Naruto's Return

Jimo watched Tsunade's smug, self-satisfied expression, silently thinking to himself: From the look of her, she clearly loathes Danzo just as much as I do.

With that thought, a barely perceptible chill flickered in Jimo's eyes, and a notion involuntarily surged into his mind—he had to find the perfect opportunity to completely eradicate that detestable man.

Just then, Kakashi, standing nearby, keenly caught the fleeting smile that crossed Jimo's face. He furrowed his brow slightly and asked in a low voice, "Hey, you wouldn't be secretly plotting something absolutely terrifying right now, would you?"

Hearing Kakashi's question, Jimo was taken aback for a moment, then quickly composed himself, waving his hands repeatedly. "Not at all, Kakashi-sensei, you've got it wrong!"

But his slightly flustered demeanor didn't escape the eyes of either Kakashi or Tsunade.

Tsunade gave a light smile and said in a gentle tone, "Haha, if that day ever comes and you actually manage to take care of that annoying Danzo, I'll personally award you a grand honorary title!"

At Tsunade's words, Jimo's eyes lit up, and he replied excitedly, "That would be amazing! If I could really receive an honorary title from you, Master, I'd go through fire and water without hesitation!"

Kakashi shook his head helplessly and said with a wry smile to Tsunade, "See, I told you just now—this kid's up to no good. It all came out in one go."

Then he turned back to Jimo and teased, "What do you think? Called it, didn't I? The moment I saw that expression on your face, I knew you were scheming about how to send Danzo to his grave."

Faced with Kakashi's ribbing, Jimo could only scratch his head and laugh sheepishly.

Tsunade informed Jimo that Jiraiya had sent word—the Akatsuki had been active lately. He needed to boost his strength as quickly as possible.

If Danzo came looking for trouble again, killing him was out of the question, but beating him up was still fair game.

After seeing the others off, Jimo returned home and drifted into sleep.

In the long stretch of days that followed, Jimo seemed to revert to that tireless workaholic he once was. He threw himself into all kinds of tasks, leaving almost no time for rest.

In stark contrast, Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki once again sank into a state of idleness and coasting, loafing around all day with barely any interest in work.

A full year passed like this. During that time, Jimo either interned at Konoha Hospital with Sakura, honing his medical skills, or teamed up with other squad members to carry out various missions. The extended time together made Jimo grow exceptionally close to the rest of the Rookie Nine, beyond those he already knew well.

Then one day, a sudden voice rang out in his mind: "Congratulations, Host! You have successfully checked in for one full year! A new skill is now unlocked—Nail Punch!" Hearing this, Jimo was stunned for a moment before he began to look into the details of this new ability.

Nail Punch originated from the work Toriko. It could destroy an enemy's internal structure from the inside out. Moreover, as the Host's proficiency increased, Nail Punch could evolve and grow even stronger.

"This... could probably count as a fairly powerful taijutsu technique..." Jimo muttered to himself, wiping the nonexistent sweat from his forehead.

Ever since he'd gotten this miraculous check-in system, all sorts of odd little skills kept popping up every now and then. Though some seemed unremarkable at first glance, they might just prove unexpectedly useful at a critical moment. Thinking this, Jimo couldn't help but feel hopeful about the future.

"Jimo!"

Sakura called from downstairs.

"Naruto's coming back to the village today! Let's go pick him up together!"

"Coming!"

The two of them arrived at the village gate and spotted the spiky blond head from a distance.

Two years apart, and Naruto had grown quite a bit taller.

"Jimo! Sakura!"

Seeing them, Naruto rushed over and gave them both a big bear hug.

"Two years and you've shot up quite a bit, kid!" Jimo said.

After that, Naruto compared their heights, and his cheeks puffed up like a balloon.

"Still not as tall as you..."

"You've grown a lot, Naruto!"

At that lazy drawl, everyone's eyes turned to the rooftop nearby, where Kakashi stood with a faint smile on his lips.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shouted excitedly, his face brimming with surprise.

Kakashi lightly leaped down from the roof.

Naruto walked up to him and said, "I brought you the latest edition from the Pervy Sage!" He winked mysteriously.

"The latest edition!?" Kakashi's eyes went wide, staring at Naruto with eager anticipation. Naruto slowly pulled a book from behind him, its cover emblazoned with bold letters—Make-Out Tactics.

"Could it be..." Kakashi swallowed hard, guessing at the new book's contents.

Kakashi slowly flipped open the book, and his gaze instantly turned fervent, as if it held endless treasures. Naruto, standing beside him, craned his neck to get a peek.

"I don't think it's all that great, but from the look on your face, you'll probably love it!" Naruto said, scratching his head with a grin.

From a corner, Jiraiya couldn't help muttering under his breath, "Idiot! That's the latest edition not even on the market yet! A brat like you wouldn't understand how precious it is!" But his grumbling went unnoticed.

While Naruto was catching up with his comrades—Jimo and Sakura—Jiraiya quietly sidled up to Kakashi, and the two spoke in low tones.

"I'm leaving Naruto in your hands. The Akatsuki have been stirring lately, showing a strong interest in the tailed beasts. I need to go gather some intel." Jiraiya's expression was grave.

Kakashi nodded, acknowledging the importance of the mission. He patted Jiraiya's shoulder and said softly, "Go ahead, Jiraiya-sama. I'll take good care of Naruto."

With that, Jiraiya turned and left, his figure quickly disappearing at the end of the street. Meanwhile, Naruto's laughter and chatter with his friends continued to echo in the air...