Chapter 33

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Jiraiya led the three of them up the mountain.

The trees, bare from the winter, left the mountain looking desolate, with the entire peak visible at a glance.

There were no signs of human activity, let alone any signs of habitation.

The three behind Jiraiya remained silent, still processing Jin's words, which had deeply impacted both Kushina and Minato.

They continued their ascent until they were halfway up the mountain.

Jin suddenly felt disoriented, as if the scenery around him had shifted, revealing numerous tents and Konoha ninja clad in green vests moving about.

He quickly realized what this was.

"A genjutsu barrier."

A fusion of sealing techniques and genjutsu, capable of distorting everyone's vision to make this place appear invisible and achieve a hidden effect.

This type of barrier couldn't be created by just one person; it required multiple jonin working together.

Quite the elaborate setup.

As they entered the outpost, the passing ninja who saw Jiraiya immediately blew a sharp whistle.

"Whistle!!"

The sound, akin to a bird's call, spread outward.

Everyone in the outpost heard it clearly.

In an instant, all the ninja stopped what they were doing and quickly rushed toward Jiraiya.

A flurry of smoke arose as more ninja appeared.

The next moment, all the ninja in sight knelt down on one knee before Jiraiya, showing utmost respect.

"Greetings, Jiraiya-sama!"

Their voices merged like crashing waves, shaking the very core of those present.

"Thank you for your hard work," Jiraiya replied, his brow furrowed. He waved his hand, and all the ninja returned to their tasks, with many using the Body Flicker Technique to leave.

Now, Jiraiya effectively held control over this outpost.

Jin was surprised; he hadn't expected Jiraiya to command such authority.

This atmosphere was something he had never seen within the village.

Or perhaps this was more fitting for someone of Jiraiya's status—an elite jonin, a student of the Third Hokage.

Seeing the three younger ones looking somewhat overwhelmed, Jiraiya explained,

"I'm the commanding officer here. The hierarchy must be strictly followed."

The primary purpose of this outpost was to monitor the movements of incoming ninja. In critical moments, it would serve as the first line of defense against enemy villages.

Nothing could be done carelessly here; even a single mistake could have severe consequences. Naturally, this led to the strict regulations that characterized the outpost.

Seeing that the three were starting to grasp the situation, Jiraiya continued, "From now on, I won't be able to accompany you all the time. The tasks assigned to you will require you to act on your own."

He needed to oversee the bigger picture here. Normally, outposts like this operated independently, but the presence of an elite jonin signified the possibility of a large-scale conflict.

The upcoming tasks would not be simple.

"Jin and Minato, you can leave for now. Kushina, stay behind."

Jin and Minato nodded in response, "Understood."

With a swift motion, they used Soru and disappeared from sight.

"Kushina, come with me." Jiraiya observed Kushina's still serious expression, indicating that she hadn't fully processed what had happened.

He led Kushina into the central tent.

If Jiraiya had to evaluate it, Jin's words were accurate, but that didn't mean he fully agreed with them.

If it were Orochimaru, he would likely agree wholeheartedly with Jin's perspective.

However, Jiraiya believed that such a mindset was not suited for someone who aspired to be Hokage.

Although he himself had little desire to become Hokage.

Unlike the current Team 7, in his own team, the one most eager to become Hokage had been the quiet and brilliant Orochimaru.

While ninja were indeed born of darkness, a Hokage needed to be a beacon of light for everyone.

He didn't believe that someone with the mindset of Orochimaru or Jin could become Hokage.

Still, it wasn't his place to judge them.

"As long as you stay true to your heart, anyone can become strong."

"Jiraiya-sensei." As she entered the tent, Kushina looked up at Jiraiya, who had now softened his expression into a gentle smile.

Just like Minato.

Kushina's face also broke into a smile.

"I won't let a few words from that insufferable Uchiha get me down. I'm going to be the woman who becomes Hokage!!"

"I believe in you."

Jiraiya encouraged Kushina.

Each of them had their own unique qualities—Kushina's passion, Minato's gentleness, and...

Jin's darkness.

Jiraiya had long sensed a certain darkness within Jin that he couldn't quite understand.

Could he be the so-called "Child of Darkness"?

Jiraiya wasn't sure and didn't know what to do about it.

After all, the Child of Darkness wasn't necessarily destined for destruction. The scene that the Great Toad Sage spoke of depicted eternal conflict, but those ninja who were like gods…

Even Jiraiya couldn't help but feel stirred by the thought.

So he honestly wasn't sure how to proceed.

Collecting his thoughts, Jiraiya resumed his serious demeanor, as there was important business to discuss.

"Kushina, as a genin, from now on, without my direct order, you are not to use the power of the Nine-Tails, unless your life is in danger."

If word got out that the Nine-Tails was present here, Iwagakure would undoubtedly attack, without needing any further reconnaissance.

