Chapter 29: Aren't You the Strongest Hokage?
At first, Kitagawa Gen thought Jiraiya might have some new tricks up his sleeve.
But nope. The moment Jiraiya stepped up, he used a Rasengan—and that alone made Gen feel like he didn't even need to pretend to hold back anymore.
The Rasengan requires not just chakra control and ratio adjustment, but also mastery over chakra transformation.
Just like he told Jiraiya, Purple Lightning is the pinnacle of both transformation and refinement.
Having already mastered Purple Lightning—even if he was still exploring its depths—meant handling a simple Rasengan was no big deal for him.
As for the analysis part...
He'd done well enough in school, and since tagging along with Kakashi, he'd proven he could handle intel work just fine.
Especially since he threw in a disclaimer with his theory—there shouldn't be much of a problem.
"Lord Jiraiya? Hello? Lord Jiraiya?"
Seeing Jiraiya spacing out, Gen put on his most innocent expression.
"Did I... say something wrong?"
"Ah..."
Jiraiya slowly came to his senses, his whole demeanor a bit numb.
"No, it's good... Very good..."
Even his speech was a bit slurred.
At this moment, he finally understood what Kakashi meant when he said: "Before long, I'll have nothing left to teach him."
Teaching a genius... really does mess with your self-esteem. It doesn't take long before they don't need you anymore.
"You did great. That's enough training for today…"
Even as Jiraiya said it, he blushed a little.
From the time they left the hospital to now—how long had it even been?
Ending the session already? He didn't even spend that little time in a brothel!
But there was no helping it. He was genuinely intrigued by what Gen had said.
"I need to go see the old man... the Third. What you just said might have been a bit messy, but it had logic and gave me an idea. I have to talk to him. You go do your thing for now—just know you'll be training under me for a while, so I'll make sure you're taught properly."
"Uh-huh. Is this your version of 'proper training'? Just ditching me here?"
"..."
Jiraiya ignored him completely and bolted.
Gen could only shrug—but this was exactly what he wanted.
"Let's see if this plan of mine helps complete that exclusive side quest…"
---
Meanwhile, in Konoha Hospital — Kakashi's Room
"What did you drag me out here for?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Jiraiya, then glanced at the equally puzzled Kakashi.
Jiraiya slumped into a chair, scratching his head.
"Old man... That kid, Kitagawa Gen, is something else."
"I think... I finally understand what Kakashi meant."
"Hmm?"
Kakashi looked confused, and Jiraiya continued.
"Teaching a genius like that really messes with your sense of direction.
"I knew about his Purple Lightning technique, but I still wanted to test him. I used a Rasengan in front of him, and the brat actually copied it after just one glance."
He rubbed his temples. Minato took three years to develop the Rasengan.
Jiraiya himself took three months to learn it—granted, he skipped the development part—but it was still a lot of work.
And this kid? Boom. Done in seconds.
Even someone like Jiraiya was starting to feel a bit demoralized.
"Lord Jiraiya, you've seen his Purple Lightning, right?"
Kakashi sat up a bit and murmured,
"With that technique as a foundation, jutsus requiring transformation and refinement aren't hard for him.
"When I taught him Earth Style: Mud Wall, he not only mastered it quickly—he even carved the faces of past Hokage into the wall. That's when I knew his talent for ninjutsu was something special."
"That Purple Lightning really is something else… I only remember the Third Raikage doing something similar."
Hiruzen nodded, full of admiration. As the 'Professor of Ninjutsu,' he understood just how difficult that was.
A kid Gen's age achieving so much—it made him genuinely happy. After all, he was a Konoha ninja!
"But still, Jiraiya… even if he's that talented, it shouldn't be this dramatic. Kakashi still needs to rest."
"If it was just a Rasengan, I wouldn't have bothered."
Jiraiya sighed, his expression turning serious.
"But he also analyzed the guy from last night—and gave me an idea."
Jiraiya then laid out everything:
Kakashi's encounter, the vague bits of info, and how Gen deduced a potential identity for the masked man.
"Even though the theory isn't perfect, it's worth considering. If it's true…"
"Then that Uchiha Obito… and that entire organization… are both extremely dangerous. Especially if they're using Wood Style…"
Hiruzen furrowed his brow, chills running down his spine.
Gen's deductions might've had holes, but they did explain a lot.
He glanced worriedly at Kakashi—he knew the temperament of the Uchiha clan all too well.
They were obsessive, driven. If this turned out to be true... it could get very messy.
"Kakashi…"
"I'm fine, Lord Hokage."
Kakashi's mood was heavy, but he understood why Jiraiya brought it all up.
He shook his head, then spoke firmly.
"Whether or not it's true, I've long understood something: If that man is Obito... then he's done things that can't be forgiven.
"The destruction from the Nine Tails' attack... and what happened to our teacher…
"So don't worry about me."
Kakashi was still Kakashi. Though shaken, he remained clear-headed.
He would eventually recover—just like in the Fourth Great War, when he didn't hesitate to stab Obito's heart with Chidori.
Even when Obito was dying, Kakashi had wanted to finish him off—until Minato stopped him.
Back then, he had Naruto to help him heal.
Now? He had Gen.
To him, Gen was a true "new beginning."
The return of old friends brought joy.
Seeing them corrupted brought sorrow.
But neither would consume him—if anything, they gave him strength.
He had a goal now: to uncover the truth.
What had happened to Obito?
Who had turned him into this?
"We need to investigate both Obito and the organization behind him."
"Agreed. We won't slack on this."
Hiruzen smiled at last, turning to Kakashi with genuine warmth.
"I'm glad to see you bouncing back, Kakashi.
"No matter what Obito thinks now, the real Obito is in our hearts—and in your left eye."
"I understand..."
Kakashi touched his Sharingan and nodded.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage."
"Alright, enough of that."
Jiraiya interrupted, reverting to his usual laid-back tone.
"Wasn't all this supposed to be handled by Danzo anyway? Let him get on it. Let's talk about that brat. How the heck are we supposed to train someone who learns everything in an instant?"
"Kitagawa Gen, huh..."
Hiruzen furrowed his brow again, then after a moment's thought, came to a decision.
"Alright. I'll give you the Flying Thunder God Technique—you go teach him."
"Huh?"
Jiraiya blinked, pointing to himself in disbelief.
"Me?"
"Mm. Kakashi's out of commission, and Guy... well, he's more of a taijutsu guy. So that leaves you."
"Hold on, old man! I don't even know that jutsu!"
"Try teaching it anyway. Aren't you supposed to be good at training students?"
"Come on! Why don't you do it, huh? Aren't you the strongest Hokage?"
"..."
Hiruzen inhaled sharply, clearly fighting the urge to bash Jiraiya's head in with his smoking pipe.
He glanced at Kakashi, who had already turned away to play dead.
The Third Hokage took a deep breath and said:
"...Jiraiya."
"Yeah?"
"Shut up."
"..."