"Still, Jiraiya… even with all that talent, wasn't this a bit excessive? Kakashi still needs rest."
"If it were just a Rasengan, I wouldn't have reacted this way," Hiruzen said doubtfully.
Jiraiya sighed, his expression growing noticeably serious.
"And he even analyzed that guy from last night… that gave me a new idea."
Jiraiya then recounted everything that had happened earlier.
He clearly laid out the information—how he had briefly summarized Kakashi's past and how Kitagawa Gen had used just that to produce a thorough analysis.
"Even if the logic isn't airtight, I think it's worth considering. If he's right…"
"Then this Uchiha Obito is extremely dangerous. And so is that organization—especially if they've even mastered Wood Release…"
Hiruzen furrowed his brow as he added to the discussion. A chill ran down his spine.
Although Gen's deductions were still full of gaps, they did explain quite a few lingering questions.
But Hiruzen couldn't help casting a worried glance at Kakashi. He understood the nature of the Uchiha clan all too well.
They were deeply obsessive—if Gen was right, things could get very messy…
"Kakashi."
"Hokage-sama, I'm fine."
Kakashi's voice sounded slightly subdued. He knew exactly why Jiraiya had come all this way to talk things out.
But he quickly shook his head and spoke again, this time with solemn conviction.
"Whether it's true or not, I've long accepted one thing: if he really is Obito… then he's done things that can't be forgiven."
"Whether it's the devastation of the Nine-Tails Night… or what happened to Sensei and the others—you don't need to worry about me."
Kakashi was still Kakashi.
Even though this hit him hard, he remained composed.
After all, in the Fourth Great Ninja War, he didn't hesitate—when the time came, he drove Chidori straight through Obito's heart.
And when Obito was on the verge of death, it was Kakashi who moved to finish the job—only to be stopped by the Fourth Hokage.
Back then, he had Naruto to help awaken his heart.
But now? Gen played that same role.
To him, Gen was truly a new beginning.
Seeing a fallen comrade come back from the dead—yes, that was something to be happy about.
But seeing a comrade fall down a dark path—that was what truly brought him sorrow.
Still, none of this would overwhelm him. Instead, it filled his heart with clarity… and determination.
He now had a clear goal: to uncover the truth behind everything.
To find out what had happened to Obito—and who had turned him into this.
"The most important thing right now is a proper investigation. Whether it's that suspected Obito… or the organization behind him—we need to get to the bottom of it."
"Exactly. We won't slack off on this."
Seeing Kakashi like this, Hiruzen finally smiled. He looked at him with genuine warmth.
"I'm glad to see you've pulled yourself together, Kakashi."
"No matter what that man is thinking—what really matters is the Uchiha Obito we know. The one who lives in our memories… and in your left eye."
"I understand."
Kakashi gently touched his left eye, then nodded.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama."
"Alright, that's enough serious talk."
Jiraiya interjected from the side, his tone returning to its usual nonchalance.
"Anyway, didn't you already hand this matter off to Danzō? Just keep pressing him."
"Let's talk about that kid instead. How are we supposed to train him? He's learning way too fast."
"Kitagawa Gen, you mean?"
Hiruzen frowned slightly. After a brief moment of thought, he seemed to come to a decision.
"All right, I'll hand over the Flying Thunder God Technique to you—you'll teach it to him."
"Huh?!"
Jiraiya froze, pointing at himself in disbelief.
"Me?!"
"Yes. Kakashi's in no condition right now, and Guy is better suited for taijutsu. So that leaves you."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, old man—I don't even know how to use that jutsu!"
"Then give it a try. You're good at training disciples, aren't you?"
"Don't push it, old man! Why don't you teach him? Aren't you supposed to be the strongest Hokage?"
"..."
Hiruzen's breath hitched. He barely restrained himself from smashing his pipe over Jiraiya's head.
He glanced at Kakashi, who had quickly turned away and pretended to be asleep.
Taking a deep breath, Hiruzen growled—
"...Jiraiya."
"Hmm?"
"Shut up."
"..."
...
"So you're handing it to me, even though you can't use it yourself?"
The next day, in the central training field of Konohagakure.
Kitagawa Gen mimicked Kakashi's infamous dead-fish eyes as he stared at Jiraiya, who looked rather embarrassed.
Truth be told, Jiraiya hadn't wanted to take this job at all. But the old man had dumped the task on him and then simply washed his hands of it.
