Naruto sat by a campfire, his grin wide as he roasted fish, joking, "Pervy Sage, you're gonna burn yours again!" Jiraiya laughed, but Naruto's mind was elsewhere, replaying a spar from earlier. Jiraiya had pushed him, using a sealing jutsu that disrupted his clones. Naruto had countered by splitting his chakra unevenly, making some clones decoys with minimal chakra, others heavy hitters with the Nine-Tails' boost. He'd lost, but he'd learned: Jiraiya's seals were like the Scroll of Sealing's, and cracking them was key to controlling the fox.His intelligence was growing, not in books but in strategy. He analyzed Jiraiya's habits—when he scouted, when he relaxed—mapping his weaknesses. If Jiraiya ever turned on him, Naruto would be ready. He didn't trust the Sannin, not when he dodged questions about the Fourth. "Why me?" Naruto had asked once, his grin playful. Jiraiya's vague reply—"You're special, kid"—was a lie by omission. Naruto didn't push; he'd find the truth himself, out in the world, once he was strong enough to leave Konoha's leash.A mission interrupted their training: a village plagued by bandits, likely Orochimaru's pawns. Naruto's grin was bright as they arrived, shouting, "Time to save the day!" but his plan was cold. He sent clones to scout, mapping the bandit camp's layout, noting guard patterns. Instead of charging, he suggested a trap—clones disguised as villagers to lure the bandits into an ambush. Jiraiya raised an eyebrow but agreed. The plan worked, the bandits caught in a pincer of clones and Rasengans, their leader felled by Naruto's precise strike."You're getting sharp," Jiraiya said, but Naruto's grin hid his calculations. He'd used the mission to test his tactics, to gauge Jiraiya's trust. The Nine-Tails' chakra had stayed leashed, used only to enhance his clones' speed. He was smarter now, saving his trump card for when it mattered. The world beyond Konoha—full of rogues, secrets, and truths—was his goal, and he'd outwit anyone to reach it.
