In the Hokage's office, as soon as Naruto and Jiraiya had left, the two advisors, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, arrived. They had come due to the commotion caused by the recent battle outside the village, but once informed of the Third Hokage's intentions, they were at ease.
Mitokado Homura furrowed his brow and spoke up: "Are you really going to let Naruto roam freely like this? Despite your order for him to keep his identity a secret, the noise from the battle will give anyone interested enough clues to uncover it with a simple investigation."
"This runs counter to your original plan," he continued. "Do you still believe you can control him?"
Mitokado Homura had always found this Naruto to be far from ordinary.
Utatane Koharu shared the same view and pondered, "This is a ticking time bomb. If his claim of being the Seventh Hokage is true, he'll never be easily controlled by anyone. It's better to take precautions now."
These individuals held significant positions and found it difficult to tolerate someone acting above them.
"You're overthinking it!" The Third Hokage dismissed their concerns with a wave. "Naruto has always been sincere with me, and I've seen him grow up from a child. His respect is genuine. Besides, as the Nine Tails Jinchūriki, he's too precious to be a mere combatant. He can be the best combat leader."
"The Fifth and Sixth Hokage(s), Tsunade and Kakashi, are also descendants of my lineage. The Hokage line will surely continue my will."
This was the so-called 'the bystander is clear-minded while the authorities are confused'.
The Third Hokage had unshakeable faith in Naruto, and due to the 'enhancing reputation' strategy that Naruto had mentioned earlier, he was quite content at the moment. No doubts about the young man entered his mind.
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu exchanged glances, recognizing the futility of their efforts.
The only individual capable of swaying the Third Hokage's decision was the Root of Konoha, who had been removed from his post and confined to his home.
Mitokado Homura made a final attempt, saying, "Regardless of our opinions on him, he is the Nine Tails Jinchūriki, a rare combat asset. Can we really afford to let him wander the village aimlessly?"
While they bore no malice towards Naruto, their stubborn and conservative nature made it difficult for them to accept someone they couldn't control. Any uncertainty troubled them.
"I see your point," Third Hokage conceded, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
Truthfully, he had not considered this angle before. His primary interest in Naruto was the information he could provide about the future.
"Alright, I will think this over carefully. For now, you may leave," the Third Hokage decided firmly.
The advisors took their leave, though Utatane Koharu couldn't help but express her concern privately: "Sarutobi is too indecisive. Initially, I didn't support the plan to handle Uzumaki Naruto, but he was still a child then, and his mischief was manageable. Now, though..."
The future Uzumaki Naruto was indeed beyond their control.
"Indeed," agreed Mitokado Homura. "But we can't change Sarutobi's mind unless..."
Both advisors exchanged knowing looks before hurrying away.
For the sake of Konoha's stability, they couldn't ignore potential threats like the mysterious Uzumaki Naruto from the future.
If they couldn't convince the Third Hokage, they needed to find someone who could.
Hokage Rock.
Facing Jiraiya, Naruto revealed almost all of the significant events in the future of the ninja world, including the Akatsuki Organization, the Rinnegan, Pain, Obito, Madara, the Ten Tails Jinchūriki, and the Ninja World War. He also mentioned the Ōtsutsuki stars who would appear later on. However, when discussing Ōtsutsuki Ishiki, he refrained from revealing that Nine Tails had been sacrificed; instead, he vaguely stated that a massive price had been paid, thus avoiding any suspicion from Jiraiya.
To prevent the system from disclosing his abilities too abruptly in the future, he kept the explanations as simple as possible, allowing Jiraiya to grasp only a general understanding of the events.
Despite this, Jiraiya couldn't help but gasp for air after hearing the series of events. Fortunately, the fact that Naruto, who had inherited his will, survived everything offered him some comfort.
"Thank you so much," Jiraiya said, patting Naruto on the shoulder and sighing. "I never thought I would leave so early and leave you with such a huge mess to handle." He laughed lightly, "Maybe in the Pure Land, Kushina will chase me around. But if there's a world over there, she'll probably team up with Minato!"
"Ah!" exclaimed Naruto, wiping his sweat. This indeed sounded like something his parents would do.
Jiraiya grew serious again and rubbed his cheeks. "Well, after hearing these tales, I don't know how to face such a future. So, tell me your thoughts!" he said with a look of inquiry.
Since Naruto had chosen to confide in him rather than the Third Hokage, it was clear that he had an objective in mind. Jiraiya felt it was his responsibility to help guide and support him.
Recognizing that Naruto had undergone profound experiences and likely had a different perspective than before, Jiraiya knew he couldn't simply follow the same path again. There was a clear purpose in telling him all of this, which meant that the trajectory of events was now in Naruto's hands.
Since the original path involved Naruto placing his faith in Jiraiya, it was now up to Jiraiya to believe in and assist Naruto as he forged his own destiny. He was aware that Naruto's experiences would have shaped his thoughts, making it impossible for him to tread the same path again.
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