"Oh~ So you're wandering artists," Jiraiya mused, stroking his chin and nodding thoughtfully. "While we are both creators in the artistic Domain, I personally would like to believe you... but."
He changed his tone, suddenly becoming serious. "The current Hokage of Konoha has run into a bit of a situation. As the temporary person in charge of the Village, I must ensure safety. You must know what has happened in Konoha recently, right?"
Sasuke couldn't help but frown slightly at the words. He, of course, knew what had happened at this time—Orochimaru's "Konoha Crush Plan" and the sacrifice of the Third Hokage... But the understated phrase "run into a bit of a situation" felt very out of place to him.
"Sigh, to be honest, I really don't like this business-like attitude," Jiraiya said, spreading his hands. "Simply put, these are extraordinary times, so someone must be assigned to monitor you."
"Eh? Monitor?" Boruto's eyes widened in surprise. As the Hokage's son, he had never imagined that he would one day be treated as an object of surveillance in Konoha.
"Um... Jiraiya-sensei, if a surveillance mission is needed, why don't you leave it to me?" Naruto suddenly volunteered.
"Huh? You?" Jiraiya looked incredulous. It wasn't that he doubted Naruto's ability, but he felt that having the current Naruto perform such a low-level mission was a waste of talent.
"It's fine, all the Ninja missions have been suspended recently anyway, and I happen to be quite free," Naruto said easily.
"Mr. Sasuke! This is great!" Boruto whispered, barely containing his excitement. "I didn't expect to be able to follow Dad so naturally!"
However, Sasuke did not respond to Boruto's joy. He gazed at Naruto's back, again noticing something amiss—this Naruto was too polite.
In his memory, Naruto at this time should have been a boisterous, lively, and even somewhat clumsy hot-blooded youth. This calm and polite Naruto in front of him was mature to the point of being unfamiliar.
"I see... Well then..." Jiraiya stroked his chin, pondering for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh! It's settled then! Young Miss, would you like to go for a cup of tea?"
Before he even finished speaking, Jiraiya instantly moved next to a passing, well-endowed female Villager and enthusiastically struck up a conversation.
"Slap!"
The female Villager was startled by the sudden approach. "Slap!" A crisp slap landed mercilessly on Jiraiya's face, echoing loudly on the quiet street.
Boruto, standing by, was dumbfounded. He secretly glanced at Sasuke beside him, finding him still expressionless, while Naruto let out a soft sigh, already accustomed to this scene.
"Huh? Get lost, old pervert..." The female Villager was about to scold him when her gaze suddenly fell upon Naruto standing not far away. Her expression instantly changed from stormy to sunny, and her voice became sweet. "Eh? Isn't this Young Master Naruto?" She curtsied slightly, her face full of friendly smiles. "Are you going to Cultivate? You must be working hard. Would you like to come to my sister's house for dinner?"
Naruto politely stepped back half a pace, maintaining an appropriate distance. "Eh? That, no, thank you, I've already eaten." His voice was gentle but with a clear hint of detachment.
"Don't be shy~" The female Villager took another step closer. "If it's Young Master Naruto, you can come visit my house anytime." Her eyes held a flattering look, a stark contrast to her attitude towards Jiraiya just now.
"Cough, cough," Jiraiya rubbed his reddened cheek, unwilling to give up, and interjected, "This Young Miss, Naruto has an important mission now, so... if you don't mind, I can take his place?"
"Slap!" Another loud slap. The female Villager glared at Jiraiya, then turned to Naruto with concern. "Young Master Naruto, you absolutely must not get too close to such a pervert, it will pollute your pure heart." With that, she adjusted the lapel of her kimono and walked away quickly with elegant steps.
"What is this person... even doing..." Boruto mumbled, his lofty image of the "Three Ninja" severely shaken.
Sasuke quietly observed all of this, his brows slightly furrowed. The Villagers' attitude towards Naruto in this world was too abnormal, that almost fawning respect. This made him even more certain that the trajectory of this world's development was indeed completely different from his understanding.
"...Cough, cough," Jiraiya awkwardly cleared his throat, trying to salvage some dignity. He said with a feigned composure, "Alright, Naruto, I still have some important matters to attend to. The surveillance mission is yours. I'll come find you after I'm done."
He turned to leave, calculating that although Kushina's warning meant he couldn't peep into women's bathhouses anymore, visiting legal entertainment establishments to experience "local customs" should be fine—after all, it was a consensual transaction.
"Um, please wait a moment," Sasuke suddenly spoke.
Jiraiya stopped, turning back with a hint of impatience. "What else is it?"
Sasuke took a step forward, choosing his words carefully. "Recently... in Konoha Village... has there been any situation of a rogue Ninja leaving?"
"Rogue Ninja?" Jiraiya's eyes showed confusion. "There's been no such thing recently. Where did you hear such unreliable news?"
"...I see, I understand, thank you."
——————
The three shadows moved slowly on the slightly empty street. After Jiraiya left, a delicate balance formed between Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Boruto. Logically, Naruto, as the monitor, should have been following behind the other two, but the situation was completely reversed—the two being monitored were following Naruto closely.
Boruto walked with his hands clasped behind his head, curiously observing this Konoha, which was completely different from what he knew. The buildings on both sides of the street were slightly old, and some shops had not fully recovered from the previous attack. Occasionally, workers could be seen repairing damaged eaves.
Sasuke's gaze constantly scanned his surroundings vigilantly, while also dedicating some attention to Naruto in front of him. This blonde youth, with his calm demeanor, formed a stark contrast to the always bouncing Naruto in his memory. Sasuke's inner doubts grew deeper—what had Naruto in this world experienced?
Finally, they arrived at a relatively quiet area. Most of the houses here were vacant, and there were almost no pedestrians on the street, only a few withered leaves swirling in the breeze. Naruto stopped and turned around.
"Hmm? What's wrong? Dad..." Boruto instinctively started, then quickly corrected himself, "Is something the matter?" He lowered his hands from behind his head, standing up straight with a slight tension.
Naruto's gaze shifted between the two, finally settling on Sasuke. He gave a slightly apologetic smile, pointing at Sasuke and saying, "Um... I have something I'd like to say to this person. Could I trouble you to step away for a moment?"
"Eh? To Sa..." Boruto looked at Sasuke in confusion, his eyes asking for clarification. After receiving Sasuke's almost imperceptible nod, he reluctantly agreed. "Alright, I'll wait for you both up ahead."
After Boruto's figure disappeared around the corner, the area became even quieter.
"Alright, what is it?" Sasuke broke the silence first. "If it's about the hidden Ninjutsu... but we have no intentions of harming Konoha."
As he said this, Sasuke felt a strange sensation. The young man standing before him, apart from being a bit taller than Naruto at the same age in his memory, looked almost identical.
But his calm demeanor was completely different from the lively and impulsive Naruto he remembered. This contradictory feeling of familiarity and strangeness made Sasuke unconsciously tense his nerves.
Naruto looked up and met Sasuke's gaze, which was obscured by his clothing. His eyes became unusually serious.
"You... are Uchiha Sasuke, aren't you?"
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right nobut who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/TripleCrown
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"