Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

"Hahaha! You're all speechless with shock at my grand entrance, aren't you?"

Enjoying the countless admiring gazes around him, Jiraiya, brimming with confidence, tossed his hair and flashed what he thought was a cool smile.
"Don't be obsessed with me, I'm just a legend!"

"."

"Uh"

However, the enthusiastic response he had imagined did not materialize. Feeling slightly embarrassed, Jiraiya secretly kicked the giant toad at his feet.

Having spent years with him, Toad Zhong naturally understood immediately. With a wide-open mouth, he transformed into a qualified mood-maker.
"Croak~ Croak~ Croak~ Croak croak croak!"

Before it could utter more than a few cries, it was so terrified by the terrifying aura emanating from the countless clones around it that it trembled and kicked, throwing Jiraiya off its back.
"Ahhh~"

Pfft!
"This idiot."

Seeing Jiraiya fall face-first to the ground, Tsunade, covering her face, quietly took a few steps back, wishing she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

"Tsunade! I've come to save you! Aren't you touched? Aren't you surprised?"

Jiraiya, ignoring his disheveled appearance, winked and gave Tsunade a thumbs-up.

After helping the trembling Toad Zhong back to his hometown, he quickly tidied himself up, his previously carefree face now filled with seriousness.

Frowning, Jiraiya looked around at the densely packed Tailed Beast Riders and said in a cryptic tone,

"Tsunade, you were actually playing high-level games behind our backs."

"Phew, it was my mistake. I didn't expect things to turn out this way, but thankfully only one idiot like you showed up."

Tsunade nodded with a look of remorse. The teammates who came to support her were ones she had called upon, and she bore an undeniable responsibility for putting Jiraiya in danger.
"For a small scene like this, one of me is enough!"

Every word of their conversation reached Uchiha Gin's ears. Even though his senses were suppressed by the Great Box Heaven hanging high above his head, he could still sense that the missing member of the three-person team was nearby.

Was it really only one person who came?
And
Gin Uchiha's gaze swept subtly over Jiraiya, who had just acted rather clumsily, and a playful smile crept onto his lips.

Who says eating too much sugar will cause diabetes?
"Ah, a disciple of the monkey?"

Compared to Gin Uchiha, who saw through everything, Madara Uchiha, his younger brother, was still lamenting that he was destined to be a hard worker, and that the position of Hokage was truly well-deserved.

"I'll have to worry about this even more later."

As one of the authors of "The Will of Fire (Preliminary Edition)," Madara Uchiha, like Hashirama Senju, considered burning himself as his highest mission to protect the saplings growing under the protection of the great tree of Konoha.

He would do everything in his power to save every ninja in Konoha.

Parentheses, except Senju Tobirama.

"Second Generation Master?!"

Just as Madara Uchiha was pondering how to manage both ends of the battle, Jiraiya, who had been boasting to Tsunade, turned around and performed a sliding knee strike on him.
Pfft!
I've missed you so much!

"Uh?"

Completely bewildered by this turn of events, Madara Uchiha nearly kicked Jiraiya, who was crying and sniffling, flying away.

"How are you doing out there, old man?"

It wasn't a secret that Madara Uchiha was the Crimson Demon, and Jiraiya naturally knew that the Decade before him was his most respected Second Hokage. This performance was a genuine expression of emotion.

"It's alright. It's alright."

"Look how thin you've become."

No way, you can tell a person's build by looking through their armor?
Uchiha Gin almost blurted out a complaint. What on earth was Jiraiya up to, using such ridiculous acting to stall for time?

"Jiraiya, you idiot, get up! Stop embarrassing yourself!"

"Hey! Yo yo yo~"

Enraged, Tsunade grabbed Jiraiya by the ear and yanked him up, thus rescuing Madara Uchiha from the harassment of a fanatical fan.

"The number of noisy, lower creatures has increased again."

Watching Jiraiya's performance quietly, Jigen plucked a string of fingers with interest, his gaze thoughtful.
This human seems quite interesting; perhaps it can be kept as a collectible for amusement.

"Hiss, these guys who look like Tailed Beast Riders are the enemies, right?"

Jiraiya, rubbing his swollen, red ears, grinned and looked around, his eyes darting about nervously.

"That's right, and that guy too, he's the real culprit who kidnapped my grandfather."

Tsunade nodded grimly, pointing at Jigen, who had descended through Number Four's body.

"Hey! You bastard, I advise you to hand over the First Hokage as soon as possible, or I'll show you what this Toad Sage is all about!"

Upon hearing this, Jiraiya strode forward, his gaze subtly sweeping over the faces of the two "Hashirama Senju" guarding Jigen's side. Then, with an extremely arrogant attitude, he gave a thumbs-down.

"Who taught this kid to be so brave?"

Seeing this, Madara Uchiha fell silent. After a moment, he turned to Tsunade, who was covering her face, and asked in a strange tone,

"Although we usually have teachers instructing us, most of the time we still cultivate with Grandpa Yin."

