Konoha
After completing his training at Ryūchi Cave, Naruto resumed his routine—supervising Neji and the others in their own training. With less than a week remaining before the final round of the Chūnin Exams, there was no time to waste.
Just the day before, the Fourth Kazekage had arrived in Konoha with his personal guard unit. They were currently staying at a hotel arranged by Konoha for diplomatic guests.
"Hehehe… that figure… that pose… Ooh la la!"
From the direction of the Konoha hot springs, came the unmistakable sound of a pervert at work.
Clearly, someone was peeking into the women's bath.
Naruto didn't feel like meddling. He chose to ignore it and continued walking toward the Uchiha compound.
The others—like Hinata—were already gathered.
"Hehehe… that figure… that pose… Ooh la la!"
At a second bathhouse, the same pervy voice rang out again.
Same tone. Same creepy posture—bent over in an absolutely indecent way.
And then a third…
Konoha's hot spring street.
Whoever this was—was clearly following him.
"You—"
"Great question!"
Before Naruto could finish speaking, the man across from him leapt into an exaggerated pose, standing atop a large toad, and began nodding dramatically before introducing himself:
"I am the hermit sage of Mount Myōboku, the toad spirit of legend—Jiraiya the Toad Sage!"
Naruto: …
"Hello, Jiraiya-sensei—one of the Legendary Sannin, the famed Toad Sage."
"Huh?"
Jiraiya blinked in surprise.
"You know who I am?"
"I saw your profile in the files Danzo-sama collected," Naruto replied calmly.
"One of the top ninja in Konoha. If you wanted to become Hokage, the Fifth Hokage seat would be yours without question."
"Hehehe…"
Jiraiya smiled proudly, but he didn't miss the fact that Naruto had mentioned 'Danzo'.
That made him uneasy.
Old man… how does Naruto know Danzo?
"Well, if there's nothing else, I'll be on my way."
Naruto had no intention of getting entangled with Jiraiya right now.
Truthfully—he admired the man.
He liked the original version of Jiraiya too.
The man who, all for the sake of a prophecy, wandered the ninja world for decades, searching for the so-called "Child of Prophecy."
The man who, in the original story, took care of Naruto for three years and was practically like a father to him.
Naruto respected that Jiraiya. He even liked that Jiraiya.
But—
"The Naruto from the anime isn't me. In my life, Jiraiya never showed up."
Naruto could clearly separate fiction from reality.
"Such a rude brat…"
Jiraiya grumbled.
Naruto stopped, turned around, and looked at him directly.
"Before criticizing others, shouldn't you reflect on your own behavior first?"
That look in his eyes… it's dangerous.
Of course, Jiraiya wasn't like academy students or ordinary shinobi who'd be cowed by a glare.
"I already said—I have something important to do."
With that, Naruto turned and continued walking.
"Kid—don't be in such a hurry. You and I share a connection."
Naruto didn't even glance back.
"I know. After all… you're the one who named me."
Jiraiya froze mid-step.
He… knows that?
"I know more than you think, Jiraiya-san."
When he was younger, Naruto used to fantasize.
He wondered:
If Jiraiya had been in Konoha…
Would his life have been different?
Better?
He imagined a world where Jiraiya remembered him sooner.
Where everything might have gone a different way.
After all, as one of the strongest ninja in the village, if Jiraiya had stepped in to care for Naruto, even Hiruzen wouldn't have stopped him—he might have even welcomed it.
But—
There are no 'what-ifs' in this world.
In Naruto's life, Jiraiya never showed up.
Kakashi didn't show up.
The Fourth Hokage's elite guard never showed up.
And when that tiny house he called 'home' was destroyed—those illusions were shattered too.
Naruto didn't blame Jiraiya. After all, he was his father's teacher, not his.
Even if he had been… he had no obligation to help Naruto.
Helping is a favor. Not helping is one's right.
Naruto understood that clearly.
So to him, Jiraiya was nothing more than his father's teacher.
Or at best—the man who gave him his name.
"Don't say it like that…"
Jiraiya tried sticking to him like glue, acting like a piece of chewed gum.
"I was your father's teacher. Don't you want to know about his past?"
But the Naruto in front of him was nothing like he had imagined.
His original plan was to keep some distance, slowly build trust…
But now he realized—it wouldn't work at all.
"Jiraiya-san," Naruto said, turning around.
"I know Kurama. He knew my parents too. He's been with me since I was a child. When it comes to their past… I might know more than you do."
Kurama? Is that… the Nine-Tails' name?
He already has that kind of relationship with it?
Jiraiya's mind worked quickly—he was no fool. Just from a few exchanges, he'd figured out a great deal.
Old man… what the hell's been going on in Konoha these years?
"So, can you stop following me now?"
Naruto's expression and tone made it clear—he didn't want to be close to Jiraiya.
This time, Jiraiya didn't follow him.
Instead, he turned and headed for the Hokage Tower.
He had far too many questions—and needed someone to give him answers.
Reality seemed quite different from what he had imagined.
And the best person to answer those questions…
Was Hiruzen.
Naruto, sensing Jiraiya wasn't tailing him anymore, slipped into the trees and vanished.
Hokage Tower
The doors to the Hokage's office swung open forcefully.
Jiraiya strode in with urgency, heading straight for the man seated at the center of the room.
"Old man. I've got questions—and you're going to answer them."
"Oh? Jiraiya."
Hiruzen looked up, not at all surprised to see him.
He simply replied calmly:
"Gone all these years… and now you finally come back?"
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