"This is what I uncovered," said Jiraiya, laying the papers on the table. "You see the pattern?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi studied the sheets. "You suspect something."
"Suspect? No. I know something is up," said Jiraiya. "Some of this could be normal attrition. It's a hazardous lifestyle after all. Not like this though. Two of Kushina's old friends were civilians. The only ones not killed off were the two over at Ichiraku's."
"THEY have been watched," admitted Hiruzen Sarutobi, sitting back with a groan. "A number of the older jonin remember Minato's fondness for the place and have pleasant memories. If anything untoward happened to them - I suspect there are jonin who'd be willing to go missing-nin to avenge them."
"Yeah, he did have a few meetings at that place," admitted Jiraiya. "So did you suspect?"
"Do you have any idea how many details I go through on a daily basis?" practically growled the Third Hokage. "These paperwork stacks? Intel reports in this stack. Requisitions here. Disputes on land, waste, water, food, and management here. Daily reports from the city services."
"Yeah, lots of paperwork, so you're saying the details don't get put together and then you miss things because of the flood?" asked Jiraiya.
"And it IS a NINJA village," said the Hokage. "There are moles and spies all over the place. The secretary out there you passed on the way in?"
"The chunin kunoichi with the prim attitude?" asked Jiraiya.
"She's a spy for the Inuzuka clan."
Jiraiya blinked. "She doesn't look anything like an Inuzuka."
"She's not. Her family owes the Inuzuka clan from way back." The Hokage made a dismissive gesture. "I've got clan spies all over the staff - mainly they're just there to tip off their clan when any legislation or orders come through regarding them. That way when the orders arrive they have an alibi or can try to impress me with how ready to go they are."
"Have you considered just firing everyone and starting over?" asked Jiraiya.
"At least I know most of the spies and who they're loyal to, if I did that I'd have to start all over again," noted the Hokage. "I am too damn old for this. Tempted to just slap this hat over your head."
"I don't want the job! I'd be terrible at it!" protested Jiraiya.
"Yes, and half the clans would be ready to throw feminine eye-candy into positions in this office just to try and influence you," said the Hokage.
"Then again, there may be something to be said about the job," appended Jiraiya.
"Be serious, and put the 'harmless pervert' mask aside." The Hokage sighed. "I really am getting old. Chakra's less than half what I used to have. I get a shaking in my hands from time to time. Range of motion isn't what it used to be. Spend way too much time feeling nothing but tired. But back to this. Mikoto Uchiha's death isn't related."
"Isn't it?" asked Jiraiya. "There were noncombatants and dissenters among the Uchiha. They all died that night. There may be a 'curse of hate' among the Uchiha as the old stories suggest, but this is Konohagakure. We don't DO that. We're not Kirigakure, but someone obviously thinks we are."
"You think the attempted coup was escalated by those who had an agenda?" asked the Hokage.
"I think there were a LOT of agendas involved," said Jiraiya. "Ninja politics. Thing is, we need proof if we're going for a public accusation. Any move we make is likely to set up a storm of rumors and interpretations - some so bizarre that you'd think recreational drug use was involved. And the ones that get repeated are likely to draw believers unless the evidence is solid."
"I'd say some even if the evidence IS solid. I need proof even if we strike out in proper ninja fashion," said the Hokage. "We also need to know who his allies are, how many, and have some idea of the troop strength. Otherwise, we start a fight where all we have is conjecture and they have every bit of available data on my forces."
"I've an idea," said Jiraiya after a moment.
Present, border of Fire Country:
"Two swords?" asked Jiraiya. "You use one for offense, the other for defense?"
"Yeah," said Naruto, stepping back.
"It can be an effective style, but you need to train both arms equally," said Jiraiya. "That way you can shift as soon as your opponent is used to you doing things one way."
"Ah," said Naruto, nodding to show he understood.
"You already know something of using chakra, now there's a couple of related techniques I want to show you," said Jiraiya. If the boy had an enemy like he was suspecting, then he'd have to train the kid damn seriously. "At the end of every day I want you to spend two hours in this training. It's called 'tree climbing' and it goes like this-"
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