"That makes sense."

Upon learning the truth, Madara Uchiha instantly understood: it was actually soldiers brought by his older cousin.
"Keep an eye on that brat for me later. I'm afraid he'll get beaten to death because he's too despicable."

Turning to Izuna behind him and giving him some instructions, Madara Uchiha stretched his arms, preparing for the fierce battle that was about to begin.
"I hate white hair."

Uchiha Izuna pursed her lips, but still obediently focused her attention on Jiraiya, who was spouting nonsense at Jigen.
"Human, you're very interesting."

Jigen didn't fly into a rage because of Jiraiya's attitude; instead, he held him in higher regard because of Jiraiya's "brave" behavior.
"Huh? You're not gay, are you?"

On the other hand, Jiraiya was still incessantly spouting off, determined not to stop until he truly angered Jigen. Tsunade, standing behind him, couldn't even restrain him.

"Please, just shut up!"

"001, bring that human back, and remember, he must be unharmed."

Jigen, his collecting obsession finally taking hold, beckoned to 001, who was standing guard nearby, to go and capture the amusing Jiraiya.

"Yes."

001, who accepted the order, sighed inwardly. His role was clearly that of a strategist, so why was he always being made to do the dirty and tiring work of charging into battle?

"careful!"

Seeing 001 flying towards her, Tsunade quickly grabbed Jiraiya by the collar and fled.
"Tsunade, don't pull me, I haven't finished cursing yet!"

He spent a long time mocking Cixian before finally pulling away one of his personal guards, a far cry from his ultimate goal.
"You really think I'm a hunter just because I have a bow? Capturing someone alive is a skill!"

001 reluctantly drew back the bowstring, pondering which part to aim at to inflict the least damage.

"Oh!"

Suddenly, a streak of dark blue light shot towards him, interrupting his thoughts. He slightly turned his head, and the scorching tail of the light grazed his face.

"you again."

"If you want to catch that white-haired brat, you'll have to get past me first."

Uchiha Izuna's figure landed on 001's inevitable path, wisps of smoke rising from the muzzle of his gun.
"There's no other way, so I'll just have to be serious this time."

001 shook his head slightly, looking troubled, and under Uchiha Izuna's wary gaze, stuffed a large, chibi-style tanuki into the opening at his waist.

"Eat Shukaku!" A green gale soared into the sky, and 001, enveloped within it, raised his bow with one hand, then swung it forcefully. Dark green light particles scattered out, transforming into exquisite pieces of armor around him.
"boom!"

The next moment, the gale rapidly contracted, sucking in the armor that clung to 001's body. Accompanied by a dazzling flash of light, the green tanuki knight made his appearance.

"His aura is no less than that of the bottom of the Shamen prison; Izuna is probably going to suffer a setback."

Seeing 001 transform into the One-Tailed Knight, Uchiha Gin raised an eyebrow in slight surprise. Although the transformation wasn't into the Black Warrior God, the power emanating from this ninja form already surpassed that of Shamon's original form.
"Don't be careless."

Madara Uchiha, who also noticed something amiss, coldly reminded him.

"Hmph! Just a mere imposter."

Uchiha Izuna sneered, about to utter a sarcastic remark, when a green arrow with an indistinct trajectory grazed past his face.

"Sorry, I deliberately missed."

001 slowly lowered the bow and arrow, offering an apology in a completely unrepentant tone, his sarcasm at its peak.
"How can it be repaired?"

Having been given a hard time, Izuna was not about to swallow this insult. He immediately grabbed his gun and charged into battle, beginning their second duel.

"Master, I'll go help."

Seeing that 001, who was on his mission, was struggling, 009, who was standing beside Cixian, volunteered to join the fight.

"Oh?"

Cixian glanced at the gentle-faced 009 beside her with great interest, a glint of light flashing in her eyes.
"If you want to go, then go ahead."

"Yes."

Watching 009's departing figure, Cixian's brows furrowed slightly involuntarily. This feeling of being out of control made him somewhat uncomfortable.
001 and 009 are mutated individuals like the fourth one he possessed. These individuals not only perfectly inherited all of Hashirama Senju's abilities, but their self-awareness also grew wildly.
If it weren't for the extremely secure wedges carved into them, Cixian would never have allowed these mutated individuals to leave the research institute.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but make a decision in his heart.
When I get back, I need to focus on studying the topic of individual differences in mutations.

"despair!"

The reinforcement, No. 009, abruptly stopped in his tracks. Looking at the person blocking his way, a troubled expression appeared on his usually gentle face.
"This road is blocked."

Madara Uchiha raised his sword with one hand, his fighting spirit so palpable it seemed almost tangible.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt anyone."

Knowing he couldn't escape the battle, 009 gently shook his head and slowly pulled out a fiery red Nine-Tails talisman from his robes. The frenzied aura emanating from it made Madara Uchiha frown.
"Eat the Nine Lamas!"

