The journey back to Konoha was quiet, the road winding through forests and rivers. Naruto walked beside Jiraiya, his grin bright as he teased, "Bet Tsunade's gonna be a better Hokage than you'd ever be, Pervy Sage!" Jiraiya laughed, but Naruto's eyes were distant. Konoha was a means to an end—a place to grow stronger, to master the Rasengan and the Nine-Tails' chakra, before he left it behind. The village's lies—about the Fourth, the Nine-Tails, his purpose—were chains he'd break with power.Jiraiya's training continued, pushing Naruto to perfect the Rasengan. "It's the Fourth's technique," Jiraiya said, his tone heavy. Naruto's grin stayed, but his heart raced. The Fourth—his creator, his curse. Jiraiya knew why Naruto was chosen, but he wasn't talking. Naruto didn't ask, keeping his facade tight. Questions would tip his hand, and he trusted no one. Instead, he trained, his clones spinning chakra balls until one held, a swirling orb of destruction. "Got it!" he shouted, but inside, he was plotting. The Rasengan was power, a step toward freedom.At night, he slipped away, summoning clones to practice in secret. The Nine-Tails' chakra came easier now, a red pulse he could hold for seconds before it slipped. "I'm getting there," he whispered, his grin gone. Orochimaru's taunts, Tsunade's strength, Gaara's pain—they all showed him the world was bigger than Konoha, full of answers the village hid. He'd roam it, find them, but only if he was strong enough to stand alone.As Konoha's gates loomed, Naruto's grin widened. "Home sweet home!" he shouted, but the word home felt hollow. Konoha was a stepping stone, a place to hone his power before he left. Tsunade would take over, another figurehead guarding secrets. Naruto would play the loyal genin, train under her nose, and grow until he could walk away, a lone ninja with the strength to demand the truth from anyone, anywhere.
