Although he was about to move into the clan grounds, surrounded by layer upon layer of barriers,
Naruto showed no anxiety about his impending house arrest.
Instead, he took the initiative to contact the members of Team 7.
The reason he gave was simple:
To celebrate everyone passing the exam, he was treating them to a relaxing trip to the hot springs.
In reality, Naruto knew full well:
After today, he would be moving into the Uzumaki Shrine.
From then on, they would rarely meet as a group; this might be the last time they gathered as teammates.
On the way to the baths, the atmosphere felt inexplicably heavy.
Sakura looked at the listless group and tried to lighten the mood with a few jokes.
But the attempt fell flat, and she eventually fell silent in embarrassment.
Sasuke, hands in his pockets, wore a gloomy expression as he walked at the rear.
Whenever he closed his eyes now,
the scene that surfaced in his mind was Naruto stepping in front of him to face Orochimaru alone.
That sense of powerlessness gnawed savagely at his pride.
To the current him, every wasted minute only widened the gap between him and that receding back.
Had it not been for Naruto's strong request,
he would never have agreed to squander time on such pointless entertainment.
Karin, meanwhile, was like a startled little animal, timidly sticking right behind Naruto, never more than a step away.
"Hey, Naruto."
Sasuke suddenly spoke, calling out to Naruto, who kept walking ahead.
"Where are you going? The women's bath is just ahead; the men's is over here."
Naruto didn't stop; he only adjusted his glasses, his expression unchanged.
"I know."
"But first, there's some trash that needs taking out."
"Trash?"
Sakura blinked, not catching his meaning.
After walking a bit farther, Naruto paused.
He had sensed a powerful chakra near the wall of the women's bath.
Drawing closer,
he spotted a sleazy man
crouched without a shred of dignity, peeping through a crack in the wall at the scenery inside.
A cold glint flashed in Naruto's eyes.
Had it not been for his sensory ability, Sakura and Karin would have been exposed to this pervert.
He barked quietly to the others behind him:
"Stand back!"
Before the words faded, the kunai in his hand, wrapped in sharp wind-nature chakra, shot out like a blur.
The strike was delivered without the slightest restraint, aimed straight at the sleazy figure.
"Agh! Murder!"
With a shriek, the tall silhouette scrambled away from the wall, barely dodging the lethal attack.
The kunai buried itself deep into the ground, leaving a bottomless hole.
Sasuke's pupils contracted.
Fast—both Naruto's instantaneous attack and the stranger's seemingly clumsy yet effortless evasion.
Before the figure could catch his breath,
three golden chains burst out from behind Naruto, sealing every escape route.
Adamantine Sealing Chains!
At the sight of those glowing chains, Jiraiya wiped away his grin, his eyes narrowing.
"Those chains... the power of the Uzumaki Clan, after all."
He activated the Body Flicker Technique.
With a puff of smoke, the ground he had stood on was cratered by the chains.
Reappearing, Jiraiya perched atop a nearby tree.
Looking down at the blond boy, he was secretly shocked.
"No killing intent at all, yet every move is lethal... He hasn't had Anbu training—could he be a natural-born killer?"
Naruto eyed the man in the treetop and thought:
"Definitely a master—he evaded that easily?"
Jiraiya squinted, deciding to test the boy's mettle.
Whoosh.
He vanished.
The next instant, he was behind Naruto, a large hand reaching for the boy's shoulder.
"Brat, don't get cocky..."
Naruto didn't even turn; he drove an elbow backward, predicting Jiraiya's position with pinpoint accuracy.
At the same time, several Shadow Clones emerged, launching a flawless taijutsu pincer attack from his blind spots.
The moves flowed like water; each strike was lethal and perfectly coordinated.
It was a net that trapped Jiraiya completely.
In the narrow path, the two exchanged multiple blows in an instant.
Because Jiraiya didn't want to injure a Konoha genin—and had underestimated the boy—he was forced to get serious.
Only after a hard clash did they separate again.
Naruto landed lightly, his breathing even.
"Ahem."
A slightly disheveled Jiraiya cleared his throat, trying to reclaim his dignity.
"Ignorant brat! This isn't peeping—it's research! For the sake of great art and literature!"
He leapt onto a boulder, struck an exaggerated pose, and shouted:
"Listen up! I am the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku, one of the Legendary Sannin—Lord Jiraiya!"
Silence hung in the air for several seconds.
"Sannin? Who's that?"
Karin whispered.
"It's in the textbooks... the legendary ninja alongside Lady Tsunade and Orochimaru..."
Sakura's eyes widened as she stared at the strange man.
"No way... a big shot like that... is a peeping tom?"
Something inside Sakura's heart cracked.
"Oh? The little girl knows her stuff."
As if he hadn't heard the second half, Jiraiya laughed proudly.
"That's right—it's me!"
Once Jiraiya revealed his identity, Naruto knew the fight was over.
He relaxed, allowing the golden chains to fade away.
In their place appeared just the right amount of surprise... and perfunctory respect.
"Ah, so it is Lord Jiraiya."
Naruto bowed slightly, gentle and polite, as though the person who had struck to kill moments ago had been someone else.
"My apologies for just now.
I thought it was just an ordinary middle-aged pervert, so I misjudged."
"..."
Jiraiya's grin froze, the corners of his mouth twitching.
"Hey, what do you mean by that? Are you looking down on me?"
He jumped down from the boulder, jabbing a finger at Naruto in exasperation.
This brat insults people without even using dirty words!
"Not at all; I hold great respect for the strong."
Naruto straightened, a flawless smile on his face.
"I assume you didn't come here just to peep? Hokage-sama..."
Looking at the seemingly perfect boy, Jiraiya felt something was increasingly off.
It was too perfect.
Perfect, like a mask.
Recalling the Sandaime's request, he decided to peel back that mask and probe the boy's heart.
"Right, the old man sent me to deliver the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Techniques to you."
Jiraiya folded his arms, his gaze turning profound.
"But before that, I have a question for you."
"Naruto, once you possess power, what do you intend to use it for?"
"In your view, what is the Will of Fire? And what of the ninja code?"
Naruto blinked, still playing the model student.
"Power exists to protect my comrades and those in need.
The ninja code sets the rules for everyone's conduct.
As for the Will of Fire... it's to protect friends, guard the village, and keep the leaves ever green."
Hearing this answer—so textbook it couldn't be more textbook—Jiraiya's brow furrowed.
You can find my other book on my profile; I'm sure you'll love it. Its name is The Great Devil: The Nine-Fruit Pirate. I look forward to your feedback.