Here's the Fifteenth chapter! Thank you for all the reviews and comments. Sorry for delay

Author's Note at the End:

Date: April 18 2025

Chapter 15: Easy was it ?

Jedi Temple Archives – Coruscant

As soon as Jiraiya stepped into the Jedi Archives, the heavy durasteel doors behind him hissed shut with a definitive thud. The soft hum of the locking mechanism followed, accompanied by the flicker of security fields activating, almost imperceptible, but he felt them.

He froze.

"Well... that's not a good sign," he muttered under his breath.

The vast chamber before him should've been his prize, a forest of glowing holocrons and knowledge sealed away for centuries. But instead of victory, he was greeted by a quiet, deliberate smirk on the face of Jocasta Nu, standing by his side at some distance, hands clasped before her. Her eyes sparkled with something sharp and knowing.

"Ah... so she didn't fall for it after all," Jiraiya muttered again. Then he grinned despite himself. "But I still made it this far."

The long library stretched before him in rows of towering data pillars and shimmering holocron displays blue, green, red… rotating slowly within containment fields. Each one, a vault of secrets. Forgotten Jedi, hidden teachings, ancient war records. He had worked for this moment hiding in shadows, swapping disguises, imitating the Jedi's habits, their mannerisms. Even now, despite being caught, he was this close to touching the truth he came for.

But he never got the chance.

A soft tapping echoed through the silence. The unmistakable rhythmic click of a gimer stick.

From behind one of the archival stacks, a small green figure stepped into view, diminutive in stature, but carrying the presence of a towering mountain in force.

Grand Master Yoda.

"Quite good, you are," Yoda said calmly, peering up at him with wise, unblinking eyes. "Slippery, mm? Like mist in shadow, you walk."

Jiraiya chuckled, finally relaxing his posture. The disguise held on but didn't assert the strict posture of Master Windu; his face softened unlike the strict and prim master.

"Flattered I am," Jiraiya said, mimicking Yoda's speech with a playful grin. "To see Yoda himself waiting for me."

Jocasta Nu didn't look amused, but Yoda's brows lifted slightly, as if conceding the intruder's audacity. Being close to him despite the force suppressor he had worn, Yoda could still sense him or his force.

"Expecting someone else, were you?" Yoda asked, tapping his cane once on the floor.

"I was hoping maybe a librarian or two," Jiraiya smirked, "but I suppose I should feel honored."

"Honored, you should be. Rare, it is…to draw me from the meditation chambers." Yoda played on.

"How'd you catch on?" Jiraiya asked, tilting his head. "The disguise was perfect."

At that, Jocasta Nu stepped forward, folding her arms. "Your disguise was good. I admit the voice, posture, even the walk. But not flawless. Mace Windu never tilts his head when speaking, nor does he pause mid-sentence when asserting command. I've known him too long."

Jiraiya winced. "Noted. I'll work on that."

Yoda's expression turned serious. "Knew your target, we did. The Holocron Vault… many things you could want, but always, your path circled back to it."

"So this was a trap?" Jiraiya, still wearing the guise of Master Windu, muttered.

'I should have known this was too easy,' he thought, and for a fleeting moment, an image from the younger version of himself hanging upside down from a tree, caught in one of his old sensei's training traps. The bell test. That memory, both embarrassing and oddly fitting, made him exhale sharply.

"Carefully laid, yes," Yoda replied, his tone calm but unwavering. "Your pattern, we watched. Methods changed, but intent did not. Your thoughts... pulled to the knowledge sealed here. Dangerous, that is."

"And yet," Jiraiya said, the corners of his eyes gleaming with mischief, "you didn't expect me to waltz in as Master Windu himself, did you?"

He grinned a broad, unapologetic grin that made Jocasta Nu visibly twitch. Seeing such an expression on the face of the ever-composed Windu was borderline scandalous.

"Unexpected, that was," Yoda admitted, nodding slowly. "Clever, bold. But futile."

"So what now?" Jiraiya asked, the grin fading as he let out a breath and slowly raised his hands in mock surrender. "You throw me in some Force-resistant cell? Strip me down and try to interrogate me?"

Yoda's gaze sharpened. "Know your nature, we wish to. Who trained you, where you come from. So much... unlike Sith, unlike Jedi. A mystery."

