Naruto: Off the Rails from Tsunade’s Lap Pillow!

"Tsunade, I've never heard you praise someone this much before."

Jiraiya teased thoughtfully. "Someone who didn't know better might mistake it for you talking about a teacher instead of an apprentice."

"Hmph, what old man could even come close?" Tsunade replied without hesitation. "If you meant my grandfather, then maybe."

Jiraiya became even more surprised upon hearing that.

He knew just how deeply Tsunade revered Hashirama Senju—no one compared.

It wasn't just about strength; emotional factors were at play too.

But he hadn't expected Natsume to be considered comparable.

This kid really is something else.

Jiraiya laughed heartily and said, "Looks like I'll have to stick around a few more days to get to know him better."

"He won't let you down," Tsunade said, her lips slightly curling into a smile. "Though I can't be sure whether he's actually the Child of the Prophecy you mentioned, he truly deserves the title."

"Mm," Jiraiya nodded. Regardless of anything else, he fully acknowledged Natsume's power.

From his vast experience, he'd seen many tailed beasts—each with destructive power and intimidation far beyond ordinary comprehension.

Few in the ninja world could ever hope to defeat them.

"Hey Tsunade," Jiraiya remarked while observing her, "I noticed your temper's improved a lot."

"Is that so?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Nobody's irritating me, so naturally I won't lose my temper."

"Well then, I guess that makes me the irritating one," Jiraiya chuckled wryly.

"Me? I stopped being annoyed by you ages ago." A faint smile unconsciously appeared on Tsunade's lips again. "You know, despite how outstanding he is now, he used to be quite mischievous."

Jiraiya paused briefly.

Tsunade looked genuinely delighted—an expression reminiscent of her happiness when Nawaki was still alive.

Could it be she regarded Natsume as her younger brother?

Everything clicked for Jiraiya.

No wonder her praise was so overwhelming—bordering on unrealistic.

In Tsunade's description, Natsume wasn't only powerful—he also excelled at managing Konoha's affairs.

Practically unstoppable in every way—like a powered-up combo of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Minato Namikaze.

"Tsunade," Jiraiya took a sip of water, "it seems you're enjoying retirement pretty well."

Tsunade glanced at him. She understood exactly what he meant—that Mount Myoboku thing.

Truthfully, her impression of the Great Toad Sage was nothing special.

It stuck its nose into far too many things. It was hard to consider it simply a summoned beast anymore—it had become more like a faction itself.

Being its contract holder was arguably the most demanding role there was.

Or rather—being constantly pushed around.

As a contract holder herself from Shikkotsu Forest, Tsunade lived quite freely.

Orochimaru was similar too—in daily life, he was hardly restricted at all, using Ryuchi Cave snakes only during battle.

Only Jiraiya was always running around busily.

"Want to stay for dinner?" Tsunade collected her thoughts and smiled. "Natsume's a great cook—you should try his food."

She knew just how important Mount Myoboku was to Jiraiya.

That's why she knew it was pointless to say anything.

If it could be changed, even Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't have been unable to do anything about it.

As a ninja, Tenten defied the Hokage's orders and ran out.

Luckily for her, she was the Hokage's apprentice; otherwise, she'd already have been marked as a rogue ninja.

"No thanks."

Jiraiya sounded oddly hesitant, for reasons he couldn't explain.

Maybe because he noticed how much Tsunade cared about Natsume.

It stirred an unexpected pang of regret within him.

But he had no right to say anything either.

Because he'd been busy fulfilling tasks on Mount Myoboku, he owed Konoha quite a bit.

After all, he'd missed so many crucial moments.

Like during the Nine-Tails Incident.

Had he been just another Konoha ninja, he wouldn't have missed those moments—he might even have had a shot at saving his student, Minato Namikaze.

"I'll come by another day. Then I'll buy you a drink."

Jiraiya stood up and said, "I'll be staying in Konoha for a while now."

Tsunade nodded.

"In that case, I'll take my leave first."

Jiraiya waved and walked out the door into the street.

He let out a deep breath. After a moment's thought, he resolved to find out if Natsume truly was the prophesied Child of the Prophecy.

With that thought, Jiraiya leapt forward, bounding across rooftops until he arrived at the territory of the Sarutobi clan.

"Hey, old man! Fishing? Still haven't caught a thing?"

"You come back just to mock your teacher like this?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, one hand holding his pipe, the other gripping the fishing rod.

"Nah, not at all!"

Jiraiya sat beside him and peeked into the bucket, then laughed, "Still nothing?"

