Naruto now saw the Nine-Tails as a shortcut for training and a personal chakra battery.
He didn't hate it or anything, but Naruto couldn't bring himself to try to befriend it or earnestly talk it around. Their relationship was like that of ordinary friends: they didn't hate each other, but they also didn't share a deep understanding.
"All right, Naruto. I believe you. Come on over!" With the Nine-Tails' oppressive presence looming nearby, Jiraiya didn't even dare approach. Watching Naruto interact with it made his heart pound with anxiety.
"I'll come visit another day, Nine-Tails," Naruto said.
"Since you've been so cooperative, I won't suppress you anymore. But stay put and don't go looking for trouble." At the same time, a voice sounded in the Nine-Tails' mind.
The seal around the Nine-Tails' neck quietly vanished. The beast froze, never expecting Naruto to trust it enough to remove the seal just because it had cooperated a little.
The Nine-Tails was almost moved to tears. It was also the first time it had ever experienced life without a seal.
Without the seal, the Nine-Tails could fight Naruto for control of his body. But having the opportunity and having the strength were two different things.
Others might not know how strong Naruto was, but the Nine-Tails certainly did.
As Naruto was now, he could suppress the Nine-Tails in a one-on-one fight with just one hand.
Naruto's abilities were simply too effective against the Nine-Tails: chakra absorption and Sealing Jutsu.
So the Nine-Tails obediently lay down and went back to sleep, only this time it slept more soundly.
The two of them vanished, and the two people in the room opened their eyes.
"Naruto, are you sure you don't want me to reinforce your seal?" Jiraiya was still uneasy. After all, this was the Nine-Tails, a Tailed Beast that the Fourth Hokage had sealed with his life.
"No need, Lord Jiraiya. I don't like trouble, so I don't want anyone else to know about this." Naruto looked Jiraiya in the eyes and spoke seriously.
Jiraiya paused. He understood who Naruto meant by "anyone else." Most of all, Naruto meant the Third Hokage.
That left Jiraiya in a difficult position. The Nine-Tails was too much of a threat to take lightly.
"All right. I'll stay for a while and keep an eye on things. Once I'm sure you're safe, I'll decide what to do." After thinking it over, Jiraiya agreed. He also made it clear that he would stay to monitor Naruto and ensure his safety.
Naruto frowned. This was supposed to be his prime time for training. How could he train with Jiraiya watching him? But outright refusing would only cause more trouble.
Oh well, I'll treat it as a vacation. It'll be nice to spend some time getting closer to Hinata.
After thinking it over, Naruto agreed.
At this point, he didn't have much choice anyway.
Besides, he genuinely thought Jiraiya was a decent guy, so he had no intention of making things difficult for him.
Over the next few days, Naruto's life returned to normal. Maybe it had been so long since he'd lived a normal life that he found himself with nothing to do.
"Naruto, you're really coming to school in person?" Hinata asked, surprised when she realized it was the real Naruto.
"With graduation coming up, I want to experience school life properly." He'd originally wanted to tease the shy Hinata, but decided against it, knowing what she was like.
"You don't have to train?" Hinata asked expectantly. Naturally, she was happy to spend time with Naruto like this.
"Don't worry. I'm just taking a break and getting some rest," Naruto said with a smile.
They were both in high spirits. Jiraiya had observed Naruto's daily routine, and since he'd finally made it back, he naturally wanted to visit the place he'd dreamed of going and do a little fieldwork.
Naruto's impression of him improved a little when he realized Jiraiya wasn't keeping a constant eye on him.
Being watched felt awful. It might have been fine if Naruto hadn't known about it, but with his powerful senses and the Mind's Eye of the Kagura, he could tell whenever several people were watching him. Just thinking about it was embarrassing.
During the morning's theory class, Naruto spent his time getting closer to Hinata and chatting with Shikamaru and the others.
In the afternoon, the class held sparring practice. Naruto didn't show off this time, but his opponent was still Uchiha Sasuke. Iruka had arranged it on purpose.
Iruka had followed the Third Hokage's instructions carefully, and he understood the old man's intentions too: he hoped Naruto would form a strong bond with Sasuke.
Sasuke's fan club immediately started cheering. As far as they were concerned, Sasuke was the best.
But Uchiha Sasuke, who knew how strong Naruto was, wasn't happy at all. The two had an unspoken understanding: they used no ninjutsu, only Taijutsu.
Naruto held back more than he could count, and in the end, he and Sasuke fought to a draw.
Even so, it shocked everyone else. They already knew how much chakra Naruto had. Now he could even fight Uchiha Sasuke to a draw with Taijutsu. Plenty of people were left dumbfounded.
It was as if Sakura was only now realizing how strong Naruto was. She was even more surprised by how much his personality had changed—he was strong without flaunting it.
Jiraiya's return made no difference to Konoha. In the Third Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi was using a crystal ball to spy on what was happening in the village when he spotted Jiraiya hiding in a tree near the bathhouse.
That distinctive white hair and lecherous grin made Hiruzen furrow his brow.
"Why has Jiraiya come back?" None of the Three Legendary Sannin had returned since leaving the village, and there was nothing going on in Konoha now that would bring Jiraiya back.
"Someone come here." The Third Hokage immediately summoned the Anbu member assigned to watch Naruto.
"Lord Hokage." An Anbu member wearing a mask appeared.
"Has anything unusual happened with Naruto lately?" the Third Hokage asked directly. Naruto was the only reason Jiraiya would come back.
"Reporting to Lord Hokage, no. The Jinchūriki has been behaving himself lately. He's just been spending a lot of time with the young lady from the Hyuga Clan," the Anbu member answered truthfully.
Watching Naruto was an easy assignment. Most Anbu had done it at one point or another, and Naruto's routine was especially regular lately, which made the job simpler.
"Mm. You may leave," the Third Hokage said.
"Yes, sir. I'll take my leave." The Anbu member vanished.
The Third Hokage frowned. So it wasn't something to do with Naruto. Had Jiraiya really come back on his own?
Jiraiya hadn't returned since the Three Legendary Sannin left. His first visit back still made the Third Hokage suspicious.
Naruto had completely set training aside. Every day, he went to school and then went out to have fun.
His relationship with Hinata progressed quickly, but his wallet emptied just as fast.
"Money is unavoidable in every world, isn't it?" At home, Naruto looked down at his empty Frog Wallet.