Traveling through Naruto, I am Uchiha Obito?

The Rubik's Cube called out softly, its tone carrying a rare solemnity.

"Ok?"

Jiraiya turned his head to the side.

"……thank you."

The boy's voice was soft, yet it rang clearly in the quiet room.

"……ah,"

Jiraiya was slightly taken aback, then understood, and his gaze softened.

"I understand."

He raised his hand and gently patted the Rubik's Cube on the shoulder.

"Go to sleep."

Rubik's Cube's tense body completely relaxed, his breathing quickly became even and long, and he fell into a deep sleep.

Jiraiya did not close his eyes immediately. By the moonlight, he quietly watched the young man beside him, whose face had lost the sharpness and scheming of battle, leaving only pure tranquility.

Long eyelashes cast soft shadows beneath his eyelids, and a hint of childishness still lingered in his brows. Only in such moments of unguarded slumber could Jiraiya truly sense that the swirling Rubik's Cube before him was, after all, just a twelve-year-old child.

A boy who seeks solace when he is lost and needs someone to protect him.

On this exceptionally bright moonlit night, it wasn't just the master and disciples in Naruto's hut who were awake.

Near the edge of the village, Sasuke's figure appeared silently. He looked down at his feet, where a small white snake was warily raising its head, its cold, vertical pupils rapidly scanning its surroundings. After a moment, the snake seemed to relax as if it were human, its tense body relaxing.

"Do you crave power, Sasuke...?"

A hoarse, sinister voice seemed to emanate directly from the trembling of a snake's tongue, drifting faintly in the cold moonlight.

Meanwhile, at the highest point of the village, the Hokage Rock—or more precisely, atop the statue of the Fourth Hokage—a phantom-like black figure stood silently, like a silhouette cast by moonlight.

He didn't come here to reminisce about his childhood dreams; he chose this place simply because it was high enough to overlook the entire Hidden Leaf Village.

His gaze, hidden beneath the mask, remained fixed for a long time on the darkened hut in the distance. Only after confirming that the people inside were completely asleep did he look away.

A silent spatial vortex appeared out of nowhere, swallowing his figure, and the top of the rock statue returned to silence, as if no one had ever set foot there.

On the darkened floor of the small hut, Jiraiya was also awake. He pondered the words of the Third Hokage from not long ago, their weight weighing heavily in his heart.

The moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the complex light in his eyes. Deep within that light, a decision seemed to finally become clear.

He gazed at the bright moon outside the window, and whispered something that sounded like a sigh, or perhaps a declaration to the future:

"The Fifth Hokage...?"

Chapter 56 The Fifth Hokage

Chapter 56 The Fifth Hokage

Jiraiya lay on his side in bed, his mind involuntarily replaying the conversation he had had in the hospital not long ago. The Third Hokage's serious, entrusting words still seemed to echo in his ears:

"Jiraiya..."

The aged gaze of three generations stared directly at him.

"I hope you will become the Fifth Hokage of Konoha."

"Ugh?!"

Jiraiya was so shocked that he almost jumped off his chair, his mouth agape wide enough to fit an egg.

"Hokage? Me? No way! Absolutely not!"

His head shook violently like a rattle-drum, his refusal firm and resolute.

"Old man, you know I'm used to being a wild person. I'm good at traveling all over the world to gather material for my books, but the position of Hokage? It's not suitable, it's not suitable at all!"

As he spoke, he felt the sunlight, a symbol of a free and unrestrained life, being rapidly obscured by a thick cloud called "responsibility."

In order to defend his precious freedom, Jiraiya almost without hesitation turned his firepower towards Tsunade, who was standing by with her arms crossed, watching the scene with a smug look on her face:

"Besides! Tsunade is back, isn't she?! In terms of seniority, ability, and prestige in the village, she's the most suitable person to succeed you! Isn't that right, Tsunade?"

He winked and tried to rally allies, completely unaware that the hint of schadenfreude on Tsunade's face instantly froze, then turned into a storm cloud.

"what?!"

