A knock sounded at the door.
"Please come in."
Natsume lifted his head and called out.
The door opened.
Jiraiya walked in.
He was still wearing his signature red cloak over his usual brown clothes.
On his forehead protector, he wore the character for "oil."
Truthfully speaking, judging from his forehead protector alone, it was clear that Mount Myoboku had influenced him more than Konoha Village ever had.
Jiraiya looked at Natsume with complicated eyes.
In truth, they had only met a few times.
All his understanding of Natsume came through Tsunade.
Originally believed to be the Prophesied Child, but instead turned out to be the Child of Destruction.
Jiraiya was born in Konoha Village.
However, the turning point of his life happened when he accidentally entered Mount Myoboku.
Thanks to the Frog Clan and Sage Mode, he gained great reputation throughout the ninja world.
To repay them, he had spent his entire life chasing after the Great Toad Sage's prophecy.
If Natsume wasn't Hokage, Jiraiya would have already taken action long ago.
But unfortunately, he is.
Not only is he Hokage, but also a good one.
This made Jiraiya unable to bring himself to act.
Even if he could defeat him, it wouldn't change anything.
And now, he couldn't even beat him.
"Hokage-sama."
Jiraiya gathered his scattered thoughts and sighed inwardly as he greeted first.
"Lord Jiraiya, long time no see."
Natsume maintained his usual attitude, smiling as he asked, "What brings you here today?"
"I heard Naruto has returned to Konoha?"
Jiraiya asked, pretending not to know about Mount Myoboku's destruction.
"Yes, just arrived."
Natsume wasn't surprised by how quickly Jiraiya obtained this intelligence.
As one of the Sannin, he had extensive contacts within Konoha.
Especially since Hiruzen Sarutobi was still alive.
Knowing the whereabouts of Naruto Uzumaki was perfectly normal.
"Naruto is Minato's child."
A shadow passed over Jiraiya's face. "I'm deeply sorry for Minato's sacrifice."
During the Nine-Tails Incident,
he hadn't been in Konoha.
Neither had Tsunade.
Which indirectly led to the deaths of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki.
"Fate is unpredictable."
Natsume shook his head. "No one could have foreseen such an event occurring."
Jiraiya paused briefly.
He had expected Natsume might have changed his attitude toward him because of Mount Myoboku.
Yet this response seemed almost consoling.
Without Mount Myoboku, perhaps Natsume truly would have been a fine Hokage.
"Minato was my student. I failed him."
Jiraiya collected himself and replied. "Now that I have some free time, I'd like to teach Naruto a few things."
"That's fine by me."
Natsume agreed readily.
Jiraiya stared at him in surprise.
That easily?
For taking Naruto Uzumaki as his disciple, he had specifically sought help from Tsunade before,
but she had turned him down.
Only after Naruto's return did Jiraiya come see Natsume, feeling rather uneasy.
Yet there was absolutely no resistance.
Why?
Could he really be someone who genuinely cares for Konoha Village?
If so, then why destroy Mount Myoboku?
For a moment, Jiraiya was tempted to ask him directly.
But in the end, he held himself back.
It no longer held any significance.
Mount Myoboku could never rise from ruin.
"Then I'll go see Naruto now."
Jiraiya couldn't wait to turn around and leave, as if fearing Natsume might change his mind.
The door was closed.
Natsume stroked his chin thoughtfully.
His willingness wasn't just because Jiraiya couldn't teach anything useful to Naruto Uzumaki, but also because he trusted both Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki.
Their continued existence today was entirely due to Natsume's efforts.
And they were also people who understood gratitude.
Minato Namikaze might have a slight leaning toward Jiraiya.
But when it came to Kushina Uzumaki and Naruto Uzumaki, things were different.
Because Jiraiya arrived too late.
Natsume had already gained a lot of favor with them.
Unless he betrayed Konoha,
trying to replace him and influence Naruto Uzumaki would be next to impossible for Jiraiya.
Ichiraku Ramen.
After returning to Konoha Village, Naruto Uzumaki hurried straight here without delay.
"Uncle Teuchi! A large bowl of barbecue pork rib ramen!"
"Hey, Naruto, feels like it's been almost a month since I last saw you?"
Teuchi immediately smiled and said, "I was starting to think you didn't like ramen anymore."
"How could that be?"
Naruto eagerly confirmed his love for it. "With Uncle's ramen, I could eat it forever!"
"That's good to hear."
Teuchi's face carried an even warmer smile.
"There was a mission before," Naruto chuckled proudly. "Now I'm the Hokage's apprentice, really busy all the time."
"Congratulations."
Teuchi sighed thoughtfully.
Back then, Naruto Uzumaki was practically someone everyone wanted gone.
But ever since Natsume became the Hokage, the situation completely flipped.
