"Minato, my dearest student, how is your body doing?"
The concerned words were strangely mixed with a frivolous tone. When Minato in the bedroom looked up, he saw a white-haired man clinging to his window like a thief, rudely barging into his field of vision.
"Jiraiya-sensei..."
"You could have used the front door."
A rather helpless expression appeared on Minato's gentle face.
"Hehehe, I was just in a hurry! The moment I returned to the village, your sensei came to see you first thing. Next time I'll use the front door, next time for sure!"
Jiraiya laughed heartily, completely unconcerned.
Minato: "..."
Konoha's Yellow Flash, renowned across the Ninja World, was clearly quite helpless against his teacher's nonsensical personality.
With a bitter smile, he could only shake his head, get up, open the window, and let his white-haired teacher in.
"Minato, it seems you've recovered well!"
Jiraiya carefully examined his student a few times before saying with relief: "I thought Yuki Sora's attack might have caused some internal injury, but it looks like you're in good condition. Truly worthy of being the Toad Sage's disciple!"
"Even if I survived, I still lost in the end."
Minato, however, shook his head with a somber expression: "Jiraiya-sensei, how is the situation at the front lines now? If even you have time to return to the village, the situation should be relatively stable, right? In that case..."
"Has something happened to Kirigakure's Yuki Sora?"
From Minato's perspective, if the commander of Konoha's front lines, Jiraiya, had time to return to the village for reporting, it likely meant the frontline pressure wasn't great. He wondered if Yuki Sora had withdrawn.
"It's a pretty big problem too!"
Hearing this, Jiraiya's expression also turned serious as he said gravely: "Minato, you probably already know that Elder Danzo was killed by Yuki Sora. But before that, another incident occurred. Because its impact was also significant, the old man has been suppressing it, classifying it as top secret."
"Top secret?"
A look of interest appeared on Minato's face: "Is it related to Yuki Sora?"
"You could say that!"
Jiraiya nodded, then said in a somewhat complex tone: "Before Yuki Sora killed Danzo, he also engaged in a fierce battle with the Uchiha Clan. The process is unknown, but the result was that Uchiha Fugaku was severely injured and fell into a coma, while Yuki Sora was repelled. According to intelligence analysis, Uchiha Fugaku likely awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, and..."
"Could even use a massive Susanoo reminiscent of Uchiha Madara's!"
Suddenly,
Just that simple sentence made Minato's body tense up abruptly, his eyes showing shock: "Mangekyo Sharingan? Susanoo?"
As a high-ranking member of Konoha, Minato was privy to many classified pieces of intelligence. For instance, Madara, who once rivaled Hashirama, and the Mangekyo Sharingan and Susanoo capable of opposing Wood Release!!!
Now...
'Has such powerful power awakened in Fugaku as well!??'
"Yes, correct."
Jiraiya nodded: "A Susanoo as massive as the Nine-Tails appeared. Not only Kushina, but many of the village's Jonin saw it. So, as hard as it is to believe, Uchiha Fugaku did indeed suddenly acquire the power to repel Yuki Sora. That is the might belonging to the Uchiha Clan."
"In short..."
"Things have become very troublesome. Fugaku's Mangekyo is a mixed blessing for the village. I estimate the old man is racking his brains right now over how to handle this matter!"
The Uchiha Clan, nominally the strongest clan in the Ninja World, coupled with their status as a founding clan of Konoha, had always made Konoha's higher-ups quite wary.
From the era of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama until now, the late period of the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, Konoha's leadership had never relaxed their vigilance against the Uchiha Clan.
Now…
The Uchiha have produced another Mangekyo user capable of 'repelling' Kirigakure's Yuki Sora.
This makes Konoha's leadership, represented by the Third Hokage, feel as if they have a bone stuck in their throat, unable to eat or sleep in peace.
In fact,
Even before the injured Fugaku woke up, the surveillance forces targeting the Uchiha Clan had tripled compared to normal.
Coupled with Danzo's unexpected death, it made Konoha's leadership even more apprehensive, fearing further complications from the Uchiha side.
For the Third Hokage's faction, a controllable Uchiha was a good Uchiha. But when the Uchiha's power exceeded a certain limit, the situation became quite awkward.
Jiraiya, recognizing this, hurried back to Konoha as soon as the frontline situation stabilized slightly, fearing some unforeseen event might occur in the village.
Uchiha Madara...
That name was a forbidden taboo for Konoha's leadership. Everyone was worried whether a second Madara might truly emerge from the Uchiha.
"Uchiha Fugaku…"
"Mangekyo…"
Minato frowned. He felt the matter wasn't that simple, 'Even with the power of the Mangekyo, could one truly be a match for that monster Yuki Sora?'
'Was it really possible for a single Uchiha to repel Yuki Sora?'
However.
Just as both men in the room wore pensive, thoughtful expressions, an Anbu's member wearing an animal mask suddenly appeared outside the cottage window.
"Jiraiya-sama, Minato-sama! The Hokage-sama needs to see you urgently on important business!"
The Anbu's voice was anxious, indicating something significant must have happened.
"Understood."
Exchanging a glance, Minato and Jiraiya both saw the gravity in each other's eyes.
Without further delay, they quickly followed the Anbu, heading straight for the Hokage Building.
A short while later,
Hokage's Office.
Jiraiya wore an expression of considerable shock and surprise: "Old man, are you saying that monster Yuki Sora has officially become the Fourth Mizukage!??"
"Yes."
Hiruzen also said with a complex look in his eyes: "The Land of Water's Daimyo's attendant has announced this news to the great nations. According to reliable intelligence, Kirigakure's Third Mizukage was allegedly controlled by Uchiha Madara's Genjutsu. He summoned the Six-Tails, which was also controlled by the Sharingan, intending to destroy Kirigakure. However, Yuki Sora single-handedly suppressed it. In this battle, both the Third Mizukage and the Six-Tails were killed."
"Uchiha... Madara?"
Jiraiya frowned, finding it hard to believe that this man, already consigned to history, had reappeared in the real world.
If Madara were still alive, it would be a very surreal story for anyone involved.
Minato, on the other hand, remained composed and expressionless. He seemed to have anticipated this somewhat.
But seeing the incredulous expressions on the faces of Jiraiya, Koharu, and Homura present, Minato hesitated for a moment before also allowing a look of considerable shock to appear on his face.
As if...
He knew nothing about it.
And in a place no one could see, the golden curse mark in Minato's brain was emitting a strange fluctuation, disturbing the Chakra Flow in his brain and throughout his entire body.
Clearly, the state of affairs was, imperceptibly, undergoing some subtle changes.