---
The next day, Naruto struggled to pull himself out of his lingering feelings, remembering what Tsunade had said to him the night before.
"Hey, Tsunade, why don't you come live with us again?" Naruto asked with a mischievous smile.
Tsunade was quiet for a moment before suddenly grinning and replying, "No, brat. Maybe when your 'm' is full! Little~ brat~"
As she spoke, she ruffled Naruto's hair, which barely reached her chest.
"Troublesome..." Naruto muttered with a sigh, feeling like a man with gray hair whose lover had suddenly regained her youth. Even though her appearance hadn't changed, there was still a lingering awkwardness in his heart.
"System, is there some kind of elixir for this kind of thing?" Naruto asked in his mind, scheming.
Ding dong~ The system responded coldly: I don't want to talk to you. Here's a contemptuous emoji.
Naruto: ...
"I'm heading out, Izumi!" Naruto shouted to Izumi Uchiha, who was cleaning inside.
"Alright, be careful on the road!" Izumi called back, unaware that for Naruto—who had only just returned home two days ago—it had been over thirty years since he'd last seen her.
"Phew, the air in Konoha is pretty fresh these days. Not so many shady people lurking around," Naruto said with a satisfied sigh.
But before he could finish appreciating the breeze, Danzo Shimura slowly walked past him with his cane, casting a disdainful look his way.
Eh? Seriously? This bastard again? Is he trying to piss me off first thing in the morning?
Just as Naruto was about to roll up his sleeves and throw hands—
BOOM!
A giant puff of smoke erupted in front of Naruto.
Thump, thump, thump!
Jiraiya's signature theme music might as well have been playing as the Toad Sage made a dramatic entrance.
"Mount Myōboku's Toad Sage has arrived!" Jiraiya declared.
Naruto: ...
Naruto glanced at Danzo, who was now flattened beneath a massive toad, and gave Jiraiya a thumbs up. "Beautifully done, Ero-Sennin."
Danzo grumbled and limped off angrily.
Naruto turned back to Jiraiya with a smile. "So, what brings you here, Pervy Sage?"
Jiraiya rubbed his chin and gave Naruto a thoughtful look. "You feel... different."
"Huh?" Naruto laughed awkwardly. It seemed Tsunade hadn't told Jiraiya the truth about his identity. After all, Naruto was the son of the Fourth Hokage—Jiraiya's student. If Jiraiya ever found out, the family tree would be one big mess.
"What do you mean by different?" Naruto asked.
"You remind me of someone I knew. At first it was just your appearance, but now… your entire demeanor feels familiar."
"Alright, alright. What's the real reason you're here? You find some ahem 'research material' again?" Naruto asked, lowering his voice.
Jiraiya leaned in excitedly. "How'd you guess? Let me tell you—"
Toad: "...these two are absolutely shameless!"
Suddenly, Jiraiya's tone shifted. "By the way, we should really think about getting Sasuke back."
"Huh?" Naruto blinked. "Why now?"
Jiraiya grew serious. "Orochimaru and I were both Sannin. After a personal loss, he turned to forbidden techniques—specifically the quest for immortality. The last time I saw him, I realized he had abandoned his original body and transferred his soul to a new host."
"Living Corpse Reincarnation," Naruto muttered, rubbing his chin. "Right. So, you're saying Sasuke might be his next vessel?"
"Exactly," Jiraiya replied. "Based on my research, Orochimaru can only perform this jutsu once every three years. I'm not sure when his last body swap was, so we need to act fast."
"Got it. We better start searching, just in case the plot goes off track again," Naruto said, smirking.
---
The Next Day — Outside the Hokage Building
Naruto and Jiraiya stood ready to set out on their mission to find Sasuke.
"You sure you're feeling okay?" Jiraiya asked. He'd spoken to Tsunade recently and learned that Naruto had already encountered members of the Akatsuki. But she'd been strangely vague about the details—like she was hiding something.
"I'm fine. Want me to flex?" Naruto said, showing off his toned biceps.
"Where to first?" Jiraiya asked.
"Yugakure!" Naruto shouted with enthusiasm.
Jiraiya gave him a puzzled look. "You do know Orochimaru is in the Land of Rice Fields, right?"
"I know," Naruto replied, flashing a sly grin. "But don't you think the mixed bathing hot springs in Yugakure are worth another visit?"
Jiraiya's eyes widened in panic. He gestured frantically for Naruto to look behind him.
"Huh? What's with you? Are you having a stroke?" Naruto asked.
"Run!" came a furious voice from behind.
Naruto turned around slowly… only to find an absolutely livid Tsunade standing behind him, fist raised.
---
On the Way to the Land of Rice Fields
"You spineless brat! Don't get me in trouble!" Naruto yelled as he followed behind Jiraiya, his face swollen and bruised.
"You're lucky she didn't kill you," Jiraiya sighed, remembering the time he'd nearly died at Tsunade's hands for sneaking into the women's hot springs. (She hadn't even been in the water—he was caught lurking outside.)
"Enough of this." Naruto bit his thumb, slammed his palm to the ground, and called out, "Summoning Technique!"
A small Katsuyu appeared in his hands. Naruto gently rolled the slug across his face, and his injuries began healing visibly.
"Lord Naruto, please refrain from using my clone in such... unusual ways," came Katsuyu's sweet voice.
"Sorry, sorry!" Naruto grinned, canceling the summoning.
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "When did you make a summoning contract with Tsunade's slug?"
"Long ago," Naruto said dismissively.
"My Gamabunta can beat her in a fight!" Jiraiya added, puffing out his chest.
Naruto rolled his eyes and turned away in disgust. "No male creatures near me, got it? Even if it's a toad!"
---
"It's been a while since I came to the Land of Rice Fields," Naruto remarked.
"You've been here before?" Jiraiya asked in surprise.
"No, no. Just saying," Naruto replied with a smile.
Suddenly, three giant men in masks jumped out onto the path in front of them.
"I claim this mountain! I chopped down this tree! If you want to cross this road, you gotta pay the toll!" the leader shouted.
Naruto and Jiraiya: "..."
Moments later...
"Thank you for visiting! Come again!" The three men waved cheerfully as they escorted the duo past the checkpoint.
"Driving toll roads to scam people? What's next, taxing air?" Naruto muttered. "Guess it's true what they say—if you want to get rich, build roads first."
"You don't seem surprised at all," Jiraiya noted.
"Kakashi warned me about these idiots," Naruto replied.
They eventually reached the inn district in the Land of Rice Fields.
"Alright!" Jiraiya exclaimed, rubbing his hands together. "Time to gather intelligence... uh, I mean, information."
Naruto sighed and pulled out a wad of cash. He tossed it to Jiraiya. "Go ahead. I'm skipping this one."
"Huh? What's wrong? You lost your interest in women?" Jiraiya asked, stunned.
Naruto pulled out a small pack of Hanako-brand cigarettes and handed it over. "Even in a place like this, you still have weird tastes? You're a disgrace to the Sannin."
Jiraiya squinted at the box. "Cigarettes? Since when did you start smoking?"
Naruto shrugged and reached for one.
SLAP!
Jiraiya smacked the box out of Naruto's hand. "Minors shouldn't be smoking!"
Then he grabbed the box and sniffed it. "Hiss~ haaa~ Confiscated."
Naruto: ...
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