Naruto's Predicament

At Kou's words, the two of them stopped in their tracks.

The mist still swirled over the street, and people continued to walk all around them.

No one noticed the two men standing by the roadside, as though an invisible membrane separated them from the world itself.

"So it really is like that..."

Jiraiya murmured, the light in his eyes dimming slightly.

He sighed helplessly, his lips twisting into a bitter smile.

Jiraiya rubbed his head, put on a casual expression, and said with a rueful laugh:

"Ah, so you still can't trust me after all? Well, I suppose that makes sense. I did so many..."

"No, I believe what you said."

Kou interrupted him, replying calmly:

"I can tell you weren't lying."

Jiraiya's eyes widened slightly, a glimmer appearing in their cloudy depths.

"Then why..."

Before he could finish, Kou cut him off impatiently.

"How many years do you think I've been away from Konoha, Jiraiya-sensei?"

Looking at Jiraiya, Kou explained with a helpless sigh:

"Five years. I've been gone from Konoha for five whole years."

Kou spoke to Jiraiya with half-truths and half-deception:

"I have a new life now, and I'm quite satisfied with how things are.

Besides, I'm a publicly known rogue ninja. Give up the relatively 'peaceful' life I have now,

and take a huge risk by returning to Konoha right after the Uchiha Clan Massacre?

I couldn't do something that stupid."

Hearing Kou speak as though it were obvious, Jiraiya was at a loss for words and fell silent for a moment.

Kou sighed helplessly and tried to reason with him in a light tone:

"If you really want to change something, why not go back to Konoha and see for yourself?

See what Konoha is like now, and try to change the things you've deliberately avoided all this time."

His gaze settled on Jiraiya's face as he continued meaningfully:

"I don't know about anything else, but before I defected, Minato's child—

Naruto... wasn't exactly having a good time in Konoha."

"Naruto..."

At Kou's words, Jiraiya thought of the child named after the protagonist of his first novel.

He was the last precious thing Minato and Kushina had left in this world.

"How is that child doing now?"

Recalling what Kou had just said, Jiraiya seemed to realize something. His voice grew frantic as he hurriedly asked:

"Naruto... Is that child not doing well in Konoha?"

Kou: ₍ᴑ̑ДO͝₎

"Wait, you really didn't know?!"

Kou complained inwardly, staring speechlessly at the utterly bewildered Jiraiya before explaining in exasperation:

"...Looks like you really were so wrapped up in Minato's death that you never recovered. You haven't paid the slightest attention to what's happening in the village."

"You don't even know that the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki went berserk in the village five years ago?"

Jiraiya shook his head awkwardly, like a child who had done something wrong, and waited for Kou to continue.

"You're unbelievable, you old relic."

Kou gave Jiraiya a look of contempt and raised his middle finger. Then the expression on his handsome face turned serious:

"Not long before I defected, the child was about two years old. Maybe he was too young, but the Nine-Tails' power inside him went berserk.

"It happened in the middle of the street. The Anbu arrived in time to contain the situation, but some of the villagers still witnessed what happened."

His voice lowered:

"At first, only a few people saw it, and it could've been contained if they'd responded quickly.

"But after the Third Hokage stabilized the seal, just a few hours passed before rumors that the child was the Nine-Tails incarnate had spread throughout the village. They hadn't even had time to control the gossip."

His gaze settled on Jiraiya's face, carrying both scrutiny and reproach:

"After something like that, I'm sure I don't need to tell you what the child's life in Konoha was like.

"Those ignorant fools don't care whether something makes sense. As long as they can vent their feelings, what wouldn't they do?"

As Kou spoke, an anger welled up inside him.

Back then, he had personally witnessed the entire process of Konoha's fools giving two-year-old Naruto the cold shoulder.

He hadn't been unwilling to do something about it, but his Uchiha identity was far too sensitive.

If a prodigy from the Uchiha Clan approached the young Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, the Anbu would probably drag him straight to the interrogation room for a cup of tea before he could even say hello.

He could only force down his anger and, with the Third Hokage's tacit approval, clean Naruto's room when the boy wasn't home,

replace the ramen in his fridge with vegetables, and take care of his meals for a while, since no nanny was willing to look after him after his identity as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was exposed.

Then, in secret, he'd watch Naruto bawl as he ate vegetables he hated, alongside the Anbu observing him from the shadows.

Back then, those insignificant little acts were all he could do to ease his conscience.

After all, Minato had treated him well when he was alive. He wasn't like Kakashi and Jiraiya, those two guys going through an emo phase and unable to look after themselves.

