teach sakumo, she even share the knowledge about the seal that protected Uzushiogakure.
The first seal they studied was the Two Trigram Seal. With time and patience, they progressed to the more advanced sealing then they finally learned 渦静封印 (Uzushizu Fūin), a specialized barrier that protected the entire island of Uzushiogakure. This seal worked in harmony with the natural whirlpools surrounding the island, it would redirect the whirlpools to the other area and let the ships to pass through safely during specific time frames.
Jiraiya, who had recently returned from training with the Toads of Mount Myoboku, found that he had a natural talent for fuinjutsu. In fact, he absorbed the knowledge about sealing techniques more easily than he did ninjutsu. His understanding of flow, chakra control, and diagram made him a fast learner in this domain. Within months, his knowledge of seals was impressive—even almost reached 1/4 by Mito standards.
Then came the call from the Hokage.
"Jiraiya, I need you to go to Uzushiogakure," Hiruzen said calmly.
"Huh? Me? You've got plenty of ninja for that kind of job. Just send someone else," replied Jiraiya, leaning back lazily.
Hiruzen rubbed his forehead, clearly annoyed. Jiraiya had never once set foot in Uzushiogakure and didn't realize the importance of this task. What Jiraiya didn't know was that Hiruzen had secretly planned this mission with Danzo. They wanted to see if Jiraiya had learned anything about the seals protecting the island. Hiruzen intended to send some Root members along with him—under the pretext of providing an escort.
"Sensei, I've got more important things to do. I'm still looking for the child of prophecy the toads told me about," said Jiraiya with a sigh.
"And how do you know the toads were telling the truth?" asked Hiruzen, trying to sound skeptical.
"Because they said I was the one they had been waiting for," Jiraiya said confidently.
"I do not care whether you believe in prophecy or not. I want you to visit Uzushiogakure. Perhaps it will open your mind to something beyond. I will assign some ninja to accompany you. You leave tomorrow," said Hiruzen, tone firm and final.
"Haa... fine," muttered Jiraiya, clearly not thrilled.
As Jiraiya walked out, Hiruzen let out a heavy sigh. "That annoying disciple…"
He then turned to one of the nearby Anbu agents. "Go inform Danzo that I called him to come here."
Ten minutes later, Danzo barged into the office without knocking.
"Hiruzen," he said flatly. "I heard you summoned me."
"Could you at least knock first?" Hiruzen asked, irritated.
"Hmph, that wastes time," Danzo replied curtly.
"Danzo, I am the Hokage," Hiruzen reminded him, voice growing colder.
"I know you're the Hokage. So what?" Danzo shot back.
Hiruzen sighed again, knowing that expecting manners from Danzo was a lost cause. "Jiraiya has accepted the assignment. Find someone from your Root division who excels in fuinjutsu to accompany him."
"Good. You won't regret this, Hiruzen," said Danzo with a rare, tight-lipped smile.
"I will also assign some of my own people to escort Jiraiya," Hiruzen added.
Unseen by anyone in the room, three invisble human watched from the shadows—Hashirama, Tobirama, and Mikoto. They could not be seen nor heard, but they saw everything.
Their fury simmered.
Would Uzushiogakure be destroyed by these two men who once called themselves the students of the hokage?
---Uzushiogakure Trap---
That day Mito learned that Jiraiya had been summoned by the Hokage and was being assigned to travel to Uzushiogakure.
Before leaving, Jiraiya dropped by to see her.
"Do you want me to buy anything in Uzushiogakure, Mito-sama?" Jiraiya asked casually, standing in the entrance of the Senju residence.
"No need," Mito replied with a small shake of her head. "But before you go, I want you to come here tomorrow morning. I'll prepare a package. Please deliver it to my father, the Uzukage."
"Alright," said Jiraiya with a nod, then turned and left the residence.
Once he was gone, Mito moved quickly. She activated the protective seals placed around her house, a complex barrier crafted personally by Setsuna. The seal was powerful enough to repel even the likes of White Zetsu and was invisible to shinobi.
Then, she pulled out a slim, modern-looking phone a gift from Setsuna, which allowed direct communication across vast distances and dialed his number.
"Hello?" came the voice on the other end.
"Setsuna, Jiraiya will arrive in Uzushiogakure tomorrow."
"Is this an order from the Hokage?"
"Yes. He'll be accompanied by a group of Anbu."
"Good. Then I'll prepare my part," Setsuna replied.
"Nice," said Mito, and with that, the call disconnected.
After ending the call, a smirk spread across Mito face. Her eyes sharpened, and for a moment, she looked terrifying.
---Jiraiya---
"It will take around thirty minutes before we reach Uzushiogakure," one of the Anbu said.
"Good," Jiraiya replied, a small smile on his lips. He had matured noticeably since Tsunade's marriage and seemed more thoughtful these days.
"Jiraiya-sama, do you have the sealing jutsu that allows access to Uzushiogakure?" another Anbu asked, trying to sound casual.
"Yeah, I've got it right here," said Jiraiya as he pulled out a scroll. "Got it during one of the training sessions."
"Did Mito-sama teach you?" the Anbu continued the friendly tone.
"Yeah. And not just this one. She taught me a lot more," Jiraiya said, as he handed over the scroll.
The Anbu studied the seal diagram carefully, trying to memorize it in under ten seconds. He then pointed to a section and asked, "What does this part mean?"
"Oh, that part? It's the trigger for water chakra. You activate this sequence first, then adjust the flow here," Jiraiya explained without hesitation.
At this point in time, Jiraiya was still innocent of Konoha's darker politics. He had not yet been consumed by doubt or suspicion. He believed in his village and saw no harm in helping fellow shinobi to study and Mito sama never tell him not to teach it to others.
There are areound Ten Anbu surrounded him, quietly memorized the entire diagram and also his explanation.
"Thank you, Jiraiya-sama," they said in unison. "We're not specialists in fuinjutsu, so your knowledge is incredibly helpful."
"Don't mention it," Jiraiya said with a grin, unaware of the hidden motives behind their gratitude.
Author Notes: There are 30 advanced chapter, feel free to visit my patreon.
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...Latest Chapter 216: Epilogue + Final Ending...