A knock echoed at the door.
Kurenai Yuhi hesitated for a moment, saying, "I'll get it."
She set down her paperwork, heading toward the door and adjusting her collar as she walked.
"Lord Jiraiya?"
As she opened the door, surprise flashed across Kurenai's face.
Before her stood a middle-aged man with snow-white hair, wearing a forehead protector engraved with the kanji for "oil," a red coat draped over his shoulders, and streaks of crimson face paint across his cheeks.
"Kurenai?"
Jiraiya gave her a quick once-over, smiling as he said, "Didn't expect you to dress up like this. Looks great."
"Thank you for the compliment."
She felt his gaze lingered inappropriately, and recalling his reputation made her slightly uneasy.
Natsume, on the other hand, was far superior.
"You're here to see Hokage-sama, right? Then I'll leave you two to talk."
Kurenai bowed politely before turning away.
Jiraiya kept his eyes on her until her silhouette vanished down the hall, then turned back around.
He turned to face Natsume, who remained expressionless, hesitated briefly, then greeted him with a smile: "Hokage-sama."
There was no real respect or formality in his tone.
To him, all men were perverts at their core.
That had been true ever since Hiruzen Sarutobi became Hokage.
Natsume appointing Kurenai as his secretary probably meant he shared similar tendencies.
And, in truth, that was exactly the case.
But his feelings toward Kurenai were different.
Natsume sighed inwardly—humans really were walking embodiments of double standards.
"Lord Jiraiya, may I ask what brings you here today?"
"Hearing about your impressive achievements while I was away, I couldn't help but come back to check things out myself."
Jiraiya grinned brightly as he spoke, "You're nothing like that old geezer."
The reason he left Konoha originally was because of a prophecy from Mount Myoboku.
That, and his growing dissatisfaction with some of Hiruzen Sarutobi's later decisions.
Indeed, he simply couldn't stomach the questionable decisions made in Hiruzen's later years.
Compared to him, Natsume appeared far more wise and capable.
Over the past few days, Jiraiya had discreetly looked into him thoroughly.
Speaking to many people, their responses were largely the same.
Everyone spoke highly of Natsume.
This only reinforced Jiraiya's belief that he was the Child of Prophecy.
"I suppose Lord Jiraiya didn't return just to flatter me?"
Natsume picked up a document without looking up, adding, "These past few days, you've met quite a lot of people—but not me."
Jiraiya showed no sign of embarrassment at being caught.
After all, if the Hokage couldn't even track his movements within Konoha, then he'd truly be too incompetent.
Unless, of course, his authority had already been compromised.
"It's mainly because I don't know enough about you."
Jiraiya kept smiling as he explained, "Your teacher and I trained together back in the day. For her to accept you as a student, you must have extraordinary qualities. But as they say, hearing something isn't the same as seeing it with your own eyes. So please forgive me, Hokage-sama."
"So, what conclusions have you reached?"
Natsume didn't even lift his head, asking indifferently.
"Hokage-sama, have you heard of the Great Toad Sage?"
Jiraiya didn't answer directly.
"I know of him."
Natsume smiled faintly, replying, "I am the contract holder of Shikkotsu Forest."
Jiraiya quietly sighed.
How unfortunate.
He and Hiruzen Sarutobi shared a similar thought.
Truthfully, Tsunade isn't really suitable to be Natsume's teacher.
She doesn't have much to offer in terms of teaching.
But since someone had already taken the initiative, he couldn't do anything to stop it.
"The Great Toad Sage once made a prophecy, instructing me to search for a Child of Providence who could bring peace to the ninja world."
Jiraiya said earnestly, "I believe you could be the one."
"Me?"
Natsume shook his head and replied, "I don't really feel like I'm the Child of Providence."
"Why not?"
Jiraiya asked, somewhat surprised. "You now possess power comparable to that of the God of Ninja. Don't you want to do *something* with that power?"
"If you're referring to bringing peace to the ninja world, that's not something one individual can accomplish alone."
Natsume casually replied, "True peace will only come when *everyone* is a Child of Providence."
"That's impossible!"
Hearing this, Jiraiya's eyes instinctively widened in disbelief.
Although what Natsume said seemed somewhat reasonable, in Jiraiya's view, it was an affront to the Great Toad Sage.
There was no way he'd accept such an idea.
"The Great Toad Sage's prophecies have never been wrong."
Jiraiya firmly stated, "Only the Child of Prophecy can bring peace to the ninja world."
"So what exactly do you want me to do?"
Natsume glanced at him and asked.
"Obviously, it's to find a path to peace."
Without hesitation, Jiraiya replied, "Though I don't know it yet, the Child of Prophecy certainly will."
"Hokage-sama, don't you think it's a bit far-fetched to place everyone's hopes on just one person?"
Natsume smirked slightly as he asked.
"That's what the prophecy states."
Jiraiya answered after a moment's silence.
[Internal thought] What a pitiful fate indeed.
Natsume decided not to argue further and asked, "Hokage-sama, did you seek me out just to talk about this Child of Prophecy matter?"
Jiraiya detected the impatience in his tone and couldn't help but smile bitterly.
This was the first time he'd encountered a ninja so indifferent to prophecy.
Could it be the influence of the Katsuyu Sage?
After a brief contemplation, he decided to postpone the matter of taking on a student for now.
Obviously, since Natsume didn't trust Mount Myoboku, he wouldn't become his apprentice.
