Just as Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze were discussing how to rescue Kushina, a figure approached from the distance.
"Jiraiya. Minato. I heard you were looking for me..."
Byakuya Uchiha's voice was calm, but his presence radiated sharp intensity.
Minato narrowed his eyes slightly. Jiraiya crossed his arms.
Byakuya's gaze swept over the two men. These weren't ordinary shinobi—they were key figures who shaped the very fate of the shinobi world.
Jiraiya, once a student of the Third Hokage, had roamed the world chasing the Toad Sage's prophecy, ultimately training both Nagato and Naruto—two children of destiny. He died at the hands of Nagato, the very student he once believed in.
Minato, the Fourth Hokage, was a prodigy. Yet in his final moments during the Nine-Tails' attack, no one in the village came to his aid. He died protecting the village, sealing half the beast into himself, the other into his infant son, Naruto—defeated by none other than his former student, Obito Uchiha.
There was a cruel irony in Konoha. Students killing their masters seemed to be a recurring tragedy.
"Uchiha Byakuya," Minato said, stepping forward, "we're here for Kushina."
"Please," Jiraiya added bluntly, "hand her over to us."
Byakuya's eyes narrowed.
"Kushina? That's impossible. She's already one of us—she's with the Uchiha clan now. No one can take her."
He spoke without hesitation. To him, Kushina Uzumaki was no longer just a former Jinchūriki or the wife of the Fourth Hokage—she was a vital asset. The Nine-Tails sealed within her had been stabilized, and through unique Uchiha methods, even influenced.
Every night, Byakuya meditated beside her, drawing out and refining the chakra of the Nine-Tails. Letting her go was out of the question.
Minato's expression changed.
"What have you done to her?"
"I'm going to save Kushina… no matter what it takes."
"Minato, calm down!" Jiraiya held Minato back, shooting him a glance. Then he turned to Byakuya again, speaking with the weight of authority.
"Byakuya, we're here on behalf of the Hokage."
"You Uchiha… you wouldn't dare go against Konoha's leadership, would you?"
Jiraiya invoked the name of his master, Sarutobi Hiruzen—the Third Hokage—believing it would be enough to make the Uchiha yield. After all, according to Hiruzen, the Uchiha had grown increasingly rebellious, and it had taken tremendous effort to keep them in check.
Surely, the Uchiha wouldn't risk open defiance.
But instead of compliance, laughter broke out among the nearby Uchiha.
"Pfft... hahahaha..."
"He really brought up the Hokage? To scare Lord Byakuya?"
"Does he not know? Lord Byakuya beat up the Hokage not long ago."
"Yeah, that old Third? He was humiliated by Lord Byakuya!"
Jiraiya's eyes widened.
"What did you say!?"
"The Hokage was defeated? That's not possible..."
Minato's jaw clenched. Both men looked shaken.
The Third Hokage may have been aging, but he was still formidable. Hearing Uchiha ninjas speak of him with such disdain was deeply unsettling—especially to Jiraiya, who respected his teacher despite their differences.
Byakuya spoke again, now with cold certainty.
"Jiraiya, this is pointless. Since Hiruzen can't even control the Nine-Tails' power, leave it to the Uchiha."
"As for Kushina… she stays with us."
Minato's voice trembled with rage.
"You… you dare defy the Hokage's orders?"
"You've gone too far..."
"You're pushing the Uchiha into rebellion!" Jiraiya shouted, fists clenched.
His fury burned bright—not just for Kushina, but for what the Uchiha were doing to the village's fragile balance.
[Detected intense negative emotion: +100]
[Taijutsu proficiency +8]
[Sage Mode acquired]
Byakuya blinked as a sudden rush of power surged through him. Sage Mode? Absorbed... from Jiraiya?
He could hardly believe it. The legendary Sage Mode of Mount Myōboku—an extremely rare and dangerous form of chakra mastery.
But now, things were different. Byakuya had acquired Sage Mode through training with Jiraiya.
He could now enter Sage Mode at will and draw upon natural energy to use senjutsu chakra.
This newfound power made Byakuya's gaze toward Jiraiya burn with a more intense conviction.
"Jiraiya… it seems you're still just another fool," Byakuya said coldly. "Another one blinded by Sarutobi Hiruzen's false ideals."
His voice was laced with contempt as he looked at Jiraiya.
"What did you say!?" Jiraiya snapped, his usually easygoing demeanor cracking under the insult. "You dare insult me and the old man!?"
Despite his cheerful nature, Jiraiya was one of the Legendary Sannin—no ordinary shinobi, and certainly not someone to be disrespected lightly.
Byakuya narrowed his eyes. "So what? Are you going to make a scene in front of the Uchiha clan?"
The surrounding Uchiha shinobi tensed at Byakuya's words, drawing their blades and leveling them at Jiraiya and Minato without hesitation. Their movements were swift, disciplined—each one prepared to strike at a moment's notice.
"Teacher Jiraiya… what do we do now?" Minato whispered, his grip tightening on his kunai as he surveyed the surrounding Uchiha.
Jiraiya's expression darkened. "Damn it… when did the Uchiha clan fall this far?"
He was deeply unsettled. In the past, he had interacted with Uchiha like Kagami and even young Itachi—proud, yes, but still loyal to the village and the Hokage's authority.
But now? These Uchiha were openly defiant, even hostile.
It was as if they no longer recognized the Hokage's rule—or even cared.
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