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The trio had left the Hidden Leaf and were making steady progress toward the nearest outpost town.
Naruto, predictably, had already bounced back from his earlier tantrum. Now that Neji hadn't pumled him into the dirt, he'd convinced himself things were fine.
He skipped ahead, calling out, "Hey, Pervy Sage! So, what aweso jutsu are you gonna teach this ti?"
Jiraiya's expression soured. He grabbed Naruto's cheeks and stretched them like dough.
"Hmph! Pervy Sage, huh? Clearly, you don't understand who I really am!"
He struck a dramatic pose.
"I am no re lecher! I am the one and only White-Haired Toad Sage! The Legendary Gallant Jiraiya! The Handso Hero Who Makes Babies Stop Crying!"
Naruto stared blankly. "Oh... cool."
That face.
That deadpan, fake-impressed face.
It practically scread: Sure, old man. Keep lying. I'm not buying it.
Jiraiya face-planted into the dirt.
"Damn brats..."
All he wanted was a little respect.
He turned to Neji, huffing. "Back up here. Tell him I'm not lying."
Naruto glanced over, surprised. 'Wait was it true?'
Neji, wind brushing through his long hair, calmly lifted his head. The headband on his forehead glead where his eyes would've been still shut.
"Yes," he said with total calm.
"Jiraiya is indeed........ the White-Haired pervert."
Naruto's eyes lit up. "Oooh..."
WHUMP.
Jiraiya collapsed again.
"This is not what I ant!"
Trailing behind the two boys with a pout, Jiraiya grumbled to himself.
"Kids today... absolutely no sense of awe anymore."
After so ti, Naruto suddenly perked up again.
"Hey, Pervy Sage... is the reason you chose for this mission because I've got so super-secret talent? Like Neji?"
Jiraiya fell quiet.
Naruto's eyes widened with hope. "So I do have sothing special! Right?! Sothing that only soone as aweso as can learn?"
"Sothing even Neji can't do?!"
Neji listened without reacting, though Naruto wasn't wrong Jiraiya was likely planning to teach him Sage techniques, and those couldn't be copied by soone like Neji. At least... not easily.
Still, Neji's thoughts wandered elsewhere.
This ti, I have to be careful.
In his last life, he'd awakened that rare sensory power too late. One slip and he was gone. But now...
This ti, I'll make sure it all matters.
This world was unpredictable. So powers, like Devil Fruits in the pirate realm, completely ignored logic. Only Armant Haki could provide a defense strong enough to nullify them.
Unless your Haki could overpower their offense... like when Law cut through Vergo's armor.
Suddenly, Jiraiya spoke.
"I trained the Fourth Hokage once. And when I look at you... you remind of him."
Naruto's breath hitched.
The Fourth... Hokage?
---
Back in the Konoha
Sasuko gritted her teeth as she hurled another bolt of [Chidori] toward a massive stone. Her chakra cracked through it like thunder, blasting a hole straight through.
Panting, drenched in sweat, she stared at the smoldering remains.
Not enough.
Still not enough!
Ever since Naruto's power spiked... she couldn't keep up. She'd watched him grow from nothing. At first, she mocked him. Pitied him.
But now?
That strength, raw, instinctive, and terrifying, made her question everything.
Who was Naruto Uzumaki?
Breathing heavily, she lowered her hand.
She needed answers.
Maybe Kakashi could help.
Maybe... Orochimaru.
---
Elsewhere, far outside the village...
On top of a cliff overlooking the road, two figures in black cloaks with red clouds stood silently.
Itachi Uchiha.
And Kisa Hoshigaki.
They watched from a distance as Jiraiya, Naruto, and Neji walked below.
Kisa rubbed his jaw. "Even if you can handle him, I sure as hell can't."
The na Jiraiya the Toad Sage carried weight. Even Kisa knew the power gap was real.
Itachi said nothing. His expression was unreadable.
In truth, he was still seething inside.
When he'd scouted for Naruto's whereabouts, he'd overheard sothing else... sothing unrelated.
Sasuke.
More rumors. More uncertainty. And in the wake of that emotional purge, he'd released on Kakashi through [Tsukuyomi], even now... his mind refused to settle.
Kisa sighed. "Yeah. Fighting him? We'd both end up dead. Or, best case, drawn-out mutual destruction."
"Even if we brought reinforcents, it wouldn't make a difference."
Kisa shook his head. "And to think... we finally track the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki down, and he's got one of the Legendary Sannin guarding him."
"Titles like 'Uchiha Elite' or 'Seven Ninja Swordsn' an nothing in that league."
Itachi's eyes drifted toward Naruto then paused on Neji.
He frowned slightly.
Their group was far enough not to be noticed.
Still... he was wary. Especially of the Hyuga kid.
"The one with them—he's the Hyuga that blinded himself," Kisa muttered. "You heard the rumors, right?"
Itachi nodded slowly.
The boy had willingly given up his own Byakugan. A legendary dōjutsu. A gift from the gods.
Bloodline powers were sacred in the shinobi world. People killed for them.
No one just gave them up.
And yet—Neji had.
That alone made him dangerous.
Kisa muttered, "Anyone who'd willingly tear out their own eyes just to evolve... is terrifying."
Itachi's voice was low.
"Genius or not... how many 'geniuses' have already died?"
Kisa paused.
Then laughed.
"Hah! Fair enough. Guess that Hyuga kid's mine when the ti cos."
They both lted into the shadows, stalking behind the trio with silent intent.
Their next opportunity... would be at the outpost town ahead.
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