He had become the child of a hero, and the Hokage's apprentice—his future seemed incredibly bright.
Not long after, the barbecue pork rib ramen arrived.
Just then, a large hand suddenly appeared.
Its target was the barbecue pork rib ramen right in front of Naruto Uzumaki.
"Hey, old man, that's mine!"
Before Naruto could react, the ramen was already snatched away.
Naruto Uzumaki instantly showed dissatisfaction.
"Kid, call me the Frog Sage."
Jiraiya picked up the chopsticks and asked, "Do you even know who I am?"
"What kind of adult steals a kid's ramen anyway?"
Naruto's smile faltered slightly, but out of respect for elders, he chose not to snatch it back.
"This part isn't over yet!"
"Minato Namikaze spoke up just in time."
A harsh, unreserved voice rang out, "He's a perverted old man—don't go learning from him."
Jiraiya had no flaws as a ninja.
Peeping in bathhouses, following young girls, writing dirty novels… Each one is a red flag.
As a mother, Kushina Uzumaki absolutely did not want to see her son turn out like Jiraiya.
"Kushina."
Minato Namikaze lightly coughed, saying, "Teacher isn't actually that bad."
Kushina Uzumaki huffed but remained silent.
She gave Minato Namikaze the benefit of the doubt.
Naruto blinked in confusion.
He knew who Jiraiya was.
Minato Namikaze had told him about him before.
In Konoha Village, many people talked about him.
One of the Legendary Sannin, incredibly powerful and so on.
But today, after seeing him in person, some felt disappointed.
He even tried to steal his food.
Well, in the original story, he often swindled him for money to fund his eating, drinking, and research.
"Kid, why aren't you talking?"
Jiraiya had already taken two bites with his chopsticks. Seeing Naruto's silence, he couldn't help but reveal his identity proudly.
"I'm a legendary Sannin whose strength knows no east, west, south, or north! I'm the white-haired youth who summons frogs, a peerless beauty whose very presence hushes crying children—it's me, Lord Jiraiya!"
"…"
Naruto Uzumaki was completely stunned.
What kind of self-introduction was that?!
Peerless strength?
Has he ever beaten Natsume-sensei?
And peerless beauty?
No need to say more.
There's no way he can compare to Natsume-sensei.
Naruto muttered a few complaints.
Fortunately, over these years, he had been under the guidance of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki.
So, he didn't get angry.
"Mister, what do you want from me?"
As he spoke, Naruto ordered another bowl of Char siu pork rib ramen from Teuchi.
A flash of appreciation crossed Jiraiya's face.
Not bad.
Despite being treated like that since childhood, you've still kept your manners—rare indeed.
No wonder he's Minato's son.
"Kid, I won't just take a bowl of ramen from you without reason."
Jiraiya smiled and asked, "How about it? Become my disciple?"
"I already have a teacher."
Naruto shook his head politely, declining.
Although Natsume was somewhat lazy when it came to missions, he treated Naruto very well.
Especially giving him time to bond with his parents.
Even though Jiraiya was Minato's master and famous throughout the land,
he still wouldn't consider switching teachers.
"I just came from the Hokage's office. Your teacher Natsume has already agreed."
Jiraiya tapped the bowl and said, "I can teach you many things, you know."
Naruto paused slightly.
Did Natsume-sensei really agree?
After hesitating briefly, he asked, "What exactly can you teach me?"
"Oh, quite a lot!"
Jiraiya grinned proudly. "First, let's eat. After dinner, I'll take you to the training ground and blow your mind."
Naruto gave a slight nod.
Considering the respect he held for both Natsume and Minato Namikaze,
he decided he'd go take a look.
If he could genuinely learn something, becoming a disciple wouldn't be a problem either.
Training Ground Zero.
After finishing their ramen, Jiraiya and Naruto Uzumaki made their way to the spot.
"Kid, how old are you?"
"Eleven."
Naruto frowned, confused. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"The techniques I'll be teaching you are high-level ninja arts."
A faint smile bloomed on Jiraiya's face as he said, "I'm just worried your age will make chakra control difficult for you."
"Don't underestimate me, old man!"
Naruto waved his fist angrily.
"Not bad. Got some spirit."
Jiraiya chuckled. "I'll teach you a technique called Rasengan. It comes straight from your father, Minato Namikaze."
"Rasengan?"
Naruto's face twisted into a strange expression.
"What's with that face?"
"Jiraiya thought he was underestimating the technique and explained, "Although its name is simple, its power is great. It's an A-ranked jinjutsu with limitless potential that could later evolve into entirely new techniques."
"You mean this?"
Naruto Uzumaki extended his hand as chakra spiraled and condensed into a faintly blue sphere.
"How... How do you know this?!"