Tsunade's temple throbbed and bulged! Just moments ago she had found it amusing to see Jiraiya suffer, but now she felt a surge of anger rising to the top of her head.

That bastard! He doesn't want to do it himself, fine, but he actually dared to push her into a fire pit?!

"Jiraiya! You bastard—!"

The fist, brimming with superhuman strength, was about to strike.

Jiraiya then realized he had stirred up a hornet's nest, and in fright, he shrank back, waving his hands in apology.

"Hey, hey, hey! No, no, no! I was just kidding! Really! Just kidding! To lighten the mood! This, this is a hospital! Be mindful of your behavior! Be mindful of your behavior!"

He shouted as he warily eyed Tsunade's ready-to-punch fist.

"Humph!"

Tsunade glared at him fiercely, but ultimately suppressed her anger and turned her head away angrily, leaving him with a murderous look at the back of her head.

She cursed inwardly:

For a fleeting moment, I actually found this guy somewhat pleasing to the eye? I must have been out of my mind! I must have been too drunk to fully sober up!

Jiraiya watched Tsunade's angry back as she walked away, secretly letting out a sigh of relief and wiping away non-existent cold sweat.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, looked at Jiraiya, who was clearly resistant, and then thought of his old friend Danzo, who had recently resorted to any means to obtain the position and ultimately met a tragic end. His lips twitched slightly, and a complex sense of sorrow welled up in his heart.

He sighed heavily, his expression turning incredibly serious as he fixed his gaze intently on Jiraiya:

"Jiraiya, I'm serious."

His voice was deep and powerful, carrying an undeniable weight.

“I know you are free-spirited and unwilling to be bound by the position of Hokage. But…”

He paused, his tone becoming heavier.

"Given the current situation in Konoha, the heavy responsibility of becoming the Fifth Hokage will likely fall on your shoulders."

The resistance on Jiraiya's face slowly faded, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity.

He knew his teacher well and knew that this wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision. His keen political instincts allowed him to instantly grasp the key point. He looked directly into the third-generation leader's eyes, his voice low and firm:

"Is it because of... the Rubik's Cube?"

Tsunade, standing to the side, was completely bewildered, her beautiful eyebrows furrowing.

"Wait a minute, old man! Weren't we just discussing the candidates for the Fifth Hokage? How did we suddenly get onto that kid Rubik's Cube?"

She glanced back and forth at the serious-looking Third Hokage and Jiraiya, feeling as if she had missed some important information.

The Third Hokage's gaze shifted to Tsunade, his eyes filled with deep helplessness:

"Tsunade, you must have witnessed the strength of that kid, Cube, in the conflict with 'Root', right?"

Tsunade nodded, recalling the boy's performance on the battlefield, her tone tinged with admiration:

"Ah, that's really impressive. To have reached the level of a Kage at such a young age, that strength is definitely no less than that of the 'Three Legendary Sannin'."

She even glanced at Jiraiya with a hint of mockery.

"Jiraiya's skill in teaching his disciples is truly unparalleled."

After she finished speaking, she noticed that the expressions of the Third Hokage and Jiraiya were not relaxed at all, but rather even more serious.

"Huh? Why aren't you all saying anything?"

The third generation gave a bitter smile and slowly said:

"Tsunade, the strength of that kid, Cube... is far more unfathomable than you can see. The reason I, an old man, survived is thanks to him single-handedly blocking Orochimaru's attack. He even suppressed the First and Second Hokage, who were summoned by Orochimaru using the Impure World Reincarnation technique."

He looked at Tsunade's eyes, which widened instantly, and added, word by word,

"His strength has already surpassed mine at my peak."

"what?!"

Tsunade abruptly turned to look at Jiraiya, her beautiful eyes filled with shock and a desire for confirmation. The Third Hokage's words had shattered her understanding; it was simply unbelievable! She turned to Jiraiya, hoping for his confirmation.

Jiraiya met her gaze, nodded slowly, and said solemnly:

“The old man is right. Tsunade, if you don’t use Sage Mode… that kid’s strength is indeed above mine.”

