Changing Fate As Naruto

"Alright, we're heading home now, Pervy Sage! See you tomorrow!"

"See me tomorrow? Hey, hey, spare these old bones, will you? I was hoping to take a few days off to relax…"

Watching the two cheerful little brats waving goodbye, Jiraiya rubbed his temple in mock annoyance before raising his hand to wave back.

"Be careful on the way home. Stay safe… and don't even think about training these next few days. Just stay home and relax for a while, okay? You've gotta balance rest and effort, remember?"

"Okay—we got it! Bye, Pervy Sage!"

"…'Got it,' huh? Hah, that kid Naruto sure is quick to say yes, but he definitely won't listen. I bet he'll be scheduling his own training session by tomorrow… Other kids his age just think about playing around, but this one… he doesn't fuss, doesn't slack off, and spends all day training. Judging from this past year, he's not really the type to bully the weak or flaunt his strength either. I really don't get why he's so obsessed with getting stronger at such a young age… Doesn't he realize he might wear himself out?"

Jiraiya kept waving until the figures of Naruto and Sasuke grew distant, disappearing into the night. Then he slowly lowered his hand, the corners of his mouth lifting in a warm, proud smile as he muttered under his breath. His eyes were full of fondness for Naruto. But after a moment, he turned and headed swiftly in the opposite direction, his expression shifting into something far more serious and conflicted.

"Alright, the kids are safely on their way home… Now it's time to deal with the intel Sensei suddenly sent me."

One of the reasons Jiraiya ended today's training early and sent Naruto and Sasuke home was that they had already reached the planned timeframe for their special training. In fact, thanks to their outstanding potential, they had actually exceeded the goals. But the real reason—the urgent one—was the emergency order passed to Jiraiya by the Third Hokage via a Shadow Clone Technique.

Ever since Naruto proved how effective Shadow Clones were for real-time communication during the operation to take down Danzo Shimura, the strategy had quietly spread among the Hidden Leaf Village's upper ranks. Chakra-wise, maybe no one could match Naruto as a Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, but maintaining two or three clones in a specially designated intelligence room within the Hokage's office wasn't all that hard for high-level shinobi. Even if constant chakra splitting slightly affected their combat performance, it was nothing for those capable of reaching Konoha's top echelons. Naturally, Jiraiya, being one of the Third Hokage's closest allies, had joined this program voluntarily.

And so, Jiraiya, who originally planned to let Naruto and Sasuke rest and resume training the next day, was caught off guard when a memory transfer from a clone he'd left in the Hokage's office a year ago suddenly activated—delivering a high-priority emergency order from the Third Hokage. He immediately changed plans and sent the two boys home early.

"A whole squad of border guards has suddenly gone dark… If I remember correctly, the ones stationed at the borders are all at least Special Jōnin level. One or two disappearing might be explainable, but a whole group? Either someone turned them and planned a rebellion, or… they were wiped out by an invading enemy."

After more than a year of training, Jiraiya had become intimately familiar with every inch of Training Ground Three. Swiftly taking the most direct route toward the incident site, he darted through the treetops like a phantom. While moving, he analyzed the intel passed on via the Third Hokage's clone, and his expression grew increasingly grim.

"I see now… No wonder Sensei would interrupt Naruto's training over this. It really is serious. If it's a mutiny, it's manageable—just take out the ringleader and it'll fall apart. But nowadays, there aren't many two-faced cowards left in the village. That makes this kind of betrayal unlikely. Which means… the second possibility is far more probable."

"And to defeat so many elite shinobi so cleanly—aside from a large-scale invasion, the only other explanation is that a hostile Kage-level enemy tried to infiltrate the village and was intercepted by the border troops."

Either scenario meant serious danger. It wasn't something an ordinary support unit could handle. And since Jiraiya just happened to be training Naruto and Sasuke nearby at Training Ground Three, the Third Hokage didn't hesitate to reach out to him for help—even if the training hadn't been officially completed. Concerned that the unknown threat might prevent him from ensuring the boys' safety, Jiraiya had chosen to end the session early and send them home, so he could focus entirely on resolving the emergency.

"Tch. Ever since I got that message, I've had a bad feeling in my gut… Hopefully, I'm just overthinking. Judging by the location Sensei gave, it shouldn't be too far now. Gotta pick up the pace—sooner this is handled, the better."

Jiraiya took a deep breath, trying to suppress the sudden tightness in his chest. After adjusting his direction slightly, he moved faster than before. It wasn't long before he leapt down from the high branches to the forest floor, guided by the increasingly thick scent of blood in the air. Eventually, he came upon a corpse—its body clad in a Hidden Leaf Village flak jacket, sprawled facedown in the dirt, still faintly warm.

"So… I was too late after all."

This must've been one of the missing guards.

Jiraiya frowned deeply and crouched down. As he flipped the body over, the smell of blood grew stronger now that it was no longer buried in soil. His expression darkened as he clenched his teeth.

"Damn it! That bastard… How could they be so ruthless?! Who would do something this twisted?!"

The wounds made it clear the man had endured horrifying torture before his death. Worse still, his entire face had been peeled off—just a grotesque, mangled mess of flesh and dirt remained.

"…These are external wounds. But the fatal one is… there. A toxin, injected through the neck. The skin's already swollen and necrotic."

Fighting to remain calm, Jiraiya carefully examined the corpse. He found the cause of death: two small puncture wounds on the neck, just above a purple, festering patch of skin. But as he squinted to examine the wounds more closely, his eyes narrowed.

"There aren't any other injuries near the fatal point… Wait. These two punctures… they're close together, like… fang marks from a snake? Don't tell me…!"

The thought triggered a flash of memory—a dear old friend's face.

Jiraiya shot to his feet, panic setting in. He was about to send a clone to report to the Third Hokage when a familiar, dangerous chakra flared in the distance.

"That's… the Nine-Tails' chakra?! No—Naruto's in danger!"

The surge of Kurama's power could only mean one thing—Naruto had been pushed to the brink and was being forced to unleash his Tailed Beast Chakra Cloak.

It confirmed Jiraiya's worst fear.

"Even at top speed from here, I… Damn it! I'm not gonna make it in time!"

Heart pounding, Jiraiya had no choice but to abandon his investigation. He sent a Shadow Clone to report his findings and request reinforcements, then launched himself into the air, moving with even greater urgency than before. His fists clenched as he roared in fury.

"BASTARD! Orochimaru! I don't know why you came back to the village—but if you lay a single finger on that kid, I swear… I won't let you leave here alive!"