Time was not particularly tight. By his calculations, there were still two or three months before the Chunin Exams were held in Konoha. Therefore, Tsunade's group did not travel very quickly... especially with a certain great writer in the party who kept wanting to visit bathhouses for "research."
"I'm saying... Pervy Sage... is it really that good?" Naruto had a towel draped over his head, his chin submerged in the slightly hot spring water as he looked in confusion at Jiraiya, who was eagerly eyeing the women's bath next door.
Heaven knew, no matter which Naruto it was, he was as innocent as a blank sheet of paper. Matters between men and women were simply beyond his understanding... even though the Naruto in his memories had somehow created a heaven-defying ninjutsu like the Sexy Jutsu.
"A brat like you couldn't possibly understand the pleasures involved!" Jiraiya, an old bachelor and old pervert, said without turning around. He quietly climbed out of the pool, intending to sneak a peek...
Sigh...
Naruto was helpless. Having read quite a few books this time around, he still had... at least a little shame. He kindly reminded Jiraiya, "Pervy Sage, Grandma Tsunade is right next door. I heard she nearly beat you to death back then... because you did exactly what you're trying to do now..."
Jiraiya's entire body stiffened. Terrifying memories he had not dared revisit for years surfaced in his mind. At that moment, he recalled the fear of being ruled by iron fists...
He smoothly turned around, laughed heartily a few times, then climbed back into the water and let out a comfortable sigh. "Writers are always misunderstood like this..."
Naruto broke out in a cold sweat and closed his eyes to rest.
Soaking in a hot spring really was comfortable...
In the women's bath next door, Tsunade was thinking, That old pervert Jiraiya isn't peeping, is he...?
The hot spring was open-air. Above the rising steam stretched a bright, pitch-black starry sky.
The night was quiet.
In a straight line, Konoha was not actually that far from the town where Tsunade was staying. Tsunade, Shizune, Jiraiya, and Naruto traveled at an unhurried pace—some trained, some drank, some gathered inspiration, and some fed pigs. Yet after five days, they finally saw Konoha's gates.
"..." Tsunade stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar gate plaque, momentarily speechless.
Looking at the leaf emblem on the plaque, she remembered how, as a child, she had ridden on her grandfather's shoulders and jumped up to scribble on it. Looking at the gates, she remembered how, after returning victorious from the battlefield, the Three Legendary Sannin had received the support and cheers of Konoha's people. Yet now, someone else was plotting to destroy this village...
The changes in people and circumstances truly resembled fleeting clouds and passing horses. In the blink of an eye, seas had turned into fields.
Tsunade felt as though a lifetime had passed.
"Lady Tsunade?" Shizune held Tonton in her arms. She saw the two ninja guards at Konoha's gate walking toward them. Tsunade had seemed especially quiet today. The closer they came to Konoha, the quieter she became.
Jiraiya understood how Tsunade felt. He patted her shoulder, walked over to greet the guards, Izumo and Kotetsu, and showed them his entry permit.
"Welcome back, Lady Tsunade. Lord Jiraiya." Izumo and Kotetsu respectfully greeted Tsunade and Jiraiya.
The new generation of genin might not know of the Three Legendary Sannin's illustrious reputations, but ninja like them, who had grown up amid the echoes of war, knew very well. How could they dare show even the slightest disrespect?
"Let's go." Tsunade spoke flatly and stepped through the gates.
Naruto was completely out of the loop. He scratched his head and followed.
Deep underground in a secret place within Konoha lay Root.
The room was dark. Only several candles on the walls flickered, casting the shadows of the people inside onto the walls. As the flames trembled, the two shadows danced wildly like mad demons.
A Root ninja dressed entirely in black knelt on one knee and reported to the one-eyed, one-armed old man seated before him. "Lord Danzo, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki has just returned to the village. Traveling with him are Lord Jiraiya, Lady Tsunade, and jonin Kato Shizune."
Danzo's face remained expressionless as he leaned on his cane and said blandly, "Withdraw."
