"My apologies, Naruto-kun, but I'm afraid I don't know much about that."
Orochimaru's words didn't disappoint Naruto too much. At least now he had a lead, unlike before when he had been stumbling around blindly.
"Still, perhaps you could visit one of Akatsuki's hideouts yourself. You might find something new there."
"Where are they?"
Naruto's tone turned cold.
But this time, Orochimaru didn't tell him everything he knew as he did before.
"That… is something we should discuss in person."
"Naruto-kun, don't forget that this is a deal."
For Orochimaru, everything he had revealed so far was merely 'baits' to hook Naruto's interest.
The location of Akatsuki's hideout was his real 'bargaining chip'.
Naruto might be a man of his word, but Orochimaru always judged others by his own standards.
In some ways, his fishing skills far surpassed Naruto's.
"Where do I find you? Otogakure?"
Naruto bit the hook without hesitation, though whether Orochimaru had the strength to reel in a fish like him remained to be seen.
"No, no, it's not that far. Someone will guide you."
"You'd better not be lying to me."
Naruto nodded slightly, and after saying this, he twisted the little snake's head off.
He first used his Observation Haki to scan every inch of the inn, and then, still feeling unsatisfied, he simply sealed the Kusanagi Sword into a scroll for good measure.
Only after all this did he sit back down.
Across from him, Jiraiya and Karin watched with concern.
Jiraiya knew exactly what kind of person Orochimaru was, but the man also held information about the mastermind behind the Nine-Tails Rampage.
For Naruto, that was an undeniable trump card.
"Naruto, give me some time. I can help track down that Akatsuki."
"Or I'll go with you to meet Orochimaru."
"He definitely has another agenda."
Jiraiya's voice was thick with worry. He couldn't just stand by and watch his student's son walk into a trap.
Beside him, Karin still didn't fully grasp the situation, but she understood one thing… Naruto was about to do something dangerous.
"I know, Jiraiya-sensei. I know."
With Orochimaru gone, Naruto's tone immediately softened.
He reassured the older man before pulling out his flask of sake and taking a slow sip, "Jiraiya-sensei, to be honest… when I first returned to this world, I was lost."
"In that other world, I had comrades, friends… a life of my own."
"But there is always a voice in my heart telling me that I must come back here."
Setting the flask down, Naruto's eyes were calm.
"At first, I didn't know why."
"There shouldn't have been anything left for me in this world."
"But when I learned that my parents didn't abandon me, that their deaths had a mastermind behind them… I understood."
"In this world, there were people who loved me."
"And the reason I returned… was to fulfill a mission entrusted to me by fate itself."
When Jiraiya heard the word 'fate' from Naruto's mouth, a nerve in his body was suddenly touched, and the prophecy of the Great Toad Sage instantly flashed through his mind.
"I will avenge my parents. But it's not just about killing the culprit."
"What killed them wasn't just that Uchiha… it was this twisted world."
This time, Naruto's tone was firm and decisive, unlike when he had confronted Hiruzen, leaving room for negotiation.
Perhaps it was because he had witnessed the tragic fate of other Uzumaki Clan's members with his own eyes, or perhaps it was because he discovered that in this Ninja World, a country like the Land of Hot Springs that is 'far away from war' can also survive.
Peace is the truest mirror of war.
If everything were the same, it would be easy to lose perspective. But with an example before him, Naruto could say with certainty… the Five Great Nations, no, most of the Ninja World, is wrong.
Even though there were no Celestial Dragons oppressing from above, they will still waged war against each other for the ambitions of some people.
The lives of Ninja had been reduced to cold statistics, and even children were thrown onto the battlefield like expendable tools.
"I will destroy this old world."
The words that left Naruto's mouth struck Jiraiya like a thunderbolt.
"What do you intend to do, Naruto?"
Jiraiya's throat felt dry, as if he could barely force out the words.
"Where there is oppression, there will be resistance."
"The only reason they haven't succeeded is because they lack the power to defy fate."
This was the case with Inari, the child in the Land of Waves, whose father-like figure was killed by Gato.
The Uzumaki Clan, who were destroyed during the war because their special abilities were coveted, was another example of this.
How many more like them existed in this Ninja World?
"And I… will give them that power. Starting with you, Karin."
At the end, Naruto turned his gaze to Karin, his eyes filled with expectation.
Karin was a little overwhelmed by his gaze and quickly adjusted her glasses.
"Naruto, have you considered… that this might lead to even more death?"
Although he didn't know why Naruto sounded more and more like Orochimaru when he said this, Jiraiya still tried to dissuade him.
"Reform… is always accompanied by pain."
This was a lesson Naruto had learned from observing the Revolutionary Army in the One Piece World.
To be honest, Naruto didn't fully understand what that 'ideal world of freedom' the Revolutionary Army spoke of would look like.
So, for now, he could only follow their example… feeling his way forward like wading across a river.
Of course, he could simply kill the so-called Daimyo… Naruto had no doubts about his ability to do so.
But if he kills one daimyo, another would just take their place.
If the oppressed refused to rise up, if the enslaved refused to fight back… then new rulers would always emerge, and the world would remain unchanged.
Jiraiya opened his mouth to argue, but Naruto cut him off.
"Jiraiya-sensei, while I'm away meeting Orochimaru, I'll need you to look after Karin for me."
"Naruto-san, I'm coming with you!"
Karin spoke aloud.
But Naruto just reached out and patted her head.
"Jiraiya-sensei was right about one thing."
"Orochimaru definitely has another scheme. Karin… it's not your time yet."
High EQ: It's not time for you to come on stage yet.
Low EQ: You're just a burden.
The girl pressed her lips together, unable to retort… but in her heart, she made a silent resolve.
"Naruto… are you sure about this?"
At this time, as if steeling himself, Jiraiya spoke in a tone more serious than ever before.
"Don't worry, I'll be careful with Orochimaru."
"It's not him I'm worried about. What concerns me more is-"
Naruto only smiled at him, leaving the sentence unfinished as he turned and walked out of the room.
Looking at Naruto's back, which had become broad enough, Jiraiya didn't know what to say for a moment.
'When the Great Toad Sage said 'stop the Child of Prophecy', was he referring to Naruto?'
For the first time, Jiraiya felt truly lost.