Jiraiya

Although they are about to move into the clan's territory, which is heavily surrounded by barriers,

But Naruto did not show any anxiety about being placed under house arrest.

Instead, they took the initiative to contact the members of Class 7.

His reasoning was:

To celebrate everyone passing the exam, let's all go to a hot spring to relax.

In reality, Naruto knew the answer.

After today, he will move into the Whirlpool Shrine.

We'll be spending less and less time together; this might be the last time we get together as companions.

The atmosphere on the way to the bathhouse was inexplicably somber.

Seeing the inexplicably lifeless atmosphere of the group, Sakura tried to tell a few jokes to liven things up.

But with little success, they could only awkwardly shut their mouths in the end.

Sasuke walked at the back with his hands in his pockets and a gloomy expression.

Now, as soon as he closes his eyes,

The image that came to mind was Naruto standing in front of him, facing Orochimaru alone.

That feeling of powerlessness was frantically gnawing at his self-esteem.

For him now, every minute wasted means he'll be left further behind by that figure.

If it weren't for Naruto's strong insistence...

He absolutely refused to waste his time on such a boring pastime.

Karin, on the other hand, remained like a frightened little animal, timidly following closely behind Naruto, never leaving his side.

"Hey, Naruto."

Sasuke suddenly spoke, calling out to Naruto who was still walking forward:

"Where are you going? The women's bathhouse is just ahead, the men's bathhouse is over here."

Naruto didn't stop walking; he simply adjusted his glasses, his expression unchanged.

"I know."

"But before that, there are some dirty things that need to be dealt with."

"Dirty stuff?"

Sakura was taken aback, not realizing what Naruto was referring to.

Naruto stopped after walking a short distance.

He had just keenly sensed a powerful chakra near the walls of the women's bathhouse.

Upon closer inspection,

Sure enough, I saw a sleazy-looking person.

He was lying on the wall of the women's bathhouse, completely lacking any semblance of a strongman, peeking through the cracks at the scenery inside.

A cold glint flashed in Naruto's eyes.

If it weren't for his ability to sense things, wouldn't Sakura and Karin have been seen naked by this lewd thing?

Then he gave a low shout to the people who had followed behind him:

"You all step back!"

Before he finished speaking, the kunai in his hand, imbued with sharp wind-attribute chakra, shot out as a blur.

This attack was delivered without any restraint, aimed directly at that lewd figure.

"Oh no! Murder!"

With a strange cry, the tall figure scrambled away from the wall, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow.

The kunai pierced deep into the ground, leaving only a small, bottomless hole.

Sasuke's pupils suddenly contracted.

So fast... Whether it was Naruto's decisive attack or his seemingly clumsy but actually effortless dodge.

Before that figure could even breathe a sigh of relief.

Three golden chains suddenly erupted from behind Naruto, instantly sealing off all of the figure's escape routes.

Diamond Lockdown!

Looking at the chains radiating golden light, Jiraiya's playful expression vanished, and his gaze sharpened.

"These chains... are they really the power of the Uzumaki clan?"

The Instantaneous Movement Technique is activated.

As the white smoke dissipated, several deep craters were left in the ground where he had been standing, caused by the chains striking the ground.

With a flash, Jiraiya landed on the top of a large tree not far away.

Looking down at the blond boy below, he was somewhat shocked.

"There wasn't a trace of killing intent about him, yet every move he made was a killing blow..."

Without professional training from the Dark Guard, was he a born assassin?

Naruto looked at the figure in the treetop and thought to himself:

"As expected of a master, dodging so easily?"

Jiraiya looked at Naruto, narrowed his eyes, and decided to test the kid's mettle.

Swish.

His figure vanished instantly.

The next second, he appeared out of thin air behind Naruto, his large hand grabbing directly at Naruto's shoulder:

"Kid, don't be so arrogant..."

Naruto didn't even turn around; he swung his elbow back, striking Jiraiya hard from behind, accurately predicting his position.

At the same time, several shadow clones appeared, coordinating with the main body to launch a physical attack from a blind spot.

Their movements were fluid and graceful, each strike deadly, and their coordination was flawless.

It trapped Jiraiya like a giant net.

The two exchanged blows several times in the narrow alley.

Because Jiraiya didn't want to hurt the Konoha genin and was somewhat underestimating his opponent, he was forced to take the situation seriously.

They only separated again after a final, hard-fought clash.

Naruto landed steadily, his breathing calm.

"Cough cough."

A somewhat embarrassed Jiraiya coughed twice, trying to salvage the situation.

"Ignorant brat! I'm not spying, I'm gathering material! It's for the sake of great literature and art!"

He jumped onto a rock, struck an exaggerated pose, and shouted:

"Listen up! I am Jiraiya, the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku, one of the legendary Sannin!"

The air was still for a few seconds.

"The Three Legendary Sannin? Who are those?"

Karin asked in a low voice.

"A legendary ninja mentioned in textbooks... on par with Tsunade and Orochimaru..."

Sakura stared wide-eyed at the strange old man in front of her, somewhat incredulous:

"You can't be kidding, right? That kind of important person... is actually a voyeur?"

Sakura felt something inside her shatter.

"Oh? This young lady is quite knowledgeable."

Jiraiya seemed not to have heard the second half of Sakura's sentence, and laughed triumphantly:

"That's right, it's me!"

Once Jiraiya revealed his identity, Naruto knew that a fight was unlikely.

So he withdrew his attack, and the chains binding him disappeared.

Instead, there was just the right amount of surprise and... perfunctory respect.

"Ah, it's Jiraiya-sama."

Naruto bowed slightly, his expression gentle and polite, as if he hadn't been the one who had just tried to kill him.

"I was really rude just now."

I thought he was just a typical middle-aged or elderly pervert, so I made a misjudgment.

"..."

Jiraiya's smile froze on his face, his lips twitching wildly.

"Hey, what do you mean by that? Are you looking down on me?"

Jiraiya leaped off the rock, pointing angrily at Naruto.

That brat, he can't even swear without using a dirty word!

"No, I have the utmost respect for the strong."

Naruto straightened up, a flawless smile on his face:

"I think... you didn't really come here just to spy, did you? It's Hokage-sama..."

As Jiraiya looked at the seemingly perfect boy before him, the sense of unease in his heart grew stronger.

so perfect.

Perfect as a mask.

He remembered the entrustment from the third generation, so he decided to tear off this mask and test his heart.

"That's right, it was that old man from the third generation who sent me. He asked me to teach you the sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan."

Jiraiya crossed his arms, his gaze becoming profound:

"However, before that, I have a question for you."

"Naruto, what do you want to do with your power once you have it?"

"In your opinion, what is the Will of Fire? And what are the Ninja Code?"

Naruto blinked, still looking like a good kid:

"Power is for protecting your companions and those who need help."

The ninja code is a set of rules to regulate everyone's behavior.

As for the Will of Fire... it's about protecting your comrades, guarding the village, and ensuring the endless cycle of life.

Upon hearing this perfectly standard answer, Jiraiya immediately frowned.