The next second—
POOF
Naruto reappeared in a cloud of smoke, landing squarely on top of the Hokage's desk.
Paper flew everywhere.
Tsunade froze mid-motion, eyes wide, her hands still hovering over a stack of documents. For a long second, the office was completely silent as she stared up at the blond standing on her table.
"…You're back already?" Tsunade said slowly.
Naruto scratched the back of his head and grinned. "Yeah. It was pretty hard, y'know? Trained night and day. But I'm back now."
He hopped off her desk casually, landing on the floor like nothing unusual had just happened.
Tsunade didn't respond right away.
She simply stared at him.
Her mind replayed everything she knew—how long it had taken Jiraiya to even approach Sage Mode, how unstable it was for him, how he had never fully mastered it on his own. Years of training. Countless failures. Near-death experiences.
And Naruto was standing here.
After two days.
"…You really are unbelievable," she muttered.
She exhaled slowly, regaining her composure. "Fine. Go get some rest. We'll call you when you're needed."
Naruto nodded. "Got it."
He turned and walked out of the office, the door closing softly behind him.
Once outside, Naruto slowed his pace. For the first time since returning, he really looked around.
The village was the same—rooftops bathed in sunlight, people moving about their lives, familiar sounds echoing through the streets. Naruto decided to head to the hospital.
The halls were quiet this time of day, filled with the soft scent of medicine and disinfectant. As he walked, his pace slowed a little. No matter how confident he felt now, this place still carried weight for him.
He stopped in front of a familiar door and pushed it open.
Inside, he was met with a… very different scene than he expected.
Jiraiya was propped up in his bed, one arm lazily resting behind his head, the other gesturing dramatically as he spoke.
A nurse stood beside him, cheeks flushed bright red, eyes sparkling as she leaned far too close for "medical reasons."
"…you know," Jiraiya continued smoothly, "beauty like yours deserves to be admired properly."
The nurse giggled, clearly hanging onto every word.
Naruto stared for a second.
"…Looks like you're alright?" he said dryly as he stepped inside.
Jiraiya turned his head—and froze.
The nurse squeaked in surprise, spun around, and immediately bowed her head, face burning.
"I-I'll come back later!" she said before rushing out the room, nearly tripping over herself on the way.
The door shut.
Silence.
Then—
"NARUTO!" Jiraiya boomed. "My favorite student! You're back already?! Don't tell me you failed to learn it! I told you it was hard, you bozo!"
Naruto didn't answer.
Instead, he took a single step forward.
He inhaled.
Natural energy flowed into him instantly.
The orange-red pigmentation appeared around his eyes, sharp and vivid. His irises shifted to a deep golden yellow, pupils narrowing into horizontal slits. The air in the room subtly changed, pressure pressing down like an invisible weight.
Perfect. Controlled. Sage Mode.
Jiraiya's eyes went wide.
"Wha—?!"
He tried to sit up in bed out of pure shock, muscles tensing—only to wince and fall back with a grunt of pain.
Naruto stood calmly at the foot of the bed, looking down at him.
"You were saying?" he asked with a smirk.
Jiraiya stared at him for several long seconds… then burst out laughing despite himself.
"Hah! I was kidding! Obviously!" he said quickly. "Who else but my favorite student could master a jutsu that took me fifteen years to get?"
Naruto blinked. "Whoa. Fifteen?" He snorted. "That's crazy. How were you even considered a Sage? You're a fraud."
He laughed openly. Jiraiya frowned deeply, glaring at him. That only made Naruto laugh harder.
Then Jiraiya's expression softened, a small smile forming at the corner of his mouth.
"Well," he said quietly, "not all of us are Children of Prophecy, are we?"
Naruto stopped laughing—but he didn't lose his smile.
"I don't really care about that prophecy stuff," he said honestly. "I'm gonna do my own thing. Always was."
Jiraiya nodded, unsurprised. "I figured you'd say that. Still… that's just how it is. Can't really change it."
Naruto shrugged. "Guess so."
The Sage markings faded as Naruto released Sage Mode, the pressure in the room lifting immediately. He pulled a chair over and sat down beside the bed.
"So," Naruto said, leaning back, "tell me, Pervy Sage. How many students did you actually have? Besides me… and the Fourth Hokage."
He tilted his head. "Who, by the way, looks a lot like me. Kinda funny coincidence, honestly."
Jiraiya chuckled. "Did Pa tell you… or did you figure that out yourself?"
"Myself, obviously," Naruto replied. "Any reason you didn't bother telling me? Let me guess—some dumb decision by the Third Hokage and the higher-ups. Maybe even the Foundation. Am I right?"
Jiraiya sighed. "You're not wrong. But it was mostly to protect you—from your father's enemies."
Naruto nodded slowly. "I get that. But you could've told me. I wouldn't have gone around shouting it. Especially during our journey."
Jiraiya looked away for a moment.
"…You're right," he said quietly. "And I really am sorry about that. Truth is… it honestly slipped my mind."
Naruto raised an eyebrow.
Jiraiya smiled faintly. "I was too busy just being with my precious student. Making memories."
Naruto didn't respond right away.
He leaned back slightly in the chair, arms crossed, eyes thoughtful rather than amused.
"It's alright. I understand," he said calmly. "Though… you could have taught me Sage Mode back then." He shrugged. "But the past is the past."
His gaze sharpened.
"What about your other student," he continued, "or should I say—students?"
Jiraiya stiffened.
"…So Tsunade told you," Jiraiya said slowly.
Naruto nodded.
"Yeah. And I fought them . From what I saw, they're the ones leading the Akatsuki." he continued.
TO BE CONTINUED