You Are the Leader of Uzushio Village
Upon Naruto's return, Shisui felt a surge of confidence and strode toward Jiraiya's location.
Like Sasori of the Red Sand, he quickly deduced Jiraiya's identity. This was not due to any flaw in Jiraiya's disguise techniques, but rather because elite shinobi were a rare breed in the ninja world—especially those who used their hair as a weapon.
Jiraiya, too, was aware that his cover had been blown, yet he chose not to confirm his identity. With a lighthearted smile, he said, "I'm just a wandering ninja who couldn't ignore a village under attack."
Shisui, despite recognizing Jiraiya immediately, refrained from openly exposing him.
No matter the reason for Uchiha's departure from Konoha, the village would always perceive such an act as defection. A missing-nin and a loyal Konoha shinobi stood on different sides of an unspoken conflict.
"Thank you for your assistance."
"No need for thanks, no need at all…"
Jiraiya scratched his head, glanced around, and asked curiously, "You're a Uchiha from Konoha. Why establish a base in Uzushiogakure? Has Konoha expanded into the Land of Whirlpools?"
At Jiraiya's deliberately naive question, Shisui's expression darkened. "Konoha has ostracized the Uchiha clan for years. Are we not even allowed to leave now? We refuse to let another 'madman' rise among us."
The 'madman' he referred to was none other than Uchiha Itachi.
Jiraiya, well aware of Itachi's infamy, sighed inwardly. Yet, from Konoha's perspective, Uchiha's defection was dangerous, as it set a precedent for other clans to follow.
At that moment, Uchiha Izumi and a few others rushed over, having just eliminated the remaining Orochimaru forces. Spotting Jiraiya, Izumi promptly addressed Shisui.
"Patriarch Shisui, this senior just drove off Orochimaru. Don't forget to pay him. The bounty is 100,000 ryō."
100,000 ryō… Shisui glanced at Jiraiya, his expression complex.
Regardless of Jiraiya's views on the Uchiha, he had driven off Orochimaru, mitigating Uzushio's losses. That, at the very least, earned him the status of a guest in Uzushio.
With this in mind, Shisui smiled. "Honored elder, please visit our village. We will explain why Uchiha chose Uzushio as our home."
Jiraiya nodded. He, too, was curious about Uzushio's current state.
Then, as if remembering something, he added, "Oh, by the way, a Kirigakure team is also assisting Uzushio. They should arrive soon."
As soon as Jiraiya spoke, Naruto and his group appeared.
Shisui instantly recognized Naruto but subtly shifted his gaze to Zabuza, his eyes filled with curiosity.
"Zabuza, why are you here again?"
Recalling his interrogation ordeal, Zabuza quickly responded, "This time, I'm acting under Lord Menma's orders. I bear no ill will toward Uzushio."
Shisui chuckled. "I believe you. Although we've had some… disagreements, your support for Uzushio makes you a guest."
Relieved, Zabuza turned to Haku and Naruto. "I've never met Lord Shisui in person, but his strength surpasses the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. It's an honor to converse with him."
Hearing this, Jiraiya's brows furrowed.
While Uchiha had not allied with Orochimaru, their connection to Kirigakure was undeniable. However, Kirigakure's unusually deferential stance toward Uchiha was perplexing.
Even if Uchiha had bested Kirigakure on the battlefield, such deference seemed excessive.
But Jiraiya failed to notice Naruto toying with mechanical puppet parts. These fragments held strong magnetic properties, even levitating slightly when manipulated.
---
A Few Minutes Earlier
Using Wind Release to disrupt the Kazekage puppet's movements, Naruto dashed toward the fallen puppet. Yet, after searching thoroughly, he found no trace of its core.
Without destroying the core, Sasori could eventually rebuild his puppet army.
Examining the broken fragments, Naruto let them meld with his flesh via chakra, ruling out the possibility that the core had fallen into the sea. Instead, it was likely that Orochimaru had extracted Sasori before the worst could happen.
Dealing with Orochimaru was always a troublesome affair.
While Orochimaru's direct combat prowess was moderate, his escape skills and vast array of jutsu made him a near-impossible target to eliminate permanently. Even in death, his consciousness could revive through a spare vessel.
In essence, Orochimaru was a lesser version of the Ōtsutsuki—an entity with near-immortal vitality.
However, given Sasori's volatile personality, his time with Orochimaru was unlikely to be peaceful.
Not long after Naruto left, a venomous snake slithered into the area, regurgitating Sasori's puppet core.
The core swiftly reconstructed a new puppet body, its mechanical eyes locking onto the serpent.
"Orochimaru, why did you flee? We had a chance back there!"
The snake's eyes gleamed with eerie intelligence. "I saved your life, didn't I? Besides Jiraiya and Shisui, Uzushio has other formidable shinobi. We had no chance of victory."
Sasori scoffed. "Instead of arguing, we should confront Zetsu. He fed us false information to lure us here."
Orochimaru smirked. "Fine, consider this a favor repaid. I'll even gift you a promising recruit. But tell me… why do you think Jiraiya was there?"
"Jiraiya was an anomaly…" Orochimaru admitted, feeling the first twinges of unease.
Had Jiraiya followed him here? Was Uzushio secretly a Konoha outpost? But Hiruzen lacked the boldness, and Danzo would never compromise with Uchiha.
---
Within Uzushio Village
Shisui led Jiraiya, Naruto, and the others to the village office, where they met Uzumaki Homon, Uzushio's second-in-command.
Recognizing Shisui but not Jiraiya, Homon greeted them warmly before explaining Uzushio's history and its vision for the future.
Finally, Homon extended an invitation.
"Jiraiya-sama, would you consider helping us rebuild Uzushio?"
Jiraiya smiled but declined. "I'd love to look around, but I have no plans to settle here—yet."
Though disappointed, Homon understood. A man of Jiraiya's caliber wouldn't pledge allegiance to a small village so easily.
As they left the office and walked through the war-torn streets, Jiraiya suddenly turned to Naruto.
In a hushed voice, he said, "Menma… if my suspicions are correct, you're the real leader of Uzushio, aren't you?"
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