Jiraiya

The Nine-Tails in the inner space thoroughly despised Naruto. Not only had he freeloaded off someone else, he had done it twice.

After Naruto and Ino left Konoha Hospital, they began their date. Though it was called a date, Ino had really just dragged Naruto straight to Ichiraku Ramen on her own.

As Naruto waited for their food, he curiously asked Ino, "Shouldn't a date involve watching movies together, going out together, shopping, buying things, and so on?"

"Hmph... After we finish the ramen, it's not like I can't keep you company!" Ino gave him a sly look, seeming a little like a mischievous devil.

Naruto's eyes darted around, but he said nothing. Only after the Ichiraku Ramen arrived did he speak. "Is that true, Ino? Also, don't you like Sasuke? Why would you go on a date with me?"

Though he was asking, Naruto already had an answer in mind. He knew Ino did not truly want to date him; she definitely had some other purpose.

Ino forced a smile and asked, "Of course there are lots of reasons, Naruto. How did you suddenly become so strong? You must have learned quite a few ninjutsu from Jonin Kakashi!"

"More or less. Ino, what do you like? Look, you know I like Ichiraku Ramen. Aside from Sasuke, what else do you like?" Naruto now completely understood that Ino did not want to date him.

"Me? What do I like?" Ino pointed at herself, thought for a moment, then playfully winked at Naruto and leaned a little closer. "You guess, Naruto. Guess what I like?"

Naruto leisurely ate his Ichiraku Ramen and smiled. "Makeup, flowers, friends, companions... Ino, you're either here for Sasuke or for your companion Shikamaru. In a month, Shikamaru and I will be opponents. You forced yourself to date me because of Shikamaru, didn't you?"

"H-How did you know?!" Ino asked in surprise.

Naruto's expression barely changed. "I guessed. But Ino, even if I tell you about my abilities, Shikamaru still won't be able to win in a month. When there's a gap in strength, no amount of thinking will do any good!"

After finishing his Ichiraku Ramen, Naruto stood and waved at Ino. "Thanks for treating me, Ino. Goodbye. Don't forget to pass this on to Shikamaru: at the Chunin Ninja Exams in a month, I won't lose!"

With that, he left directly, leaving Ino alone as she stared blankly at his retreating back.

"I wasn't forcing myself, and it's not like I hated dating you..." Ino muttered unhappily, feeling misunderstood.

Suddenly, Ino looked at the completely empty bowl and exploded with anger again. "No, ahhh... Damn Naruto! I didn't ask him anything! Damn it, you freeloaded off me again..."

After freeloading another meal from Ino, Naruto happily patted his stomach and wandered around Konoha, paying particular attention to bathhouses and hot springs.

Suddenly, while passing through a hot spring district, Naruto spotted a peeping tom. The man had white hair, carried an enormous scroll on his back, held something like binoculars, and wore a lecherous grin.

"It's him, Pervy Sage..." Naruto had just been about to do something when his gaze suddenly turned calm.

"That's right, Third Grandpa..." Naruto took a deep breath and slowly let it out, thinking, That's right. If nothing changes, Third Grandpa will die...

Thinking of that possibility changed Naruto's original intention of upholding justice. He quietly said, "Wow, mister, you're doing something pretty exciting here..."

Jiraiya slowly turned his head. Upon seeing Naruto, he jumped in fright. "What? It's just a brat. Go on, get lost. This is the adult world, not something children should be watching..."

"Tch, what do you know? You white-haired pervy old man, compared to seeing everything bare, the real beauty is in fabric that reveals and conceals!" Naruto slowly approached, joining in the peeping as he spoke with utter disdain.

Jiraiya's expression immediately turned ugly. Feeling looked down upon, he was about to do something when Naruto suddenly exclaimed, "Wow, that figure, that face, perfect score! That big sister is so pretty!"

"What? Where? Where is she?" Jiraiya hurriedly leaned over.

Naruto smiled faintly. One hand pointed in a direction, while the other inconspicuously patted Jiraiya's shoulder. "Of course she's right there!"

Jiraiya's face changed drastically. With a flash, he vanished from before Naruto's eyes, leaving behind a pile of clothes and the scroll he had been carrying. Naruto's Flying Thunder God Technique had sent him away completely naked.

Naruto clapped his hands, picked up Jiraiya's clothes and scroll, then stood and smiled. "Good thing Third Grandpa told me before. He specifically asked me to leave a Flying Thunder God Mark outside the Hokage Office window. Pervy Sage, sorry about this. If you help, maybe Third Grandpa won't die. He can retire normally and live out his old age in peace."

Carrying Jiraiya's belongings and scroll, Naruto ran toward the Hokage Building.

At that moment, in the Hokage Office at the top of the Hokage Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi was smoking his pipe while reviewing documents. Suddenly, he heard movement outside the window and immediately stopped what he was doing.

Jiraiya was hanging naked at the window, with half his body still outside. Upon seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi, the two stared wide-eyed at each other.

The pipe fell from Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth onto the desk. Coming back to his senses, he pointed at Jiraiya. "Y-You, you... Jiraiya, you're back... No, what happened to you?"

"Old man, do you have any clothes?" Tears filled Jiraiya's eyes. He had secretly returned to the village and kept it hidden from Hiruzen Sarutobi. Yet, as expected, plans could never keep up with changes.

"What extra clothes would I have here? You ran into Naruto, didn't you?" Hiruzen Sarutobi roughly understood what had happened. With Naruto's unusual Flying Thunder God Technique, Orochimaru had been caught before, and now Jiraiya had fallen victim as well. Fortunately, he had the foresight to tell Naruto beforehand, preventing him from placing a Flying Thunder God Mark in a septic tank.

I wonder whether Tsunade will get caught too, Hiruzen Sarutobi thought suspiciously.

Hiruzen Sarutobi came back to his senses and looked at Jiraiya. "Are you planning to keep climbing around there and let passersby see your butt?"

Jiraiya felt as though he could crawl into any crack in the ground. After slipping inside in embarrassment, he was suddenly startled by a loud knocking at the door. He hurriedly used the Transformation Technique to turn into a toad.

"Third Grandpa, I just ran into one of the Three Ninja, the one named Jiraiya. Is he a bad guy like Orochimaru too? I saw him peeping on the women's bathhouse, so while he wasn't paying attention, I used the Flying Thunder God Technique to send him here. Third Grandpa, have you subdued that pervy old man?"

Naruto's voice rang out from outside the door. Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the toad beside him, his expression becoming even stranger. After all these years, Jiraiya was still the same. He had not changed at all.