Naruto's training had officially begun.
After staying for a few days, Kiyosuke finally decided he couldn't endure the insect-based meals any longer and returned to Konoha. With Fukasaku personally guiding Naruto, there was no need to worry about his progress. Before leaving, Kiyosuke handed Naruto a large handful of soldier pills, leaving him to choose between those and the bugs.
When he got back to Konoha, the first thing he did was head to the hospital—he'd heard that Jiraiya had been hospitalized. The one who'd sent him there was none other than Tsunade herself.
Looking at Jiraiya, wrapped head to toe in bandages and barely breathing, Kiyosuke scratched his head and said,
"What happened here? I was gone for only a short while. What's going on with Jiraiya-sama?"
Kakashi lowered his voice.
"Jiraiya-sama had a little too much to drink, and then… well, you know."
"Oh~" Kiyosuke nodded in sudden realization, a flicker of pity in his eyes as he glanced at Jiraiya.
Apparently, Jiraiya had gotten drunk and tried to take advantage of the mood, only to be met with Tsunade's merciless counterattack. The last time he'd been this seriously injured was when Naruto had gone berserk—and now, once again, he'd been nearly beaten to death, this time by one of his own comrades. Tragic.
"Damn brat, it's easy to mock me when you're not the one in pain," Jiraiya groaned from the bed.
"Damn it… I thought the timing was perfect. Who knew Tsunade would hit that hard? We're both over fifty, for crying out loud."
Being punched by Tsunade's monstrous strength and surviving was already a miracle.
"Is Naruto training in Sage Mode right now?" Jiraiya asked.
"Yeah," Kiyosuke replied. "Fukasaku-sama's guiding him. I believe it won't be long before he masters it."
"Sage Mode isn't easy to learn," Jiraiya said. "Even Minato took some time."
Kiyosuke nodded in agreement. Sage Mode really was difficult. Maintaining the balance between natural energy and chakra was no easy feat, and very few could sustain it perfectly. Jiraiya himself was proof—if he could, parts of his body wouldn't have been permanently toad-like.
The training at Ryūchi Cave was different. As long as you didn't die, you could master it, and it allowed you to continuously absorb natural energy, maintaining peak condition until your chakra ran dry. But the process was excruciating, and the risk of death was sky-high. One careless move, and you'd end up as White Snake Sage's next meal.
"Even if Naruto's not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed," Kiyosuke said, "he's got the body of a Sage. Learning Senjutsu should come faster for him—quicker than you or Minato, at least."
"That kid…" Jiraiya sighed and shook his head. "Let him learn on his own. I'm done worrying."
Lying in bed, unable to do anything, really was torture.
Kiyosuke turned to Kakashi.
"Kakashi, what about Obito?"
"Oh, he's been helping Rin at the hospital," Kakashi replied.
Obito had already recovered enough to get out of bed, and ever since returning, he'd been following Rin around like a loyal puppy. The goddess of Konoha Hospital now had a growing entourage of lovesick followers.
Tsunade had already extracted all the information Obito knew—Madara's insane plan, the purpose of collecting the Tailed Beasts, and details about the Akatsuki's members.
Although Obito had been under control, he had remained aware enough to know everything that was going on. It was only because of Kotoamatsukami that he'd turned into an enemy.
His return reunited old friends. Back in the day, he was the only one among them who'd "died," which had been a tragedy. Having him back was something worth celebrating.
As for the official story—they said Obito had survived the accident and continued working in secret, fighting from the shadows to protect Konoha's peace.
Everyone believed it. After all, in their memories, Obito was always the hot-blooded idiot who dreamed of becoming Hokage.
Kiyosuke made a trip to see Fugaku and managed to reclaim Obito's old family house.
After Obito's grandmother passed away, the house technically became his, but with his "death" and no heirs, the Uchiha clan had taken it under their management.
They'd even been planning to demolish it before Kiyosuke stepped in and insisted they keep it standing.
Now, he was returning it to its rightful owner.
"Cough, cough… No one's lived here for ages," Obito said, staring at the thick layer of dust. "After Grandma passed, I didn't stay long either. Looks like it'll need repairs."
"Why not just tear it down and rebuild?" Kiyosuke suggested. "This house is older than both of us combined. Might as well start fresh."
"Yeah, but…" Obito rubbed his empty pockets. "I'm broke!"
Unlike Kiyosuke and Kakashi, who'd been doing missions for years and earned plenty, Obito had spent all that time being a villain—and didn't make a single ryo from it. Dirt poor.
"Wait—you were the shadowy mastermind behind Akatsuki," Kiyosuke said, exasperated. "And you didn't think to skim a little money off the top?"
"Why would I?" Obito replied earnestly. "Pain handled the organization's operations. I just needed him to gather the Tailed Beasts. As for the rest, I didn't interfere. Kakuzu managed the finances—I never got involved."
He rarely meddled in Akatsuki's affairs unless something serious came up. He hadn't embezzled any of the group's funds either—it would've only caused more trouble. No wonder his life had been miserable.
"You really are…" Kiyosuke sighed. "Unbelievable. Even mind-controlled, you're still too damn honest."
He patted Obito's shoulder.
"No wonder you're broke. Do yourself a favor—go see Tsunade-sama, take a few missions, and save up for a new place."
"Right, right. So, uh, can I stay at your place for now?" Obito asked hopefully.
"Sorry, my house is full." Kiyosuke turned him down flat.
"What about Kakashi's place?"
"He's living with Hanare now. You really wanna be their third wheel?"
"Then… Asuma's? No, forget it—he and Kurenai have a kid. And Guy's place? Absolutely not." Obito frowned, thinking hard, but couldn't come up with a single option.
"You idiot! What about Rin?!"
"T-That's not… appropriate, is it?!" Obito's face turned bright red. "I can't just stay at Rin's place! It'd be… awkward. A man and a woman, alone…"
"You're hopeless," Kiyosuke sighed. "You say you love her, yet you're too scared to even stay at her place."
He reached into his pack and pulled out three books.
"Here. Read these, then ask Kakashi for guidance. You might actually learn something."
Obito took the books and froze.
They were Jiraiya's legendary Make-Out trilogy.
"Uh…"
"These are Jiraiya-sama's masterpieces," Kiyosuke said solemnly. "They're wildly popular—even the daimyō read them. Study them well."
"Kiyosuke! You really are my best friend!!!" Obito shouted, eyes shining.