Naruto: Sasuke Uchiha Returns from Soul Society

Two figures, one in front of the other, appeared silently at opposite ends of the roof ridge.

One of them was Uchiha Sasuke, with his arms crossed, leaning against the chimney, looking down at the window with the light on below.

The other person seemed somewhat out of place.

He was tall with long, flowing white hair that reached his waist, and wore a headband with the character "oil" on it.

He casually squatted on the edge of the eaves, his back to Sasuke, also gazing at Naruto's room, his figure appearing somewhat lonely in the night.

The two remained silent for a long time.

Finally, Sasuke broke the silence.

"Who are you?" His voice was cold and full of vigilance.

Ever since Orochimaru appeared, he has been instinctively wary of any powerful figures who suddenly appear in the village.

The white-haired man in front of me has strong chakra, and it has a unique flavor that is quite different from other ninjas, as if it is close to nature.

Why are these kinds of guys appearing one after another in the village?

Upon hearing the voice, the white-haired man slowly turned around.

He crossed his arms, grinned, and scrutinized Sasuke from head to toe with a critical look.

"Oh? You have a keen sense of perception, kid. You're the Uchiha brat the old man mentioned in the letter, right? Your name is... Sasuke?"

"Old man?" Sasuke frowned slightly.

“That’s right, Sarutobi-sensei.”

The white-haired man stood up from the roof, his gaze sweeping over the two very different swords at Sasuke's waist, a barely perceptible glint in his eyes.

"My name is Jiraiya."

He gave a brief self-introduction, then his tone became more serious, "I've heard that Orochimaru is back."

"Moreover, he also fought with you."

Sasuke's eyes turned cold.

It seems that the old man, the Third Hokage, told him everything.

"so what?"

Sasuke retorted, his tone laced with provocation, "Are you here to avenge him? Or are you here to question me about why I failed to capture him?"

"Hahahaha!" Jiraiya burst into laughter as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world.

"Avenge Orochimaru? Kid, you're really something."

"As for keeping him here... Hmph, don't even mention you, even if I were here, I might not be able to stop that guy from leaving."

His smile faded, and his eyes became somewhat complicated: "I just didn't expect that you could escape unscathed from his clutches."

"He's just a guy who sheds his skin like an insect," Sasuke remarked dismissively.

Jiraiya was slightly taken aback when he heard this description, but then he smiled.

Indeed, Orochimaru has become increasingly proficient in this area over the years.

"That's a fairly apt description."

He paused, then steered the conversation back on track, "Sarutobi-sensei asked me to come and see Naruto, after all, Orochimaru's target is very likely him as well."

Sasuke's gaze returned to the window, but he remained silent.

Jiraiya followed his gaze, sighed, and said with a hint of guilt in his voice, "Speaking of which, I was his father's teacher."

"The Fourth Hokage's teacher?"

Sasuke finally turned his head slowly, stared at Jiraiya, and asked a question that caught the other off guard.

"Since you were his father's teacher, why haven't you taken care of him all these years?"

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Jiraiya's expression froze instantly, his eyes widening as he stared intently at Sasuke.

"......What did you say?"

His voice was a little hoarse, "How did you know that Naruto's father was Minato?!"

Aside from a few high-ranking officials and some insiders, this kind of information shouldn't be leaked.

Where did this Uchiha brat in front of me get this information from?!

Despite Jiraiya's shock, Sasuke's face remained expressionless.

"I not only know that his father is Minato Namikaze."

Sasuke's voice was calm. "I also know that on the day he was born, the Nine-Tails was controlled by a man with Sharingan and attacked the village."

"I also know that the Fourth Hokage sacrificed himself to protect the village, resealing the Nine-Tails inside him."

"Is this enough?"

Jiraiya stood frozen in place, his mind completely blank.

Some of the details of this intelligence were even pieced together by himself through subsequent investigation.

How could he have known?!

"Who exactly are you?" Jiraiya's voice became serious, and he even secretly gathered his chakra, ready to attack at any moment.

Sasuke looked at him with a mocking smile, seeing his expression of being on high alert.

"You don't need to know who I am."

He stepped forward and looked directly at Jiraiya.

"You just need to answer my questions."

Sasuke's voice turned cold, "You are the teacher of the Fourth Hokage, and one of the legendary Sannin."

"Knowing that Naruto is Minato's orphan, where have you been for the past twelve years?"

Where were you when he was scorned by the entire village as a 'fox demon'?

"What you mean by 'checking on him' is that when he needed his family the most, you left and didn't care for him for more than ten years, and only now does he remember that he has such a grand-disciple?"

Jiraiya's body trembled slightly under Sasuke's series of questions.

He opened his mouth, wanting to explain, wanting to say that all these years he had been investigating intelligence for the village, traveling far and wide to find the Child of Prophecy and protect peace...

But these words seemed so pale and powerless in front of Sasuke's eyes.

yes......

What am I doing?

Minato entrusted his most important son to the village, but he himself forgot about this child who needed the most protection for twelve years.

His mouth moved slightly at the last moment, but he ultimately didn't say anything, looking somewhat lost in thought.

Looking at the legendary Sannin before him, Sasuke showed no sympathy whatsoever.

Orochimaru, that monster who abandoned his dignity in pursuit of so-called immortality.

Then he looked at the man in front of him, who, for the sake of so-called "righteousness," had abandoned his disciple's orphan.

The so-called "Three Ninjas" seem to be nothing special.

Sasuke snorted inwardly, losing all interest in saying another word to him.

Now that we've confirmed the other party's identity and they're not an enemy, staying here is just a waste of time.

He turned around, ready to leave.

"and many more."

A hoarse voice came from behind, trying to regain some initiative.

"How do you know all this? About Minato, about Kurama..."

Sasuke continued walking forward without looking back.

Is this important?

He asked a question in return, then his figure flickered slightly and disappeared silently from the rooftop.

Jiraiya's breath hitched. Yes, does it even matter?

More important than how Sasuke obtained the information is the cruel truth revealed by the information itself.

That brat's words left him speechless.

After a long while, Jiraiya finally let out a long breath, forcibly suppressing the surging emotions in his heart.

He turned around and looked again at the lit window below.

Inside the window, a golden head was hunched over the table, seemingly struggling with something, and one could vaguely hear its resentful complaints.

"Damn it! Why is this technique so difficult?!"

Looking at that energetic figure, Jiraiya's eyes welled up with tears.

She murmured softly, her voice filled with unbearable guilt.

"Sorry I'm late."

Chapter 69 A Masterpiece

Jiraiya stood in front of Naruto's door, his raised hand appearing somewhat heavy.

He took a deep breath and forced what he thought was a hearty smile back onto his face.

He raised his hand and knocked on the door that had been closed for twelve years.

A moment later, the door was opened a crack from the inside.

A golden head poked out, eyeing him warily.

"Who are you, old man?"

Seeing this face that bore a striking resemblance to both Minato and Kushina, Jiraiya felt a sharp pang in his heart.