The 'Grandfather and Grandson' Reunion

The door swung open.

Jiraiya stepped lightly inside.

His calm expression showed no concern for whether there might be a trap. That was not only because he had confidence in his own strength, but also because he believed Naruto, the son of Minato and Kushina, was not the sort of despicable person who would resort to such things. As Jiraiya stepped forward, Neji quietly closed the door behind him, then retreated a short distance and personally led the Anbu members in guarding the area from a safe range. This was an important conversation, and Neji would not let anyone disturb Naruto inside. Karin, Utakata, Fushimi, Taizan, and the other Snow Ninja Village leaders, who also knew Jiraiya had arrived, were even less likely to disturb Naruto at a time like this.

His father's mentor.

In a sense,

Jiraiya could be considered something like Naruto's 'grandfather.'

Neji, Karin, Utakata, and the others understood this just as well, so they would not interrupt the 'grandfather and grandson' conversation. Besides, it concerned Snow Ninja Village's upcoming plans. As for whether Naruto might be swayed by personal feelings, Neji and Karin weren't worried in the slightest. The reason was simple: Naruto was someone destined to accomplish great things!

Leaving the thoughts of those outside aside,

the scene returned to the office.

Jiraiya had barely stepped inside

when he saw the tall figure across from him.

The same calm, easygoing expression and steady bearing. Most importantly, there was that increasingly mature air about him. Naruto had looked so much like this more than two years ago, and now he had grown into an even more dashing young man. It brought back memories buried deep in Jiraiya's mind, and the two figures before him overlapped.

"Like... he really does look like him..."

His gaze grew slightly