Naruto: In Konoha Village, I awakened Wood Release at the start.

Leaf.

Push open the door of the research department

Jiraiya subconsciously raised his arm.

The wide sleeves of his robe blocked his view, shielding him from the blinding light.

Ahead lies the bustling street of Konoha Village.

The cries of vendors, the laughter of ordinary people, and the hurried footsteps of ninjas merged into a massive wave of sound.

These sounds crashed into Jiraiya's ears.

But he felt it was incredibly unreal.

It's still the same Konoha, even the direction of the streets hasn't changed.

Yet he found it utterly unfamiliar.

The chubby owner of the barbecue stall on the street corner was counting his money with a rosy face.

Two young men dressed in ninja vests were discussing something animatedly.

Jiraiya stopped and leaned against a telephone pole.

He wasn't deliberately eavesdropping, but these people were just too loud.

"Have you heard?"

"A new batch of B-rank ninjutsu has been released from the mission hall!"

"My accumulated merit points can finally be put to good use!"

The ninja on the left spoke, his voice filled with excitement.

"Look at your pathetic self."

"What's so special about B-rank ninjutsu?!"

"I've saved up enough merit points to exchange for an A-rank Water Release technique."

The ninja on the right sneered.

He clearly looked down on B-rank ninjutsu.

"Thanks to the Fifth Hokage's policies."

"It should be done in the past."

"For ordinary ninjas like us, learning powerful ninjutsu is harder than climbing to heaven!"

"..."

A fanatical light shone in the eyes of the two young men.

It was a thirst for power, an expectation for the future, and an unreserved reverence for Senju Chiba.

Jiraiya's fingers tightened unconsciously.

It gripped the rough wood grain tightly.

Chiba's chilling words echoed in his mind once again.

"Your outdated sense of justice won't save anyone."

Everyone in this village is enjoying the benefits brought by Chiba.

Even Orochimaru, whose hands were covered in blood, has now become a great contributor to the village.

Only he himself came, like an old stubborn man clinging to the old calendar.

"A lecherous immortal!"

Just then.

A clear shout interrupted Jiraiya's thoughts.

Jiraiya turned his head, and a dazzling golden yellow flashed into his field of vision.

Naruto Uzumaki was running towards him.

The child's forehead brace was slightly crooked, and his hair was soaked with sweat.

Judging from the looks of it, they must have just finished a task that required a lot of physical exertion.

"Yo."

"It's Naruto."

Jiraiya forced a smile and raised his hand in greeting.

He and the child were already quite familiar with each other.

Because he would return to Konoha every year to teach Naruto one or two useful ninjutsu techniques.

"You lecherous immortal, when did you get back?"

"I just caught three lost ninja cats with Captain Yamato!"

"These are three D-rank missions! I've accumulated a few more merit points!"

Naruto ran up to him, panting heavily.

But the expression on his face was one of great excitement.

"Let's go."

"I'll treat you to Ichiraku Ramen."

Looking at Naruto's bright smiling face.

Jiraiya stepped forward and patted the other person on the shoulder.

The gloom of being ostracized and isolated that used to be can no longer be found in this child.

"marvelous!"

"I want a super-sized bowl of tonkotsu ramen!"

Upon hearing Jiraiya's words.

Naruto immediately cheered and pulled Jiraiya towards Ichiraku Ramen.

……

Steaming hot vapor rose from the noodle shop.

Naruto ate with his mouth full of oil, making slurping sounds.

Jiraiya also had a bowl of noodles in front of him, but he didn't even touch his chopsticks.

He stared at the six lines of hairline on Naruto's face and suddenly spoke.

"Naruto."

Naruto lifted his head from the bowl of noodles, his cheeks bulging.

"Hmm?"

"What's wrong, you lecherous immortal?"

Jiraiya placed his hands on the table, rubbing his index finger knuckles together vigorously with his thumbs.

Do you like... Konoha now?

He asked very softly, as if afraid of disturbing something.

"Of course I like it!"

"I absolutely love it!"

Naruto didn't even think about it.

He swallowed the noodles in his mouth with a clear and loud sound.

Why?

Jiraiya's fingers suddenly stopped.

He stared intently into Naruto's eyes, not missing a single micro-expression.

Naruto put down his chopsticks and scratched the back of his head.

On that still-childish face, an extremely serious expression appeared.

"before……"

"Everyone looks at me with disgust, like I'm a monster."

"Back then, I would even be kicked out by the shopkeeper if I wanted to buy bread."

Upon hearing this...

Jiraiya felt as if his heart had been squeezed tightly.

He knew all too well those dark days.

That was the part of him that he felt most guilty about.

He was Minato Namikaze's teacher, yet he failed to protect his disciple's only son.

But things are different now.

"Ever since Chiba-nii became Hokage."

"The way people look at me has changed."

"I am the son of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze."

"I am the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki of Konoha Village, a hero of the village!"

"The day before yesterday, I was helping an old lady pick oranges on the street, and she gave me several."

"Yesterday I went to the ninja tool shop, and the owner even praised me for my accurate shuriken throwing."

"..."

Naruto became more and more excited as he talked, and even started gesturing wildly.

His blue eyes shone with an astonishing brilliance.

Jiraiya was speechless.

Naruto doesn't understand politics, power struggles, or pragmatism.

This child is stubborn and inflexible.

Whoever treats him well and gives him dignity is the hero.

Chiba Senju accomplished this.

Chiba crushed those prejudices of powerful families with an almost brutal and absolute fairness.

He gave all the common people and ninjas a bloody yet wide road to heaven.

What Minato couldn't do, what the Third Hokage couldn't do.

Chiba did it.

"Let's eat noodles."

"The noodles are almost cold."

Jiraiya forced a smile, which looked more like a grimace.

After half an hour.

Jiraiya said goodbye to Naruto, who was overeating.

He walked alone through the streets toward the edge of the village.

Ahead lies the Sarutobi clan's encampment.

Although it is not as glorious as it once was, the courtyard walls are still tall and imposing.

Jiraiya didn't go through the main gate; instead, he pushed off with his feet and jumped over the high wall.

The courtyard was very quiet.

Under that old pine tree, Hiruzen Sarutobi was sitting on a bamboo chair.

"You're back, Jiraiya."

I sensed a familiar chakra.

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't turn around; he simply exhaled a smoke ring slowly.

He seemed to have anticipated that Jiraiya would come.

"Orochimaru is back; he's in the village."

Jiraiya walked to the old pine tree and looked at his teacher.

"I know."

Hiruzen Sarutobi took another puff of his cigarette, but still didn't glance at Jiraiya.

"You know?"

"He's using the village's resources for gene cloning!"

"He's conducting extremely dangerous human experiments!"

"Those are all acts that violate human ethics!"

"Since you knew that, why didn't you stop Chiba?"

"..."

Jiraiya's breathing suddenly became heavy.

He took a sudden step forward, staring intently at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi finally put down his pipe.

He turned his head and looked at his proud disciple.

There was no guilt or anger in those cloudy eyes.

There was only a stagnant, stillness.

"Prevent?"

"What can I do to stop it?"

"Am I supposed to use these old bones of mine to fight Chiba to the death?"

"Jiraiya".

"Don't you understand?"

"No one in the entire Hidden Leaf Village can stop Chiba."

"He not only possesses overwhelming military strength, but also irresistible leverage."

"..."