Kakashi's words made Jiraiya freeze mid-motion, his hand holding the sake cup suspended in the air, and he was stunned on the spot.
After a moment, Jiraiya slowly put down his cup. "I thought... I had already found it."
The atmosphere of the gathering took an awkward turn. Kuragami Uchiha silently finished his drink and poured himself another.
"Let's not talk about that anymore. Come on, let's drink."
Kuragami Uchiha took the initiative to break the awkwardness. The three of them, understanding the mood, tacitly avoided the topic for the rest of the evening.
Once they had eaten and drunk their fill, Jiraiya stood up and adjusted his clothing, his face slightly flushed from the alcohol; then he looked at Kuragami Uchiha and said: "Thank you for your hospitality, Clan Head Kuragami. I won't bother you any longer. I've been back for a while now, and I still need to check the situation with the old man."
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With that, Jiraiya walked towards the door. However, just as he opened it, two Uchiha guards standing outside reached out to block his way.
"Clan Head Kuragami, what's this about?" Jiraiya turned back to look at Kuragami Uchiha.
"Jiraiya-sama, according to the village's security regulations, acts of peeping are punishable by at least seven days of detention. If you just leave like this, the Konoha Military Police Force won't be able to explain it to the villagers."
Kuragami Uchiha said calmly. "The Uchiha Clan respects your contributions to the village, but could you also show us a little respect in return?"
"Uh... Clan Head Kuragami, you see, I only just got back, and I really need to report to the old man."
Jiraiya said with a sheepish smile. He knew he was in the wrong, and given that Kuragami Uchiha had treated him with fine food and drink upon recognizing his identity, it was hard for him to take a firm stance now.
"Jiraiya-sama, we ask that you stay here for the next few days. If you have any requests, feel free to ask. The Konoha Military Police Force will do its best to accommodate you; just don't go wandering around; that way, we can give the village a proper explanation."
Hearing this, Jiraiya looked to Kakashi for help, but Kakashi remained expressionless as he said: "Jiraiya-sama, please understand. This village regulation has been in place for a long time."
Jiraiya opened his mouth, wanting to protest that he had never been detained for this before.
But after thinking it over, he decided against saying anything. Even a pervy old man had to maintain some dignity; this was already embarrassing enough.
"Alright, I'll stay here for a few days. Let's just call it a period of focused writing."
Jiraiya sighed, retracting his hand. "But please send word to the third Hokage that I've returned."
"Of course. Thank you for your cooperation, Jiraiya-sama." Kuragami Uchiha nodded, then turned to the two guards outside. "Take good care of Jiraiya-sama."
"Understood." The two guards nodded.
"Well then, Jiraiya-sama, we'll be heading off now. If I don't get back soon, Naruto will probably sneak off to eat ramen again."
Kakashi said, seeing that Jiraiya was willing to comply, nodded and left with Kuragami Uchiha.
"Kakashi..."
As Kakashi walked out the door, Jiraiya's voice suddenly called out from behind.
"Is there something else, Jiraiya-sama?" Kuragami Uchiha turned back and asked.
"... Forget it."
Jiraiya withdrew his hand in frustration. He had originally wanted to ask Kakashi to say hello to Naruto for him, but when he thought about how he should even face Naruto, he abandoned the idea.
After the two left, Jiraiya sighed and lay back down on the bed in his room.
Not long after, inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi received news of Jiraiya's return to the village. However, when he learned that Jiraiya had been caught peeping and was subsequently detained for seven days by the Konoha Military Police Force, his blood pressure instantly skyrocketed.
"That idiot! At a time like this, can't he control himself even a little?!"
Fortunately, it was only seven days, and nothing too serious should come of it.
Hiruzen comforted himself with this thought. He wasn't about to go to the Konoha Military Police Force to bail him out. He was the Hokage, after all; what kind of example would that set if he went to rescue someone who had been caught peeping?
Besides, he was already grateful that Kuragami Uchiha hadn't made a bigger issue out of it.
As Hiruzen fumed over his troublesome student, a weary traveler arrived at the village gates.
After handing over his identification for re-entry, he stepped into the village and immediately headed toward the Uchiha Clan's compound.
This traveler was none other than Itachi Uchiha, who was sent by Fugaku to inspect the Uchiha Clan's business operations in the Land of Fire; he had now returned after completing his mission.
However, concern for both the village and his younger brother had driven him to rush back as quickly as possible.
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Upon his return, Itachi decided to pick out a small gift for his brother, whom he hadn't seen in a while. Yet, as he moved through the village, he quickly sensed that something was off.
The villagers' attitude toward him had changed. Almost everyone who saw him wore an expression of fear.
After a few cautious tests, he realized that the fear wasn't directed at him personally; it was because of the Uchiha Clan emblem stitched onto his clothing.
Even villagers who had been friendly to him before now shrank away upon seeing the Uchiha emblem. This scene made Itachi's heart sink.
He tried asking a few villagers about it, but each time, they responded with evasive expressions, unwilling to say much.
'Did something happen while I was away? Why are the villagers reacting like this to my clan?'
Left with no choice, Itachi found a secluded spot and used the Transformation Jutsu to disguise himself before continuing his investigation.
"Uncle, has something happened in the village recently? Everyone seems a bit off."
Itachi, in disguise, asked a stall owner after selecting a few items.
"You just arrived in the village?" The stall owner glanced at him before asking.
"Yeah, I just moved here from the capital of the Land of Fire yesterday."
Perhaps, seeing that Itachi had bought quite a few things, the stall owner decided to offer some advice. Leaning in close, he lowered his voice and said: "Since you're new here, listen up, you'd better be careful around the Konoha Military Police Force. They're completely unreasonable and even beat people up!"
"They... beat people?" Itachi asked in disbelief.
"That's right! Just a few days ago, they stormed into the streets and started attacking people, all to cover up for a murderer in the village. Lots of folks were badly beaten, and some were even taken away. They haven't been seen since; who knows what kind of torture they're going through now?"
The stall owner sighed. "In this village, you really don't want to mess with them."
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