After that, Naruto walked Hinata home.
The streets of Konoha were calm at this hour, lanterns glowing softly as dusk fully settled in. Their footsteps echoed faintly against the stone paths, neither of them speaking much—comfortable silence settling between them. When they finally stopped, Naruto lifted his gaze and blinked.
The Hyūga compound loomed before them.
Tall stone walls surrounded the estate, pristine and imposing, with iron gates engraved in intricate patterns that practically screamed ancient power.
Guards stood watch near the entrance, their presence subtle but unmistakable. Inside, he could glimpse tiled rooftops and carefully maintained gardens stretching deep into the property.
Hinata turned toward him, hands clasped in front of her, a gentle smile on her face. "Thank you for today, Naruto-kun."
"Y-yeah. Anytime," he replied, scratching the back of his head. "Get home safe."
She nodded, hesitated for just a second—like she wanted to say more—then bowed lightly and slipped through the gates. They closed behind her with a quiet clang that echoed longer than it should have.
Naruto stared at the manor for a moment longer.
'Man… I always forget they're rich like that,' he thought. 'The Hyūga and the Uchiha really were something else. The strongest clans in the village… until Itachi did his thing.'
His mind drifted, as it often did, into the mess of Konoha's history.
'There was the Senju too. And the Uzumaki. But they didn't really live here. Then omehow the Senju clan just… disappeared, only Tsunade is left'
So many unanswered questions. So many gaps in the story that were never filled in—left behind for readers and watchers to argue about endlessly.
Like Hashirama's death.
Some people swore Kakuzu killed him. But that never made sense. Even in the manga, it was clearly stated they only fought—nothing more. And Hashirama was the first ninja Kakuzu ever faced. No way that ended in a clean kill.
'Yeah… guess we'll never really know,' Naruto thought, exhaling softly. 'All I know is—'
'I gotta find Jiraiya.'
With a burst of chakra, he vanished from the street, landing lightly on a nearby rooftop. He moved fast after that—leaping from tile to tile, cloak fluttering behind him as the village passed beneath his feet. His senses stretched outward, searching.
Minutes passed.
Then—
There it was.
A familiar, annoyingly distinctive chakra signature.
Naruto slowed, lips quirking upward. 'Found you.'
He dropped down near a worn apartment building tucked away in a quieter part of the village. The lights were on. Of course they were.
'At least he's not in a brothel,' Naruto thought with a tired sigh as he pushed the door open and stepped inside Jiraiya's apartment.
Naruto climbed the narrow staircase, each step creaking beneath his weight. The hallway smelled faintly of cheap alcohol even before he reached the door. He stopped in front of it and knocked once—firm, deliberate.
The door swung open almost immediately.
Jiraiya stumbled into view, hair wild even by his standards, cheeks flushed red, a half-empty bottle dangling loosely from his hand. His eyes squinted for a second before widening in exaggerated delight.
"Oooohhh—my precious student!" Jiraiya slurred, leaning far too close. "Come in, come in!" He laughed, hiccupped, then let out a proud burp for good measure.
Naruto stared at him, unimpressed.
"…You're drunk," he said flatly.
"Artistically intoxicated," Jiraiya corrected with a grin.
Naruto sighed but stepped inside anyway.
The apartment was… tolerable. Messy, yes—scrolls stacked haphazardly, clothes tossed over a chair, empty bottles scattered near the desk—but it wasn't the disaster he'd expected. What really hit him was the smell. Stale alcohol hung thick in the air, heavy and suffocating.
The windows were shut tight.
Without saying a word, Naruto crossed the room and threw them open. Cool night air rushed in, stirring loose papers and finally pushing the stench back.
Jiraiya blinked. "Hey—!"
"Breathe," Naruto muttered.
As the room aired out, Naruto glanced around again, eyes narrowing slightly.
'To think this guy fought Hanzo the Salamander,' he thought. 'Hard to believe when he looks like this.'
Jiraiya leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, watching him with a curious look. "So," he said casually, "what brings you here tonight, Naruto?"
Naruto turned.
"I want to learn Sage Jutsu."
There was no hesitation. No buildup. He said it like it was a fact.
The change was instant.
Jiraiya straightened. The lazy slump vanished. His eyes sharpened, focus snapping into place as if someone had flipped a switch. The bottle was set down quietly on the table.
"…Huh?" he said. "Where did you hear about that?"
"You don't need to worry about that," Naruto replied calmly. "Just teach me. I'm ready to learn it now."
Jiraiya shook his head, expression serious. "No. You're not."
Naruto frowned.
"You're too young. Too reckless. And right now—too weak," Jiraiya continued. "You wouldn't even survive the first stage of the training. I'm not risking your life. That's final."
Naruto's eyes hardened.
"Weak?" he repeated.
Jiraiya sighed. "You're not completely weak. But Sage Jutsu isn't something brute force can solve. It's delicate. Precise. Even I haven't fully mastered it." His gaze darkened slightly. "And the last stage… it's brutal. Now add that beast inside you. If it interferes for even a moment, you die. Can you guarantee it won't?"
Naruto didn't look away.
"I'd rather die trying," he said evenly, "than never learn it at all. Just teach me."
He wasn't begging.
He was asking—calmly, firmly.
Jiraiya studied him for a long moment. The silence stretched, heavy with unspoken thoughts. But finally, he shook his head again.
"No."
Naruto exhaled through his nose, then smirked.
"Alright then," he said. "Let's fight."
Jiraiya blinked. "…What?"
"No holding back," Naruto continued. "If I win, you teach me Sage Jutsu."
Jiraiya burst out laughing. "Ahahahaha! You remember how that ended last time, right?"
"Yeah," Naruto admitted. "You beat me. Fair and square. But I wasn't going all out." His smirk widened. "This time I will be."
He leaned against the window sill, the night wind tugging at his jacket.
"Midnight. Training grounds," he said. "I'll be at 100%. You'd better do the same."
Then he tipped backward—
—and fell straight out the window.
Before Jiraiya could react, Naruto vanished midair, chakra dispersing like mist.
The apartment fell silent.
Jiraiya chuckled softly, eyes lingering on the open window.
'He's got your fearlessness,' he thought. 'But mixed with Minato's confidence… and Kushina's stubborn streak.'
His smile faded just a little.
"…This kid," he muttered.
Back at his apartment, Naruto didn't waste time. He crossed the room and dropped to one knee, pulling open a storage drawer beneath his bed. Inside were the tools he didn't normally carry on missions—things he only brought out when he knew a real fight was coming.
He laid them out one by one.
Kunai, freshly sharpened. Explosive tags—counted carefully, then recounted. He tightened the straps on his leg holster, tested the weight, adjusted it again until it felt natural. Everything had its place. Everything had to be perfect.
This wasn't just a spar.
'Jiraiya won't go easy on me,' he thought. 'And I don't want him to.'
Naruto paused, hands resting on the edge of the bed as his breathing slowed. For a brief moment, his thoughts drifted inward—to the pressure of the Nine-Tails sealed inside him, to the razor-thin line he'd be walking tonight.
Then—
He frowned.
'…Tsunade.'
He straightened abruptly, remembering the message she'd sent earlier. Short. Vague. No explanation at all.
'She didn't even say why she wants to see me,' Naruto thought, irritation creeping in. 'Knowing her, it's either something serious… or she just wants to test my patience.'
He scoffed softly.
'Well, whatever. I'll deal with her first.'
Naruto slung his jacket over his shoulders and tightened the zipper, eyes hard with resolve.
'Then I'll go meet Jiraiya.'
TO BE CONTINUED