Though his identity and circumstances had kept him from caring for Naruto openly, he could still do a few small things.

But that period hadn't lasted long. A few months later, after an argument with Shisui, he decided to leave Konoha...

"Sigh. I wonder how Naruto's doing now that I'm gone..."

Kou sighed inwardly, forcibly suppressing the anger rising within him before continuing to Jiraiya:

"I don't need to tell you who had the ability and the nerve to do this over the Third Hokage's head, do I?"

"...Danzo!"

Jiraiya ground out the name.

It came from his lips with seething hatred.

His fist clenched, veins standing out across the back of his hand. The expression on his robust face shifted from shock to fury.

He never would have imagined that Danzo would dare act with such reckless abandon.

Of course, he knew what the old bastard had been thinking:

He wanted to use the child's identity as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to give villagers who had suffered during the Nine-Tails Incident an outlet for their negative emotions, thereby stabilizing the village.

At the same time, Danzo must have known that Old Man would never let the exposure of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki's identity continue to spiral out of control. He would surely suppress the rumors in the village.

But that would inevitably stir up the villagers' resentment toward Old Man and weaken his influence in the village.

"Danzo's using Konoha's vital interests to serve his own!"

Jiraiya's face turned red with rage.

Unlike in other ninja villages, in Konoha, information about every generation of Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was a core state secret, strictly classified.

Before Naruto, whether it was the First's wife, Mito Uzumaki, the First's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, or Kushina,

almost no one knew about the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki—or even the Nine-Tails' existence—apart from a handful of Anbu members and the Konoha High Command.

And yet Danzo had made such an important secret public for his own selfish ends?!

Looking at the visibly furious Jiraiya, Kou spoke slowly:

"The Third Hokage is old. With Konoha appearing strong on the outside but weak within, he no longer has the ability to keep that old dog Danzo in check.

"The Uchiha Clan's situation is a glaring example, isn't it?"

His voice was cold, the chill cutting through the mist and piercing Jiraiya's heart:

"Konoha is a complete mess now. I have no interest in the way it is..."

Hearing Kou's words, Jiraiya gradually regained his composure.

The furious expression on his face shifted to one of deep thought.

After a moment, Jiraiya steadied himself and smiled weakly at Kou:

"Thank you for telling me all this, Kou."

Kou waved a hand and replied casually:

"Don't mention it."

Jiraiya looked at Kou, who was clearly in a foul mood. His usually hearty expression was now grave:

"Kou, I know I've failed to do too much in the past.

"As a teacher, as a comrade, and as a shinobi of Konoha... I haven't fulfilled my responsibilities."

His voice was heavy:

"But this time, I won't run away.

"Naruto, the Uchiha Clan Massacre, Konoha's corruption... I'll deal with them one by one and take responsibility for the things I should have taken responsibility for all along."

Kou pursed his lips, a complicated look flashing through his dark eyes:

"I hope you do."

The two fell silent for a moment.

Mist swirled between them, blurring their outlines into hazy silhouettes.

A seagull cried out in the distance, its call sharp and long, like a soundless sigh.

People continued to come and go along the street, still oblivious to the two men standing by the roadside.

After a while, Jiraiya spoke slowly:

"Things have come to this. I understand now that, at least for the moment, there's no way I can convince you to return to Konoha."

As Kou listened, his heart sank slightly.

He could tell Jiraiya was no longer speaking with the agitation he'd shown earlier. Instead, he was perfectly calm.

Kou knew their conversation after reuniting had probably reached its end.

Jiraiya looked Kou straight in the eye, the light in his cloudy gaze turning sharp:

"I'll stop pestering you, but... there's one question I hope you'll answer."

Kou nodded slowly, chakra already gathering within him as he prepared to fight at any moment.

Jiraiya looked at Kou, the light in his eyes growing somber.

His voice was heavy, as though he were interrogating him—or seeking confirmation:

"You've joined an organization called Akatsuki, haven't you?"

Kou remained silent, not answering Jiraiya's question.

Jiraiya paid no heed to his silence and continued:

"You have your own ideas. I won't interfere with your choices, but... I hope you'll answer me."

Jiraiya fixed his eyes on Kou and asked solemnly:

"Can you guarantee that you'll never become an enemy of Konoha?"

Kou looked at Jiraiya coldly, still saying nothing.

Silence was the clearest answer of all.

(Note: The bit about Naruto going berserk at the age of two isn't something the author made up. I saw it in a Tieba post about the official databook—it seems Kishimoto added it later.

I'm not trying to whitewash anyone. I'll try to portray every character objectively in this story and avoid taking them out of character.)