"..."

Tsunade was speechless for a moment, seemingly stunned by the information. For the first time, she truly felt that she might actually be...out of touch with the times?

That brat who always followed Jiraiya around, with a bit of an unruly attitude, has actually grown to such a terrifying level?

The Third Hokage turned his gaze to Jiraiya once more, his voice filled with earnestness and gravity:

"That's why I hope you, Jiraiya, will inherit the position of Hokage. This is not only for the smooth transition of Konoha's future, but also for... the Rubik's Cube."

Tsunade was by no means a politically naive novice; she instantly grasped the deeper meaning behind the Third Hokage's words. An uncontrollable surge of anger welled up within her; her phoenix eyes widened, and her voice was filled with intense questioning and resentment:

"Old man! You think that Rubik's Cube kid is a threat?! He's Jiraiya's student! Your grand-student! Even if he's not officially a Konoha ninja, who hasn't spoken highly of him during his time in the village? Jiraiya!"

She abruptly turned to her silent companion.

"Say something! Try to persuade this stubborn old man! Isn't that kid your own apprentice?!"

However, when she saw Jiraiya's unusually serious, even sorrowful expression, her questioning stopped abruptly. A chill ran through her.

"Hey, Jiraiya..."

Tsunade's voice lowered, filled with disbelief.

"Could it be... that even you think..."

"No!"

Jiraiya suddenly raised his head, his voice resolute.

"I never believed that the Rubik's Cube would do anything to harm Konoha! I can swear on my life!"

His gaze was firm as he met Tsunade and the Third Hokage's eyes. But then, his tone turned heavy, carrying a hint of helpless reality.

“But… Tsunade, the old man’s words, from the village’s perspective, are not wrong. Cube… he does indeed lack that deep-rooted ‘sense of belonging’ to Konoha, that’s a fact.”

Tsunade opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but was speechless for a moment.

Jiraiya took a deep breath, his gaze sharpening and warming once more, and turned to the Third Hokage, his tone unusually serious:

“But, old man! ‘Belonging’ is not the same as ‘bond’! He’s with Momono now! Naruto even relies on him like an older brother. I can feel that his sincerity towards Naruto is genuine! And Kakashi, Might Guy and the others… that kid has unknowingly forged deep bonds with many people in Konoha and with the village itself! He’s already a trustworthy comrade we can rely on!”

The Third Hokage listened quietly to Jiraiya's emotionally charged statement, a helpless, even somewhat relieved, smile appearing on his wrinkled face:

"Jiraiya, how could I not understand what you're saying?"

His voice was old yet gentle.

"From the very beginning, that's what I thought and what I expected. I believe in that child's character, and I believe in the bonds between him and you, Naruto, and his comrades."

The Third Hokage abruptly changed the subject, his gaze becoming as solemn as a rock—the gaze of a "Hokage":

"However, all of this wonderful vision is based on the premise that he... is 'controllable'."

He slowly stood up, as if carrying the weight of the entire village on his back.

"His power is too great, so great that if... I mean if his mind were to change in a way that we cannot predict, then in the entire Hidden Leaf Village, apart from you who have activated Sage Mode, no one will be able to withstand his might!"

He looked intently at Jiraiya, then glanced at Tsunade, his voice low and powerful:

"As his advisor, and as the person who watched you bring him back, I trust him wholeheartedly. But as the Hokage of this village, I must be responsible for the lives of thousands of villagers! I firmly believe that emotional bonds are powerful, but when faced with a force capable of overthrowing the village, necessary and practical 'protections' and 'checks and balances' are equally indispensable! This is not a lack of trust, this is a responsibility!"

Silence fell over the room. The Third Hokage's words were like a heavy stone thrown into water, creating complex ripples. Tsunade pressed her lips together, and Jiraiya's fist clenched slightly.

How could they not understand what the three generations were saying?

The Third Hokage's gaze, like a heavy boulder, was firmly fixed on Jiraiya. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a penetrating power, each word striking clearly in the silent room:

"So, Jiraiya..."