His voice lowered slightly, and Yoda took a small step forward. He had been trying to feel the intruder through the Force since the moment he appeared but thus far, nothing apart from faint presence. A wall. A void. It was unlike anything Yoda had encountered. He suspected it had something to do with the layered clothing and strange energy barriers subtly woven into the outfit the intruder wore. Hidden protections. Clever concealments. Not Sith but certainly not ordinary either.

Jiraiya shrugged. "Mysteries are fun, aren't they?"

"Sometimes," Yoda said, stepping forward, "but not when they reach for fire they cannot contain."

Jiraiya chuckled softly, flexing his hands. "Well… guess the game's up."

He paused. "But don't think I came all this way for nothing."

Yoda tilted his head. "Left empty-handed, you will. But watched, you were not only for what you took."

Jiraiya's grin widened. "Then maybe we've both learned something, haven't we?"

Yoda tilted his head. "Left empty-handed, you will. But watched, you were not only for what you took."

They stood in silence for a moment before Jiraiya broke it again. "I'm just a seeker of knowledge, you know. I didn't harm a single Jedi during this little adventure of mine."

Jocasta Nu stiffened. "Sneaking in like a thief is not seeking knowledge!"

Jiraiya turned to her with an exaggerated shrug. "I call it information gathering. You're hoarding more knowledge than half the galaxy combined. Even if I had knocked politely on your front door, would you have let me walk in?"

Yoda raised a calming hand. "Truth, perhaps, that is. But still, not yours to seek without permission, it is."

Jiraiya sighed theatrically. "Well then, I suppose we're at an impasse."

Yoda stepped forward, slowly but deliberately. "Surrender. Now you will."

Jiraiya tilted his head, eyes glinting with sudden energy. "Whoever gave you the idea that I would surrender?"

In a blur of motion, he leapt backward, his hand flicking a small object into the air. A hissing pop exploded around them a smoke bomb like the previous encounter they had seen thick clouds billowing and swallowing the chamber.

"Smoke?!" Jocasta coughed, drawing her robes around herself. "Is he trying to escape?" she spoke surprised.

Yoda's eyes darted through the haze, senses fully extended.

But… nothing. No presence. No footfalls. No residual ripple in the Force.

And as the smoke cleared, the intruder was gone.

Vanished.

Yoda's eyes widened. He stepped toward where Jiraiya had last stood, but there was no trace, not even a scrap of force residue.

"Slippery indeed, he is," Yoda murmured, and not for the first time, his thoughts returned to the strange dream of winds over sand, of whispers in a tongue not heard.

Jocasta Nu approached, visibly shaken. "It's… worrisome. How did he escape? There are no physical exits from this level without triggering alarms. Did he… teleport? But that's preposterous, isn't it, Master?"

"Perhaps," Yoda said softly, still looking into the void. "But more troubling is the way he disguised himself… or if that was even a he."

A long silence followed.

"Master," Jocasta said, her voice quieter now, "If this attacker can walk among us, even momentarily, as one of our own… we are more vulnerable than we realized."

Yoda nodded solemnly. "Much to consider, we have. Much to prepare for, we must."

Hidden Chambers – Coruscant

In a dimly lit chamber deep beneath the towering skylines of Coruscant bright blue eyes opened . The stale air and flickering lights cast long shadows along the cracked duracrete walls. It was quiet…almost too quiet…but the person welcomed it. Solitude meant safety, for now.

This was a contingency, a failsafe prepared by the original Jiraiya clone the moment he first landed on the galactic capital. A hidden chamber in the underbelly of the city, far from the eyes of Jedi, clones, or Republic surveillance. The kind of place no one would bother was a clone of himself, one that possessed strong leadership qualities. While all the clones shared the same abilities, only a few were capable of truly independent thought.

"The Jedi are smarter than I gave them credit for," he muttered to himself, brushing dust from his robe as he stood up. His voice was calm, even amused. "Still, I got a lot of information... more than I expected. Shame the holocrons were so close... yet so far. But others including Boss's clone are on the way"

While all the clones were indeed Naruto's, the "Boss's clone" referred specifically to the one with independent thought who chose to emulate the Boss's personality and appearance rather than adopting a new one.

He walked slowly toward a cracked viewport that showed the glimmering lights of the city above. His hand tightened slightly as he continued to speak aloud, as if to reaffirm his next steps to himself.

