Monsters Unleashed, Storms Stir in Every Direction

The system then interrupted.

[Ding--A vacuum has been detected in Hidden Leaf's power center. The hidden bond resource 'Tsunade Senju' has triggered an access window. Target profile: One of the Legendary Sannin, granddaughter of the First Hokage, top-tier medical expert. Current affinity: 0. System warning: The target has a strong personality and is extremely wary. Difficulty of a direct assault: SSS. Host is advised to... carefully assess the situation.]

[Main Quest Update: Conquer Hidden Leaf's highest power! Make the legendary prey submit to the Whirlpool Throne!]

Naruto slightly raised his eyelids, a thin smile curving his lips. The system had unusually used "cautious assessment"—the first time this had happened. This piqued his interest, and his gaze instantly became aggressive.

The next morning, Jiraiya appeared at Naruto's door. "Pack your luggage for two days."

Naruto sat on the porch, twirling Kunai with his finger, without looking up. "Where to?"

"We need someone." Jiraiya, his hands behind his back, a hint of seriousness in his voice that he himself wasn't aware of. "Hidden Leaf needs a new Hokage."

Naruto then turned to look at him, his gaze sweeping over the old man. "You want me to go find Tsunade?"

Jiraiya: "... How did you know it was Tsunade?"

"The process of elimination." Naruto stood up, brushed the dust off his knees, and spoke in a calm tone that didn't sound like he was discussing candidates. "Of the Legendary Sannin, only you and her are left. You just declined, so it's her."

This scene made Jiraiya realize for the first time that the child's calmness was unfathomable, and his clumsy acting was seen through, so he could only awkwardly touch his nose.

Naruto saw through everything, gave a mocking sneer, and readily agreed to travel with them. He ostentatiously settled into the mansion, tossing a black card from the Gato's Treasury to Haku: "At home, spend it as you please." He then casually ruffled Hinata and Karin's hair.

Then, he looked at Sasuke, who stood in the rain like a javelin, and gave the order, "Keep an eye on the house for me."

Sasuke hearing this command, which sounded like ordering a watchdog around, Sasuke felt no humiliation. Instead Two-Tomoe Sharingan spun wildly. He knelt on one knee, clenching his fists tightly, his heart trembling with the trust placed in him by his "god-like older brother": "Rest assured, brother, anyone who dares to step into this house will be torn to pieces by me Sasuke Uchiha!"

Haku emerged from the room and stood behind Naruto, his gaze fixed on Jiraiya. His icy blue eyes conveyed the message, "This person is going to take my master away," quite clearly. His right hand unconsciously clenched the hem of his clothes, but he remained silent.

Hinata arrived before we set off. She stood at the gate, holding a food box, her eyes fixed on the paving stones as she spoke, "Be careful on the road..."

Naruto took the food box, casually patted her head as if it were a habitual gesture, and said without hesitation, "Wait for me to come back."

Hinata's ears burned instantly. The food box was already empty, but she was still standing there. Only after Naruto turned and walked away did she slowly cover the spot where he had been touched, lower her head, and not let anyone see the expression on her face.

At the village entrance, Jiraiya and Naruto walked out of the Konoha Gate side by side. Jiraiya habitually took out his orange novel. "The journey is boring."

"I thought you'd take me on as your apprentice on the way," Naruto glanced at him.

Jiraiya put down the book and said seriously, "I have indeed thought about it."

"I refuse." Naruto without hesitation.

Jiraiya choked for Jiraiya moment, watching the blond boy walk half a step ahead of him, his back to him, hands in his pockets. His posture seemed even more composed than Legendary Sannin's, one of the legendary Sannin. Something in Jiraiya's heart sank. What would this child become?

Walking along the country lane, Jiraiya was about to put on his elder's airs and give a few words of lecture. Naruto simply stopped, a cold, emotionless glint flashing in his eyes, the life force of his Perfect Sage Body slightly leaking out. Jiraiya's playful smile froze instantly, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He finally realized that he wasn't leading a student, but a monster that could devour everything at any moment.

The news of the two leaving Hidden Leaf reached different people at different speeds. Kakashi stood on the training ground, a book in his hand, but his gaze was fixed on the distant treetops, without turning the page. At Danzo's base, an agent placed the message on the table. Danzo flipped the paper over and slowly pressed it back onto the table. "Follow them. Don't move, keep a close watch."

Meanwhile, inside the village, Kabuto Yakushi emerged from the shadows of an alley, tucking a folded piece of paper into his sleeve. He adjusted his glasses and looked up towards the city gate. Lord Orochimaru had already received the news. Tsunade... and that monster who could use Yang Release, had both left Hidden Leaf. The next step depended on Lord Orochimaru's decision.

Naruto and Jiraiya been walking on the official road for less than half a day when Jiraiya began recounting Tsunade's background—granddaughter of the First Hokage, top-tier medical skills, exceptional gambling ability, and creditors all over the world. Naruto listened casually, but one sentence made him stop. "She can heal any injury?"

"She's practically the best in the Shinobi World when it comes to trauma regeneration."

Naruto paused for two seconds, then took another step. "Alright, this trip wasn't a loss."

Jiraiya understand what he was calculating, but he felt that something was off about the answer.

As evening fell, the two lodged at a small town inn beside the main road. Naruto leaned against the window, watching the few dim lights in the town.

Meanwhile, on the border of the Land of Fire, amidst torrential rain, two figures dressed in red-and-black trench coats and wearing straw hats slowly emerged. Kisame Hoshigaki grinned, revealing sharp fangs, and chuckled, saying that Hidden Leaf was now utterly empty. But Itachi Uchiha, walking in front, had extremely solemn and incredulous expressions in his crimson Sharingan.

Itachi's heart was in turmoil: his informants in Hidden Leaf reported that Naruto, the supposed vessel for the Nine-Tails- Tails, had actually torn the One-Tail apart with his bare hands. What shattered his defenses even more was that the "path of revenge" he had meticulously planned for his younger brother Sasuke had turned into Sasuke following Naruto around like a dog! He decided that he had to personally confront Naruto Uzumaki had completely shattered his plans.

Inside the inn, a new line of text silently appeared on the screen:

[Warning: An S-class threat— Orochimaru's related forces—has been detected moving within 500 kilometers ahead of the host. Their target direction highly overlaps with the host's route. The host is currently in a state of 12-hour vulnerability period. It is recommended that...]

"What suggestions do you have?" Naruto in a low voice, his tone not tense, but rather like he was asking a subordinate for advice.

The system remained silent for a moment: [... The host is advised to make the decision himself.]

Naruto chuckled and closed his eyes. The Biological Radar attached to the Perfect Sage Body, combined with the perception of the Great Evolution Divine Soul Art, keenly detected the extremely cold and massive Chakra fluctuation several kilometers away.

He slowly turned around, hands in his pockets, a bloodthirsty and arrogant smile spreading across his face, "Looks like some blind worms are rushing to their deaths on my way to find a woman..."

Outside the window, in an inconspicuous corner of a rooftop in town, Agent Root lay hidden in the shadows, watching the scene from afar, taking it all in, silently awaiting instructions. Further away than Agent Root, another figure's sleeve fluttered slightly in the night wind, disappearing into the darkness without a trace. Kabuto Yakushi was gone, leaving only a faint dent on the rooftop where someone had just stood.