"I just started!"

Sarutobi shot him a sharp glare. "Quiet! You'll scare them off."

"Sure, sure."

Jiraiya lowered his voice and fell silent.

Half an hour later, Hiruzen still hadn't caught a single fish.

He tossed his rod aside and snapped, "All your fault. Not one bite."

"What?"

Jiraiya stared wide-eyed and said, "Old man, that's going too far! I haven't even opened my mouth!"

"Alright," Sarutobi shrugged. "Tell me what's really going on. What brings you here?"

"About Natsume."

Jiraiya's expression turned serious as he asked, "Old man, what do you think of him?"

"Huh…?!"

Sarutobi blinked, clearly taken aback by the question.

He took a puff of his pipe and sighed thoughtfully, "A genius who inspires despair—that's what."

"He truly is exceptional in strength."

Jiraiya nodded and continued, "How about his character? Like that fire will you value most, old man?"

"He's good there too."

Sarutobi thought for a moment, stood up, and went into the house. Soon, he came back with a stack of documents.

"What's this?"

Jiraiya asked curiously as he accepted them.

"These are records of Natsume's understanding of the Will of Fire when he was in the academy," Sarutobi explained with a smile. "There were parts even I found astonishing when I read them."

"Whatever his true nature may be," Sarutobi added, "everything he's done so far has helped Konoha."

"I'll take these back and go through them."

Jiraiya put away the documents and said, "I heard from Tsunade that he's quite capable when it comes to village affairs."

"That's definitely true."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's face showed amazement as he spoke, "Let me start by talking to you about Konoha's Police Force."

After listening, Jiraiya had only one feeling.

This was absolutely someone who fit the prophecy of the Child of the Prophecy.

In Jiraiya's eyes, mere strength alone wouldn't make someone the Child of the Prophecy. One must also have wisdom.

After all, this was a person fated to bring peace to the ninja world.

Peace achieved through strength alone could never last long.

Just look at Hashirama Senju as an example.

"How strong is Natsume exactly?"

Jiraiya hesitated slightly before asking.

Come to think of it, he still had lingering doubts.

If Natsume turned out to be the one destined to destroy Mount Myoboku, then things would get really serious.

But whether he was or wasn't, it would be easy to verify.

Simply look at his power level.

"He's extremely strong."

Hiruzen replied after a moment of thought. "With Sage Mode combined with Wood Release, his performance is only slightly inferior to the First Hokage."

He based his judgment on the many legends about Hashirama Senju.

For example, even with Kurama's help, Madara Uchiha couldn't defeat him.

Especially considering the more detailed accounts he had learned from Mito Uzumaki.

Hashirama clearly held the absolute advantage.

Even the strongest among tailed beasts, Kurama, was like a helpless chick in his hands—utterly powerless.

By comparison, Natsume defeating Shukaku didn't seem that unreasonable.

He even used the legendary [Thousand Hands Manipulation Force: Thrust] and [Summit Enlightened Thousand-Armed Cannon], both classified as Kinjutsu under Wood Release techniques.

Hashirama himself wouldn't have needed such techniques.

"Do you think he can rival the Sage of Six Paths?"

Jiraiya inwardly sighed with relief but, just to be sure, asked another question.

According to what Sage Fukasaku said, only the Sage of Six Paths might possibly destroy Mount Myoboku.

"Naturally not."

Hiruzen hesitated, recalling an ancient prophecy, and asked, "You're still looking for the ninja prophesied to destroy Mount Myoboku?"

"Yeah."

Jiraiya sighed and said, "But there's no trace of him anywhere."

"So you suspect Natsume?"

Hiruzen furrowed his brow and asked, "He's now the Hokage. As a ninja of Konoha Village, how could you even consider such a thing?"

"Sorry."

Jiraiya awkwardly smiled and said, "Just curious. Since Natsume doesn't possess any special eye techniques, it certainly can't be him."

"I should still remind you—you are a ninja of Konoha Village."

Hiruzen simply shook his head without another word.

"I understand."

Jiraiya spoke seriously.

"Come on, let me treat you to dinner. It's been a while since we've gotten together."

Hiruzen got up, smiling once more.

"Old man, I need to stop by the Uchiha clan first."

Jiraiya scratched the back of his head awkwardly and said, "Let's have dinner when I get back."

"Again because of your so-called prophecy?"

Hiruzen waved his hand somewhat discontentedly and said, "Fine, fine. Go ahead."

Jiraiya turned and left.

Before long, he reached the Uchiha clan's residence.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting, Lord Jiraiya."

