Taking advantage of his time out on a mission, Jiraiya enjoyed himself thoroughly on his way back.
As he walked with slightly unsteady steps, burping from the alcohol, and climbed over the wall into Konoha, it was just at the break of dawn, the sun barely rising.
"Yawn... I wonder if the village will ease up on some of the restrictions now that that annoying little kid isn't around..."
Jiraiya muttered to himself, planning to go home and get some much-needed sleep.
The climate of the Land of Snow was still too harsh, which had kept him from resting well during this period.
The only time he could feel any peace was when lying on the young lady's lap.
Too bad, though, there were no red-light districts left in Konoha anymore, and if he wanted to have some fun, he'd have to head to the nearest town.
He had heard that Tsunade sneaked out every night to gamble and spend money at the casino.
Of course, the price she paid for this was that every morning, the commander of the medical unit would show up looking exhausted.
All the important tasks had been left to Shizune and Rin.
"Tch, that Tsunade, her gambling luck is so bad, yet she insists on going to give away her money. The inheritance left to her by the Senju clan is almost entirely under the name of the Shimura family..."
Just as Jiraiya was turning toward his house, a figure appeared right in front of him on the road.
Black hair, pale skin, and holding various snacks...
Tch, looks like I've run into a more troublesome person.
Jiraiya cleared his throat and quickly moved toward another street.
But just as he rounded the corner, relieved that the other person hadn't noticed him, he found Uchiha Hikari, who had been on a different street just moments ago, now walking down the street he had just entered, approaching him at a leisurely pace.
Is she coming for me?
Jiraiya thought to himself, sensing trouble. However, he couldn't keep hiding, so he steeled himself and walked straight ahead to meet her.
"I say..."
When they were less than ten meters apart, Jiraiya stopped and turned slightly to the side, preparing to let her pass.
But Uchiha Hikari also stopped and shoved a squid skewer into her mouth, taking a large bite while coolly examining Jiraiya with her indifferent gaze.
"Uh... If you're not planning to pass, I'll go ahead..."
Seeing that Uchiha Hikari didn't speak, Jiraiya awkwardly chuckled and was about to step around her.
However, Uchiha Hikari also took a step to the left, blocking his way.
Playing this game, huh...
Jiraiya felt like tearing his hair out in frustration.
He had seen Uchiha Hikari's combat abilities, and although he was confident he could defeat her, the fact remained that she was still a Konoha ninja—even if she wasn't wearing the village's forehead protector.
"Ahem, well, the Fifth Hokage will be back soon..."
Jiraiya glanced around, confirming that no one else was nearby, and then quietly shared a hint about the whereabouts of Fūka.
"Did I ask you?"
Uchiha Hikari devoured the last of the grilled squid, then threw the bamboo skewer toward a nearby trash can with a sharp flick of her wrist.
The skewer, seemingly fragile, pierced the metal trash can clean through, making Jiraiya flinch at the sight.
Hey, that's public property damage, right? This must be public property damage. Where are the police force when you need them? The Uchiha kid is out here breaking things—where are you all?!
Jiraiya knew that if he didn't give some information today, Uchiha Hikari wouldn't let him off. And since she had always served a bodyguard-like role, she probably wouldn't leak information about the Fifth Hokage's location.
So, Jiraiya took another quick look around, confirming there was no one else nearby. He then stepped closer and quietly revealed whereabouts.
"That kid is currently learning sage techniques on Myōboku."
Uchiha Hikari raised her eyes to look at Jiraiya, her black pupils betraying no emotion.
"What does his whereabouts have to do with me?"
Her voice was cold and indifferent.
If it doesn't concern you, then why are you blocking my way?!
Jiraiya couldn't help but rub his forehead. He had already said everything he needed to, so the rest wasn't his problem.
"I've heard that Myōboku is known for its great food. I'm thinking of going to try it out."
As Jiraiya prepared to sidestep and leave, Uchiha Hikari grabbed a skewer of dango and blocked his path.
"When has Myōboku ever been known for good food?!"
Recalling the time he spent at Myōboku, Jiraiya's face darkened.
And your intentions are too obvious!
"No, Myōboku welcomes those destined to come."
Jiraiya didn't hesitate and immediately rejected her.
While he didn't discriminate against Uchiha clan members, sending someone like her, a former war weapon, into the mountain would be irresponsible to the sages living there.
"I said, I want to try the food."
Uchiha Hikari's originally black pupils began to change. First, the three tomoe Sharingan appeared, followed by the pattern of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
This guy...
Jiraiya's expression also turned grim.
Her behavior confirmed one thing for him—this girl in front of him had not yet accepted him as a Konoha comrade.
The murderous intent emanating from her was incredibly real, sending a chill down Jiraiya's spine.
No wonder that old Danzo feared the Uchiha clan so much—those with Mangekyō Sharingan are indeed frighteningly powerful, and their mental state is...
Just as Jiraiya was about to criticize the holders of Mangekyō Sharingan for being overly emotional lunatics, a foolish face flashed into his mind.
Fine, excluding Obito, the others are...
Then came the face of Fugaku.
One fool, one washed-up fish.
The two Mangekyō Sharingan holders were in stark contrast to the girl in front of him.
Has the gap between modern Uchiha and ancient Uchiha grown this large?
"Are you really going to make a move against me? I'm a comrade of the village," Jiraiya decided to test the waters with the girl.
Hearing Jiraiya's words, Uchiha Hikari furrowed her brows and bit down on another dango, chewing it slowly.
The only sound in the air was the sound of her chewing.
As the chewing grew louder, Jiraiya's pupils contracted, his hair standing on end as he horrifiedly watched red chakra slowly manifest around her.
Susanoo? Is this girl really going to attack me?!
Damn Takeshi, why didn't you bring this ticking time bomb with you when you left?!
Takeshi: "I said I forgot. Do you believe me?"
What Jiraiya didn't know was that Takeshi had been in such a rush when leaving that he had indeed forgotten to bring Uchiha Hikari along.
Moreover, he didn't think there was any enemy in the Land of Snow that the two of them couldn't handle. Even if they couldn't win, he could always use the Flying Thunder God Technique to escape.
This led to the fact that, on the day of the mission departure, Uchiha Hikari, who had slept in until morning, only learned from Takeshi during breakfast that Takeshi had secretly led a team to the Land of Snow.