My Life as Itachi's Crow

Chapter 138: The Arduous... Arduous Struggle of Konoha's Leadership

The first proper matter for Uchiha Itachi after returning to Konoha was to report to the Defense Department. The mission to the Land of Hot Water was an order from his direct superior, Jiraiya, and the mission report also needed to be submitted to Jiraiya's hands.

The white-haired old man was supervising the daily training of the Defense Department at the training grounds. He had a new guard squad with him; Itachi's former teammates, Hizashi Hyuga and Kakashi Hatake, were nowhere to be seen.

What's going on?

Went on a business trip, and my job is gone when I get back?

"Oh ho, you're finally back."

Jiraiya saw his proud disciple's return and chuckled lightly, "Itachi, how has Tsunade been lately? I have some good news to tell you, you know!"

"This is my mission report. The matter is rather complicated."

The youth handed over a document, scanned the vigilant people around, and asked doubtfully, "Why aren't Senior Hizashi Hyuga and the others here? Teacher, what's going on?"

"They were transferred! Last month they went to the Land of Rivers. After clearing out the rogue ninjas causing harm at the border, they were all transferred away by the old man."

Jiraiya sighed sorrowfully, "This Defense Department place is just a stepping stone for their promotions. In the end, the only ones left here to depend on each other are just us, master and disciple!"

Uchiha Itachi: "..."

"That fellow Kakashi was transferred back to ANBU by the old man to serve as a captain. Intelligence is still quite important."

"That hot-blooded kid was transferred out to form Team Guy. Tsk, the old man is really bold, actually daring to let him go out and stand on his own."

"Hizashi could have originally stayed, but unfortunately, Hiashi has been rather busy lately and requested to have Hizashi transferred out of the Defense Department to be a full-time private tutor, teaching children and such. After all, the Hyuga are a great clan that values inheritance."

Uchiha Itachi: "..."

No matter how you put it, the Uchiha are Konoha's number one great clan. How come the clan head's eldest son doesn't know there's such a position as a private tutor? Isn't it enough for the father to take on the role part-time?

Can't ask. Asking would mean the Uchiha are too poor.

As Jiraiya spoke, he seemed to have thought of something and added, "Speaking of which, it's somewhat related to Fugaku..."

"Related to Dad?" The youth raised his head curiously.

"Recently, the old man implemented a rotation system, and the workload has increased quite a bit. I don't know what Fugaku was thinking, colluding with Hiashi..."

The youth looked at Jiraiya with resentment, "Teacher..."

"Oh oh, that's more or less the meaning. The workload has clearly increased, yet the two of them are still ganging up to exclude Danzo. I don't know what they're thinking..."

Jiraiya looked at the document in his hand, his words gradually trailing off. His brow furrowed from time to time, and would occasionally relax.

The rotation of ninjas from various departments, while ensuring the normal operation of their original departments, was proposed by Danzo and approved by the Third Hokage. It was mainly for the new generation of ninjas in the village to undergo short-term training and quickly adapt to large-scale collective combat.

Lord Danzo's original intention was to transfer in ninjas who weren't fond of the Sharingan clan, to intensify the conflict between the two sides, push the Uchiha out of the Defense Department, and then kick Fugaku out of Konoha's political participation rights. This was a straightforward, open conspiracy.

Fugaku had no reason to disagree.

The problem was, after Fugaku and Hiashi had a drink, the form of struggle in the Defense Department took a sharp turn, and Lord Danzo was isolated.

Every personnel transfer into the Defense Department required the approval of at least two administrative officers. If Danzo had any objections, it had to be submitted to Jiraiya for a decision.

If there were still objections, the Hokage could also be asked to forcibly intervene.

With Jiraiya's temperament, he would definitely throw everything to the Third Hokage; he couldn't be bothered with Danzo's nagging.

Hiruzen Sarutobi checked the personnel transfer applications from the three administrative officers, smoked in Danzo's office for a whole afternoon, and Danzo rarely appeared in the Defense Department after that.

