Sasuke and Neji exchanged a look and instantly understood one another.
Truth be told, they'd also considered requesting to remain tokubetsu jōnin (special jōnin) temporarily. They didn't feel they were stronger than Tenten, and both had strong pride.
However, they had no choice but to set aside their pride—because being promoted to jōnin made certain things more convenient.
For example, Neji would have more freedom to leave the village and investigate the history of the Hyūga clan. Sasuke, on the other hand, wanted access to information about the Bijū—he aimed to become a jinchūriki.
In Sasuke's eyes, evolving his Sharingan into Mangekyō was no easy task, which meant he couldn't activate his "Gundam" (Susano'o) just yet.
But if he became a jinchūriki and mastered Bijū Transformation, it would be no different from piloting a Gundam—and he'd gain immense chakra reserves, enough to truly face Itachi.
It was his chance for revenge. Pride or not, he would do whatever it took!
Moreover, official jōnin could accept A-rank and S-rank missions more easily—and they still needed to study the Senju clan's archives.
Tsunade continued, "Starting today, the provisional genin teams are disbanded, and the original team structures will resume. From now on, you'll need to polish your skills. A major mission might be coming soon."
A major mission?
Everyone glanced around at each other, puzzled but filled with anticipation.
However, those in the know—like Natsuki and Kakashi—could guess what it was: they were preparing to deal with Orochimaru.
This had been discussed long ago. Back when Tsunade had sent Natsuki to investigate Orochimaru's lair, they hadn't taken action yet because they were waiting for the right time.
Now, with a fresh batch of chūnin, and even newly graduated genin gaining combat experience, the village's strength had clearly improved.
Not to mention, a considerable number of chakra batteries had been produced and could now be distributed among more jōnin and chūnin. The time had come—it was necessary to eliminate the threat of Orochimaru first.
As for the Akatsuki, their goal was the Bijū and jinchūriki. As long as Naruto was properly protected, the rest could be handled.
Tsunade didn't explain this further and dismissed everyone.
But just as the group left through the front door, a figure appeared at the window.
"These kids sure have grown up..."
A certain white-haired old man spoke with emotion.
"Jiraiya, you know you can use the front door," Tsunade said, opening the window.
"Ahahaha! The great Jiraiya-sama enters from wherever he wants! Besides, secretly watching you work so seriously—it's kinda cute!"
He flipped into the room as he spoke.
Tsunade's face twitched slightly. She didn't respond and changed the topic. "Why did you suddenly return?"
Jiraiya quickly turned serious. "I heard everything. I've been investigating the Akatsuki too, but haven't had much success. All I can confirm is—they're strong."
Tsunade didn't speak. Instead, she pulled out several scrolls and tossed them to him.
Jiraiya blinked in confusion, but still opened them—and his expression turned shocked.
"Where did all this intel come from?!"
"I sent Natsuki to investigate," Tsunade said, hands on hips.
"That brat?"
Jiraiya clicked his tongue in admiration. "I tried all sorts of methods, but barely uncovered anything about the Akatsuki. And that kid already found their base in Amegakure? Impressive, impressive. Gotta admit, the world really does belong to the younger generation."
Tsunade looked him straight in the eye. "All sorts of methods? You mean drinking in brothels?"
Jiraiya opened his mouth, then looked away guiltily.
Tsunade continued, "Natsuki has truly grown. In terms of strength and reliability, he's earned our trust. But he also warned me: no one should go to Amegakure carelessly—not even you, Jiraiya. Don't you dare sneak off behind my back!"
She said this very intentionally.
Jiraiya was known for doing things his own way—often going solo into deadly places for scraps of intel, believing he could escape with his skills.
But that was then. Now, things were different.
The Akatsuki gave off a deeply dangerous aura. Even Natsuki, as powerful as he was, was cautious about entering Amegakure. Of course Tsunade couldn't allow Jiraiya to risk it alone.
Jiraiya's expression became more cautious. "It's that serious? Even a toad sage like me isn't allowed to go?"
Tsunade glared. "Not without my permission. Understood?"
"Ahem! Alright, alright! I definitely won't sneak off."
Jiraiya handed the scrolls back to her and smoothly changed the subject. "Actually, the main reason I came back is to take Naruto away for a few years."
Tsunade paused. "Take Naruto away?"
Jiraiya nodded. "Exactly. Naruto still can't fully control the Kyūbi's power. That's a major instability. Plus, the Akatsuki's got their eyes on him. You can't keep giving him missions, but you also can't trap him in the village forever. If we want to keep him safe, he needs to master that power and become strong enough to resist them."
Tsunade understood. "You want to train him yourself?"
"Hahaha! At this point, you wouldn't trust anyone else with him, right?"
Jiraiya had a point—and Tsunade agreed.
The Kyūbi inside Naruto was still volatile. To control it, they had to draw it out, which came with serious risks. A powerful mentor had to be there in case things went wrong. And they couldn't do that training inside the village—Akatsuki would notice.
The best way was for Jiraiya to take him away—somewhere secret, like Mount Myōboku—where Akatsuki couldn't find him.
Tsunade thought for a moment and nodded. "Alright. I agree. Naruto will go with you to train. But I need a time frame so I can plan accordingly."
Jiraiya stroked his chin. "True, true. Let's say… two years."
This was actually a bit later than in the original timeline.
In the original, Naruto left with Jiraiya much earlier and didn't even participate in the Chūnin Exams.
But that was because Naruto had gone through a traumatic falling-out with Sasuke, which made the Kyūbi's power extremely unstable—Jiraiya had no choice but to take him for urgent training.
Here, though, because of Natsuki's presence, Sasuke had never left, so Naruto wasn't emotionally triggered. The Kyūbi remained dormant, and Jiraiya hadn't felt the need to rush.
Only now, with the Akatsuki making moves, did he finally decide to act.
Naruto's reckless nature made it impossible to keep him sheltered forever. Better to train him—make him strong enough to handle danger on his own.
With Tsunade's approval secured, Jiraiya immediately went to find Naruto.
At that moment, Naruto was still immersed in the joy of Team 7's reunion, even dreaming of a date with Sakura.
He never imagined that the Ero-sennin would suddenly drag him away…
(End of Chapter)
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