"Nevertheless, I now know Temple's ins and outs. Layouts. Blind spots. Guard rotations. And their overconfidence? That's the real treasure. Too bad I still haven't mastered Hiraishin... would've been handy just now."

A small grin tugged at the edge of his mouth.

"Good thing the boss and the others will get all this information. Even if I got dispelled, the memory transfer is secure. That Yoda though... he's something else. I've sensed the Force before Anakin burns bright, like wildfire. But Yoda? He's a storm hidden in a candle's glow. Ancient. old is that gremlin?" He let out a breath, almost in reverence and laughed at his pun at the end.

"Well, onto the next phase. The Jedi Temple's still open to me... even if they know about my disguises now, there's not much they can do. I doubt they've figured out how I do it... or how many of me there are."

He turned, moving toward the small corner of the room where a hidden panel slid open at his touch, revealing maps, datapads, and a carefully folded Senate robe.

"The politicians are starting to take interest in Tatooine... guess it's time I start taking interest in them."

His tone shifted lighter, eager, tinged with mischief.

"Let's see what the Senate chamber really has to offer."

Jedi Council Chambers – Coruscant

The high domed chamber atop the Jedi Temple was usually a place of serene contemplation and wisdom. Today, it was anything but.

A heavy silence hung in the air as the Jedi Council convened. The central circle of seats was filled by the most powerful Masters in the Order Yoda, Yaddle, Mace Windu, Shaak Ti, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Plo Koon, Agen Kolar, Kit Fisto, and others.

The atmosphere was grim.

Master Mace Windu had just returned from the Senate session, his composure tight, his energy wound like a taut cord. He had weathered the politics, the accusations, and the chaos that came with defending the Order's competence. But what unsettled him more was what awaited here.

"You have returned, Master Windu," Master Plo Koon said, his voice muffled through his breath mask.

Windu nodded, standing in the center of the chamber. "Yes. The Senate was... divisive. As expected. Some still support us. Others, not so much."

"Blame us, they do," Yoda added, tapping his gimer stick softly. "But understand, they cannot."

Master Shaak Ti leaned forward slightly. "The intrusion was well-planned, even masterful. We have reason to believe this was no ordinary thief."

"No thief could enter the Temple without alerting our sentinels," Ki-Adi-Mundi pointed out, his expression stern. "We trained those guards personally. The vault is sealed under layers of security."

"Yet he passed them," Windu said darkly. "Disguised... as me."

The words struck the chamber like a silent thunderclap.

Master Windu's expression was hard, but underneath his calm, there was clear disturbance. He had been the first to learn of the intruder's use of his identity. At first, it had confused him. He was intercepted at the Temple gates upon his return by Master Yoda himself, something rare and unexpected. But as they walked, Yoda had been subtly studying him, testing his presence through the Force, measuring his reactions. Windu hadn't understood why… not at first.

Then he saw the security footage.

He watched in cold silence as a perfect replica of himself walked through the halls of the Archives. The voice. The posture. Even the way he paused when speaking. It was uncanny. It was unsettling.

Jocasta Nu had filled in the rest. The way the imposter moved. The conversations. The brief but distinct deviations in behavior. And the fact that not even she, one of the oldest and most perceptive Jedi in the Temple, had realized the truth until it was nearly too late.

It had shaken Windu. Few things did.

"Disguised... as me," he repeated, quieter this time. "He wore my face. And walked where only we should walk."

That sentence froze the room.

Even Yoda looked up slowly, his ears slightly twitching.

"As... you?" Kit Fisto asked, brow furrowed in disbelief.

Windu nodded grimly. "Jocasta Nu confirmed it. The disguise was flawless. Voice, posture, expressions. I would not have believed it myself if I hadn't seen the holocam footage."

Jocasta Nu, seated at the edge of the chamber, folded her hands in her lap. "It was unnerving," she said. "To look into the face of a Council Master and when he got caught sense none of the presence we all know so well."

"Impossible," Agen Kolar said, shaking his head. "That level of mimicry would take years of study."

"And still," Shaak Ti said gently, "he made it into the heart of the Archives."

"If he had been a Sith, there would be bodies," Ki-Adi-Mundi said, clearly struggling to piece together the logic. "This was not an assassin."

"He harmed no one," Jocasta agreed. "Not a single Jedi was seriously injured. He used smoke bombs, distraction tactics. Disengaged rather than escalated."

