Being a rogue ninja is worse than being Hokage.

Although Mount Myōboku is on equal footing with Konoha, it usually doesn't bother with humans other than contractors.

However, the Great Toad Sage, who can foresee the future, subtly guides the toads to develop a favorable impression of Konoha.

Naruto didn't want to wait until he defected and summoned the toads to fight in the future, so that the toads would pass on his information to Jiraiya or Konoha as soon as they returned to Mount Myōboku.

Or perhaps the toads will use reverse communication techniques to send them to the other side.

In the original story, Naruto was summoned to Mount Myōboku and forced to eat live insects before he could react.

Although the talent for space-time is a necessary requirement for psychic abilities.

However, for ninjas with such talent, the difficulty of summoning techniques lies not in the technique itself, but in the origin of the summoned beast.

The scope of summoned beasts is actually quite broad, including ordinary wild animals—for example, the enormous beasts in the Death Forest.

Of course, such summoned beasts cannot be used as the main force in battle like the summoned beasts of the Three Legendary Sannin; they play a supporting role instead.

The three legendary ninja of Konoha each signed summoning contracts with the three great sage lands.

This is already the limit of the summoning beasts that a ninja with profound experience can choose.

Naruto doesn't pursue powerful summoned beasts. As for the summoning technique—there are too many people who know this kind of ninjutsu, so there's no need to learn it from Jiraiya.

Instead of learning summoning techniques from Jiraiya, he didn't form a contract with a toad, which might lead Jiraiya to notice something amiss.

It would be better to state your position from the beginning, so that Jiraiya won't overthink it.

After all, both humans and animals have their own preferences.

Parker and Sakura even use the same shampoo...

"?"

Naruto was taken aback.

Wait, why did I suddenly use this as an example?

It was during the brief moment Naruto was distracted that Jiraiya, whom Naruto had ignored, caught up with him again.

"Wait—! Wait a minute!"

Jiraiya ran up from behind Naruto and reached out to block Naruto's path.

"Haven't you heard of the name of the Toad Sage!?"

Jiraiya looked at Naruto in surprise.

Still clinging to hope that Naruto would give back some of the reactions he wanted to see.

"Across from the barbecue restaurant where my fellow ninja friends and I ate last time, there's a bullfrog restaurant called 'Bullfrog Sage'."

"You are being extremely rude! How can you confuse the toads of Mount Myōboku with those bullfrogs!"

Jiraiya glared at Naruto and roared.

But Naruto's expression didn't seem fake; he genuinely seemed to have never heard of the Toad Sage.

Jiraiya never imagined that after being famous throughout the ninja world for so many years, the kids in the village wouldn't even know his title anymore.

"Ahem! Kid, listen up, I actually have another name..."

Jiraiya coughed lightly, composed himself, and was about to reveal his title as one of the Legendary Sannin.

Naruto suddenly retorted, "You're not some kind of tout for that bullfrog restaurant, are you?"

Jiraiya's momentum vanished instantly.

"Uncle, you're acting strangely. We've never met before, so why are you bothering me like this for no reason?"

Naruto squinted at Jiraiya, and Jiraiya could see the suspicion Naruto had about him in his eyes. Then Jiraiya heard Naruto continue, "If you want me to compensate you for your telescope, don't even think about it. You framed me first."

Do you think I'm such a petty person?

Jiraiya quickly stopped Naruto from continuing, letting him finish speaking first: "I'll talk to you after the jokes, listen carefully, kid! Besides the title of Toad Sage, I also have another name that is known to everyone in Konoha—one of the legendary Sannin of Konoha—Jiraiya!"

"Well, you should at least recognize this name, right?"

Jiraiya tossed his head, his long hair flowing, already anticipating Naruto's astonishment and awe at witnessing the legend firsthand.

"know."

Naruto's tone was neither humble nor arrogant.

Jiraiya clenched his fists and gritted his teeth—what an unlikable brat!

"Don't you believe it?"

"I believe you. The amount of chakra you used to summon the toad just now is enough to prove your strength. You're very powerful."

Naruto didn't question Jiraiya's identity; the most authentic performance is one that is perfectly executed.

But his vigilance always disappeared step by step, and Naruto said again, "But why are the legendary Sannin—I just said—suddenly clinging to me?"

"That's because I suddenly noticed that the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku prophesied to me that I would meet someone who would become my disciple while I was gathering materials! You perfectly match the prophecy!"

Jiraiya couldn't think of a good reason for Naruto's question for a moment.

Knowing that too much explanation would only make Naruto wary again, Jiraiya had no choice but to use the Great Toad Sage's prophecy as an excuse.

In Jiraiya's view, if Naruto believed in his identity as one of the Legendary Sannin, he would naturally believe in his identity as the Toad Sage.

Naruto didn't say anything, but he clearly understood why Jiraiya was bothering him.

