By the time Jiraiya reached Naruto, the vicious aura around him had vanished. He sat by the river, staring blankly at the water, as though that rage-filled Naruto had never appeared at all. Jiraiya sat down beside him and gazed at the water too, letting his mind wander alongside Naruto's.
After a long while, Jiraiya finally asked, "Have you calmed down?"
"Not exactly," Naruto replied. "I've just figured a few things out."
"What have you figured out?" Jiraiya asked quietly.
"Human nature," Naruto replied.
Jiraiya gave Naruto a worried look. Naruto turned to him and smiled. "Heh, don't worry about me, Pervy Sage. I know what I should and shouldn't do. The truth is, the world has always been like this. I just never wanted to believe it. But I won't try to change everything. As long as I can live with a clear conscience, that's enough. As for the rest, I'll change what I can, and I won't force what I can't. This is how the world is, after all. Neither you nor I can change what every single person thinks, so the most we can do is try our hardest to make this world a little fairer."
Jiraiya breathed a sigh of relief at Naruto's words. He had genuinely feared Naruto might do something extreme. Now, it seemed Naruto was still the same boy he had always been: bright, passionate, and full of life. As long as Naruto didn't trap himself in a dead end, Jiraiya could rest easy.
Seeing Jiraiya relax, Naruto smiled. "By the way, that kid Shingetsu has left, right?"
Jiraiya nodded. "Yes. The Fifth Mizukage just took him back to Kirigakure. Don't worry. He should be able to live a good life there."
"That's good," Naruto said with a smile. "Well, Pervy Sage, shouldn't