He'd called it something noble—"I need to focus my energy on Konoha."
Jiraiya had no choice. No matter how much he grumbled 'that old man, that old man' at Sarutobi Hiruzen, when something needed to be done, he always stepped up.
Scratching his head full of white hair, he gave a few awkward chuckles, trying to lighten the mood before finally speaking.
"It's not that big a deal—just give it a try."
"Back when Minato learned this jutsu, I wasn't much help either. But he still managed to master it."
"By the way, Minato was the Fourth Hokage, you know!"
"But this really makes you seem irresponsible," Gen replied with a hint of exasperation.
"You said you'd teach me, and now you're fobbing me off with this? Seriously..."
"Alright, alright! Enough with the complaints."
Jiraiya looked a bit fed up. After thinking it over, he continued.
"Just focus on studying this for now. Whether you manage to learn it or not, I'll teach you some special techniques later."
Special techniques?
Gen raised an eyebrow. The first thing that came to mind was Senjutsu!
The effects of Senjutsu were undeniable. Last time, he had tested it against Uchiha Obito using a Shadow Clone, and the results had been impressive.
If Obito hadn't had the Sharingan and dodged in time, it might've been a clean headshot!
Naturally, he was already thinking of a way to 'whitewash' the origins of his Senjutsu.
But there was still one concern: who knew if the Great Toads of Mount Myōboku would notice something off?
"Thank you, Jiraiya-sama."
After weighing things in his mind, he figured it was better to express gratitude for now.
He definitely didn't want to be confronted later with: Did you even say thank you?
"Do your best, kid," Jiraiya said with a satisfied nod—then sighed.
"This jutsu was created by the Second Hokage. But to this day, only the Second and Fourth have been able to use it properly. As for the rest..."
He shook his head. The other members of the Hokage Guard Platoon weren't even worth mentioning.
Still, he didn't want to put too much pressure on Gen, so he left it at that.
"So don't push yourself too hard. Just do your best."
"Yeah, I got it."
Gen nodded, but as he looked at the scroll in his hands, he couldn't help but feel a bit odd.
Does Jiraiya really think that little of me?
"If there's nothing else, I'll be heading back."
Jiraiya patted Gen on the shoulder, then lowered his voice.
"Study it seriously. Once you're done, the scroll will self-destruct. Don't try to copy it. If you forget something, go talk to the old man. Got it?"
"Yeah."
Gen nodded. He understood the rules well enough.
"By the way, how's Kakashi-sensei doing?"
"Him? He's doing much better—and he's way more clear-headed than I am."
At the mention of Kakashi, Jiraiya gave a self-deprecating shake of his head.
"But every generation surpasses the last, right? Anyway, this immortal sage is off!"
With a casual wave, Jiraiya turned and strode away.
Gen carefully tucked the scroll away, muttering to himself, "Looks like delivering information this way isn't enough to complete the mission. I need to work harder."
Trying to relay Uchiha Obito's condition through others had been an attempt, but—
Unfortunately, the system didn't acknowledge it. Or maybe Kakashi simply needed to confirm it himself.
Which made sense. No one would accept something like that without verifying it firsthand.
"Whatever. I should just focus on studying this jutsu. It's a space-time technique, after all!"
Space-time jutsu—something no shinobi in their right mind would ever want to miss out on!
To be fair, the Flying Thunder God did have its drawbacks—for instance, requiring pre-placed marks to teleport. And let's face it: truly formidable enemies weren't dumb.
Moreover, true masters have terrifying reaction speeds.
Forget Uchiha Madara during the Fourth Great Ninja War—even Namikaze Minato nearly got countered by Killer Bee while dealing with the Fourth Raikage and his brother.
Even so, this type of jutsu isn't something you choose to use or not use. It's simply a matter of whether you can learn it or not.
"Also, don't the Ōtsutsuki naturally possess space-time abilities?"
As he walked home, Kitagawa Gen carefully recalled what he knew.
Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, of course, needed no mention. Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki had space-time transfer—he didn't use it often, but he definitely had it.
Ōtsutsuki Urashiki wielded Yomotsu Hirasaka and even had a time-reversal jutsu. As for the strongest one, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki—he even kept a Ten-Tails locked away in his personal dimension.
"But are space-time abilities something the Ōtsutsuki develop after reaching a certain level… or are they granted through Kekkei Mōra?"
That part, Gen wasn't sure about. But whichever it was, he had already decided: it was worth trying.