Chapter 373: Hero's Son
After Jiraiya formally assumed the Hokage position and passed through a chaotic adaptation period, Naruto found a relatively free moment to visit the Hokage building and bring up matters regarding Tsunade.
Hearing this, Jiraiya stroked his chin and fell into brief contemplation. The mountain of documents piled on his desk nearly blocked the Jiraiya behind them.
"Tsunade, huh..."
He pondered. "Actually, even if you hadn't mentioned it, I had this plan. We do need to send someone out of the village to somehow drag her back."
Jiraiya had even prepared his pitch. Konoha had just recently endured Orochimaru's "Konoha Crush Plan" attack. Though order had been restored, the medical system's reserves and number of high-level medical shinobi remained a critical weakness.
"Using 'the village urgently needs top-tier medical support' as justification to invite her back—perfectly legitimate."
After a pause, Jiraiya's voice carried complaints and calculations only insiders could understand.
"Besides, I genuinely plan to have her return as a high-ranking official, preferably directly taking over some specific duties... You saw for yourself." Jiraiya smiled bitterly, pointing at the mountain of documents nearly drowning him.
How many days had he been in office? Jiraiya was already regretting it. Not only the seemingly endless work, but even Jiraiya's most beloved "research" had to stop due to image concerns.
The more he thought about it, the more correct his decision seemed. Jiraiya grew righteous.
Among the Sannin, Orochimaru had gone down the wrong path so he didn't count. Jiraiya and Tsunade were both representatives of chronic "slacking off" before. Now that Jiraiya had gritted his teeth and shouldered this burden, she was still outside drinking and gambling, wandering carefree everywhere?
Was this acceptable? Too inappropriate! He absolutely had to drag her back to "share the hardship!"
---
Another change that quickly followed—Naruto moved.
The new home was an independent two-story house. This wasn't an unfamiliar place, but rather the house where Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina once lived.
Theoretically, after the Minato couple sacrificed themselves back then, the legal heir to this property was their only son, Uzumaki Naruto.
However, imagine this—immediately after the Fourth Hokage just sacrificed himself for the village, his body barely cold, immediately letting a blond-haired, blue-eyed infant move into this residence?
This would almost be equivalent to loudly announcing to all lurking spies and intelligence brokers throughout the shinobi world: "Look! The Fourth Hokage left behind bloodline! And he's the Nine-Tails jinchuriki too! Scared? Wait till he grows up, one Flying Thunder God teleport to your homeland, casually toss a Tailed Beast Bomb, and everyone can say goodbye forever! Just wait for death."
Therefore, back then the Third Hokage used this reasoning to avoid having the house temporarily confiscated, only getting beaten into lumps by Kushina rather than being beaten to death.
Now, Naruto's strength and identity were no longer secrets. The new house had spacious rooms. Naruto had his own room. He didn't need to squeeze onto one bed with Kushina anymore—though strictly speaking, the previous small apartment was entirely Naruto's own residence.
Even Zacian got a separate room. The Third Hokage—perhaps to compensate for that decision back then, or simply fearing another beating—not only didn't reclaim Naruto's small apartment where he'd lived for years, but formally registered its ownership under Naruto's name, counting as an additional gift.
The moving process proved unexpectedly simple. Besides necessary clothing and some commonly used furniture, Naruto discovered he didn't have many personal items requiring packing.
A small cat plushie, a somewhat worn knitted scarf long enough to easily wrap around two people, an incubation device, and the comfortable, spacious bed he currently slept on.
While packing, Naruto belatedly realized that items carrying life's atmosphere visible everywhere around him... seemed almost all bore the "gifted by Satsuki" label... Why did he feel like some kept man?
After leaving that small apartment carrying nearly all his childhood and adolescent memories, life didn't become peaceful.
Immediately after, the Fifth Hokage Jiraiya, through both bulletin boards before the Hokage building and formal documents in dual channels, publicly announced two decisions to the entire village and even outsiders.
The first concerned Uzumaki Naruto's parentage:
[Effective immediately, official announcement: The shinobi who heroically protected Konoha during the One-Tail Shukaku attack incident—Uzumaki Naruto, his biological father's identity, upon verification, is confirmed to be Konohagakure's Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato!]
Following immediately was another proclamation.
[Additionally, Fifth Hokage Jiraiya personally announces that effective immediately, he accepts Uzumaki Naruto as his direct student, teaching everything without reservation, to inherit the Will of Fire!]
---
"Welcome back to the village, Hero's Son—!"
"Naruto-sama! You've worked hard!"
"Konoha's hero! Our future hope!"
"Worthy of being Jiraiya-sama's student! This mission must have been completed brilliantly too, right?"
Having merely completed a routine two-day escort mission, Team Seven barely approached Konoha's gates when this festival-like fanatic scene greeted their eyes.
A sea of people.
These words weren't exaggerated. Dark masses of crowds not only packed the spacious plaza at the village entrance, but surged like rising tide into the internal streets, extending from the gate to the corner at vision's edge. Surging heads, waving arms, faces overflowing with excitement and enthusiasm constructed a thick, clamorous "human wall."
Colorful ribbons and confetti were scattered from somewhere. Several enormous hand-written banners were held high by the crowd, particularly striking against white cloth—
[Warmly Welcome Fourth Hokage's Son, Young Master Uzumaki Naruto's Mission Return!]
[Konoha's Pride, The Shinobi World's Pillar]
[Gratitude for Protection, Generations of Heroes]
Clamor, cheers, shouts, discussions mixed together, forming a scalding heat wave rushing toward them.
Naruto's pupils dilated in shock. The Fourth War hasn't started yet, right? Pain hasn't come for demolition yet, right? He'd only left the village, escorted some minor noblewoman to visit relatives in a neighboring town, casually dealt with a few incompetent bandit gangs along the way...
What was this situation about?
Even the usually calm... or lazy Hatake Kakashi seemed somewhat bewildered.
"...Hero's son...?"
"...Fourth Hokage-sama's..."
Naruto suddenly jolted. Jiraiya seemed to have mentioned before about formally announcing his parentage... Could it be that during these two days he was on a mission, the announcement had already been issued?
However, now clearly wasn't the time for detailed thinking.
"Naruto," Kakashi's voice timely rang out. Quick-eyed and nimble-handed, he grabbed the arm of Haruno Sakura beside him—equally dumbfounded, still not understanding the situation. "Looks like this scene was specially prepared for you. Good luck. We'll... take our leave first. Goodbye."
Before his words finished falling, Kakashi skillfully performed Body Flicker Technique, bringing the still-unreacting Sakura along, disappearing from the spot.
Naruto: "..."
Satsuki: "..."
Almost the same instant Kakashi vanished, the crowd that had only been gathering and cheering had their enthusiasm completely ignited. They began surging toward Naruto and Satsuki still standing in place, footsteps growing faster, the fervor in their eyes almost becoming tangible.
"Naruto-sama! Please give me an autograph!"
"Can, can I shake your hand? Just once!"
That surging human tide, those gazes nearly drowning someone with passion, made Naruto—who'd beaten Tailed Beasts, beaten Otsutsuki—develop some social anxiety.