Windu paced a step across the room. "We assume Sith because they are our traditional enemies. But this was something else. I watched the footage. I saw him laughing in my face... while wearing my face."

Yoda's gaze drifted downward, contemplative.

"A Force-user, yes. Strong. Concealed well, his presence was. Hidden by technique, or perhaps, technology. Disguise technique, so perfect. Such a technology, if exists, launch search missions, we must. But not Sith. Not quite."

"Then what?" Kit Fisto asked. "If not Sith, what manner of warrior is bold enough to walk among us, to wear our faces, and walk out untouched?"

Jocasta Nu exhaled slowly. "A seeker of knowledge, perhaps. He claimed as much. Said he wanted the holocrons, but never attempted violence to get to them."

"That's no excuse for trespass," Ki-Adi-Mundi snapped.

"No," Yoda agreed. "But telling, his actions were. Not malice, I sensed. Curiosity. Mischief."

"Master Yoda," Windu said, facing him directly, "you're saying we were infiltrated by someone who only wanted to learn?"

"Perhaps," Yoda said, "but dangerous, nonetheless. For his intent unknown, and his method unseen. "

The room fell into a long silence. Even the wind brushing through the temple's high windows seemed hesitant.

"If he can do this," Shaak Ti said slowly, "what stops him from coming again? Or another like him?"

Jocasta Nu clenched her jaw. "He escaped. Vanished. No trail, no disturbance in the Force. It was as if he never existed."

"Then we must adapt," Plo Koon said. "Our defenses must evolve. Our arrogance made us blind."

"And our archives more secure," Jocasta added. "Even if he meant no harm this time, next time may be different."

Shaak Ti leaned forward, her voice low but urgent. "The other intruders that had attacked earlier, they vanished as well. As if into thin air. Is there an army of them?"

The room fell into a tense silence as the weight of her words sank in.

Some Masters shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

"No way that is true..." one murmured, clearly unsettled by the thought.

"If there are more like him," Kit Fisto said gravely, "then we may be facing a threat the Order is not prepared for."

Plo Koon folded his hands. "This is unlike any infiltration we've seen. These aren't simple mercenaries."

Yoda nodded slowly, his ears slightly drooping in concern. "Much to think on, we have."

The chamber remained silent a moment longer, before Yoda rose from his seat and turned back toward the council.

"All paths in the Force, this one walks between. A line blurred between light and dark. Not an enemy... but not a friend. A ripple, he is. A whisper before the storm."

The Council sat, troubled.

Master Oppo Rancisis, silent until now, finally spoke. "Then we must prepare. For if he is the whisper... what storm is coming after him?"

Outer Orbit – Near Tatooine

The silence of the stars was broken only by the soft hum of engines and the faint pulse of distant suns. Just beyond Tatooine's atmospheric veil, two starships floated in close formation one, sleek and Republic-issued, bearing the insignia of the Jedi Order; the other, smaller, older, a patchwork of repairs and field mods that bore the scars of battle and desert heat.

Inside the lead ship, Obi-Wan Kenobi stood with his arms folded behind his back, the folds of his Jedi robe pooling neatly at his feet. His gaze was fixed on the viewport, though his attention was very much focused on the flickering holoprojector before him.

On the projection, Anakin Skywalker stood within the palace halls of Tatooine, his once-disheveled tunic now straightened, helmet tucked under one arm. His stance suggested practicing calm, but Obi-Wan could still sense the tension in his voice and expression. The way his eyes shifted off-screen, the half-second pauses in his words telltale signs. Even through the holo, Obi-Wan could see that something had weighed heavily on his Padawan.

Behind Anakin stood the Republic clones sent to retrieve him: Captain Gregor, flanked by Corporal Taks and Trooper Vash, all helmetless, their expressions unreadable but alert. Obi-Wan had already spoken with them. Their report had been clear Anakin had been caught and imprisoned by local authority, for causing some rukus. He still couldn't fathom how his wayward padawan could have been captured. They had gone to the planet to recover him and ensure his safety. Mission accomplished.

And yet, Obi-Wan still didn't fully understand why his padawan had caused commotion.

"I'm okay, Master," Anakin said quietly, breaking the silence. "It was just... a misunderstanding. Things escalated more than they should have."