Mikoto Uchiha took a deep breath, making sure her expression was composed before opening the door and stepping in.

She had been resting after battling Natsume when news of Jiraiya's arrival instantly jolted her awake. She changed quickly and rushed over — not even stopping to bathe.

"It's fine."

Jiraiya gave her a brief once-over. She looked flushed and energetic, seemingly beyond the shadow of her clan's massacre. That made things easier for what he needed to ask.

"Mikoto, I came here because there's something I want to know," Jiraiya said carefully. "That night, how exactly did you two escape? Was it related to that mysterious Wood Release expert?"

Mikoto immediately remembered the conditions she had agreed to with Natsume — many of which had been completely unreasonable. She sat down, instinctively crossing her long legs. It felt like she was about to let something slip.

Pushing aside her unease, Mikoto took a deep breath and said, "That question was already clearly covered in the intelligence report we submitted to Konoha."

"I'm sorry," Jiraiya said, assuming she was upset by the painful memory. "Yes, it was mentioned there, but I want to know more details."

"What kind of details?" Mikoto managed a slight smile as she asked.

Jiraiya suddenly felt guilty but pressed on, keeping his emotions in check. "After he saved you two, did you notice any intention behind his actions?"

"Oh…!"

"I think it was probably for the Mangekyo Sharingan," Mikoto said after a moment. "Looking back, he used specific methods to help us awaken the Sharingan."

"But didn't he already obtain Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan?" Jiraiya asked, puzzled.

"Perhaps there's an even more powerful eye beyond that," Mikoto speculated.

Jiraiya's first reaction was disbelief. After all, even Madara only possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan. But the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Just the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan alone could destroy Mount Myoboku? If such a higher-tier ocular technique truly existed, its power could be world-shattering.

"Of course, this is just my personal opinion," Mikoto shook her head and added. "Years passed, and once he realized none of us had the talent to awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan, he abandoned us."

"Abandoned?"

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes slightly. "This might sound intrusive, but I have to ask—if he wasn't a good person, why didn't he just kill you two instead? Could it possibly relate to his identity?"

At this moment, Jiraiya suspected this individual might belong to the Uchiha clan itself; otherwise, how could he understand so much about the Mangekyo Sharingan?

A flicker of hesitation crossed Mikoto's face.

Noticing this, Jiraiya grew alert and quickly reassured her, "Don't worry—you can trust me. Whatever is said today will stay between us."

"He introduced himself by name, but I find it hard to believe."

Mikoto Uchiha hesitated before speaking up. "He introduced himself as Uchiha Madara. Since he's our ancestor, he had no reason to kill us."

"Uchiha Madara?!"

Jiraiya shot upright, shock written all over his face.

Though not quite as famous as Hashirama Senju, Madara was still a legendary figure in the ninja world. More importantly, even if he had somehow survived, he should be close to a hundred years old by now. At his age, he should have been bedridden long ago, awaiting death. How could someone his age still be so energetic and formidable like that mysterious ninja?

Besides, Jiraiya didn't believe anyone could survive against Hashirama Senju.

Frowning, Jiraiya slowly sat back down.

Still, if Madara really was alive, he certainly fit the profile. Evil, yet immensely powerful. He had a special eye, hailed from Konoha, yet despised it. Attacking Mount Myoboku suddenly made perfect sense.

Whatever the case, their top priority now was to find him.

Coming back to his senses, Jiraiya asked, "Mikoto, during these past few years, aside from him, have you seen any other strangers?"

"A stranger?"

A thoughtful look crossed Mikoto Uchiha's face.

Jiraiya didn't press her, patiently waiting in silence, though anxiety churned inside him. After all, knowing only a name wasn't enough to track someone down—especially when that someone was Uchiha Madara.

After a short pause, Mikoto seemed to remember something and said, "Actually, there was one person, but I only saw him once, so my memory isn't very clear."

"What did he look like?"

Jiraiya's eyes lit up as he quickly asked.

"He was a ninja wearing a black cloak adorned with red clouds and a wide-brimmed hat with bells attached."

Mikoto paused momentarily before continuing, "He was a rogue ninja, but the forehead protector he wore was unfamiliar—it bore a downward-pointing arrow."

"Takigakure (Village Hidden in the Waterfall)!"

Jiraiya immediately became excited.

As the clan leader's wife, Mikoto rarely left home, so she wasn't very familiar with the smaller ninja villages. But Jiraiya was different—he recognized the description immediately as Takigakure.

This was definitely a solid lead.

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