"Ooh-hoo... that pose..."
"Whoa-ho-ho... what a view..."
"Hee-hee-hee... you could be a little more active, you know..."
Behind a rock by the hot springs, a middle-aged man with long white hair peeked out, a grin plastered on his face as he stared at the girls playing in the water. A holy light shone in his eyes. This was clearly a man of deep faith.
Beyond that, he had many identities, each with an impressive resume: a Toad Sage from Mount Myoboku, one of Konoha's legendary Sannin.
Of course, the identity the man enjoyed most was that of an author. Unfortunately, the serious ninja dramas he worked so hard to write were rarely noticed, while the... less respectable stories he wrote on a whim were loved by many.
This person was... interesting.
A yellow-haired boy suddenly appeared behind the man, his childish voice cutting through the air. "I don't see what's so great about it…"
"Well, well... you're still young. You don't know how to appreciate the scenery..." the middle-aged man replied dismissively, turning to scold the boy who had appeared behind him. When he saw the ninja headband on the boy's head, he frowned. "Hmm? A ninja from the village?"
Naruto Uzumaki rubbed his forehead, covered his face with one hand, and stammered, "...Jiraiya... Pervy Sage…"
When the Konoha boy first heard the names Jiraiya and Icha Icha Paradise, he was filled with curiosity. The name alone felt too unique to ignore. His brain involuntarily began to search for memories of Jiraiya. Scenes from the past flashed by, then quickly faded.
The man who loafed around all day...
The man who traveled the ninja world with him, training him...
The one who had given him warmth and joy when he least expected it...
And then, the one who was cruelly ripped from his world...
It was like a dream he didn't want to let go of but dared not recall. Finally, the path of memories reached its end. His mind issued a warning, sealing them away again, leaving only a sad-faced boy shedding tears in solitude...
"Hey, hey, hey, you little brat, you're too rude!" Jiraiya was jumping up and down, unhappy with the title Naruto had given him. "Who's your jonin instructor? What 'Pervy Sage'? I'm the great Toad Sage from Mount Myoboku!"
He angrily looked down, but when he saw Naruto's tear-streaked face, he couldn't help but take a half-step back. "Hey, hey, kid, I haven't even disciplined you yet!"
"Oh, it's none of your business." Naruto wiped his cheeks and looked at the middle-aged man in front of him. He put his fingers together and shouted in a low voice, "Shadow Clone: Release!"
His body instantly vanished in a puff of smoke.
Jiraiya stood there, dumbfounded, stroking his chin in thought. "Shadow Clone? Judging by his age, that brat should be a genin who just graduated, right? He's already mastered the Shadow Clone Jutsu?"
But there were other things on the scene that more easily piqued his curiosity. After the brat disappeared, Jiraiya shook his head and once again lay down behind the rock, his eyes fixed on the hot spring. "Ooh-hoo, have new beautiful girls arrived?"
Naruto's shadow clone had disappeared just to send a message. Sure enough, a little while later, Kakashi Hatake and Naruto appeared behind Jiraiya. Just as Naruto was about to grab him, Kakashi stopped him.
The jonin instructor solemnly adjusted his ninja headband and said carefully, "Jiraiya-senpai, it must be tough gathering material for so long. Any idea how long until the sequel to Icha Icha Violence comes out…?"
"Well, the second volume just came out not long ago, didn't it?" Jiraiya replied, then suddenly turned around. He saw the smiling Kakashi, then looked at Naruto beside him.
"Hey, Kakashi!" The middle-aged man waved his hand irritably. "So this brat's shadow clone dispelled just to tell you where I was!"
Kakashi said seriously, "Sorry, Jiraiya-senpai. We've run into a rather tricky problem, and we might need your help."
"The Hidden Hot Water Village only gets this many tourists during this time of year." Jiraiya looked back at the hot spring pool with reluctance. "As you can see, I'm very busy right now."
Kakashi patted his own head. "After we talk, Senpai, I think you'll feel that you're quite idle right now…"
-----
In a small tavern, Kakashi briefly explained the attack they encountered at the bandits' den, emphasizing that someone had used the Mind Body Switch Technique to control Sasuke. As he spoke, Jiraiya's relaxed expression gradually faded.
When he chose to leave Konoha back then, it was partly to find the Child of Prophecy, but also because of the endless internal strife in the village. Many conflicts were coming to the surface.
For example, the struggle for the Hokage position.
And the conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha clan.
If Jiraiya were facing an enemy from another country, he wouldn't even blink. He'd obey his orders without question. But when it came to Konoha's internal struggles, he wanted no part in it. He had refused the Hokage position precisely because he hated arguing with those old council members.
Konoha seemed prosperous on the outside, but it was actually a mess.
This wasn't something Jiraiya could solve. Getting involved would not only lead to conflict with his teacher, but it could also force him to personally suppress his own former comrades from the battlefield. So, Jiraiya chose to put his faith in the Child of Prophecy mentioned by the Great Toad Sage.
At first, he thought his student, Minato Namikaze, was the one. The "Yellow Flash" who roamed the ninja world was indeed his pride. But then, during the Nine-Tails' rampage, Minato sacrificed himself to save Konoha. Jiraiya's hopes were shattered, and he was left disheartened.
During that time, his friend Orochimaru defected. In the years that followed, Hiruzen turned a blind eye to the conflicts between the Uchiha, Danzo, and others, and his actions became more and more indecisive.
Jiraiya was finally, completely disappointed in his teacher. He saw no hope in the decaying village and simply started his journey once again to find the Child of Prophecy.
Many things had happened in Konoha since then. He originally thought that after the Uchiha clan was annihilated, the conflicts would gradually die down. He never expected the situation to escalate to the point where someone would dare to directly ambush the village's own ninjas.
Jiraiya glanced at Naruto, his eyelids slightly lowered, his voice dropping. "Kakashi, are you asking me to escort you back to Konoha?"
"There's no better way," Kakashi sighed, looking up. "These people are ninjas skilled in assassination and ambushes. I'm not confident I can bring my team back safely by myself."
Jiraiya's fingers gently tapped the table. "Has the old man not noticed this yet? He should be protecting you, right?"
"We found Kosuke-senpai in the Land of Waves and asked him to bring a message to the Third Hokage," Kakashi said, shaking his head. "However, until we know the result, we have to prepare for the worst."
Tch, he's really getting old. His reactions are getting slow, Jiraiya complained silently about his teacher. He then looked at them and said, "As it happens, I was also planning to go back to the village for a look. I'll travel with you."
"Thank you so much, then…"
"Wait a minute." Jiraiya waved his hand and looked at Naruto, who was quietly writing notes on the side. "I need to test this brat first. I can't have him causing trouble in a real fight."
-----
Bonus:
Jiraiya and Kakashi Chat
Jiraiya: I'm going to test Minato's son…
Kakashi: Senpai, I advise you to be cautious…
Jiraiya: Relax, relax, I know what I'm doing…
Kakashi: But I can't guarantee Naruto knows what he's doing…
Jiraiya: Heh, it's just a small test! If this brat passes, maybe I can teach him a very strong ninjutsu…
Kakashi: What ninjutsu?
Jiraiya: The ninjutsu his father left behind. The Rasengan!
Kakashi:Hehehehe… I just hope you won't be the one who gets traumatized…