After Jiraiya finished reading his disciple's mission report, his mood was not very smooth, "You encountered Konan and Nagato? That fellow Orochimaru is really insane!"

"Teacher Jiraiya, we didn't encounter Orochimaru..."

The crow on Uchiha Itachi's shoulder was startled awake!

The youth's mission report didn't mention the scientist by a single word, yet the white-haired old man could still connect it to Orochimaru?

Why do you think everything is Orochimaru's doing!

And, the white-haired old man was not without evidence…

Jiraiya slammed a fist on the nearby tree, "The Shape-Shifting Technique you mentioned in your report, Kitahara told you about it, right?"

"This forbidden jutsu must have been researched by him! He has also seen those three little ones before... He must be manipulating Nagato and Konan from behind the scenes! The corpses they left behind were innocent ninjas used as sacrifices, right?"

What he said... did make sense.

For those who didn't know about the Shape-Shifting Technique, after witnessing the strangeness of this jutsu, their first impression would definitely be that Orochimaru did it. Using living people as sacrifices to summon more powerful ninjas, no matter how you looked at it, it had Orochimaru's shadow all over it…

Edo Tensei was more powerful than the Shape-Shifting Technique, and there were too many commonalities between the two. It was estimated that Jiraiya believed the Shape-Shifting Technique was developed by his old friend after researching forbidden jutsus…

No wonder Tsunade's expression was not good at that time. After the battle, she didn't mention Konan and the others much. Perhaps she also believed Orochimaru was the mastermind back then?

"That fellow, after defecting, has become more and more unrestrained!"

Jiraiya rubbed the space between his eyebrows, then looked at his disciple, "I will report this matter to the old man. You did very well."

"But the matter of the Rinnegan, don't let others know for now."

The old man planned to discuss it with Hiruzen Sarutobi later. When he had time, he would go to the Hidden Rain Village to investigate Orochimaru's whereabouts and, incidentally, confirm if his three former disciples were still alive…

However, the disciple before him clearly didn't want to give him a chance to go out... And he proactively brought him a big trouble.

Uchiha Itachi waited for Jiraiya's emotions to stabilize, then spoke up, "There's one more thing. It's a private request from Lady Tsunade. It's not convenient to include it in the mission report. She will be returning soon."

"If she's coming back, she's coming back. What's so hard to say? Her grandfather is the First Hokage..." Jiraiya muttered, then his eyes suddenly widened in disbelief, "She's coming back?"

"Yes, but there are some minor troubles."

Uchiha Itachi thought about the details Shizune had told him and briefly stated his own speculations, including things about Tsunade being kicked out of the Medical Department by the village's higher-ups after developing hemophobia.

Tsunade had hemophobia; this matter had not escaped the observant Itachi.

In his list of snacks, there couldn't possibly be no seasonings like ketchup... Tsunade was indeed too sensitive, so sensitive that it was impossible not to be suspicious.

What he said made even Kitahara want to praise its cub's imagination.

It even felt that the ninja world it had appeared in had some kind of deviation? Since when did the scheming of Konoha's leadership become so formidable?

But... it was indeed formidable.

Jiraiya's first reaction was that it was impossible.

"Tsunade left on her own initiative back then! She is the granddaughter of the First Hokage. Even if she wanted to become Hokage, Advisor Koharu Utatane couldn't possibly have any objections..."

"But... Shizune-nee's side..."

Jiraiya's expression changed, "Shizune?"

Although he had always despised Shizune's "washboard" (flat chest), he also knew Shizune's relationship with Tsunade. And that little girl had taken care of Tsunade for several years; her way of doing things was also very reliable…

The old man finally nodded, "This matter also cannot be told to others. I've noted it down... What a hassle!"

"I don't know what the old man is thinking..."

"After all, the war hadn't completely calmed down at that time..."

(End of this chapter)

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