Chapter 62: Tale as old as Time

"I want to know who attacked Minato Namikaze and released the Nine-Tails. That information isn't difficult to provide, but what can you accomplish with it even if I tell you the truth?" Shin relaxed his stance slightly, eyeing Jiraiya. "It's doubtful Konoha would support any vengeance you might seek."

"So you do know something," Jiraiya replied, his voice carrying a sharp edge. "Seems like I'll have to take you down to get what I need."

"Take me down?" Shin raised an eyebrow, amused. "With just your half-baked Sage Mode? Don't flatter yourself."

Jiraiya's expression flitted at Shin's words, but before he could respond, Shin continued. "But it doesn't matter. Since you want answers, I'll give you the truth."

"Huh?" Jiraiya looked momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected Shin to be so open. When he set out, he was prepared to give his life in battle; Shin's devastating display in Konoha had left him with little doubt about the outcome of their encounter.

Danzo's entire Root division had been obliterated, and only with the help of secret techniques had he managed to flee. The Third Hokage and Konoha's elite Jonin had been thoroughly suppressed. Even the Uchiha clan head, wielding the Mangekyō Sharingan, was no match.

Given this record, Jiraiya knew that even his Sage Mode might fall short against Shin. The dark techniques Shin wielded, seemingly melding attack and defense into an otherworldly force, were terrifying. They rivaled, perhaps even surpassed, the power of Dust Release, and Jiraiya had no clear counter for them.

If not for the tragic loss of Minato, his apprentice, Jiraiya, would have hesitated to confront Shin without better odds. But this was personal.

"It's nothing surprising—I genuinely admire your character," Shin said casually. Among the shinobi he'd encountered, Jiraiya stood out as one without a hidden agenda, an idealist, albeit with a hint of naivety.

Shin despised the darker aspects of shinobi life, but that didn't mean he resented every shinobi.

Jiraiya let out a dry laugh. "Admire my character, huh? Coming from you, that's rich."

"Why wouldn't I?" Shin replied evenly. "Just because I attacked Konoha?"

"Isn't that enough—attacking a village without provocation and stealing its secret techniques?" Jiraiya frowned, questioning Shin's motives.

"Heh. It's not like Konoha—or any other village—hasn't done similar things. Why is it 'terrorism' when I do it, but 'it's for the greater good of Konoha' when they do?" Shin smirked.

Jiraiya's frown deepened. "So... you disagree with the current system?"

"Are you satisfied with a system that sends children into battle?" Shin countered. "If you were, would you still be roaming the world searching for some 'Child of Prophecy'?"

Jiraiya fell silent, momentarily thrown. He couldn't deny it. The state of the shinobi world and its impact on young lives had always troubled him. That was why he'd stayed away from Konoha for so long. The position of Hokage was his for the taking, yet he chose to distance himself from its politics and moral compromises.

"Fine. I'm not here to debate philosophy." Jiraiya's voice grew steadier. "You just said you'd tell me who released the Nine-Tails."

Shin inclined his head. "The culprit was Uchiha Obito."

Jiraiya's face turned blank with confusion. "Uchiha... Obito? The name sounds familiar, but..."

"He's your disciple's disciple—your 'grand-disciple,' if you will," Shin replied, exasperated. "You may not remember, but Uchiha Obito was in Minato's team."

Jiraiya was silent, his expression clouded with disbelief. "You mean that kid with the goggles? The one who was always late? I thought he died... You're not joking, are you?"

Obito hadn't exactly been remarkable before unlocking his Mangekyō Sharingan. Unlike his teammate Kakashi, he was far from a prodigy in everyone's eyes.

True, Obito's talent was solid; he was in the elite class and had become a Chunin by age twelve, a notable achievement among the Uchiha. But his easygoing nature and carefree attitude had earned him the label of "class clown."

But to imagine that boy, supposedly crushed under a boulder, had somehow become powerful enough to kill Minato Namikaze and release the Nine-Tails? Even as a novelist, Jiraiya would never have crafted such an implausible storyline.

"Let's go back to the beginning," Shin said, noticing Jiraiya's skepticism. "After Obito was crushed, he didn't die. You could check for yourself; his body isn't there."

Jiraiya blinked, then frowned. "So, what happened next?"

"Uchiha Madara discovered him," Shin replied, his words landing like bombshells.

"Wait, Uchiha Madara?" Jiraiya looked incredulous. "Are you serious?"

"Do you want to hear this story, or do you want to keep interrupting?"

"Sorry, go on," Jiraiya muttered.

"As I was saying," Shin continued, "Madara found Obito and took him to his base, repairing his body using 'White Zetsu" a creature created from the Hashirama's cells."

"White Zetsu? Created from Hashirama's cells?" Jiraiya looked baffled but held his tongue.

"I'll explain from the beginning then," Shin sighed. "Let's start with the Sage of Six Paths."

"The Sage of Six Paths?" Jiraiya interjected again, struggling to keep up with Shin's shocking revelations.

"The Sage truly existed. If you don't believe me, ask the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku."

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed, but he decided to let Shin continue.

"It is said that the Sage of Six Paths had two sons, Indra and Asura. Their spirits were reincarnated repeatedly, perpetuating a cycle of conflict..."

"The latest reincarnations were Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha..."

"And then there's the altered stone tablet, the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan..."

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