Obi-Wan turned toward him slowly, his expression unreadable. "A misunderstanding? Anakin, you left your post, entered a neutral system without clearance, and caused a diplomatic incident with an unknown planetary power. Got imprisoned. That is not a misunderstanding. That is recklessness. I will have to answer the council, The news would have reached them. " Frankly Obi Wan had been surprised at no communication from council on this issue so far not that he knew council was dealing with far more troubling matters than a padawan leaving post

Anakin lowered his eyes. "I had a reason."

"You always have a reason," Obi-Wan snapped, then sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "One of these days, you're going to get yourself killed. And here I thought Council was promoting you"

There was a pause. Anakin's eyes widened at words about his possible promotion but he didn't say anything but, he then turned toward the door and pressed a button on the side panel. With a soft hiss, it slid open.

And standing there was Shmi Skywalker. "Master, meet my mother." he heard his padawan speak.

Obi-Wan had never seen her before, not during Anakin's liberation on Tatooine, when Qui-Gon had handled most of the negotiations. But the moment he laid eyes on her, he knew who she was. The resemblance to Anakin was unmistakable: the eyes, the bearing, the gentle but firm presence.

Her face bore the passage of years, etched with lines not of hardship but of quiet resilience. There was no mistaking the gentle strength in her gaze, the same warmth that Qui-Gon had spoken of all those years ago with reverence. She stepped forward cautiously, unsure of her welcome.

"Master Kenobi," she said softly.

Obi-Wan blinked. For a moment, he said nothing. He didn't remember his parents, not their faces, not their voices. For him, the Jedi Temple had always been home, and Qui-Gon Jinn had been everything: mentor, guardian, father figure. Confronted now with a connection so personal, so rooted in the life Jedi were taught to leave behind, he didn't quite know how to respond.

For Jedi, such bonds were seen as attachments, potential weaknesses, distractions from the clarity of the Force. And yet, standing before him was the woman who had given birth to his Padawan. The one person who tied Anakin to a past the Jedi tried so hard to ignore.

Still, Obi-Wan straightened his back and bowed, slowly but respectfully. "Lady Shmi. I... Its nice to meet you. I... wasn't expecting to see you."

She smiled faintly. "Neither was I. But the galaxy has strange ways"

Anakin stepped between them. "She's not just here by coincidence. She lives on Tatooine but not like a peasant but in the palace formerly controlled by Jabba. She's... she's an advisor to the new ruler."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "Advisor to... the Fox Lord? The one who ousted the Hutt?"

"Yes," Anakin said. "He's not what we expected. He's... fair. Powerful. And he treats her with respect."

Obi-Wan looked between them, unsure of how to respond. The Jedi Code spoke against attachments. Against bonds. And yet here stood his Padawan, introducing his mother like a proud son, unashamed and unapologetic.

But there was no coldness in Shmi. Only calm.

"I'm glad to meet you," she said gently. "I've heard many things about you from Ani in the last couple of days. Thanks for taking care of Ani"

Obi-Wan inclined his head. "He's done much of it himself, Lady Shmi. Though sometimes..." He glanced at Anakin. "...he does make it difficult."

Shmi laughed, and it warmed the room.

The clones watched silently, exchanging brief glances but saying nothing. This was not their world. They were bred for battle, not for reunions and maternal warmth.

"She's safe here, Master," Anakin said. "That's what matters to me. The Fox Lord has given her a place of respect."

Obi-Wan studied Anakin's face. He believed him. He could see the honesty there. The fierce, unwavering devotion.

But that devotion was a double-edged blade. Jedi were not meant to cling. To hold. To protect at the expense of others.

"This changes nothing," he said softly. "You still violated orders. There will be consequences."

"I understand," Anakin replied. "But if I had to do it again... I would."

Obi-Wan didn't doubt it.

And in that moment, he feared what that kind of certainty might lead to.

TBC.

Well, here's Chapter Fifteen! What should happen next?

Big thanks to GreyIsHere, MT_LH, and StandardBrody for keeping my Discord channel alive. I may not talk much, but seeing your chats there really motivated me to push this out.

Now, let's see where this story goes...

I would love to hear from you. Do review .

I've also created a Discord server, so feel free to join me for discussions and sharing ideas.

Thank you all for your comments and reviews

Discord server invite code : K5fx5sz84E