Jiraiya remained silent for a long time. The news was too shocking for him. After being away from the village for several years, he hadn't expected someone to emerge. After a while, Jiraiya nodded and said, "It's better that he's gone. Even if he might truly possess the power to resist Orochimaru, he's only 12 years old. If anything were to happen, it would be a huge loss for the village." Ultimately, Jiraiya hoped that such an outstanding junior could grow up safely.
Transferring hope to a safer place was what the Third Hokage did during the Nine-Tails incident. Naturally, Jiraiya had a similar thought. "Kakashi, then leave Naruto to me. He needs to learn to control the Nine-Tails' power on his own, and he'll be safer with me. Staying in the village makes it easy for the Akatsuki to capture him."
To others, the Hidden Leaf Village might seem safer than outside. But Jiraiya knew very well that with the Akatsuki's strength, attacking the village and capturing Naruto wouldn't be difficult for them. Staying in the village was actually the most unsafe option.
Kakashi nodded. "Then I'll leave him to you." After chatting a bit more, Jiraiya and Kakashi parted ways.
Left alone on the rooftop, Kakashi looked at the distant sky and sighed, "Jiraiya-sama is right. It's better that you're not in the village. After all, the opponent is Orochimaru, and it's too dangerous." Kakashi agreed with Jiraiya's thoughts. The next morning, Naruto got up early, preparing to go to Sakura's house so they could visit Sasuke in the hospital together.
As he passed by a flower shop, Naruto suddenly remembered that Sakura had bought flowers when she visited Sasuke yesterday. He patted his wallet, turned, and headed towards the flower shop.
Along the way, many villagers instinctively kept their distance from Naruto. But having been successfully counseled by Yoruha, Naruto didn't mind. At the flower shop, he ignored the strange looks from the shopkeeper, picked up some flowers, tossed down the money, and left without saying much.
This bizarre behavior left the surrounding villagers and the shopkeeper stunned. "What's up with that Nine-Tails brat today?" "Yeah, what's going on?
He used to be so loud and boisterous, why is he so quiet today?" "Who knows, maybe he's matured after becoming a ninja." "Yeah, if he kept acting like before after becoming a ninja, he'd probably die easily."
Naruto was unaware of the discussions about him. He just wanted to see Sasuke. After Sasuke fell unconscious, he was very worried. Just as Naruto was passing by a hot spring, a giant toad suddenly leaped out of the water.
"Ribbit, ribbit..." Naruto was momentarily stunned, seeing the giant toad lunging towards him. "Is it an enemy?"
With this thought flashing through his mind, Naruto furrowed his brows and quickly formed hand seals. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" "Leaf Whirlwind!" "Boom!" After creating three shadow clones, the real Naruto launched a Leaf Whirlwind at the toad. It was a Leaf-style taijutsu he learned from Guy.
The powerful kick struck the three-person-tall toad, sending it crashing back into the hot spring.
The spray of water splashed several meters high. A shadow clone appeared above the giant toad, ready to deliver another kick. However, the giant toad reacted quickly, shooting out its long tongue and dispelling the shadow clone.
Standing on the shore, Naruto looked at the toad in the hot spring and asked, "Who are you, and why are you attacking me?" Naruto suspected that this toad might have been sent by Orochimaru. After all, ever since returning home yesterday, Naruto had been preoccupied with thoughts of Orochimaru, pondering how to defeat him.
He wanted to protect Sasuke and Sakura. The giant toad completely ignored Naruto and, after adjusting its posture in the hot spring, lunged at him again. Naruto frowned.
"So it really was sent by Orochimaru, huh?" Confirming his suspicions, Naruto immediately extended his right hand. The shadow clone beside him began to gather chakra.
"Poof, poof, poof..." The shadow clone continuously gathered chakra above Naruto's right hand. Soon, a blue chakra sphere appeared in Naruto's hand.
At this moment, Jiraiya, who was watching from a distance, was stunned. The toad had been sent by him to test Naruto, and also to give him a suitable reason to appear.
Jiraiya exclaimed in shock, "How does this kid know the Rasengan?!" "Wait, this jutsu is only known by me and Minato. Who taught him?" Quickly, Jiraiya recalled his conversation with Kakashi from the previous day.
"Could it be that kid named Yoruha taught him?" "This is reckless; this technique is still too early for Naruto." After all, the Rasengan is an A-rank jutsu, but it's also very dangerous.
Over the years, only he and Minato had mastered it, which was proof enough. Even Kakashi, with his Sharingan, hadn't mastered it well, and it had almost no practical value in combat.
Most ninjas couldn't learn it, and if this jutsu went out of control, it could be deadly. Jiraiya was already prepared to step in to prevent Naruto from losing control. Naruto used a Body Flicker Technique and appeared above the giant toad.
"Rasengan!" "Boom~" "Rumble..." Naruto's Rasengan didn't go out of control; instead, it hit the giant toad with precision. The terrifying power of the Rasengan slammed the giant toad heavily into the hot spring.
The water in the hot spring erupted into a spray several meters high, and the giant toad vanished in a puff of smoke. After the giant toad disappeared, Naruto reappeared on the shore.
Looking at the now chaotic hot spring, Naruto frowned, "What on earth is going on?" "Was it really sent by Orochimaru?" Naruto had never seen a summoning beast before, so he didn't know how the giant toad disappeared.
Meanwhile, the giant toad, now back in Mount Myoboku, was probably cursing Jiraiya internally. If it hadn't escaped quickly, it might have been doomed. It hadn't expected that a mere genin could wield such a terrifying jutsu.
Jiraiya, observing from afar, knew he couldn't just stand by any longer. Just as Naruto was about to leave, Jiraiya appeared in front of him, standing on the head of a giant toad about two people tall. "Yo," he greeted, "Kid, you did pretty well just now." Naruto looked at the suddenly appearing man and toad, utterly bewildered.
Especially looking at the white-haired old man standing on the toad's head, Naruto's mouth twitched. He thought this person might have a screw loose; this bizarre entrance didn't have the effect it did in the original story. Instead, it made Naruto think Jiraiya was a bit crazy.
Watching Jiraiya's singing and dancing performance with a face full of exasperation, Naruto crossed his arms. He could sense that Jiraiya meant no harm to him. However, this strange entrance made Naruto, who was no longer as conflicted as before, feel quite awkward.