"So… you want to live alone," Jiraiya said seriously.
"Because you want to find a way to revive Minato and Kushina?"
"That's right." Namikaze Kirito nodded without hesitation.
"I've read a lot of documents in my father's office. The ninja world has existed for a very long time. Resurrection isn't impossible."
"So I want to travel."
Jiraiya looked at him for a long moment before speaking again.
"Kirito… I understand how you feel."
"But reviving the dead is, at best, a legend."
"And you're still too young. What you should be doing now is living your childhood."
"…Do I still have a childhood I can enjoy?"
The words were quiet.
It was hard to tell whether they were a question—or self-mockery.
Jiraiya's chest tightened.
Guilt surged again.
If I had been there.
If I had arrived earlier.
Too many "ifs" existed in this world.
Even someone as powerful as one of the Legendary Sannin carried regrets that could never be erased—only buried beneath laughter and carelessness.
For once, Jiraiya didn't know how to comfort him.
Because Kirito wasn't wrong.
If the Nine-Tails incident had never happened, the Namikaze family would have been one of the happiest in Konoha.
A gentle but powerful father—the Fourth Hokage.
A strong yet warm mother.
Now both were gone.
And the only remaining younger brother had been swept into the village's Nine-Tails Jinchūriki plan.
Kirito had lost the life he should have had as a child.
So had Naruto.
Seeing Jiraiya's silence, Kirito forced the corner of his mouth upward.
But because he hadn't smiled in so long, the result looked worse than crying.
Jiraiya froze.
"Kirito! Are you alright?! Did something hurt?!"
A vein popped across Kirito's forheard.
Forget it.
"Jiraiya-sensei," Kirito said calmly, "I'm not complaining. And I'm not giving up on myself."
"My mother once told me that people should have dreams and then put them into action."
"My dream doesn't need approval from everyone."
"It doesn't require world peace."
"It doesn't require becoming Hokage."
"And it doesn't require overwhelming power."
"My dream is simple."
"I want a complete, warm family."
"For that… I'm willing to give everything."
The voice was childish.
The resolve was not.
Even Jiraiya felt his throat tighten.
"…Kirito."
"I know I can't stop you," Jiraiya finally said.
"But you have to promise me one thing."
"Tell me, Jiraiya-sensei."
"Fifteen."
"When you turn fifteen, I won't stop you anymore."
"But before that, you must be protected by someone."
"As for me… I'm always traveling, uh—collecting materials, so—"
Jiraiya's old face reddened.
"Also, I know someone who's perfect to stay by your side."
"And who can keep you in line."
"…Tsunade-neechan?"
Kirito answered instantly.
Jiraiya stared at him. "How did you know?"
Kirito remained expressionless.
How could he not?
The only person who would punch a three-year-old without hesitation—
Tsunade.
Back when she visited Minato's home, she'd heard someone jokingly introduce her as "mother-in-law."
She'd immediately chased Minato and Jiraiya out.
Then turned to Kirito, raised her fist, and politely threatened him into calling her "neechan."
"Jiraiya-sensei," Kirito said calmly,
"Besides Tsunade-neechan… do you have any other close friends?"
"Nonsense!" Jiraiya said loudly.
"I've got one or two… friends…"
His voice grew weaker by the end.
When he thought about it carefully—
Most people either feared him, respected him, or found him too embarrassing to be around.
Former subordinates treated him with reverence.
Juniors treated him like a legend.
Aside from the defected Orochimaru—
It really was just Tsunade.
Tsunade…
In Kirito's previous life, she'd been jokingly called the "number one babysitter of the ninja world."
Not without reason.
During the Five Kage battle against Uchiha Madara, everyone shone but Tsunade stood out the most.
Even split in half, she healed herself.
The Strength of a Hundred Seal—a self-created medical ninjutsu—was practically a forbidden technique.
And...
Chiyo.
The user of the One's Own Life Reincarnation Technique.
Once Tsunade's battlefield opponent.
One mastered poisons.
The other neutralized them all.
If he followed Tsunade, learned medical ninjutsu, and searched for that technique—
Then even without the Rinnegan…
Revival might still be possible.
Kirito's eyes lit up.
"…Alright."
"Hmm?" Jiraiya blinked, not reacting at first.
Then he grinned.
"So you don't want to follow me—you want to follow Tsunade?"
"You've already got my spirit at such a young age."
"Jiraiya-sensei," Kirito said flatly,
"Sometimes I really can't tell if you're reliable or not."
"Hahahaha!"
Jiraiya laughed loudly.
"I'm the Toad Sage, you know! Of course I'm reliable!"
"I'll take care of you. Once you recover, I'll take you to find Tsunade!"
He completely ignored the subtext.
"…How's my brother?" Kirito asked quietly.
"Naruto?"
The smile vanished from Jiraiya's face.
"Kirito… what I'm about to say might make you angry."
"Don't act impulsively."
"I understand," Kirito replied calmly.
"My brother has become a Jinchūriki."
"I probably… won't be able to recognize him openly."
Jiraiya fell silent.
Kirito already knew.
For now, this couldn't be changed.
His strength wasn't enough yet.
Even if the truth were exposed, it wouldn't help Naruto.
And if Naruto left Konoha now, he'd have nowhere to go.
As the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, he couldn't travel with Kirito—or Tsunade.
Not yet.
So for now...
Naruto had to remain in Konoha.
And Kirito had his own plan to carry out.
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