Chapter 72: The Return of Uchiha Itachi
Kakashi's words made Jiraiya's hand holding the cup pause mid-air, and he froze on the spot.
After a while, Jiraiya lowered the cup and said,
"I once thought... I had already found him."
The atmosphere at the table grew tense and awkward. Uchiha Douhuan silently drank his cup of sake and poured himself another one.
"Forget it. Let's not dwell on that. Come on, let's drink!" Douhuan said, breaking the uncomfortable mood. The three men, as if in tacit agreement, moved on from the topic and continued drinking and chatting about trivial matters.
When the feast was over, Jiraiya stood up, adjusting his clothes. Though slightly tipsy, he managed to say with a laugh,
"Thanks for the hospitality, Douhuan. I won't stay any longer. I've been back for a while, and I should go greet the old man."
As he turned to leave, he pulled open the door, but two Uchiha guards outside immediately blocked his path.
"Douhuan, what's going on?" Jiraiya asked, glancing back at him with a puzzled expression.
"Jiraiya-sama, according to the village's public security regulations, voyeurism is punishable by at least seven days of detention," Douhuan replied calmly.
"Even though we respect your contributions to the village, we also need to maintain a fair and just image. Please understand our position."
"Ah... Douhuan, come on, I just got back and need to report to the old man," Jiraiya said with an embarrassed grin. He knew he was at fault, and after being treated so generously despite his misconduct, he found it hard to argue.
"Jiraiya-sama, please stay here for the next few days. We'll make sure you're comfortable and meet any reasonable requests. Just don't wander around, okay? That way, the Police Force can maintain its integrity."
Jiraiya glanced over to Kakashi for support, but Kakashi remained indifferent as he spoke,
"Jiraiya-sama, I hope you can understand. The village's regulations aren't new, and they apply to everyone."
Jiraiya's lips parted as if to retort, but he ultimately closed his mouth. Even though he wanted to complain that this had never happened before, he swallowed his words, feeling that insisting would only make him lose more face.
"Fine, fine... I'll stay put. Treat it as a period of secluded writing," Jiraiya grumbled, giving up.
"But Douhuan, could you at least inform the Third Hokage that I'm back?"
"Of course. Thank you for your cooperation, Jiraiya-sama." Douhuan nodded, then instructed the guards outside,
"Take good care of Jiraiya-sama."
"Understood." The two guards nodded respectfully.
"Well then, Jiraiya-sama, we'll be leaving now," Kakashi said.
"If I don't go back soon, Naruto might sneak out to eat ramen again."
As they left, Jiraiya called out from behind them,
"Kakashi..."
Kakashi stopped and turned.
"Is there something else, Jiraiya-sama?" Douhuan asked.
Jiraiya hesitated, his hand half-raised as if to speak, but then he sighed and gave up.
"Never mind..."
Once Douhuan and Kakashi left, Jiraiya plopped back down on the bed, sighing in frustration.
---
Back in the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen had just received news of Jiraiya's return. Upon hearing that Jiraiya had been caught peeping and was detained for seven days, his blood pressure shot up.
"This idiot! Even at a time like this, he can't restrain his habits?!" Hiruzen grumbled, feeling both angry and helpless.
"At least it's only seven days... Hopefully, it won't cause too much trouble. Letting him face some consequences might actually do him good."
Just as Hiruzen was fuming over his troublesome disciple, another figure, covered in dust from travel, arrived at the village gate.
The visitor submitted his reentry paperwork and immediately headed towards the Uchiha clan compound. It was Uchiha Itachi, who had been sent by Fugaku to inspect the clan's businesses across the Fire Country. After completing his tasks, he rushed back to the village, worried about his younger brother and the clan.
Upon entering the village, Itachi intended to pick out a small gift for Sasuke. But as he walked through the streets, he noticed something odd—villagers were eyeing him with fear. Almost everyone who saw him, especially upon noticing the Uchiha fan emblem on his attire, would show visible apprehension or avoid him outright.
Confused and slightly uneasy, Itachi approached a few villagers to ask questions, but they all either evaded him or gave vague, fearful answers.
"Did something happen while I was away? Why are people acting like this? What could have caused it?" Itachi's mind raced as he considered the possibilities.
Finding an inconspicuous spot, Itachi used a transformation jutsu to conceal his appearance and continued his investigation. He approached a small street vendor and pretended to browse.
"Hey, old man, has something happened in the village recently? Everyone seems a bit off."
The vendor gave Itachi a wary look before cautiously asking,
"Are you new here?"
"Yeah, I just moved here from the Fire Capital yesterday."
Seeing that Itachi had picked out a decent amount of items, the vendor seemed willing to share some news. He leaned in and whispered,
"If you're new here, you'd better be careful around the Police Force. Those guys don't reason with anyone—they even beat people up."
"What? They beat people?" Itachi couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Yeah! Just a few days ago, the Police Force went crazy on the streets, beating up anyone in sight. A lot of folks got roughed up really bad. And even worse, some of the people they took to the station haven't come back yet. Who knows what kind of torture they're suffering in there... You better steer clear of them."
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