"To be able to travel across the shinobi world together with Tsunade-sama—just thinking about it already feels like a blessing."
Amamiya Rei looked up at Tsunade, admiration flickering in her crimson eyes. Yet as she lowered her gaze toward the infant cradled in her arms, that gleam of longing gradually faded, replaced instead by a far heavier sense of responsibility.
"But… Naruto is still too young… I also gave my word that I would take care of him!"
"I cannot leave Konoha!" Rei's voice was unwavering as she spoke to Tsunade and Jiraiya.
Most important of all—if he left Konoha, what would he eat?
After all, the stockpile of emergency rations he had carefully prepared was here in the village. There was no way he would abandon his little piglets.
Rei's resolute answer echoed in the silence between Tsunade and Jiraiya.
Tsunade lowered her gaze, a heavy sigh weighing in her heart. Jiraiya, too, fell into silence for a long while. Neither spoke.
For Rei to remain in Konoha meant walking into danger with open eyes. Neither Tsunade nor Jiraiya believed that a young girl, who had never once undergone proper shinobi training, could possibly emerge unscathed from the storm that was to come.
They were veterans of the Great Shinobi Wars; they could already sense the looming heaviness pressing upon the borders.
With the death of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, it was only a matter of time before Konoha's enemies made their move.
War was on the verge of eruption.
And this would only render Rei's circumstances all the more precarious.
No one knew how long the silence lasted.
At last, Tsunade lifted her lashes, her golden eyes fixing squarely on Rei as she spoke solemnly:
"I will respect your decision. But if you change your mind, you can come find me at any time."
She paused. Tsunade herself would not remain long in Konoha, so she added a reminder:
"Remember—it must be before tomorrow."
Rising to her feet, Tsunade stepped to Rei's side, gently patting her shoulder before striding toward the tavern's door. Her figure quickly disappeared beyond the entrance.
"I, too, respect your choice," Jiraiya finally said, his voice deep with earnestness. "But I still hope you won't let Naruto become a burden that drags you into danger."
He knew better than anyone—the storm about to descend on this girl would be merciless. And Rei… Rei was someone who had never once touched the cruel world of shinobi before now. How could such a girl survive it?
Worry coiled in Jiraiya's chest.
It was precisely because Rei was kind by nature—worrying for others—that others, in turn, could not help but worry for her.
Rei lowered her head slightly, her crimson eyes softening as she gazed at the little Naruto tugging playfully at her hair. Her voice was quiet, but steady.
"Jiraiya-sensei, I am deeply grateful to you and Tsunade-sama. But Naruto is not a burden to me…"
"Just as Minato-sama and Kushina-sama never once thought of me as one."
Her words struck Jiraiya like a sudden blow, leaving him momentarily speechless.
He had never forgotten how Rei first came to Konoha. To say that Minato and Kushina owed her kindness would not be entirely accurate; rather, the couple had sought to make amends for the guilt of forcibly keeping Rei within the village.
But this child…
For a long moment, Jiraiya could not find the words.
At last, only two phrases surfaced in his heart: purest of the pure, kindest of the kind.
He looked into Rei's crimson eyes—eyes carrying a clarity and sincerity rarely found in the shinobi world. Hurriedly, he averted his gaze, lifting his cup of sake to hide the redness gathering in his own.
He, more than anyone, knew what kind of man Minato had been—gentle, endlessly gentle.
And Minato's gentleness had not been misplaced.
Rei had inherited that same gentleness.
Jiraiya drew in a deep breath, forcing his tears back.
His proudest disciple was gone—how could a teacher not grieve?
But for shinobi, death was far too common.
In Rei's arms, little Naruto shifted, his tiny fists rubbing against his cheeks as soft whimpers slipped from his lips.
Rei glanced down at the infant, the corners of her mouth lifting faintly. Raising her head, she said gently to Jiraiya:
"Jiraiya-sensei, little Naruto is about to wake. I need to go warm his milk. Please excuse me."
Jiraiya nodded. "Very well. Go on."
As Rei walked away with the infant cradled close, Jiraiya's eyes lingered on her retreating figure. A sigh welled up within him, mingled with admiration and sorrow.
Minato and Kushina had truly made the right choice entrusting Naruto to Amamiya Rei.
She was the most grateful soul Jiraiya had ever encountered. For nothing more than the kindness of being given shelter, she was willing to go this far for Naruto.
Jiraiya lingered no longer in the tavern. Soon after Rei departed, he too rose and left.
---
Rei walked the streets of Konoha, shopping leisurely as he went, buying daily necessities for Naruto.
Though Minato and Kushina had prepared most of the infant supplies beforehand, there were still small essential items that needed to be purchased.
His shopping trip lasted well into the evening. When Rei stepped into the busiest street in Konoha, he immediately sensed something amiss.
The gazes of the villagers were wrong.
More precisely—it was the way they looked at the child in his arms that was wrong.
Anger and resentment flickered in their gazes, as if the child in his arms were the culprit who had destroyed their homes, the monster who had torn loved ones away from them.
More than that—they stepped aside as Rei walked past, avoiding Naruto as though he carried some contagion plague.
For Rei, however, this was nothing but convenience. With everyone keeping their distance, he could walk freely without worrying about bumping into anyone.
To Rei, these villagers were no different from nameless NPCs. Who in their right mind cared about the stares of roadside NPCs?
But suddenly, a figure stepped into his path.
Somewhat surprised, Rei lifted his eyes—and found himself face-to-face with a woman he recognized.
It was the mother of the child he had rescued on the night of the Nine-Tails' attack.
The boy in the woman's arms clearly remembered Rei as well. The instant he saw Rei, he reached out with eager hands, hoping to be held.
But with Naruto already in his arms, Rei could not oblige. Instead, he reached out to ruffle the boy's hair gently in reassurance.
The woman's expression twisted with unease. Her eyes flickered down to Naruto, and in an instant, fear and revulsion flooded her gaze as though she were staring at a ghost. She jerked her eyes away, trembling.
"Do you… do you know that he is the Nine-Tails Demon Fox?" the woman asked in a trembling voice, forcing herself to speak through her fear.
Before Rei could reply, she hurriedly continued:
"He is the one who killed the Fourth Hokage and so many shinobi of the village! That night, it nearly harmed you as well. You should stay away from him!"
Her eyes pleaded desperately with Rei.
The girl before her had once saved her son's life—she could not bear the thought of that savior perishing to the demon fox.
Rei looked at the woman with a complicated expression, then answered her earnestly:
"He is not the Kyūbi. He is only an ordinary child… Tell me—where did you hear such a thing?"
The woman shook her head quickly. "Everyone says so."
Everyone says so, is it?
Rei's crimson gaze darkened. He understood instantly—something must have happened.
Naruto's fate was unfolding exactly as in the original story.
How else could ordinary villagers know that the Nine-Tails had been sealed inside him?
There had to be someone deliberately guiding their thoughts.
Still, Rei inclined his head in thanks. "Thank you for the reminder. But I've fought the Nine-Tails myself. I know better than anyone—Naruto is not the demon fox."
He gave the woman a small, reassuring smile, then turned and carried Naruto home.
---