After half a year of traveling across the shinobi world, Naruto and Jiraiya finally returned from Mount Myōboku to the Hidden Leaf Village.
During those months, they had wandered far and wide—through the forests of the Land of Fire, to the thunderous valleys near the border of the Land of Earth, and across the desolate plains haunted by rogue shinobi. Naruto's training in Sage Mode had progressed far beyond expectations, and under the cover of travel, Jiraiya had also discreetly probed Akatsuki activity.
Now, standing once more at the gates of Konohagakure, Naruto took a deep breath. The scent of grilled dango, sakura blossoms, and humid summer air filled his lungs.
He closed his eyes, raised his head, and opened his arms as if to embrace the entire village.
I've returned to the stage of the ninja world.
But this time, he wasn't the same boy who had left in noisy protest. Now he was a man with a secret power, a second soul fused with Kurama, and the ambition to rise beyond the limits of any shinobi who had come before.
In the distant future, he would become more than Hokage—he would become a god, with a life that rivaled Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
Anyone who dared to oppose him would be swept away.
That dangerous thought flickered through his mind before it was snuffed out. The cold chakra that had briefly leaked from him faded instantly into the background hum of the village.
Just then, the voices of children rang out from down the street.
"KONOHAMARU! NARUTO'S BACK!"
Four figures bolted toward him—Konohamaru, Moegi, Udon, and Sakura Haruno trailing slightly behind. Word of Naruto's return had already spread from the gate to the village square. Konohamaru led the charge with wild excitement.
"Nii-chan! You're finally back!" Konohamaru shouted as he reached Naruto and nearly tackled him with joy.
Naruto chuckled and caught the younger boy in a firm grip. "I'm back, Konohamaru. You've grown taller!"
"And you've gotten taller than me!" Sakura added, stopping nearby. She was panting slightly but smiling—her eyes lingering on Naruto in surprise. The boy she remembered was clumsy, loud, and always lagging behind. But now… he was different.
Taller. Stronger.
Confident in a way he hadn't been before.
Naruto laughed and put his hands on his hips. "Heh, it'd be embarrassing for a man to be shorter than a woman, right?"
Konohamaru stepped forward, his hands glowing with excitement. "Nii-chan, let me show you what I've been training!"
He leapt back, performed a series of hand seals, and with a puff of smoke, transformed into a curvaceous, naked woman—the Sexy Jutsu.
"TA-DA!"
Immediately, Jiraiya staggered, nose bleeding like a faucet. "Oh… my… Kami," he muttered, eyes wide. "He's got potential…"
Naruto grinned but kept his expression reserved. "Konohamaru… I'm not a kid anymore."
Konohamaru deflated slightly at the words. "Nii-chan…"
Naruto reached over and ruffled his hair. "Don't worry. Train hard, and I'll teach you something way cooler next time."
"For real!?" Konohamaru lit up like a firework. "Awesome!"
The young trio turned to go, waving goodbye. "See you later, Naruto-nii!"
As they disappeared down the road, Sakura stood by his side, studying him closely.
He really had changed. Not just his height or build, but his aura. It felt stronger, more grounded.
During the walk to the Hokage's office, Sakura talked enthusiastically about the last two years—how she'd become Tsunade's disciple, learned chakra control, healing techniques, and even raw strength that rivaled the Sannin.
Naruto nodded and responded occasionally, telling her vague things about his training. He was careful not to reveal the full truth—that he had mastered the fundamentals of Sage Mode, improved his chakra control, and had secretly begun tapping into Kurama's power without a loss of self.
"As expected of Jiraiya-sama," Sakura said with admiration. "You really trained Naruto well."
Naruto simply smiled, blending seamlessly into her praise. Let them underestimate me. It makes things easier later.
Jiraiya scratched his head awkwardly. "Well, it's mostly because Naruto's a natural. Honestly, he improved the most after the Nine-Tails incident."
And that was true. The outburst months ago had acted as a catalyst. From that moment, Naruto's power had surged—and Jiraiya knew that if they fought seriously now, he wouldn't be confident of victory.
He had originally planned for three years of training to raise Naruto to Jōnin level—enough to protect himself in battle. But now, Naruto had already surpassed many Chūnin and was rapidly closing in on the elite ranks.
The truth? Naruto was ahead of schedule. And Jiraiya couldn't have been more proud.
When they reached the Hokage's Office, Jiraiya pushed open the door without knocking.
Tsunade was seated behind her desk, paperwork stacked high, with Shizune standing nearby reviewing mission files.
At the sound of the door, Tsunade looked up and smiled faintly. "You two made it back in one piece. That's a relief."
Jiraiya puffed out his chest. "Ha! Don't underestimate me, Tsunade. With me around, Naruto was in good hands."
Tsunade rolled her eyes. "There are only a handful of shinobi who can threaten you, Jiraiya. But still—how's Naruto's training?"
At that, Jiraiya smirked and crossed his arms. "Let's just say… you'll be very surprised when you see him in action."
Tsunade turned her gaze to Naruto and narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.
"You've changed," she said. "You're not the same loudmouth brat who stormed my office yelling about ramen two years ago."
Naruto stepped forward and gave a small salute. "Of course, Granny Tsunade. I'm Uzumaki Naruto, after all."
Tsunade chuckled at the familiar attitude. "Well, I'm looking forward to seeing what you've learned."
She stood and reached for a mission folder. "Starting today, Team 7 is officially reinstated."
Sakura's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Team 7…?"
"That's right," Tsunade said. "It's time to test your growth. Both of you."