Jiraiya Leaves

Hokage Building.

"Old man." Jiraiya climbed in through the window.

The Third Hokage set down the documents in his hands.

"How was Natsuki?"

Jiraiya said,

"Although I won, I felt like he held back."

The Third Hokage took an unhurried drag from his pipe. "What about you?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "I didn't use Sage Mode."

The Third Hokage raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Then he didn't use Susanoo?"

"He did, but only briefly. It seems Susanoo consumes an enormous amount of Chakra and can't be maintained for long."

The Third Hokage paced back and forth a few times, muttering, "Can't be maintained for long, can't be maintained for long..."

"Hmm. You've worked hard, Jiraiya."

The Third Hokage showed a relieved expression.

Jiraiya shook his head.

"After sparring with Natsuki, I don't think he's an ambitious person. Maybe he really just wants to guard Uchiha Clan's little patch of land."

"Is that so?" If anyone else had tried to judge someone based on their own feelings, the Third Hokage would have chewed them out without mercy.

But Jiraiya was different. He trained at Mount Myōboku and had been exposed to Natural Energy for a long time.

He could sense, in a very peculiar way, what sort of disposition a person tended to have.

So Jiraiya's words carried great weight.

Moreover, even the Third Hokage himself had never fully grasped just how powerful Jiraiya's Sage Mode was.

Since Jiraiya said there was no problem, the Third Hokage relaxed considerably.

After all, Uchiha Natsuki had always been an unstable factor, often doing unexpected things.

This time, he had ruined Jiraiya's reputation. It had to be said that this suited Jiraiya quite well.

After all, the Third Hokage could no longer force Jiraiya to succeed him as Hokage.

What village would have a pervert peeper as its Kage?

Still, since Orochimaru wasn't the culprit behind the infant kidnappings, then...

"Old man, I'm getting ready to leave."

Jiraiya's voice interrupted the Third Hokage's thoughts.

The Third Hokage frowned. "You're leaving after such a short time?"

Jiraiya spread his hands.

"There doesn't seem to be anything for me to do in the village. You disbanded Root, Uchiha Clan has had its authority returned, and I tested Natsuki. He isn't an ambitious person either."

"Why should I stay?"

The Third Hokage looked at Jiraiya suspiciously.

"Don't tell me you're in such a hurry to leave because you can't peep at the bathhouses anymore?"

Jiraiya's face darkened.

"Absolutely not! I only received news about Orochimaru and need to investigate."

"Really!?" There was an unusual hint of emotion in the Third Hokage's voice.

But Jiraiya did not notice it. He merely nodded seriously.

"It's true. I received a lead that there are traces of Orochimaru in the northern Land of Rice."

The Third Hokage pondered for a moment.

"Then go. You don't need to specifically bring him back."

Jiraiya looked at the Third Hokage in great surprise.

"Old man, what did you say?"

The Third Hokage's expression became somewhat awkward. He picked up his pipe and took a drag.

After a long while, he sighed.

"It doesn't matter whether he comes back or not. Just deliver this message to him for me."

"Old man?"

Jiraiya was deeply moved. He knew what the Third Hokage meant by those words.

It meant that the Third Hokage would no longer pursue what had happened in the past. And that he still regarded Orochimaru as his disciple.

The Third Hokage waved a tired hand.

"Natsuki brought news that Danzo was behind the infant kidnappings back then. Orochimaru at most helped with the experiments."

"Although he doesn't know where Natsuki got the information, there was no need for him to lie."

Jiraiya's eyes lit up. To be honest, his bond with Orochimaru ran deep as well.

Otherwise, he would not have kept dragging his feet. He claimed to be pursuing Orochimaru, but he had actually been traveling outside the village.

If the infant kidnapping case back then had not been so vile, Jiraiya would never have taken on that assignment.

And now, it turned out that Danzo had been the mastermind behind the kidnappings.

Jiraiya immediately felt a weight lift from his heart.

Jiraiya also understood the bond between the Third Hokage and Orochimaru.

Orochimaru had been exceptionally gifted since childhood, able to learn any ninjutsu after seeing it once.

He had also been his teacher's prized disciple, so their relationship had naturally been very close.

It was only because Orochimaru was so defiant that their teacher chose Minato instead.

What Jiraiya did not know was that the Third Hokage had originally intended for Orochimaru to become the Fourth Hokage.

