Konoha Notes.

Chapter 508 The Qualifications of an Opponent

Chapter 508 The Qualifications of an Opponent

Naruto left the western suburbs much earlier than he had anticipated.

When he discussed the division of labor with Sasuke, he thought he had made thorough preparations. He faced Shuji alone at noon, and although he didn't manage to extract any substantial information, he at least escaped unscathed. Looking back, he realized he had still gained something.

If we go again tonight, the worst that can happen is a repeat of yesterday.

He was mentally prepared to be followed, tricked into revealing information, and have his thoughts exposed.

The results are completely different.

When he pushed open the door, he could only weakly say, "I'm home."

Shuimen poked his head out from the living room: "Welcome back. What's wrong? Weren't you supposed to go to the western suburbs?"

Naruto didn't answer immediately. He walked around the coffee table, collapsed into the sofa, and buried his face in the cushions.

Then he noticed that there was another person sitting at the dining table.

"A lecherous immortal?"

Jiraiya had long since given up on correcting this form of address.

But with Minato present today, he still wanted to retain some dignity as a master in front of his disciple, so he coughed heavily and said, "At least call me Toad Sage, Naruto. I'm your father's teacher."

Naruto pulled his face out of the cushion and asked in a tone of someone who had been through it all, "Perverted Sage, you must have lost a lot too, right?"

His impression of Shuuji has also changed, and he has even come to understand Sasuke.

The blond boy believed that Jiraiya, who was the first to speak of revenge, must have lost even more.

Jiraiya understood: "It seems that he encountered the reality of the world with Shuji."

"I'm prepared. No matter how Shuuji interrogates me, I can endure it. I've also prepared my answers to deal with him."

Naruto's voice was muffled.

"However, it was completely different from what I had imagined. It wasn't the same process at all from beginning to end."

He still hasn't fully understood it.

"With just a few words, I felt like I was the one who was disliked. Temari was unhappy, and Kankuro spoke with barbs. Gaara wasn't angry, but he was very bothered by it."

Being ridiculed didn't bother him, nor did he care about losing face. Being beaten up was commonplace at school. The only thing he wasn't ready to accept was seeing his friends' cold expressions towards him.

"What a terrifying man, isn't he, Naruto?" Jiraiya said.

"Shuji-nii wasn't like this before." Naruto rested his chin on the cushion, his blue eyes fixed on the wood grain of the coffee table.

"He always has two completely different attitudes towards his opponents and towards the children he has to take care of." Jiraiya raised his glass and looked at Naruto through the amber liquid. "That guy is the kind of person who will set up a trap in advance if he senses danger."

"Do you think he'll give you the chance to make a methodical move?"

"If it were that simple, we wouldn't be living in this day and age."

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He took a sip of his drink, placed the glass back on the table with a soft thud.

"From the moment you agreed to join Sasuke's plan, you were no longer a child to be taken care of. You became his rival."

"Do you think joining is so easy? Taking a side means being in a completely different position from the other side."

"If you're scared," Jiraiya's tone suddenly shifted to nonchalant, "it's not too late to honestly tell him about your plans. After you've told him, you can become that brat he protects again."

Naruto's confusion gradually faded, replaced by belated anger: "What do you mean by 'my plan with Sasuke'? The Perverted Sage was the first to talk about revenge!"

"Is that so?" Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "Then what did I do?"

The only ones who actually carried out the plan were him and Sasuke. The person who proposed the plan was sitting here drinking, with a nonchalant expression on his face.

"Now do you realize the gap between us?" Jiraiya showed no remorse whatsoever, instead sporting a rather smug, adult smile. "As a top-tier ninja, acting cautiously is just the basics. You two are still far from that level."

Naruto jumped up from the sofa: "Cunning, so cunning, that perverted sage!"

The Toad Sage said flippantly, "It's too cunning to think that's all. You'd better not embarrass yourself, Naruto."

"While you haven't lost too much yet, it's not too late to beg for mercy."

"In any case, the final result won't be any different."

Naruto sat back down on the sofa, leaning against the cushions and looking up at the ceiling.

"no."

"If I give up now, the lecherous sage will definitely stop taking this seriously."

"In that case, Sasuke will be all alone."

"I cannot betray him."

"What about the other friends?" Jiraiya asked. "This is just the beginning. As the operation progresses, that guy's retaliation will only become more and more merciless."

"By his standards, the current level is probably not even an appetizer."

Naruto put his arm behind his head and closed his eyes.

"Whatever you say, Brother Shuji, if anyone misunderstands, I'll explain it to them one by one."

"I won't be scared like that."

"And—" He opened his eyes, his blue pupils reflecting the blurry halo on the ceiling, "Since Brother Shuji considers me his rival, it means that Sasuke and I have also gained recognition, right?"

"Although he still treats me like a child, the way he treats me is different now."

The blond boy rolled off the sofa and stood up: "If we back down now, he'll definitely be disappointed."

"I can't let that man think that Naruto-sama is a coward when facing a real opponent."

The blond boy walked towards his room, muttering to himself: "I need to apologize to Temari, explain things to Kankuro, and have a serious talk with Gaara."

And as for Sasuke, I need to tell him the information I gathered today.

In any case, his trip that night wasn't entirely fruitless.

Minato watched his son's figure disappear at the end of the corridor, the smile on his lips never fading.

"As expected of your son." Jiraiya poured himself another glass of wine, and the layer of cynicism in his voice faded a bit. "Maybe if Naruto and Sasuke team up, they can really give him a surprise."

"If he can defeat Shuji," the Fourth Hokage said softly, "he will no longer be confused no matter what kind of enemy he faces in the future."

"Defeat him?" Jiraiya said with a smile. "If he could really do that, that kid would probably be overjoyed."

"In that case, we won't have anything to worry about."