As expected, Jiraiya was more concerned about Naruto than Orochimaru when he returned to Konoha.

Throughout his life, he pursued the Great Toad Sage's prophecy about the "Child of Prophecy," and in his early years, he regarded Nagato as the Child of Prophecy.

Upon hearing of Nagato's death, and following the Great Toad Sage's new prophecy, he embarked on a journey through the ninja world—unknowingly witnessing the original owner of the Six Paths of Pain.

Now, having learned that his misguided best friend is preparing to attack Konoha, and discovering that an invisible hand in the ninja world is about to reach out to the orphan of his disciple—Naruto Uzumaki, whom Jiraiya recognized as the "Child of Prophecy."

Jiraiya finally put an end to the Great Toad Sage's prophecy about his travels in the ninja world, returned to Konoha, and became Naruto's close protector.

You're looking at the wrong thing.

Naruto paused for a moment, then denied Jiraiya's words.

"No, no. I did research you beforehand according to the prophecy, Naruto Uzumaki, a member of Team 7 led by Kakashi Hatake."

It was not a simple matter for the Sannin to check the information of the Genin. Jiraiya continued to use the Great Toad Sage's prophecy as a reason to strengthen the credibility of his words.

"No, I said I don't like toads."

Naruto refused.

"Besides the Summoning Jutsu, I have other ninjutsu I can teach you—I checked your records, and they say you admire the Fourth Hokage, who protected the village as a hero. I have some unique ninjutsu developed by the Fourth Hokage here!"

As he spoke, Jiraiya opened one hand, and in the next instant, a ball of rapidly spinning chakra condensed in Jiraiya's palm.

"This technique is called 'Rasengan'! It's a powerful ninjutsu with an A-rank difficulty level!"

Jiraiya flipped his hand again, and the Rasengan disappeared from his grasp.

This is, after all, a street in Konoha, so Jiraiya couldn't demonstrate the power of the Rasengan.

But since Naruto can see the amount of chakra in a summoning jutsu, he should also be able to see the amount of chakra contained in a Rasengan.

"It's alright, it's just condensing and compressing chakra and making it rotate."

Naruto answered, casually explaining the principle behind the Rasengan.

Naruto also stretched out his hand, and a small ball of chakra appeared in his hand as well.

Jiraiya's face was full of surprise.

"I never expected you to..."

Jiraiya stared intently at the Rasengan in Naruto's palm, which was smaller than his hand—although it was too small to be used in actual combat, the Rasengan was not easy to learn, and Naruto was able to use it after only glancing at it.

Jiraiya then thought of information about Naruto after he officially became a member of Team 7, led by Kakashi.

Naruto, who was originally at the bottom of the Ninja Academy, made rapid progress in his Earth Release ninjutsu under Kakashi's tutelage...

"...He's actually a ninja genius!"

Upon hearing Jiraiya's assessment, Naruto glanced at Jiraiya and dissipated the chakra he had gathered for the Rasengan.

With Jiraiya demonstrating the Rasengan to him, he was finally able to openly use the Rasengan, Shadow Clone Technique, and Earth Release.

That way, even if he uses the Rasengan when he defectes, Konoha can find a "reasonable" reason for it.

The Flying Thunder God Technique might be exposed eventually, but since Naruto has read the Scroll of Seals, Konoha can trace its origins, so it's not a big problem.

Flying Thunder God Technique and Rasengan are ninjutsu that Naruto is willing to reveal at appropriate times.

As for Sage Mode, Naruto plans to keep it hidden as a trump card for a while longer.

It is not only to prevent Konoha, but more importantly, to prevent the Akatsuki organization.

"Then I'll be going now."

Naruto greeted Jiraiya, but he had no interest in becoming Jiraiya's apprentice.

Naruto wasn't worried that by actively cutting off his connection with Jiraiya, he would be pushed back into Root's surveillance.

Even if Naruto ignores Jiraiya, given Jiraiya's current attitude towards Naruto, and Naruto's various identities of Jiraiya—his disciple's orphan, the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, and the Child of Prophecy—Jiraiya will still pester him.

As long as Jiraiya can stay by Naruto's side for the time being, the threat of "Root" intensifying its surveillance of Naruto will not be revealed.

Naruto wasn't worried that Jiraiya would keep bothering him. When Orochimaru launched his plan to destroy Konoha, Jiraiya would naturally go to protect the village.

Naruto wanted to spend the rest of the day at home thinking about the deeper meaning behind Root's surveillance of him and trying to deduce Danzo's possible next actions related to him.

As for Jiraiya, we'll deal with him tomorrow.

But... things didn't go as planned.

"Isn't that Naruto?!"

Ino's voice came from afar.

Naruto looked in the direction Ino had called out.

All three members of Class 10 were present, including Sakura.

What are you planning to do?

Naruto greeted him with pleasantries as usual and then asked questions.