Jiraiya immediately burst out laughing, spinning around and leaping into the air, striking a flamboyant pose that he clearly thought was cool.
"Hahaha! Kid, how could I be scared of you? I'm the legendary white-haired Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku! One of the legendary Sannin—Jiraiya-sama! As if a brat like you could intimidate me! That was just the wasabi burning my eyes."
Naruto leaned against the doorframe, eyeing the eccentric, thick-haired old man before him. He casually picked his nose, a hint of disdain in his gaze.
"Eh? Even the legendary Toad Sage can't handle wasabi?"
Jiraiya looked at the boy in front of him. He had Minato's looks but Kushina's temperament.
"That was just a fluke. Let me show you how powerful the Toad Sage truly is!"
"What's so great about that? Tsk."
Naruto pouted, clearly unimpressed—but the gleam in his eyes betrayed his excitement.
"Oi! Brother! Another super deluxe bowl of char siu ramen for this kid—my treat!"
Jiraiya raised his right thumb toward Naruto, flashing a wide grin that showed eight gleaming teeth. The look on his face said it all: "I'm awesome—now shower me with praise."
Naruto jumped up, thrilled.
"Whoa! As expected of the Toad Sage! You're amazing!"
He immediately slid into the empty seat next to Jiraiya.
Teuchi, the ramen stand owner, had his back turned as he prepared the food. At their banter, he added another large portion of noodles to the boiling pot, a quiet smile forming at the corners of his mouth.
A few minutes later, two steaming bowls of ramen were placed in front of them.
"Two super deluxe bowls of char siu ramen, ready! Special today—you each get a marinated egg on the house."
He gave both of them a thumbs up.
"Thanks, old man!"
Naruto stared hungrily at the ramen, already drooling with anticipation.
Jiraiya, sitting beside him, watched the boy's expression with a mix of fondness and heartbreak.
"Tch, brat, you gonna thank the Toad Sage or not?"
Naruto picked up his chopsticks and clapped his hands together. He turned to Jiraiya with a bright smile.
"Thank you, Toad Sage! Itadakimasu!"
Without waiting for the noodles to cool, Naruto dove in with gusto.
He slurped mouthful after mouthful, sipping the broth between bites and occasionally picking out tender slices of pork with his chopsticks.
Watching Naruto eat, Jiraiya couldn't help but smile.
"Slow down, Naruto. The noodles are still hot. If you're still hungry, I'll get you another bowl."
Naruto's ears only caught one part of that sentence.
"Really?! Toad Sage, you're the best! Then I want another!"
He dug into the rest even faster.
Jiraiya finally picked up his own chopsticks and began eating too.
By the time he finished one bowl, Naruto had already cleaned out two.
Naruto leaned back, rubbing his full belly.
"Phew… I'm stuffed. That was the best I've eaten in forever. Ichiraku Ramen really is unbeatable!"
Jiraiya nodded in agreement. "Yeah. It really is the best."
Naruto gave Jiraiya a big thumbs-up.
"Right?! Anyone who loves Ichiraku Ramen can't be a bad guy. Toad Uncle, you're a good guy—just like Gramps the Hokage!"
At that, Jiraiya's expression turned thoughtful. The mention of Hiruzen brought back complicated emotions.
He suddenly stood and tried to sound casual.
"Hey Naruto, I just got back to the village and don't have a place to stay. Mind if I crash at your place tonight?"
Naruto lit up. He nearly jumped in excitement, though he tried to sound cool.
"Well, since you treated me to ramen, I guess I'll let you stay. Just for tonight!"
Under the moonlight, Naruto led Jiraiya to the second floor of a gray-green apartment building.
He clutched Jiraiya's hand with his small one and pointed proudly at the door ahead.
"We're here! That's my place! You're the first guest I've ever had—besides Gramps the Hokage!"
He opened the door and reached up to flick on the light.
Under the dim bulb, the blue-gray ceiling and scuffed wooden floor came into view. Empty instant ramen cups were scattered everywhere. Half-finished bottles of milk sat on the cluttered table, along with soup-stained noodle cups.
Naruto scratched the back of his head, laughing awkwardly.
"Ha… I guess I forgot to clean up…"
Jiraiya scanned the tiny, messy apartment. It was cramped, unkempt, and depressing.
"Alright Naruto, let me show you just how amazing the Toad Sage is."
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
With a puff of smoke, four clones appeared beside him.
Naruto's eyes widened.
"Whoa! Five Toad Sage uncles!"
The five Jiraiyas all wiped their noses in sync.
"Leave it to us!" they said together.
In minutes, the room was spotless. Once they were done, Jiraiya dispelled the clones.
He sat on the bed and patted the blanket.
"Alright, kid—two men, one bed tonight!"
…
After Naruto had drifted off to sleep, Jiraiya left a shadow clone behind to keep up appearances and quietly slipped out of the room. He headed straight for the Hokage's office.
Jumping onto the windowsill, he saw the light still on inside. As expected, the old man was still waiting.
Jiraiya crouched on the sill, greeting his old teacher.
"Long time no see, old man."
From this angle, he spotted Hiruzen Sarutobi holding an adult magazine, casually flipping through it.
The moment he heard Jiraiya's voice, Hiruzen quickly tucked the magazine away and coughed twice, feigning composure.
"You're late. Didn't I have the ANBU inform you this afternoon?"
Jiraiya waved it off with a grin.
"Don't give me that, old man. You were just reading porn! I had a few things to take care of first."
"Enough small talk. I already know what's been happening in the village. Why did you summon me back this time?"
Jiraiya's smile faded. His expression turned serious as he locked eyes with Hiruzen.
The Third Hokage lit his pipe and took a few slow puffs before speaking.
"It's the Uchiha. Though relations between them and the village have improved lately, there's no denying that the Uchiha clan was involved in the Nine-Tails attack. I want you to investigate them—find out what they're really planning."