"Understood!" Kushina kneeled, accepting the order.

She clearly understood the gravity of the situation.

As they entered the outpost, a young boy with pale eyes greeted them.

He appeared to be three or four years older than Jin.

A member of the Hyuga clan.

The boy glanced at the two of them, his gaze lingering on Jin, without attempting to hide his intent.

"Have I offended you in some way?"

Jin straightforwardly asked, finding it too troublesome to guess the boy's intentions. If the boy was here to cause trouble, they would see whose fists were stronger.

The boy's behavior didn't suggest any goodwill.

The Hyuga boy stared at Jin as if he were prey.

Just as Jin was about to lose patience and strike, the boy finally spoke.

"My name is Hyuga Hizashi."

That name…

Jin scrutinized the boy before him. Wasn't this the future victim sacrificed by both the village and the Hyuga clan—the father of Neji?

He hadn't expected to encounter him here.

Jin's scrutinizing gaze made Hizashi uncomfortable, as if he were being looked at like a dead man, which irked him greatly.

"I am also known as a genius of the Hyuga clan. Let's have a match sometime."

Hizashi's eyes burned with fighting spirit as he looked at Jin.

For the past few months, he had heard Uchiha Jin's name so often that it had become a thorn in his side.

Now that the person was right in front of him.

Naturally, he wanted to test his skills.

After all, the Uchiha and Hyuga clans had always vied for the position of Konoha's top clan.

Jin finally understood.

The Uchiha and Hyuga clans had always been at odds.

But back in the Academy, Jin had been considered a failure, so the Hyuga clan hadn't targeted him. His fame only rose after becoming a ninja.

Even then, after he had cursed out the elders in his clan, no other Uchiha had approached him since.

As for the duel in front of him…

"Next time, for sure."

Jin wasn't yet familiar with the situation here and didn't want to spar with anyone just yet.

Hizashi didn't press the issue and simply nodded before briefing them on the outpost.

"You've just arrived, and since you're Jiraiya-sama's students, you can rest for a day. Tomorrow, a reconnaissance mission will be assigned to you."

"Completing missions will earn you battle merits, which you can exchange in the central tent for various ninja tools and herbs, or trade with Jiraiya-sama for ninjutsu."

After Hizashi finished speaking, Jin couldn't help but ask.

"By the way, why aren't there any buildings here, just tents?"

"The outpost needs to relocate periodically, and tents are easier to move."

Hizashi explained to them.

"I see."

Hizashi wasn't one for small talk, and after finding tents for the two of them to stay in, he left.

Once Kushina arrived, each of the three had their own tent to rest in.

The journey had left them all exhausted.

It was a good time to get some rest.

The noise outside wasn't loud, but when combined, it resembled the buzzing of mosquitoes, irritating to the ears.

Jin, now fully dressed, stepped out of his tent.

The morning sun shone down from the sky, making it feel blinding as it hit his face.

Ninja were constantly coming and going from the outpost; a team of ninja wouldn't stay in the outpost for more than a day.

He reunited with Kushina and Minato.

Both of them looked much better than they had the day before.

However, when Kushina saw Jin, she huffed and turned her head away.

Minato offered an awkward smile.

Jin shrugged indifferently.

A slight rift had formed between the three of them.

It wasn't enough to drive them apart, but their differing ideals were bound to lead to conflict.

Such things were common in the ninja world, much like how Hiruzen and Danzo had differing philosophies, yet still worked together to undermine the Uchiha.

The three of them walked to the mission point, which consisted of a tent and some personnel assigned to distribute missions.

These personnel weren't ninja; they were ordinary people whose main job was to record and relay tasks.

Even though they weren't ninja, no one dared to underestimate them.

Their taijutsu skills were not weak; they just couldn't extract chakra.

Most of them were members of the ninja clans from the village.

"Team 7?" A man dressed in white, wearing glasses, and with an air of wealth looked at the three of them.

Being Jiraiya's team, they naturally attracted attention.

The man's face creased into a smile, his cheeks jiggling slightly.

"Your mission is to scout this village. It's been reported that rogue ninja might be in the area, but previous scouting teams haven't found anything unusual."

Since they were Jiraiya's students, he could afford to give them a relatively easy task.

He placed a map and a mission scroll on the table.

This mission was considered extremely safe, as the outpost had already scouted the area multiple times.

The village in question was located in a crucial area where the outpost would relocate, so it had to be thoroughly checked.

Minato took the map and mission scroll. In Jiraiya's absence, he was the captain of the team.

Captains weren't chosen based on strength alone but on their overall abilities and their capacity to effectively lead a team.

If Jin or Kushina were captains, the other would likely question whether their orders would be carried out properly.

"The mission has been registered. I'll leave it in your capable hands."

(End of Chapter)