Konoha: Naruto, Taught by Aizen

Soon, Jiraiya found Naruto, who was buying ingredients in the street.

He wore casual white clothes, golden bangs draping down to his eyes, and his pair of azure eyes were clear and pure. A pair of seemingly lifeless black-framed glasses didn't limit his good looks but instead added a touch of elegance to Naruto's demeanor.

"Minato," Jiraiya muttered to himself, his eyes couldn't help but grow moist.

But he quickly snapped back to reality.

Minato had already died during the Nine-Tails' attack, and the one he was seeing was Minato's son, Uzumaki Naruto.

Jiraiya had once thoroughly investigated Naruto's childhood.

It was filled with darkness and malice.

It was hard to imagine how a child with no strength to even truss a chicken had survived it all.

He had tried to put himself in Naruto's shoes, only to find that in that kind of environment, even someone with his own carefree personality would find it difficult to remain optimistic.

What was commendable was this:

Naruto, like Minato, was gentle and refined, a little sun in everyone's eyes.

No.

To be precise.

The light in the darkness is the most precious.

To gain everyone's recognition, Naruto must have put in a lot of effort.

Jiraiya couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. He calmed himself and observed Naruto's every move.

At this moment, Naruto arrived at a shop entrance, greeted Auntie Yamanaka warmly, and then stated his purpose.

"Auntie Yamanaka, I'd like to buy some green vegetables and radishes. Also, get me some pork; I'm planning to make some pork and radish soup tonight."

"Naruto! Long time no see! You're back in the village!" Seeing Naruto, Auntie Yamanaka immediately broke into a simple, honest smile and said.

"Yes, this mission took a bit long. I rushed back as soon as it ended."

"You've worked hard out there. Home is still the most comfortable," Auntie Yamanaka chatted while deftly packing the ingredients Naruto needed into a bag, casually adding an extra small bunch of vegetables.

"Auntie Yamanaka, that's enough, that's enough! If you put in any more, I won't be able to finish it," Naruto said with a smile, trying to decline.

"How can it be enough? You're a growing boy; you need to eat more."

After a bout of pushing and pulling, a battle of wits and courage, Naruto, holding a bulging shopping bag, politely bid farewell to Auntie Yamanaka.

Heading south along the long street, he also greeted many relatively friendly villagers along the way.

These villagers were almost all parents of his classmates.

After enrolling in the Ninja Academy, many students' parents had gained a more direct understanding of Naruto's talent and character, so they no longer opposed their children associating with Naruto.

During his six years of study, Naruto quickly hit it off with these classmates and, at the same time, gained the approval of their parents.

After walking for about ten minutes, Naruto arrived at an empty training ground. He placed the shopping bag by a large tree and called out to the deserted training ground, "You've been following me for so long. Come on out."

"I've been exposed?!" Jiraiya, who was already puzzled because Naruto hadn't gone home, felt his heart pound in terror.

For these past years, he had been roaming outside Konoha gathering intelligence; his skills in concealment had been honed to perfection.

It was no exaggeration to say he could hide in a bathhouse for three days and three nights without anyone discovering him.

Although this time his tracking was a bit careless, it shouldn't have been detected by a Genin.

It seemed that Naruto, as the intelligence suggested, had strength approaching Jonin level, but his sensory abilities had already reached Jonin level, perhaps even surpassing it.

"You ask who I am?"

"Listen well!" Jiraiya leaped out from his hiding place, landing on a tall rock, his expression excited.

"The Toad Sage is merely a name to deceive the world! I, who can do anything with ease, across the entire land, north, south, east, and west!" Jiraiya dramatically flung his flowing white hair.

"One of the invincible Sannin, the White-Haired Youngster Toad! The one who can instantly silence a crying child and captivate a beautiful young woman, the Great Jiraiya-sama!"

"That's me!"

"Clap, clap." Jiraiya spun around, his wooden clogs making a crisp sound on the rock.

"So you're one of the Sannin, Jiraiya," Naruto said, maintaining his smile.

"That's right! It is this handsome fellow!" Jiraiya tilted his head up proudly.

"Oh, nice to meet you. I need to go home and cook now. Goodbye." Naruto nodded, picked up his shopping bag, turned, and walked away.

"Wait a minute!!!!" Jiraiya instantly lost his composure, scrambling down from the rock and following behind Naruto.

"Aren't you curious? Why would the renowned Sannin appear in Konoha and even follow you?" Jiraiya followed Naruto unwillingly, his wooden clogs clattering loudly.

"Not curious." Naruto maintained his pace. "You're following me for no other reason than to see how the village's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is doing, whether it's as others say."

"Er, that is indeed the case." Jiraiya followed closely behind, stroking his chin as if formulating what to say next.

"I didn't expect Jiraiya-sensei to be back in the village. It seems the Third Hokage wants him to be your teacher, Naruto," Minato said in the seal space.

"Although Jiraiya-sensei looks unreliable and is quite lecherous, he has still mastered many secret techniques, among which Sage Mode is the strongest."

"Naruto, you can learn from Jiraiya-sensei. After mastering Summoning Jutsu, you can enter Mount Myoboku to cultivate Sage Mode. I think that might be a good place to cultivate Reiatsu," Minato mused.

Naruto stopped in his tracks. Jiraiya, who was deep in thought, didn't expect it and bumped his chest into Naruto's back, then clutched his chest, rubbing it in pain.

"Is this kind of person really one of the Sannin?" Even if Naruto was usually refined, at this moment, it was hard for him to maintain the smile on his face.

He looked, his face lined with exasperation, at the old-man-child Jiraiya acting foolishly, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.

"I say," he sighed helplessly. "Stop following me. I'm very busy."

"Ahem, actually..." Jiraiya dropped his playful expression, looking slightly embarrassed. "Actually, I heard you're Kakashi's disciple, right?"

"Mm," Naruto grunted in affirmation.

"Well, that's quite a coincidence! Do you know who my disciple was?"

Jiraiya continued on his own, "My disciple was Kakashi's teacher, Minato Namikaze. So, nominally, I should be your... grandmaster's master." He got so tangled up in the relations that he himself was almost confused.

Perhaps it was guilt at play; Jiraiya always felt somewhat unnatural when facing Naruto.

He looked at Naruto.

Only to find Naruto looking at him with a playful expression. "So you want to teach me ninjutsu?"

"That's right!" Jiraiya nodded vigorously, then changed his wording, "To be precise, I can accept your request to learn ninjutsu."

"Oh, no need. I'm fine as I am now." Naruto resumed his gentle smile and turned to leave.

"Don't go! Wait a minute!" Jiraiya wiggled his behind as he followed, his heart extremely anxious.

Didn't they say Naruto was a little sun?

How come his personality is so... vile?