In the days that followed, Senju Haruto stayed at Mount Myōboku with Jiraiya and Naruto.
When it came to meals, however, Haruto couldn't quite stomach Mount Myōboku's… unique cuisine. So, he had prepared in advance — sealing a variety of fresh vegetables inside a storage scroll, ready to be taken out whenever he needed them.
Life settled into a monotonous rhythm.
Now that Naruto had mastered the Shadow Clone Technique, he had begun training in Sage Arts.
Haruto remembered from the original events that Naruto had taken several months to finally perfect Sage Mode.
Against the Nine-Tails, Sage Mode would be absolutely essential.
Haruto could probably use his Sharingan to enter Naruto's inner world if needed… but the one who had to pull chakra from the Nine-Tails was Naruto himself.
Without Sage Chakra, and relying solely on his current strength, Naruto probably wouldn't even survive the first round.
That was why Haruto wasn't in any rush — he was content to wait until Naruto had mastered Sage Arts before moving forward.
But Naruto's progress was far from smooth.
Because Fukasaku constantly had to use a black staff to drive excess natural energy out of Naruto's body, he had no choice but to limit the number of shadow clones Naruto could use in training.
Otherwise, too much natural energy would turn him into a stone statue.
"Haruto."
It was during one of those days, while Haruto sat near the Oil Falls watching Naruto train hard, that Jiraiya approached from a distance.
"What is it?" Haruto asked.
"There's been a situation back in the village. The Third Hokage wants you to return to Konoha."
Jiraiya didn't waste time with pleasantries — he got straight to the point.
"The village, huh?"
Haruto rose from his chair. Without realizing it, he had already been living at Mount Myōboku for quite some time.
He had anticipated this possibility from the start and had even mentioned it to the Third Hokage before coming here.
Konoha was not living in peaceful times.
Even though the Raikage of the Hidden Cloud had suffered a setback against Haruto, he still eyed Konoha with predatory intent.
And with the Uchiha Clan's situation simmering, Konoha was under both internal and external pressure.
From the very beginning, Haruto had known he wouldn't get to spend months in quiet training at Mount Myōboku, watching Naruto master Sage Arts before helping him control the Nine-Tails.
"It's time, then."
Haruto smiled faintly, then walked over to interrupt Naruto's training with Fukasaku.
"You're going back to the village?" Naruto asked, his expression clearly unhappy at the news.
"Yeah. But don't worry — I'll leave a Wood Release clone here."
Haruto spoke as he brought his hands together in a seal, creating a Wood Clone that remained at Mount Myōboku.
A Wood Clone was a physical duplicate — it wouldn't disperse even if far from the original body.
In the original events, when Naruto returned to Konoha to face Pain, he had used a clone left behind at Mount Myōboku to extend the duration of Sage Mode.
Haruto had another reason for returning personally — the "Sign-In Assistant" might issue a new location for him to visit, and being there in person would make things easier.
But more than that…
Naruto's days at Mount Myōboku, though grueling, were happy ones.
A bright, genuine smile often lit up his face here — something Haruto had rarely seen back in Konoha.
Now that Naruto had the determination to meet his parents, Haruto believed that even the Nine-Tails would find it hard to sway him.
And worst-case scenario, if Naruto did lose control, Jiraiya's strength — combined with the Wood Clone — would be more than enough to suppress him until Haruto returned.
Although, truth be told, Haruto doubted it would come to that.
After leaving a few instructions behind, Haruto asked Jiraiya how he was supposed to get back to Konoha.
"No need for anything complicated," Jiraiya explained. "I already spoke to Lady Shima about it. Once you're ready, she'll use Reverse Summoning to bring you back."
Boom!
Once Haruto had prepared, a sharp noise rang in his ears as a cloud of white smoke enveloped him.
When the haze cleared, he was already standing in Konoha.
"Lady Shima," Haruto greeted, noticing the small toad at his feet. "What are you doing here in the village?"
"I came to buy groceries," she replied casually.
Though the toads lived in Mount Myōboku, Shima occasionally visited Konoha's markets.
After a brief exchange, Haruto headed straight for the Hokage's Office.
The destruction caused by Naruto's previous rampage had been extensive, but thanks to the tireless work of Konoha's ninja, the streets were now almost fully repaired.
The Hokage Tower itself showed no trace of damage.
By now, Haruto's name was famous throughout Konoha — hailed as one of its great heroes.
The moment he stepped onto the main street, villagers greeted him warmly.
Even the guards outside the Hokage Tower treated him with deep respect, personally leading him upstairs.
In no time, Haruto stood before the Hokage's Office door.
One guard knocked, and after the Third Hokage's voice gave permission, the guard opened the door and gestured for Haruto to enter.
Haruto stepped inside without hesitation.
Once he was through, the guard quietly shut the door and left.
"Haruto," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, rising from his chair the moment he saw him. But his face quickly darkened.
"What happened?" Haruto asked casually.
"We're on the brink of war." Hiruzen paused before continuing, "And worse — the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Mist have formed an alliance. They're planning a joint attack on Konoha."
"The Hidden Mist?" Haruto frowned. This was not something he had expected at this point in time.
The Hidden Mist Village, located in the Land of Water, lived an almost isolated existence on its islands.
It was because of that seclusion that it had earned the grim moniker "the Village of the Bloody Mist."
At this point in history, the Fourth Mizukage — Yagura — should be in power. A perfect jinchūriki of the Three-Tails.
"Yes," Hiruzen said with a weary sigh. He had been just as shocked as Haruto when he'd received the report.
If this situation wasn't handled carefully, it could ignite the Fourth Great Ninja War.
And that was the last thing Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted.
In fact, his original plan had been to stall for time — to delay the outbreak of war until Haruto and Naruto had returned from Mount Myōboku.
But the current circumstances had changed everything.
It wasn't just Hiruzen who believed Haruto's return was necessary — Konoha's entire leadership agreed.
"And that's not all," Hiruzen continued grimly. "According to my sources, the Hidden Sand is also on the move."
With that, his words dropped like a hammer.
Three of the Five Great Nations now harbored open hostility toward Konoha.