I'M NARUTO UZUMAKI

Notify Jiraiya

After the holidays, the day had finally arrived when the Ninja Academy resumed.

Hinata Hyuga and Sasuke Uchiha, who returned to the campus, were looking forward to meeting Naruto Uzumaki again. However, upon reaching the classroom, they were surprised to find his seat empty.

Sasuke and Hinata exchanged glances, their expressions clouded with concern.

After questioning their classmates to no avail, the two made their way to the teacher's office, where they found their homeroom teacher, Iruka Umino.

Upon understanding the reason for their visit, Iruka frowned in confusion. "I don't know where Naruto is either. I was just about to ask if any of you knew his whereabouts."

He hesitated for a moment before adding, "Come to think of it, there haven't been any sightings of Naruto in the village recently."

Hinata and Sasuke shared another worried look. They had both been training diligently over the break and hadn't kept up with village gossip. They never expected Naruto to disappear like this.

What if they really couldn't find him?

Noticing their anxious expressions, Iruka sighed softly before saying, "For now, go back to class. After school, I'll take you to see the Third Hokage. He should know something."

"Okay, Iruka-sensei, please don't forget…"

With no other choice, Sasuke and Hinata returned to their seats, their thoughts preoccupied with Naruto's absence.

After school, Iruka led them to the Hokage's office in the Hokage Tower. The moment they entered, they saw the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, seated at his desk, extinguishing his smoking pipe. His demeanor was calm, as if he had been expecting them.

"I already know why you're here," Hiruzen said. "You're looking for Naruto. He passed his Genin assessment and was assigned to a mission outside the village."

"So Naruto has already graduated…?" Iruka muttered, falling silent.

He should have felt proud, but he couldn't shake the unease in his heart. A ninja's early graduation often came with immense risks, and he worried about Naruto's emotional growth. Nevertheless, as his teacher, he had to respect the boy's path.

Hinata hesitated before softly asking, "Lord Hokage, when will Naruto return? Everyone in the class misses him… I miss him too."

Hiruzen exhaled, shaking his head. "I don't have an exact time frame. But I will inform you if I receive any updates. For now, don't worry too much."

"But…" Hinata started to protest, only for Sasuke to cut her off.

"That idiot's fine. He's strong—if anything, it's the enemies who should be worried. Stop being so sentimental. You should focus on yourself. Naruto hates weaklings."

Now armed with new information, the three left the Hokage Tower.

Just as Hinata was about to return to the Hyuga Compound, Sasuke suddenly stepped in her way, his brows furrowed. "Hey, Byakugan Princess… you must have noticed something strange, right?"

Hinata blinked. "Sasuke-san, are you saying something about Naruto-kun's situation doesn't add up?"

Sasuke crossed his arms, his dark eyes narrowing. "The old man said Naruto graduated early and got sent on a mission. But there's no way Naruto would leave without telling us. Not unless… he left the village on his own."

At that moment, realization dawned on Hinata. "Now that you mention it… before the break, Naruto-kun hosted a picnic for everyone. At the time, I thought it felt like… a farewell party."

Sasuke shot her a sharp look. "Hmph. Didn't expect you to be this observant. I thought all you did was blush whenever Naruto was around. Guess you're not completely useless."

Ignoring the jab, Hinata muttered, "Naruto-kun promised he'd come to my house once school started. But now he's gone without a word. It really hurts."

After a pause, she glanced at Sasuke. "Then why are you so desperate to find him?"

Sasuke's expression darkened. "Unlike your… feelings, I trained with Naruto. I need to get stronger. I have to kill that man."

"Which man?" Hinata asked, confused. She had no idea about the Uchiha Clan's massacre.

Sasuke scoffed. "It's none of your business. But since we both want to find Naruto, let's work together. Shikamaru and Choji might know something."

Meanwhile, back in the Hokage's office, Hiruzen exhaled deeply as he watched the students leave. Turning to the masked ANBU beside him, he asked, "It's been a week. Have you retrieved Naruto yet?"

The Third Hokage's plan was simple: find Naruto, bring him back, and apologize. Unlike previous defectors, Naruto wasn't just anyone—he was the son of Minato Namikaze, and more importantly, Konoha's Jinchūriki.

But the ANBU agent lowered his head. "Naruto's tracking skills are exceptional. Our team spent three days pursuing him, only to discover that we had been following a Shadow Clone. We can't differentiate between his real body and his clones."

Hiruzen's frown deepened. "Didn't you bring a Hyuga with you?"

The ANBU agent sighed. "Even with the Byakugan, it's impossible to tell. Naruto has already begun integrating the Nine-Tails' chakra into his clones. Worse, we suspect he possesses an extremely advanced long-range sensory ability—he's been toying with us."

For a long moment, Hiruzen sat in silence. Then, exhaling, he waved his hand. "Suspend the retrieval mission. There's no point wasting resources on this right now. You have more pressing matters. Dismissed."

"Understood, Lord Hokage." The ANBU vanished.

Once alone, Hiruzen relit his pipe. Reaching into his desk, he retrieved an old, dust-covered scroll. The insignia on its surface was unmistakable—a toad emblem.

With a solemn expression, he performed a summoning jutsu, and a small orange toad materialized before him.

This toad was one of the few remaining ways to contact Jiraiya. Among his three former apprentices, Jiraiya was the only one still loyal to Konoha.

Even though Jiraiya often criticized him, there was no denying his dedication to the village.

Hiruzen knew now—he had failed in raising Naruto. If there was one person who could do better, it was Jiraiya. After all, Jiraiya had long wished to take Naruto under his wing.

Sliding a handwritten letter into the toad's mouth, he watched as it disappeared in a puff of smoke.

As the Hokage leaned back in his chair, a great weight seemed to lift from his shoulders.

There were still other pressing matters to address—monitoring the remnants of the Uchiha clan, and now, intelligence reports suggested that Iwagakure and Kumogakure had begun stirring near the Fire Country's borders, reaching out to the smaller shinobi villages.

Though Konoha had little to gain from these minor villages, ensuring that they didn't fall into enemy hands was critical.

Hiruzen rubbed his temples.

One problem after another.

And now, Naruto Uzumaki had become one of them.

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