But Danzo had supported Orochimaru, and the two had worked together closely.

Orochimaru was too capable and far too independent-minded. He would not accept anyone's control.

Not even the Third Hokage's.

That was why the Third Hokage ultimately chose Minato Namikaze, a representative of the commoners.

After all, Minato Namikaze had no backing and was easier to control.

Only, the Third Hokage had not expected it.

He had not expected Orochimaru to be so proud and unable to endure the provocation. He directly stepped into darkness in pursuit of his own truth.

Then the infant kidnapping case erupted, and Orochimaru never offered an explanation from beginning to end.

In the end, Orochimaru's departure was less about the Hokage position.

Rather, what he could not bear was the Third Hokage's distrust of him.

And the so-called Konoha Crush Plan that Orochimaru later devised was like a child showing off his achievements to an adult.

Or perhaps he simply did not want the Third Hokage to rot away here in his final years.

Even when he finally killed the Third Hokage, he shed tears himself.

Jiraiya had dealt with Natsuki before. Although the process had not been very pleasant, Jiraiya still believed this information.

"Alright. I'll deliver the message to Orochimaru."

The lazy expression on Jiraiya's face shifted slightly.

The Third Hokage waved his hand.

"Before you leave, go see Naruto. That child is attending the Ninja Academy now."

Jiraiya nodded and vanished from the office.

After leaving the Hokage Building, Jiraiya deliberately used the Transformation Jutsu to avoid causing a disturbance.

He turned into an Ordinary Konoha Ninja.

It was already afternoon, and the Ninja Academy had not yet dismissed for the day.

After greeting the Anbu monitoring Naruto nearby, Jiraiya found a suitable spot.

Looking over, he saw Naruto, with his fluffy yellow hair and a few whisker marks on his face, training seriously on the training ground.

They began by running, then had to clear obstacles, jump pits, and cross ropes.

These were the most basic physical fitness and body coordination training exercises.

Iruka led the group at the front. He spoke as he ran.

"After you graduate, you'll encounter countless terrain obstacles while carrying out missions, so you need to get used to all kinds of terrain now."

The fastest student behind him was Sasuke. His expression was utterly serious, and he never showed the slightest carelessness in any training.

From jumping pits to crossing ropes, Sasuke's movements were precise and natural. One look was enough to tell that he had received similar training at home.

The other students behind him were different. The children from the Great Ninja Clans ran near the front.

The Children from commoner families were still somewhat at a loss with this kind of training.

Some fell into pits and wailed, while others fell from the ropes and could not get up for a long time. There were plenty of them.

Of course, some children from the Great Ninja Clans ran rather slowly too, such as Choji Akimichi...

Among the commoners, Naruto stood out the most. Naruto took this training very seriously. He always remembered Senior Natsuki's expectations of him.

So, even though Naruto often fell into the pits or dropped from the ropes,

he would always quickly climb back up and work hard to catch up with Sasuke and the others.

After three laps, only half the students had finished.

Yet Naruto relied on his own determination to reach the end of the first echelon, taking ninth place.

Watching from a distant tree, Jiraiya felt deeply gratified.

Naruto was truly hardworking and sensible.

After the training ended, Iruka announced the rankings and dismissed them for free activity.

Iruka walked over to Naruto. "Naruto, are you alright?"

Naruto had pushed himself hard just now, so he had fallen many times and was covered in scrapes.

Naruto looked up at Iruka with a broad smile. "Iruka-sensei, I'm fine. They're just minor injuries."

Iruka gently patted Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto, you did very well this time, but be careful next time. You can't push yourself so recklessly."

Naruto gave a thumbs up. "Don't worry, Iruka-sensei! I'll definitely get first place in the next training session!"

"Naruto! Come play with us!" A voice called from afar.

"Iruka-sensei, I'm going to play..." He cut off the rest of Iruka's words.

Seeing that Naruto really was not seriously hurt, Iruka could only shake his head helplessly.

"Let's play catch the bad guys!"

"Then I'll be part of the Police Force!"

"I want to be part of the Police Force too!"

"Then I can only be Jiraiya. You guys come catch me!"

Jiraiya, standing in the tree, almost fell over.

He fiercely cursed Natsuki in his heart and left the Ninja Academy.

He could not stay in Konoha for even half a minute!