I'M NARUTO UZUMAKI

Until leaving the izakaya, Naruto and Jiraiya maintained a tacit understanding, refraining from interfering in each other's intelligence gathering.

This relieved Namikaze Minato within the sealed space, as he didn't want to witness a potential confrontation between his son and his former sensei. If emotions ran too high, his chakra-formed consciousness might collapse.

Naruto wondered if he was being overly suspicious—he had no logical reason to travel overseas to the former land of Uzushiogakure.

After all, even without his interference, if Uchiha Sasuke planned to defect, he would likely seek refuge in Iwagakure or Kumogakure, the two villages strong enough to directly oppose Konoha.

After leaving the izakaya, Naruto returned to the ship bound for Uzushiogakure.

Haku, clutching a sealing scroll, hesitated before speaking: "Master Mianma, the uncle from the izakaya earlier just boarded the ship as well. Could he be a shinobi tracking us?"

Naruto glanced at Haku in surprise, then recalled his companion's keen observational skills and nodded.

Just as shadow clones are drawn to each other, shinobi naturally recognize fellow ninja. After boarding the ship, Jiraiya quickly located Naruto and Haku.

At the izakaya, Jiraiya had initially assumed the two were Kirigakure shinobi on a mission in the Land of Fire.

Following the unspoken rule of avoiding unnecessary conflicts between villages, he chose not to pry into their affairs or use genjutsu to extract information.

However, their presence on the same ship to the Land of Whirlpools raised his suspicions.

After all, Uzushiogakure was destroyed decades ago. Presently, the Land of Whirlpools was a haven for criminals and rogue ninja—hardly a place of interest for Kirigakure.

Jiraiya had his own reasons for heading there: tracking Orochimaru and investigating reports of Uchiha activity.

But why was Kirigakure involved? Could Orochimaru have forged a secret alliance with the Mist?

Was he facilitating Sasuke's defection to Kirigakure?

His mind swirled with questions as he approached Naruto and Haku. Before he could close the distance, however, Jiraiya halted abruptly.

Momochi Zabuza was infamous among elite jonin—not solely for his strength, but for the massacre he committed during Kirigakure's brutal graduation exam, forcing the village to abolish its "Blood Mist" ritual.

Zabuza immediately noticed Jiraiya's discreet observation and scowled.

Just as he prepared to confront the stranger, he glanced at Naruto. Since the boy remained silent, Zabuza refrained from acting rashly.

An awkward silence stretched between the two warriors before Jiraiya scratched his head sheepishly and said, "Ah, my mistake! I thought I recognized someone from behind… but it seems I was wrong."

"Misidentified?" Zabuza scoffed coldly after getting Naruto's silent approval to speak. "A civilian might make such a mistake, but a shinobi? That's suspicious. Why are you following us?"

Jiraiya hesitated. Just as he searched for an excuse, Naruto interjected, "Relax, Zabuza. We're just traveling to the Land of Whirlpools, not on a mission."

"Traveling?" Zabuza suppressed the urge to scoff. Still, he played along, grumbling, "Even during travel, a shinobi should remain vigilant. What if an enemy attacks?"

Naruto, scolded like an undisciplined genin, pouted before turning back to Jiraiya. "So, uncle, you're a shinobi too? What rank are you? Are you also heading to the Land of Whirlpools for sightseeing?"

"Hmm… I suppose I'm a chunin," Jiraiya fibbed, improvising an identity and a backstory. "But I'm not here for tourism. Work is scarce these days—everything is dominated by the Great Villages. Us small-time ninja have to scrounge for jobs wherever we can."

"A minor village chunin?"

Zabuza sneered, his true nature slipping through. "I'm a jonin of Kirigakure. If I catch you lying, your so-called village won't be able to protect you."

Jiraiya nodded hastily. "Of course, of course. I just came to grab a meal, that's all! I'll leave immediately if I'm intruding."

Jiraiya's performance was flawless. Naruto decided to add to the act, turning to Zabuza. "Zabuza-senpai, he's just a middle-aged chunin—he's no threat to us. No need to be so hard on him."

"Tch. Do what you want," Zabuza grumbled. "But if you keep underestimating people, you'll pay the price."

With a cold snort, he left the deck with Haku. He had no intention of truly intimidating Jiraiya—if Naruto took the older ninja seriously, that meant he wasn't just some random drifter.

A supposed "chunin" from a minor village? If anyone actually believed that, they weren't fit to be a shinobi.

After Zabuza's departure, Naruto dropped his guarded persona and fully embraced the role of an eager, inexperienced ninja. "So, uncle, how long have you been a shinobi? Got any interesting stories from your adventures?"

A barrage of curious questions left Jiraiya momentarily speechless.

Still, it confirmed one thing—the boy before him had only recently entered the ninja world. His naive enthusiasm was perfect for extracting information.

Once he gained Naruto's trust, Jiraiya asked casually, "Mianma, are you really just here for a vacation?"

Naruto's expression stiffened. "Of course! Don't try prying information out of me—I'm a professional."

Jiraiya chuckled. "What a shame. I was hoping I could lend a hand and make some money. Us older ninja don't get many missions these days."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Liar. My senior told me never to trust old-timers like you. If you want information, first tell me why you are headed to the Land of Whirlpools."

Jiraiya shrugged. "Didn't I say? I'm just looking for work. If nothing else, I might join a wandering ninja group. A man's gotta eat, you know? You'll understand when you're older."

Hearing that, Naruto dropped his guard slightly, sneering. "By the time I'm your age, I'll already be a jonin. I won't be some pitiful drifter."

"Anyway, I'm done with your 'ninja stories.' Time to report back to Zabuza-senpai."

Watching Naruto walk away, Jiraiya sighed wistfully.

"Youth is something else," he mused. "Minato and even Orochimaru were just like that once—passionate idiots."

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