Jiraiya nearly collapsed when he heard Naruto's dismissive answer. He roared in frustration, "That title belongs to me and me alone! Have you honestly never heard of the Great Jiraiya?!"
Naruto sat cross-legged on the grass, stroked his chin in deep thought for a moment, and then firmly shook his head. "Nope. Never heard of you."
"..."
"What an ignorant brat!"
The noise from their argument clearly frightened the women bathing nearby, and they quickly scrambled out of the water and ran away. Jiraiya looked on in horror, pleading with them not to leave, but it was too late. The riverbank was empty.
"Damn it! It's all your fault!" Jiraiya shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Naruto. "You ruined my research!"
"Research?!" Naruto yelled back. "You were just peeping! You pervert!"
Jiraiya struck a dramatic pose, waving his hands. "Hahaha, you are mistaken, young one! I am not merely a pervert!"
"I saw it with my own eyes! How could I be wrong calling you a pervert?!"
"I am a *super* pervert!"
Naruto stared at him, completely speechless. "..."
*He actually admitted it. Shamelessly.*
Jiraiya sighed, gazing wistfully at the now-empty river. "I finally made it back to Konoha to gather valuable material, and just when the view was perfect, you had to ruin it... How boring. So boring!"
"What research?!" Naruto barked. "I'd say you just disturbed my training!"
"Training? I see. Judging from your headband, you're a ninja..." Jiraiya eyed him up and down.
"Of course! Not only that, I'm the number one genius ninja of this year's graduating class... Naruto Uzumaki!"
Jiraiya waved a hand dismissively. "Number one genius, huh? That's nothing special."
Naruto bristled. "Oh yeah? Were you number one back in your day?"
"...No, not at all."
"...Then what are you so proud of?!"
Jiraiya's expression softened as he drifted into memory. "The top student in our year wasn't exactly a saint either..."
Naruto suddenly felt a sting of curiosity about this "fellow genius." "So, who was the first place winner in your year?"
Jiraiya replied calmly, "Orochimaru."
Naruto froze. "...Huh? Orochimaru?!"
Jiraiya frowned, looking at the boy sharply. "What? You've heard that name before?"
"Heard of him?!" Naruto shouted, jumping up. "We've fought him!"
Jiraiya was taken aback. "You fought Orochimaru? And survived?!"
Beaming with pride, Naruto recounted the battle in the Forest of Death, embellishing the details slightly but capturing the terror of the encounter. Jiraiya listened intently, his brow furrowing deeper with every word.
"A vessel?" he muttered to himself. "That bastard Orochimaru... could it be that he's already mastered that forbidden technique?"
"What forbidden technique?" Naruto asked.
Jiraiya shook his head. "Better I don't tell you yet, or you'll have nightmares. You said he left you a cursed seal—where is it?"
Naruto didn't hesitate. He pulled down his collar to reveal the ominous black pattern on his neck. "Here. This is it."
Jiraiya glanced at it, and his expression turned grave. "So that's how it is. It really is Orochimaru's work... It seems that, besides Sasuke Uchiha, you've also become a candidate for his vessel. I must say, he has good taste. If he acquired the power of both you and the Uchiha, I'm afraid no one in the ninja world could stop him..."
Naruto caught onto something in Jiraiya's tone. "You talk like he's unstoppable... Is there anyone who can deal with that monster right now?"
Jiraiya smiled, regaining his composure. "Of course!"
Naruto eyed him skeptically. "You wouldn't be thinking of... yourself, would you?"
"Exactly!"
Naruto pursed his lips. "I mean, you blocked my kick earlier, so I guess you have *some* skill. But compared to that monster? You seem way out of your league. Even the three of us from Team 7 couldn't beat him..."
Jiraiya chuckled. "It's only natural you'd think that way. After all, you're just a hatchling. You've never even heard of the Legendary Sannin!"
"The Legendary... Sannin?"
"That's right! The title given to the three of us—me, Orochimaru, and Tsunade!"
Naruto crossed his arms, eyeing the man suspiciously. Long white hair, wooden clogs, a weird "oil" kanji on his forehead, and a penchant for peeping. He didn't look like a peerless master.
"Really?"
"I already told you! I am the Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku..."
"Yeah, yeah, Pervy Sage."
"...Don't call me that!"
"Whatever, Pervy Sage."
"..."
Naruto hesitated, then asked tentatively, "Hey, Pervy Sage... if you really are that powerful, could you help me remove this cursed seal?"
Jiraiya looked at him intently. "You don't want it?"
"...Who would want something like this?!"
"Although it is a curse," Jiraiya explained, "it is also a shortcut to power. If you merge with it, you could gain immense strength in a short time. Isn't that what you want?"
Naruto snorted. "What I want is to gain power through my own hard work! Even if Orochimaru wasn't a monster, I still wouldn't want this creepy, evil power!"
Jiraiya's eyebrows raised in surprise. "I see. I didn't expect such integrity from a brat like you... In that case, what about the Nine-Tails inside you?"
Naruto crossed his arms and declared proudly, "I don't want that power either!"
This time, Jiraiya was genuinely shocked. He knew exactly why Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, had sealed half the Nine-Tails' chakra into his son. It wasn't just to contain the beast; it was a gift, intended to give Naruto the strength to one day contend with threats like "Madara Uchiha." Since Minato's death, Jiraiya had watched over Naruto from afar, waiting for the right moment to teach him how to unlock that power.
But now... Naruto was rejecting it entirely. This threw a wrench in the plan.
"Naruto," Jiraiya pressed, "the cursed seal is one thing, but the Nine-Tails is a force of nature. If you master it, you could dominate the entire ninja world. Your dream of becoming Hokage would be within reach... Do you still refuse?"
"That's right!" Naruto said firmly.
"Why?"
"Because... I almost lost control once. I killed Mizuki and saved Iruka-sensei, but I almost hurt Iruka-sensei in the process! I don't want power that's violent and uncontrollable! I believe that with my own strength, I can become a Hokage who surpasses all the others!"
Jiraiya scratched his head, bewildered. To be honest, the peeping had just been a pastime; his real reason for returning was to take over Naruto's training and teach him to harness the Nine-Tails. Now, he was completely off guard.
Of course, Kurama, inside Naruto's seal, was just as frustrated.
In the mental space, behind the great iron bars, the Nine-Tails roared in fury.
"You ungrateful brat! You think *I* want to lend you my power?! How dare you look down on me! You keep me sealed in here, but you refuse to use me? What exactly do you want?!"
Naruto stood calmly before the cage, looking up at the massive, enraged fox. "Hey, Nine-Tails. I never asked for you to be here. And I can guess that the reason the villagers hate me is because of you."
The Nine-Tails snorted coldly but didn't answer.
Naruto sighed. "I knew it... I don't want your power. You only bring hatred and resentment. So..."
*Why can't you just leave?!*
The Nine-Tails snarled, baring its massive fangs. "Do you think I *want* to stay inside your wretched body?!"
Naruto scratched his head. "Then why don't you just get out?"
"You fool! If I could leave, do you think I would have waited until now?!"
__________________________
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