"Ta~"

Bathed in the scorching flames, a familiar figure, entirely crimson, slowly emerged.
"Of all the Nine-Tailed Riders I have fought, I would call you the strongest."

Sensing the frenzied aura emanating from the red fox, Madara Uchiha's fighting spirit surged once more. As someone who had briefly served as the Nine-Tails Knight, he knew better than anyone just how powerful the Nine-Tails Knight transformed from 009 was.

"Qiang!"

009 didn't reply, but the longsword he drew from its sheath provided the best answer.

"Shua~!"

Two figures, one in red and one in vibrant pink, vanished the moment a raindrop fell.

"boom!"

When they reappeared, their weapons had already clashed, and the shockwave from the collision spread outwards, almost cleaving the vertical rain curtain in two.
"Tsk, I have to do such a small thing myself."

Seeing that his two top generals were busy, Jigen, who was sitting calmly on the sidelines, sneered and stood up. His gaze passed over Uchiha Gin, who was already trapped, and finally landed on Jiraiya, who was being brutally beaten by Tsunade behind him.

Sensing Jigen's gaze, Uchiha Gin's lips curled into a wicked smile. He pulled Hikaru aside, exposing Jiraiya to the public.

"Oh? You're not going to make a move?"

Jigen looked curiously at Uchiha Gin, who was standing by with his hands in his pockets. Weren't these natives one of their own?
"I'm not familiar with him."

Uchiha Gin shook his head and gestured for them to leave, startling Tsunade and Jiraiya.
"Sister Guang?"

"I used up too much of my eye power during the battle just now, and I feel a bit tired now."

Faced with Tsunade's pleading gaze, Uchiha Hikaru glanced at Uchiha Gin, who was watching the scene unfold, and feigned weakness.
"But."

"That guy's target is clearly this white-haired brat, so you don't need to worry about your safety."

Seeing Tsunade's dilemma, Uchiha Gin "kindly" offered a suggestion.

"Uh, Jiraiya, good luck to you."

After a long silence, Tsunade, her face full of regret, turned back to Jiraiya, gave him a goodnight gesture, and then quickly hid behind Uchiha Hikaru for protection.

"what?"

Jiraiya was completely bewildered as he looked at Uchiha Gin and the others who were avoiding him like the plague.
No,

What happened to our friendship?

What happened to the bond we were promised?

Shouldn't we stand together through thick and thin, sharing both life and death, in times like these?
"The emotions between lower organisms are far more fragile than I imagined."

Jigen looked down at the solitary Jiraiya, his expressionless face carrying a faint hint of disdain.

"Human, it is your honor to become my collection."

Slowly raising his hand, Cixian's right eye, marked by the character "米" (rice), flickered with a subtle and profound light, while his left eye, the White Eye, was simultaneously activated.
The Byakugan is responsible for locking onto targets, while the black eyes, resembling a rice grain, are for instantly killing enemies. The Otsutsuki's combos are that simple and straightforward.

"How dare you! My fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens! I'll fight you to the death!"

Abandoned, Jiraiya fought like a cornered beast, his hands rapidly forming hand seals, and instead of retreating, he charged towards Jigen with a posture of heroic sacrifice.
"what!"

Upon seeing this, Tsunade cried out in surprise. She hadn't expected Jiraiya to be so reckless, and she quickly strode off to provide support.
"and many more."

However, Uchiha Gin, who was standing nearby, reacted quickly, grabbed her, shook his head, and said mysteriously,

"The more critical the moment, the more we must trust our partners."

"A dying struggle, big... um?"

Hearing Jiraiya's shout, Jigen raised his eyelids, preparing to imprison this interesting human in Daikokuten and study him properly when he got back. However, the moment his Byakugan locked onto the other person's figure, his expression changed slightly.
"Toad Style Secret Technique: Toad Oil Bomb!"

Taking advantage of Jigen's momentary daze, Jiraiya had already rushed in front of him, his bulging mouth suddenly spewing out a large pool of sticky toad oil.

"How dare you mock the gods!"

Jigen, unusually enraged after being drenched in a foul-smelling slime, made a sudden grabbing motion with one hand, and Jiraiya, whose face was beaming with delight, was snatched into his grasp. A sharp crack followed.
"Crack!"

"Tonic medicine!"

Witnessing this scene, Tsunade's eyes were filled with despair. Images of her time with Jiraiya over the years flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern.

"Bang~"

However, before her tears could fall, Jiraiya's "corpse," which had kicked its legs twice, suddenly turned into a wisp of white smoke and disappeared.
The next second, a toad the size of a palm dropped out of the white smoke, just like when equipment dropped.
"Gugua~"

Just as he was wondering, two large hands shimmering with dazzling light suddenly emerged from the mouth of the toad that had landed in front of Cixian, and the radiant light of the immortal technique that had been gathering power for a long time instantly engulfed him.
"Immortal Technique: The Technique of Baiji!"

"Sage Art: Goemon!" (End of Chapter)