"Do you remember, Hokage-sama—during the previous Hokage's tenure, there appeared a mysterious Wood Release expert who took away Shisui Uchiha?"
This mini-chapter isn't over yet—more exciting content awaits!
Jiraiya's expression subtly darkened as he seriously asked.
"I remember. But until now, we've never found any trace of him."
Natsume feigned confusion and asked, "Hokage-sama brings this up—does it mean you have a clue now?"
"Precisely."
Jiraiya nodded. "That enigmatic Wood Release expert is part of an organization, and currently, I've identified one of its members named Kakuzu."
"Kakuzu? I've heard that name before—he's a famous bounty hunter in the black market."
Feigning surprise, Natsume paused slightly before asking, "Are you sure your information is correct?"
"Yes."
Jiraiya solemnly replied, "Kakuzu used to work alone, but in recent years, he's often been seen working with a partner."
"And the two of them wore identical outfits, so there's no doubt they're from the same organization."
"That is quite unexpected."
Natsume stroked his chin and said, "Under the watchful eyes of the Five Great Villages, an organization capable of recruiting such powerful individuals must have grand ambitions."
"I think the same as well."
Jiraiya's face grew serious. "For the safety of Konoha Village, we must eliminate this organization."
"Mm-hmm."
Natsume nodded in agreement. "I'll leave this matter to you, Jiraiya-sama. Konoha Village will give you full support."
"Understood!"
Jiraiya answered seriously, then relaxed again and smiled. "I knew the Hokage would agree."
His entire reason for visiting Natsume was to get his approval.
Despite his high rank, he wasn't the Hokage.
When acting outside the village, mobilizing personnel or resources always required official authorization.
That process would naturally be slow.
If they accidentally missed the opportunity, it would be a huge loss.
So it was necessary to make prior arrangements.
Of course, this was also a good chance to gauge Natsume's character.
So far, although he didn't care much about the prophecy, he did seem genuinely invested in Konoha Village.
Based on this, he definitely wasn't evil.
After covering those two points, Jiraiya wasted no time and vanished immediately.
In the Hokage's secretary office,
An Anbu agent appeared and reported Jiraiya's departure.
Kurenai Yuhi nodded slightly, then made her way to the door of the Hokage's office.
She reached up and undid the top button of her blouse, revealing a pale, smooth curve.
"Natsume."
Kurenai stepped in and asked, "Was there anything Lord Jiraiya needed to discuss with you?"
"Just ensure the Anbu cooperate with his operation."
Natsume waved a hand dismissively.
He didn't really care whether Jiraiya lived or died.
Since he'd chosen to pursue Akatsuki's trail like in the original story, let him go ahead.
"Understood."
Kurenai replied crisply, then asked, "Any other instructions?"
"No."
Natsume thought for a moment before saying, "Sister Kurenai, you may go back to your work."
But Kurenai didn't move. She hesitated at the door.
"What's wrong?"
Not hearing the sound of heels walking away, Natsume glanced up and asked.
"How are you feeling now?"
Kurenai's heart beat quickened slightly as she spoke with concern. "Earlier, I saw you looked pretty tired. If you still feel exhausted, I can keep giving you a massage."
"I'm fine already."
Natsume paused briefly but still felt touched.
"That's good to hear."
Letting out a breath she'd been holding, Kurenai smiled and said, "Managing affairs for Konoha Village is exhausting work. Next time if you feel tired, you can find me anytime."
"I definitely will."
Natsume agreed without hesitation.
After all, how could one refuse such a pleasant offer?
"I'll go back to my office now. Feel free to call me if anything comes up."
Turning around, Kurenai left in her high heels.
Before closing the door completely, she smiled at Natsume once more.
Combined with the inviting curve of her chest as she leaned forward to close the door,
It was quite seductive.
"Really nice."
Natsume-sensei once again mused thoughtfully that being Hokage wasn't all about endless drudgery.
At the moment, there was only one Hokage's secretary—Kurenai Yuhi.
When Ino Yamanaka came of age, there would be two assistants.
Ahem.
That could wait for another day.
Bringing himself back, Natsume-sensei began handling official duties for Konoha Village. Not long afterward, he fell into a state of idleness.
After a moment's thought, Natsume decided to pay a visit to his student, Sasuke Uchiha.
[ Flying Thunder God Technique ]
Natsume instantly transported himself into the Uchiha clan district.
"Sensei."
Sasuke greeted him as soon as he saw him, immediately stepping forward.
He already knew that the trip to Hozuki Castle had been arranged by Natsume with the sole purpose of helping him awaken his Sharingan, so he felt deeply grateful toward his teacher.
Ever since obtaining Satori, his ocular power had been increasing moment by moment.
Once it reached a certain limit, he would be able to unlock the Mangekyo Sharingan.
No intense emotional stimulation required—everything would fall into place naturally.
"It seems you've recovered quite well," Natsume remarked, after giving him a quick once-over.
"Thank you, Sensei," Sasuke hesitated slightly, then bowed respectfully.
This uncharacteristically polite gesture was extremely rare for him.
Firstly, because Natsume had genuinely treated him well.
Secondly, because of Mikoto Uchiha's request.
In his mother's words: "Even though Sensei is only a few years older than you, once he's your teacher, he becomes your father figure for life. You must never act too casually around him—you should treat him with the respect due to an elder."
To be continued…
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