The Root ninja vanished into the darkness.
The shadows on Danzo's face flickered with the candlelight, and the one eye exposed outside... held no emotion either. That was the kind of person he was. He had no love or hatred, having erased all emotion.
For the sake of this village, he was willing to turn himself into a cold shadow beneath the leaves. Whether killing or interrogating, everything began from the village's interests. He would never mix in personal feelings...
Hiruzen... don't go too far.
Our agreement back then was that I would not interfere with the Jinchuriki, and you would not let his father's legacy protect him either... Jinchuriki were not normal humans. They were Tailed Beasts. Did you think human emotions could tame them? How naive... Even Lady Mito had no choice but to spend the rest of her life under house arrest through the methods Lord Tobirama left behind.
Let Naruto Uzumaki grow up like an ordinary Konoha ninja?
Ridiculous.
The stronger a Jinchuriki became, the greater the potential threat he posed to the village. The more they grew, the more they would hate the village and hate this world...
Danzo recalled how, when he had flown into a rage at the Third Hokage because he discovered Jiraiya had gotten too close to the Jinchuriki, the Third Hokage had unexpectedly been firm and refused to yield...
Hiruzen, what exactly gave you such confidence and determination even now...
Having reassumed the position of Hokage, you should have grown old long ago.
Danzo tightened his grip around his wooden cane.
Orochimaru... do not disappoint this old man...
The flickering candlelight in the room went out instantly, and darkness swallowed everything.
"You really learned the Flying Thunder God Technique, Naruto?" The Third Hokage was greatly surprised when he learned the news. He had been preparing to give Naruto the Second Hokage's notes if Naruto truly could not learn it...
Jiraiya smiled at the side.
Tsunade immediately mocked him. "Old man, you're already past your prime."
"Heh heh..." The Third Hokage chuckled and puffed on his pipe. Tsunade's return greatly comforted him. And... since Naruto had already learned the Flying Thunder God Technique, the plan to "capture the snake" would need some slight adjustments...
Naruto was smiling too. Being able to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique was the happiest thing that had happened to him in all these years.
This was a ninjutsu even he had never learned... Dad's ninjutsu... he thought secretly, touching his stomach.
"Knock, knock, knock." Someone knocked on the door.
The Third Hokage tapped the desk with his pipe and said hoarsely, "Come in."
Kakashi pushed open the door. With his dead-fish eye open, he was quite surprised to see Tsunade, Jiraiya, Naruto, and Shizune in the room. "Lord Jiraiya, Naruto, you're back... Lady Tsunade, it's been a long time."
"Isn't this Kakashi? You actually..." Tsunade looked at Sasuke, Shikamaru, Hinata, Rock Lee, and Sakura, the five children who entered behind Kakashi, and mocked him, "have started babysitting kids too."
Kakashi broke out in a cold sweat, but he did not dare retort sarcastically to Tsunade. After choosing to ignore her, he reported the mission results to the Third Hokage:
"Kakashi's temporary squad successfully completed the special mission in the Land of Waves. There were no casualties within the team... This is the 'blade.'" Kakashi took out a sealing scroll.
The Third Hokage gestured for Kakashi to place it on the desk.
"You saw blood..." Tsunade only needed a brief glance at the expressions on Sasuke and the others' faces to know that people had definitely died during this mission. Since no one from their team had died, then someone on the other side must have.
Naruto nervously ran over to Hinata, scratched his face, and, unable to think of anything to say, could only ask stiffly, "Hinata, were you hurt...?"
Hinata's face reddened slightly. She lowered her head and twisted her fingers together. "N-no... Everyone took very good care of me..."
Getting hurt on missions like this was normal for ninja, wasn't it...? Everyone else present was left speechless as they watched the two of them.
But Naruto believed her and smiled happily.
"Hinata, don't be so modest... Without your Byakugan, that guy might have slaughtered us all in the mist..." Shikamaru said lazily, rubbing the back of his head.
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