The next morning, sunlight streamed into the room through the window. Mr. Jiraiya woke up in a daze, his eyes greeted by an unfamiliar yet neatly kept small apartment.
Memories of last night gradually returned—a failed pickup attempt, a slap, passed out on the street… then being found and helped back by Naruto.
Looks like he caused trouble for that kid again… He rubbed his temples, feeling a bit bad, but then immediately excused himself, "Still, the girls in this place are as feisty as ever."
Following that, he recalled an even earlier scene—Naruto helping a child, yet being met with wary and disgusted glances due to the villagers' rumors and prejudice… That sight made Mr. Jiraiya's heart sink.
How should he describe the villagers' actions? Foolish? Ignorant? Or pure malice? To inflict such heavy malice on an innocent child based solely on unverified rumors? The thought of Naruto possibly living in such an environment for a long time made an unspeakable sense of irritation rise in his heart.
At the same time, he couldn't help but worry if this continuous ostracization would leave unhealable scars deep within Naruto's heart, affecting his character… He turned to look at the bedside, where the floor futon had already been neatly folded. Just then, faint cooking sounds came from the small kitchen in the inner part of the apartment.
Mr. Jiraiya got out of bed and curiously surveyed the simple room. His gaze was quickly drawn to a conspicuous object on the bedside table—a giant egg with strange green patterns?
"This size… perhaps only Orochimaru's summoned snakes would lay an egg this big?" He secretly clicked his tongue, full of curiosity about the egg's origin.
Just as he was staring at the egg in a daze, the inner door opened, and Naruto appeared, carrying breakfast.
"Good morning, Mr. Jiraiya. Would you like some breakfast?" Naruto's face bore his usual warm, unclouded smile, as if last night's unpleasantness had never happened. He set down the tray he was holding and thoughtfully handed over a cup, "But before that, have some of this; you'll feel better."
Mr. Jiraiya took the cup and took a sip, discovering it was warm honey water, which perfectly eased the dryness in his throat and the discomfort of his hangover.
Looking at Naruto's refreshing smile, Mr. Jiraiya also smiled, temporarily pushing down the worries in his heart. "Of course! After all, I'm really looking forward to your cooking skills, even for breakfast!"
He was indeed looking forward to Naruto's cooking, but at the same time, he also decided to have a good talk with Naruto about some things.
Breakfast was a classic blend of Japanese and Western styles: a steaming bowl of miso soup and a sandwich made with a few slices of golden-crisp toast, perfectly fried ham, and tender eggs.
Mr. Jiraiya picked up a sandwich and took a big bite—his eyes instantly lit up! The toasted aroma of the bread, the savory freshness of the ham, and the tenderness of the egg perfectly combined, simple yet incredibly delicious. He began to devour it, nodding repeatedly.
Halfway through his meal, Mr. Jiraiya remembered the main topic. He put down his sandwich, his expression becoming a bit more serious, and looked at Naruto, who was quietly eating, choosing his words carefully.
"By the way, Naruto, I noticed… your living environment in the Village right now doesn't seem very friendly."
Naruto paused at his words, then replied casually, "Living environment? I think it's fine. The Ninja's mission rewards are quite…"
"I'm not talking about material things."
Mr. Jiraiya interrupted him, looking directly into Naruto's eyes, his voice a bit deeper, "…I'm talking about those hurtful rumors about you. Don't you… get angry? Haven't you ever thought about rushing up, grabbing those people by their collars, giving them a good beating, or shouting loudly, 'I'm not the Nine-Tailed Fox'?"
He watched Naruto, trying to find suppressed anger or grievance in those blue eyes.
However, Naruto merely paused slightly, then said in an almost casual tone, "Hmm… that impulse, perhaps it did exist a long, long time ago. But now, it truly doesn't matter anymore."
"It's not shameful to express the resentment and anger in your heart," Mr. Jiraiya encouraged, worried that Naruto was forcing himself to be strong.
"It really doesn't matter, Mr. Jiraiya," Naruto said with a clear smile, a smile devoid of bitterness, only relief and clarity.
"Because one cannot always just focus on the dark side of life."
"Although there are indeed many people in Konoha who dislike and ostracize me," he continued, his tone calm, "for me, there are also too many people and things in this Village that I cherish and want to protect."
He listed them one by one, his eyes growing warm and bright. "Uncle Ichiraku and Iruka-sensei, who always treat me to ramen and care about me, and Sakura, Kakashi-sensei, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba… these are all my very important comrades and friends."
"And… there's also the person I most want to protect here. I don't want her to suffer any harm, I don't want her to be left outside; I want to give her a stable place that can be called 'home'."
"So you see, my time and energy are actually very precious; I only want to use them all to protect these most important people and things in my small world. As for those discordant voices outside… let them be; I don't care, and I don't have time to care anymore."
Listening to Naruto's calm words, Mr. Jiraiya slowly lowered his head, silent for a moment. When he looked up again, his usual carefree smile had returned to his face.
"Hmph, you kid…" He ruffled Naruto's golden hair, his tone teasing, "You're not old, but you spout big philosophies one after another, quite the preacher, aren't you!"
In response to the teasing, Naruto merely gave a shy "I guess so" smile, without saying much more.
However, Naruto knew in his heart that Mr. Jiraiya's inner feelings were not as lighthearted as he appeared. This clear perception stemmed from the voice in his heart, a rapidly deepening bond notification.
Mr. Jiraiya finished the last bite of food on his plate, wiped his mouth contentedly, and then stood up. "Alright, Naruto, I have something to do, so I need to leave first. After you're done with your own things, wait for me at our usual spot; I'll be there soon."
After giving his instructions, Mr. Jiraiya left and, after turning, walked in a direction he had been consciously or unconsciously avoiding these past few days—the Hokage Building. He decided that it was time to have a good talk with the Third Hokage, the Old Man, about some matters.
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