Naruto lounged on a Konoha rooftop, his grin wide as he tossed a pebble into the air, catching it with practiced ease. "Gonna be the coolest ninja ever!" he shouted, drawing annoyed glances from passersby below. But his eyes were sharp, scanning the village's layout—guard posts, escape routes, weak points. Konoha was no home; it was a temporary base, a chessboard where he'd play the fool while plotting his escape. Sasuke's defection had shown him his limits, but also his potential. To roam the world, to uncover why the Fourth made him the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, he needed power—and brains to wield it.His failure at the Valley of the End wasn't just about strength; it was about strategy. Sasuke had outmaneuvered him, using the curse mark's speed to counter his clones. Naruto's mind, once brash and impulsive, was sharpening. He'd always been clever—tricking Mizuki, outsmarting Zabuza—but now he was deliberate, analyzing every fight, every conversation. The Scroll of Sealing, hidden in his apartment, was his first puzzle. Its notes on Tailed Beast seals were complex, but he'd cracked enough to know: controlling the Nine-Tails required precision, not just raw chakra. He'd get there, not for Konoha, but for himself.Jiraiya found him at dusk, his white hair glinting under the streetlights. "Time to train, kid," the Sannin said, tossing him a scroll. "Two years, you and me, away from the village. You in?" Naruto's grin was instant—"Heck yeah, Pervy Sage!"—but his mind raced. Jiraiya was offering power, but also watching him, likely for Tsunade or the elders. Naruto didn't trust him, but he'd use him. Two years of training was a goldmine, a chance to hone his mind and body for the road ahead.That night, Naruto studied the scroll, his clones—five thousand now—scattered across his clearing, testing chakra flows. He didn't just practice; he experimented, noting how chakra density affected clone durability. The Nine-Tails' chakra surged, red and steady, and he shaped it, holding it for minutes. "Smart, not just strong," he muttered, his facade gone. Jiraiya's training would make him a weapon, but Naruto's cunning would make him free. He'd leave Konoha, roam the world, and find the truth—no village, no bonds, just him and his power.