Jiraiya gaped in disbelief at the Rasengan forming in Naruto's palm.
The Rasengan had been created by Minato Namikaze before being passed to him, and there were no copies kept in Konoha Village.
In fact, only two people in the world had ever mastered it.
"My father taught me."
Naruto didn't hide anything as he answered.
"Your father... he's already gone..."
Jiraiya hesitated.
What he wanted to say was, how could your father teach you if he's already gone?
But on second thought, given Minato Namikaze's brilliance, it wouldn't be surprising if he'd prepared a backup plan.
Well, no big deal.
If he couldn't teach the Rasengan, he could teach something else.
How unfortunate — Natsume had Naruto already sign the contract with Ryuchi Cave and learn Sage Mode.
Thinking this, Jiraiya asked, "Do you know about the Nine-Tails?"
"I do."
Naruto looked down at his abdomen and said, "The Nine-Tails is inside me."
Did Natsume tell him about this?
Jiraiya felt surprised.
He had originally intended to wait until Naruto was older before revealing the truth.
But well enough.
At least he wouldn't have to explain much.
"Oh!"
"The Nine-Tailed Fox is incredibly powerful," Jiraiya said with a smile, "and as a jinchuriki, you have the ability to control its chakra. I can teach you how."
Naruto Uzumaki didn't know what to say.
"You... know about this too?"
Noticing his expression once again, Jiraiya couldn't help but ask.
Naruto clapped his hands together, and golden chakra erupted outward.
An indescribable aura surged outward, resembling howling winds.
What is this?
Jiraiya stood there stunned.
This was the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
In the original story, Naruto gained it through guidance from B.
In other words, Konoha didn't know about this at all.
Of course, Jiraiya hadn't seen it either.
The method of controlling Nine-Tails' chakra he intended to teach Naruto...
Was merely the basic partial transformation.
Jiraiya froze in place.
Naruto had already surpassed that and mastered a far more advanced version.
Judging from this aura, his power was undeniably extraordinary.
Ordinary ninja wouldn't stand a chance against him.
Add to that the Sage Mode from Ryuchi Cave, and Jiraiya wasn't sure even he could defeat him.
Now what should he do?
Frowning tightly, Jiraiya still refused to give up.
Quickly, he tried to come up with another justification.
"Naruto, while your strength is impressive now, you're still young and lack experience."
Patting his own chest, Jiraiya continued, "I've fought countless battles and can teach you everything."
This statement wasn't false.
Since the Second Great Ninja War, he'd remained active, facing countless enemies and life-threatening situations.
But somehow, he always survived.
Naruto Uzumaki paused for a moment.
Jiraiya was indeed experienced, but his parents weren't pushovers either.
And most importantly, they could guide him whenever he needed it.
Still, given that Jiraiya was Minato Namikaze's teacher, Naruto didn't outright refuse. Instead, he turned his focus inward to the sealed space.
"What do you think?"
"Master Jiraiya is definitely quite powerful," Kushina Uzumaki replied.
Although Kushina didn't particularly like Jiraiya's perverted habits, she acknowledged that his strength ranked among the top in the ninja world.
"But since I have both of you guiding me, it seems unnecessary."
This was Naruto's first time meeting Jiraiya.
He couldn't possibly feel the same kind of deep bond that existed in the original story.
"Also, let's just decline then," Minato said thoughtfully.
Rubbing his chin, Minato continued, "Master Jiraiya is busy with matters at Mount Myoboku. He probably doesn't have much time to teach you anyway."
He knew Jiraiya well.
The man was always off running around somewhere.
He hadn't heard about the destruction of Mount Myoboku.
Therefore, his perception of Jiraiya remained unchanged.
"Sorry, Master Jiraiya," Naruto said, facing Jiraiya's expectant gaze and explaining the situation regarding Minato.
"…?"
Jiraiya never expected that his former student's contingency plan would turn out like this.
But this clearly left him in an awkward position.
With Naruto constantly carrying Minato with him, there was no need for another teacher anymore.
Besides, this was a family matter—it wouldn't be appropriate for him to get involved.
Jiraiya managed a smile and said, "It's fine. I understand."
Now he understood why Natsume had agreed so readily.
That fellow had probably foreseen that he'd end up accomplishing nothing here.
This Hokage was truly intimidating.
"While I can't formally become your student," Naruto added upon seeing Jiraiya's reaction, "if you ever have time, you could still offer some guidance."
His personality had diverged somewhat from the original.
But overall, he was still a good kid.
Jiraiya blinked, deeply touched.
Meanwhile, Natsume picked up a document.
It was related to the Star Village.
He planned to retrieve that meteorite. Perhaps it could help strengthen his Hokage's bodyguard team.
Someone like Kurenai Yuhi, for instance.
Four thousand-word chapter
(End of chapter)
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