[On the screen, Neji's condescending gaze swept over the fuming Naruto. He sighed, a sound of pure disappointment. "Two and a half years, and all you've gained is height. Your mind is just as undisciplined as it was when you were a genin."]
["What did you say?!"] the future Naruto snarled, finally sensing the deep disdain from his new captain.
*[Neji didn't even raise his voice. His tone was flat, clinical, and all the more insulting for it. "I heard you trained under Lord Jiraiya. I'm sure your raw power has increased. But power is useless without control. Teamwork, strategy, situational awareness—these are skills honed through experience on missions, not just by learning a new jutsu. In that regard, you are still a liability."]
The mention of the legendary Sannin's name sent a shockwave through the viewers.
[Wait, did he say JIRAIYA?! As in, one of the Legendary Sannin?]
[That kid is Jiraiya's disciple?! No way!]
In his sake house, Jiraiya grinned, stroking his chin. "Ho ho! So the boy becomes my student, does he? Interesting!"
Tsunade, however, snorted into her cup. "Well, that explains the idiotic grin. Takes a fool to train a fool."
In the Pure Land, Minato Namikaze smiled with a father's pride. "That's wonderful, Naruto! To have a master like Jiraiya..."
Kushina, however, wrung her hands. "I just hope that pervy old sage doesn't teach him any of his bad habits, ya know!"
In the Konoha waiting room, Naruto blinked. "Jiraiya?" he asked, the name sounding vaguely familiar from Academy history lessons. "The Sannin? He's gonna be my master?"
Kakashi nodded, a bit of nostalgia in his eye. "He's one of the most powerful shinobi Konoha has ever produced."
Neji, in the present, gave a slight, affirming nod. "I recall the lesson. It seems my future self's assessment of your intellect is... accurate."
"Why you—!" Naruto started, but Kakashi held up a hand.
"He was also the Third Hokage's student," Kakashi continued, "and the master of the Fourth Hokage."
Naruto's anger vanished, replaced by wide-eyed awe. He puffed out his chest and struck a pose. "The Fourth Hokage's own master! Well, if he's that good, then I guess I'll graciously allow him to be my teacher!"
Sasuke, whose future was still a terrifying unknown, couldn't stomach the display. "Don't get ahead of yourself, loser," he sneered. "It doesn't matter who your master is if you don't have the brains to learn anything."
"That does it, Sasuke! You and me, right now!"
[On screen, Neji pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to regain control. "Listen. Our mission is to protect the priestess. That is our only priority. Do not engage the enemy unless necessary. Do not leave the VIP's side."]
["Right, Captain Neji!"] Rock Lee said with a crisp salute.
["We'll follow the Konoha team spirit!"] Sakura added, giving Naruto a pointed look.
["Yeah, yeah..."] Naruto muttered, scratching the back of his head. The future Sakura immediately grabbed his ear and twisted. "OW! OKAY, OKAY, I GET IT!"]
[Neji let out another long, weary sigh.]
The barrage found the interaction highly amusing.
[That dynamic... it's less like teammates and more like an old married couple.]
[Hahaha, I can practically hear her nagging him about leaving his socks on the floor.]
[You have to feel for the Hyuga kid. He's a jonin, but he's also a sixteen-year-old stuck babysitting.]
In the waiting room, Naruto started to grin, but Sakura shrieked beside him. "NO! WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT?! Why would they even SUGGEST something like that?!"
Naruto's grin evaporated. "Aww, Sakura-chan, you don't have to be so mean about it..."
In another corner, Ino cackled. "This is perfect! If Forehead-girl gets stuck with Naruto, then Sasuke is all mine! It's fate!"
Shikamaru just stared at the ceiling. "Women. What a drag."
And on Team 8, Hinata twisted her index fingers together, her face bright red. "Naruto-kun... and Sakura-san..." she whispered, her heart sinking just a little, a fact that did not escape her sensei, Kurenai.
[The scene cut back to the Hokage's office, where the real Shizune was voicing her concerns to Tsunade. "My lady, are you sure about this?"]
[Tsunade misunderstood. "Neji is the best choice for this. His Byakugan is perfect for intelligence gathering, and his calm judgment makes him an ideal bodyguard."]
["No, my lady, I'm not worried about Neji, Sakura, or Rock Lee," Shizune clarified, her meaning clear.]
["Naruto..."] Tsunade finished for her.
["He failed every single bodyguarding simulation at the Academy," Shizune pressed. "Training with Lord Jiraiya has certainly made him stronger, but it hasn't made him more reliable!"]
[Tsunade leaned back, a faint smile on her lips. "Shizune, there are things you can't learn in training. That boy has a will that never breaks. No matter the odds, no matter how hopeless it seems, he refuses to give up. That isn't a skill you can teach. It's an ability. And on a mission like this, that ability is more valuable than any jutsu."]
Naruto no longer paid any mind to the comments debating his merits. But in the Pure Land, Minato and Kushina listened to Tsunade's words, and their worry was tempered by a deep, swelling pride.
[The screen shifted one last time, to a dark, makeshift camp at night. Huang Quan sat on a crude throne, his posture slumped. He was breathing heavily, a slight tremor in his hand as he rested it on the arm of the chair. The demon's power was clearly taking its toll.]
["Report," he rasped.]
[His four acolytes appeared from the shadows, kneeling before him. "We await your command, my lord."]
["Go to the Land of Demons," Huang Quan ordered, his voice strained. "Find the priestess who inherited the sealing arts... and kill her." He raised his left arm, and from his sleeve slithered four grotesque, snake-like creatures made of pulsating dark chakra. They burrowed into the lead shinobi's body.]
*["Take these. Only you can control their power. Go now," Huang Quan gasped, slumping further. "And hurry."]
[This guy is fighting a war on two fronts. One army to conquer the nations, and a wetwork squad to kill the only person who can stop him.]
[See! I knew he and the demon weren't on the same page! If it were me, I'd kill the priestess first before starting a world war!]
(To be continued...)