Chapter 122: Jiraiya’s Probe

"Jiraiya has returned to Konoha."

After returning home, Naruto took a shower, changed his clothes, and sat in the living room talking with Uchiha Izumi.

Upon hearing the news about Jiraiya, Uchiha Izumi furrowed her delicate brows.

"Why did he suddenly come back at a time like this? Did something go wrong with the plan?

"Has Uncle Minato been keeping an eye on him? Should we...?"

It was far too coincidental.

Jiraiya hadn’t returned to Konoha for so many years.

Even after the war ended nine years ago, he hadn’t come back.

Yet now, just as their plan was about to begin, he suddenly returned.

It was hard not to be suspicious.

Naruto shook his head.

"We’ve been monitoring him. He only heard about an organization collecting the Tailed Beasts and wanted to come back to take me with him. Nothing went wrong. It’s just a coincidence."

Minato Namikaze had been monitoring Jiraiya ever since they discovered that he was returning.

Naruto knew everything that had been discussed between Jiraiya and Hiruzen in the Hokage’s office.

The mention of Tsunade’s disciple had given Naruto a slight scare.

Fortunately, Tsunade hadn’t revealed too much information to Jiraiya.

Knowing that it was merely a coincidence, Uchiha Izumi breathed a sigh of relief.

If they were forced to activate the plan ahead of schedule, or had to abandon it temporarily, then all the years Naruto had spent staying in Konoha would have been wasted.

At this moment, Minato’s voice sounded in Naruto’s mind.

"Naruto, how do you plan to deal with my teacher Jiraiya when the time comes?"

Jiraiya was, after all, his teacher, and he had treated Minato well.

Minato couldn’t help feeling concerned.

Naruto pondered for a moment before saying,

"Let him choose for himself. If he chooses to deal with someone else, then let him.

"But if he interferes with me, then we’ll have no choice but to let Izumi handle him. When that time comes..."

Jiraiya had never truly wronged Naruto.

He had even protected him for several days in the past, which could be considered having done his duty.

Minato was Naruto’s father, after all.

Naruto had to take his feelings into consideration.

Naruto didn’t explain exactly what would happen when the time came, but Minato understood.

"Then let’s leave it at that, Naruto. Thank you."

At least Naruto was leaving Jiraiya a way to survive.

If Jiraiya chose the wrong path, then there was nothing they could do.

Right now, Naruto held the advantage and was willing to leave Jiraiya a way out.

But if Naruto were the weaker side, and Jiraiya chose to stop him, causing his plan to fail, then who would give Naruto a way out?

No one.

Jiraiya couldn’t protect Naruto.

As long as the balance of power between the two sides remained unclear, if Jiraiya chose to interfere, he would effectively be putting Naruto in a life-or-death situation.

Having understood this, Minato said nothing more.

A short while later, Minato reminded him,

"Jiraiya-sensei is here."

Immediately—

"Naruto~! Are you home?"

A knock sounded at the door, accompanied by Jiraiya’s voice.

Having already been warned by Minato, Naruto walked to the door and opened it.

He smiled.

"Uncle Jiraiya, come in."

"Alright, Naruto. Sorry to bother you."

Jiraiya walked into Naruto’s home.

Uchiha Izumi stood up and greeted him respectfully.

"Jiraiya-sama."

Jiraiya gave Uchiha Izumi a somewhat scrutinizing look from head to toe.

Then he nodded.

"You’re Uchiha Izumi, right? Thank you for taking care of Naruto all these years."

He didn’t need to think much to know that Uchiha Izumi had been sent by Hiruzen under the pretense of taking care of Naruto while actually keeping watch over him.

As Minato’s teacher, Jiraiya considered himself something of an elder to Naruto as well.

Because of that, he didn’t have much affection for Uchiha Izumi, whom he believed was merely putting on a facade.

Still, regardless of the truth, Izumi had indeed taken care of Naruto for all these years.

So Jiraiya didn’t show too much hostility.

Uchiha Izumi understood exactly what Jiraiya meant.

She gave an awkward smile.

"Jiraiya-sama, you have something to discuss with Naruto, so I’ll leave you two alone."

With that, she turned around and affectionately rubbed Naruto’s head.

"Naruto, I’m going to the Hokage’s office to take a mission. Be a good boy and listen to Jiraiya-sama, okay?"

Naruto nodded obediently.

"I understand. Izumi-san, be careful. Don’t take anything too dangerous."

"Mhm. Don’t worry. I’m heading out."

After saying that, Uchiha Izumi turned around and gave Jiraiya a provocative glance.

Hmph! He gives me an attitude, but no matter what, Naruto still listens to me.

She picked up her ninja tool pouch and walked out.

As she left, she wondered whether she should go to the Third Hokage and complain about Jiraiya.

Hmm... I’ll tell him that Jiraiya isn’t satisfied with the Hokage’s arrangement.

I’ve painstakingly taken care of Naruto for nine years, and now I’m getting treated with contempt! Hmph!

Of course, it was only a thought.

She couldn’t be bothered to deal with Hiruzen.

Inside the house.

Jiraiya sat on the sofa and asked with concern,

"Naruto, has Uchiha Izumi treated you well all these years?"

The way Izumi had acted just now looked, no matter how he saw it, like someone who had gotten carried away with her position.

Jiraiya couldn’t help wondering whether she had mistreated Naruto.

Naruto’s expression immediately turned cold.

He instinctively crossed his arms.

"Uncle Jiraiya, watch what you say. What do you mean by ’treated me well’?"

His expression clearly said: If you don’t explain yourself, get out.

In Jiraiya’s eyes, however, this looked like Naruto had been deeply influenced by her.

But regardless of anything else, the fact that Naruto was willing to defend her like this at least showed that Uchiha Izumi genuinely treated him well.

As for whether her feelings were genuine or merely an act, Jiraiya couldn’t determine that.

The human heart was difficult to understand.

Jiraiya could only awkwardly scratch his head.

"Sorry. I didn’t phrase that properly. I said the wrong thing.

"Now I understand. She must have treated you very well."

As he spoke, his eyes drifted toward the clan crest on Naruto’s clothes.

His mind stirred.

"You’ve got a clan crest on your clothes. Izumi-san embroidered that for you, didn’t she? It looks really well done. She must have put a lot of effort into it."

Jiraiya was trying another probe.

Naruto glanced down at the crest on his clothes, then smiled warmly.

"Yeah. Izumi-san said this is the crest of the Uzumaki clan.

"Whenever I get new clothes, she finds a suitable place and embroiders it on them.

"I remember her embroidery was especially terrible at first. It was so ugly that I refused to wear those clothes outside.

"Now... well, it’s pretty decent."

Jiraiya’s heart stirred.

He could tell that Uchiha Izumi genuinely cared about Naruto.

Only someone who truly regarded him as part of the clan would take the initiative to embroider a clan crest onto his clothes.

For someone like Naruto, who was the only remaining member of his clan, it didn’t matter whether he wore the crest or not.

No one would say anything either way.

Yet Uchiha Izumi had voluntarily embroidered the Uzumaki crest onto Naruto’s clothes.

That showed that she had genuinely put her heart into it.

Her embroidery had once been so ugly that Naruto refused to wear it outside.

Now it was this good.

Just how many clothes had she embroidered for Naruto over all these years to develop such skill?

Some things didn’t need to be said.

Jiraiya sighed inwardly.

He realized that he had judged Uchiha Izumi based on his own assumptions and had blamed the wrong person.

When people spent enough time together, feelings naturally developed.

Nine years.

How many nine-year periods did a person have in their entire life?

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