Set Foot in Different Directions
After declining Jiraiya's invitation, Naruto took a deep look at the back of the Sannin, who was slowly walking away.
After witnessing the power of Rasenrinnegan, Jiraiya seemed to have lost interest in wandering the world in search of inspiration, turning instead toward the heart of Uzushio Village with a heavy heart.
Naruto didn't follow him immediately. He knew Jiraiya wasn't someone who would recklessly incite chaos in Uzushio.
In Naruto's mind, Jiraiya was a well-meaning man who sought world peace—provided that this peace remained under Konoha's leadership.
And yet, paradoxically, Jiraiya always searched for the Child of Prophecy who would bring peace, rather than becoming that person himself.
Relying on an unseen savior was a naive approach. It was far better to take fate into one's own hands—just as Naruto intended to do by leading the world's strongest ninja village.
Compared to that core belief, concerns about his Nine-Tails Jinchūriki status being exposed were secondary.
Neither Jiraiya nor Hiruzen Sarutobi would publicly reveal his identity. And as for Danzō—he was hardly a threat. If he ever dared step outside of Konoha's protection, there were plenty who would gladly eliminate him.
With a sigh, Naruto leaped onto the roof of the Uzumaki Shrine, gazing into the distance at Uzushio Village, lost in thought.
Watching from afar, Minato Namikaze exhaled in quiet relief.
Naruto and Kurama had long forged a powerful bond, elevating him to a Kage-level threat. Meanwhile, Jiraiya, a master of Sage Mode, stood as one of the strongest shinobi alive. A battle between them would have been ruthless.
If either were injured, it would weigh heavily on Minato.
After all, one was his son—his very blood. The other was his teacher—the man who had once guided him.
Naruto suddenly entered the sealed space within the Eight Trigrams Seal, meeting Minato's gaze with an amused smirk.
"Fourth Hokage, don't you want to see Jiraiya-sensei again? Rekindle that old master-student bond? If you two worked together, I might actually lose."
Minato shook his head. "Even if I did, what good would it do? It would only bring back painful memories. The dead shouldn't meddle too much in the affairs of the living."
Naruto snorted. "You died in your twenties, and you're already talking like an old man?"
Minato was momentarily taken aback. "Old man? At your age, I was still in the Academy! The most I had accomplished was defeating a few Kirigakure Jōnin. I certainly wasn't leading an entire village."
Naruto's expression grew serious. "Strictly speaking, you aren't 'dead.' You're a chakra imprint left inside the seal. The real Fourth Hokage is sealed in the Shinigami's stomach—that was the price of the Reaper Death Seal."
"Yeah... I'm just a chakra remnant, not my true self."
Minato had realized this long ago, but Naruto's tone suggested he was hinting at something deeper.
Naruto's gaze sharpened. "So tell me—why has your chakra imprint lasted this long? And why does it retain the memories of the original? If this imprint collapses, will its memories transfer back to your sealed soul?"
The questions left Minato in deep thought.
Back when he first learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu, he had wondered about something similar. But at the time, training had taken precedence over finding an answer.
After a moment, Naruto chuckled and shook his head. "What am I doing, debating philosophy with a chakra imprint? Instead of getting lost in this, I should be focusing on gathering the remaining Tailed Beasts—sooner or later, I'll have to fight the masked man and the Akatsuki."
With that, he exited the sealed space, leaving Minato alone in contemplation.
---
Meanwhile, Jiraiya
As Jiraiya made his way from the secluded Uzumaki Shrine to the bustling streets of Uzushio, his thoughts were in turmoil.
Since arriving in Uzushio, he had encountered Orochimaru, a rogue Uchiha clan, and even Naruto—the very Jinchūriki he had been searching for.
These should have been fortunate discoveries. Yet, seeing Naruto's cold, detached expression as he led the exiled Uchiha to rebuild Uzushio left Jiraiya with an unsettling doubt.
Why had Naruto fled on the night of the Uchiha Massacre?
Was it resentment over being treated unfairly despite being the Fourth Hokage's son? Or had he seen a reflection of himself in the Uchiha and sympathized with their plight?
Or perhaps... he had simply grown to despise Konoha, believing it had lost its purity.
But none of these were good enough reasons to abandon the village. Naruto was Minato's son. He was Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
Had he remained on the expected path, he would have eventually risen to a high position within Konoha. If he disliked the village's system, he could have reformed it from within—there was no need to resurrect Uzushio from the ashes of the Uzumaki Clan's ruins.
After seeing Naruto unleash the Rasenrinnegan to threaten him, Jiraiya abandoned the idea of taking the boy on a journey across the world.
Naruto's worldview was already fully formed. His unwavering gaze reminded Jiraiya of Hiruzen Sarutobi in his prime.
He was no longer an ignorant Academy student.
Jiraiya's aimless wandering caught the attention of a watchful figure—Shisui Uchiha had been observing him for quite some time.
Sensing the scrutiny, Jiraiya sighed. "You don't have to hide, Shisui. I already spoke with Naruto about the Uchiha. I'm not here to pick a fight."
In a flicker, Shisui appeared in front of him, his stance still guarded. "This isn't just about the Uchiha. With your strength, simply setting foot in Uzushio Village is enough to raise concern."
Jiraiya chuckled. "You've got a point. For a second, I almost forgot—we're from different villages now. Suspicion is only natural."
After a pause, he added, "Still, I hope the Uchiha will do things differently this time. Back when the First and Second Hokage were in power, they entrusted the Uchiha with maintaining peace. I hope you don't repeat history and become just another policing force."
Shisui's expression darkened slightly, but then he smiled. "I trust Naruto's vision. And even if we do take on that role again, we won't allow ourselves to be alienated like last time."
"I wish you luck."
With that, Jiraiya didn't linger in Uzushio any longer.
Before departing, he glanced one last time toward the Uzumaki Shrine. At that exact moment, Naruto looked back.
Their gazes met briefly—then both turned away.
Without another word, they set foot in different directions.
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