Soon, the last traces of sunlight bled out of the sky as darkness settled over Konoha. Lanterns flickered to life across the village, casting long shadows along the rooftops.
Naruto stood ready.
His gear was secured, chakra steady, mind clear. With one last glance around his apartment, he stepped forward—
—and vanished.
A heartbeat later, space folded, and Naruto appeared inside the Hokage's office.
"Tsunade—"
She nearly jumped out of her skin.
"NARUTO!" she shouted, stumbling back a step and slamming a hand onto her desk. "You almost gave me a heart attack, you little brat!"
Naruto blinked… then burst out laughing.
"Man," he said, grinning, "I forget that you're old sometimes, you know."
The temperature in the room dropped.
Tsunade's glare sharpened into something lethal, killing intent flaring just enough to make the air feel heavy. Veins pulsed faintly at her temple.
Naruto only laughed harder.
'She's so easy to rage-bait,' he thought, thoroughly amused.
He sauntered forward like he wasn't standing in front of one of the most dangerous shinobi alive and hopped up, sitting casually on her desk.
"So," he asked, swinging one leg idly, "why'd you call me here?"
Tsunade stared at him for a long moment… then sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"I wanted to see something for myself," she said finally. "Your strength."
Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"I figured," she continued. "And I thought… why not do what we did the first time we met?"
He snorted. "You mean beat me into the ground?"
Tsunade laughed, loud and genuine. "Only if you're not as strong as everyone claims." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "So far, you've defeated three Akatsuki members. Rumor says even one of them could topple a village."
She leaned back against her desk, arms crossed.
"You understand why I'm skeptical."
Naruto shrugged. "Yeah, I get it. I just don't really see the need." He paused, then added casually, "But I can't anyway."
That caught her attention.
"I already have something scheduled tonight—with Jiraiya," he said. "We made a bet. If I beat him, he teaches me Sage Art."
The room went quiet.
Tsunade's expression froze—not angry, not amused. Just… shocked.
"You're serious," she said slowly.
Naruto nodded. "Dead serious."
She opened her mouth, clearly ready to argue—then stopped. After a moment, she simply exhaled and studied him, eyes searching his face like she was seeing him for the first time.
Naruto slid off her desk and turned toward the window.
"But," he added over his shoulder, "you're welcome to come watch."
With that, he stepped forward—
—and vanished again.
The office fell silent.
Tsunade remained standing there for a few seconds, then shook her head and stood up fully, rolling her shoulders.
"…Well," she muttered, a small grin forming despite herself.
'This is going to be interesting,' she thought.
Soon, they reached the training grounds.
The open field stretched wide beneath the night sky, a vast clearing carved into the forest on the outskirts of Konoha. Scars from old battles still marked the earth—cracked stone, uneven terrain, faint traces of scorched ground where powerful jutsu had once been tested.
This was where Naruto was supposed to train his chakra nature, a place where raw power could be unleashed without worrying about collateral damage.
The air felt different here. Heavier.
Jiraiya stood alone at the center of the clearing, arms crossed, white hair swaying gently in the night breeze. He looked relaxed—almost casual—but Naruto could sense it. His chakra was steady, coiled tight like a predator waiting to strike.
Jiraiya turned as they approached, a grin already forming—
Then his eyes flicked past Naruto.
And widened.
"…Why is she here?!" he blurted out, pointing.
Tsunade folded her arms, unimpressed. "Is there a reason I shouldn't be?" she shot back. "This is my village, last I checked."
"I know that!" Jiraiya protested. "But this is supposed to be a student-versus-master fight. I don't see why you need to be involved."
She smirked and tilted her head slightly. "I'll be acting as the healer."
Jiraiya stiffened.
"I mean," she continued calmly, glancing sideways at Naruto, who was openly laughing now, "what if he puts you in critical condition? You'll need me around, won't you?"
Naruto grinned wider.
Jiraiya groaned.
"…Just don't get in the way," he muttered, rubbing his temples. Then he looked up at Naruto, expression sharpening. "You ready, kid?"
Naruto's laughter faded. He nodded once, serious now, and walked toward the opposite end of the clearing.
Tsunade leapt backward in a smooth motion, landing lightly near the treeline. She stood with her arms crossed, eyes keen, already analyzing both of them.
The two shinobi stopped at opposite sides of the field.
Silence settled.
The wind picked up, rustling leaves and sweeping across the open ground, carrying dust and loose grass between them. The moon hung high overhead, bathing the clearing in pale light.
Naruto and Jiraiya locked eyes.
Teacher and student.
Master and challenger.
And neither of them was holding back.
"Alright," Jiraiya called out, his voice carrying clearly across the clearing. "Let's begin!"
Naruto didn't reply.
He moved.
The ground cracked beneath his foot as his body blurred forward, a sudden burst of speed that tore through the space between them in an instant. Air screamed past him as he closed the distance far faster than Jiraiya had expected.
Jiraiya's eyes flashed.
'That speed…' he thought, lips curling into a grin. 'He might really be as fast as Minato.'
Naruto was already there.
He drove a palm strike straight toward Jiraiya's chest, chakra subtly reinforcing the blow. Jiraiya deflected it with a sharp twist of his forearm, redirecting the force just enough to avoid the full impact. At the same time, he stepped in and countered with a palm of his own.
Naruto pivoted.
He slipped to the side, slapped Jiraiya's arm away, and surged upward with a brutal uppercut aimed at his chin.
Jiraiya twisted at the last second.
Clack.
Naruto's fist slammed into Jiraiya's raised elbow instead, the impact sending a sharp shock up both their arms. Jiraiya used the momentum, rotating his body and snapping his elbow back toward Naruto's head.
Naruto felt the wind rush past his face as he sprang backward, boots skidding across the dirt before he reset his stance.
Neither spoke.
They moved again—faster this time.
Fists, palms, elbows, knees—each strike flowing into the next with practiced precision. The air filled with the dull thuds of flesh meeting flesh and the sharp snaps of deflections. Every exchange was tight, efficient, deadly.
From the treeline, Tsunade watched closely, eyes narrowing with interest.
'He's not just throwing power around,' she noted. 'He's refined his taijutsu… significantly.'
A faint smile tugged at her lips.
Naruto ducked under a sweeping strike, countered with a knee, only for Jiraiya to twist away and respond with a low kick that forced Naruto to hop back. The ground beneath them was already torn up, footprints and gouges marking every rapid movement.
The fight didn't slow.
If anything—
It was only beginning.
TO BE CONTINUED