The morning sun was barely cresting the horizon when Naruto and Jiraiya stood at Konohagakure's main gate, the massive wooden doors that marked the boundary between the village and the wider world beyond. The journey that would reshape Naruto's life was about to begin—not gradually, not with days of preparation and emotional processing, but with the abrupt finality of a door closing on one chapter and another opening whether he was ready or not.
It had all happened so fast that Naruto's mind was still struggling to catch up with reality. Less than two hours ago, he'd been sitting alone in Asuma's apartment, staring at walls and trying to figure out how to exist in a village that blamed him for breathing. Now he stood with a packed travel bag, wearing his Academy graduation forehead protector, preparing to leave the only home he'd ever known in the company of a man he'd met just yesterday.
His classmates had gathered to see him off despite the early hour, a cluster of familiar faces that made something in Naruto's chest tighten with emotions he couldn't quite name. Sasuke stood slightly apart from the others as usual, his expression unreadable but his presence itself significant—he'd actually come, had dragged himself out of bed before dawn to say goodbye to someone he'd probably never admit was a friend.
Rock Lee stood at the front of the group, his eyes already shining with tears he wasn't bothering to hide. Hinata hovered near the back, her fingers pressed together nervously, looking like she wanted to say something but couldn't quite find the courage. Sakura and Ino stood together, their usual rivalry temporarily suspended by the gravity of the situation. Even Shikamaru had shown up, though he looked half-asleep and distinctly uncomfortable with the emotional nature of the gathering.
"So you're really leaving," Sakura said, her voice carrying a tremor she was trying to hide. "For how long?"
"A year, maybe two," Naruto replied, the timeline still feeling abstract and impossible despite Jiraiya having explained it multiple times. "Depends on how long it takes to... to fix my seal issues and get stronger."
"That's so long!" Ino's voice rose slightly before she caught herself, glancing around to make sure she wasn't drawing unwanted attention from early-rising villagers. "You'll miss so much! Genin team assignments, our first real missions, everything!"
"Maybe it's better that way," Naruto said quietly, his gaze dropping to the ground. "Maybe it's better if I'm not around for a while. Safer for everyone."
"That's stupid," Sasuke said flatly, his first contribution to the conversation. "Running away doesn't solve anything, dobe. It just delays dealing with problems until they become worse problems."
"I'm not running away!" Naruto's head snapped up, defensive anger flaring. "I'm going on a training journey! There's a difference!"
"Is there?" Sasuke's dark eyes held his with characteristic intensity. "Or are you just letting the village's fear chase you away? Because if you are, then you're proving them right about you being a liability that needs to be managed rather than a shinobi who stands his ground."
The words stung because they hit too close to truths Naruto had been trying not to examine too closely. Before he could formulate a response, Lee stepped forward, his expression earnest and determined.
"Naruto! I do not believe you are running away!" Lee's voice carried absolute conviction. "I believe you are doing what all great shinobi must do—training to become stronger, learning from a master, and preparing to return more capable than before! This is not retreat! This is strategic advancement of your skills so that when you come back, you can prove everyone wrong about their fears!"
"What Lee said," Hinata added softly, her voice barely audible but her eyes carrying fierce determination when they met Naruto's. "You're going to come back stronger. You're going to show everyone that you're more than... than what they think you are. I know you will, Naruto-kun."
"Just don't forget about us while you're out there having adventures," Sakura said, her attempt at lightness not quite masking underlying concern. "And write sometimes, okay? Let us know you're alive and not getting into too much trouble."
"I'll write," Naruto promised, though the idea of putting his thoughts and experiences into letters felt strange and awkward. "And when I come back, I'll be so strong that even you'll be impressed, Sasuke!"
"I'll be impressed when you can beat me in a straight fight," Sasuke replied, but something in his tone had softened fractionally. "Train hard, dobe. I don't want you falling too far behind to be worth competing with."
From Sasuke, that was practically a declaration of eternal friendship. Naruto felt his throat tighten with emotions he didn't have words for.
"Alright kids, that's enough tearful goodbyes for now," Jiraiya interjected, his voice carrying cheerful authority that suggested he'd been letting this scene play out as long as he judged healthy. "We need to hit the road if we're going to make decent distance today. Naruto, say your finals and let's move."
Naruto looked at his classmates—these people who'd climbed monuments to bring him to funerals, who'd stood by him when the village turned hostile, who'd bothered to wake up before dawn just to say goodbye. Whatever else happened on this journey, he'd carry the memory of their presence with him.
"Thanks for coming," he said, his voice rough. "All of you. It... it means something. You guys mean something. I'll come back. I promise. And when I do, I'll be someone you can be proud to call a friend."
"We're already proud," Lee said, tears streaming freely now. "Your flames of youth burn brightly even in darkness! Never forget that!"
And then there were no more words, just a moment of shared understanding before Naruto turned and followed Jiraiya through the gate, leaving Konohagakure behind with each step feeling both necessary and like abandonment.
An Hour and a Half Earlier
The conversation that had set all of this in motion had happened in Asuma's apartment, where Naruto had been staying since his grandfather's death made returning to the Sarutobi compound unbearable. He'd been sitting on the couch staring at nothing—a position he'd occupied for increasingly long stretches over the past week—when Jiraiya had arrived with Asuma in tow.
"Naruto," Jiraiya had said without preamble, settling into the chair across from him with casual ease that suggested he was delivering everyday news rather than life-changing information. "Pack your things. You're coming with me on a training journey. It's already been decided and approved by the village elders. We leave this morning."
The words had taken several seconds to process. "What? I don't—what are you talking about? I can't just leave! I have... I have things here! The compound and Grandpa's stuff and—"
"And staying here is killing you," Jiraiya interrupted gently but firmly. "Kid, I've seen shinobi handle grief in a lot of ways, and what you're doing isn't handling it. You're drowning in it. The village atmosphere isn't helping—if anything, it's making things worse. You need distance, perspective, and intensive training to deal with your seal issues. I can provide all of that."
"But—"
"Naruto, go with him," Asuma said quietly, moving to sit beside his nephew. His face still carried the weight of his own grief, lines that hadn't been there two weeks ago now permanently etched around his eyes. "Jiraiya and I talked about this. He's right that you need to get away from here for a while. The village needs time to calm down, and you need time to heal without constantly being reminded of what happened."
"So I am running away." The accusation was directed at himself as much as them.
"You're strategically repositioning," Jiraiya corrected with a slight smile. "There's a difference. Running implies fleeing without purpose. What I'm proposing is intensive training with one of the Legendary Sannin, learning techniques and skills that will make you one of the most formidable shinobi of your generation. That's not running—that's investing in your future."
"He was also your father's sensei," Asuma added, and the revelation hit Naruto like a physical blow. "Jiraiya taught Minato Namikaze—the Fourth Hokage, your father—everything that made him legendary. If anyone can help you master your seal and your potential, it's him. That's why your grandfather wanted him to take over your training if anything ever happened. This was always the contingency plan."
Naruto stared at Jiraiya with new eyes. "You taught my father? The Fourth Hokage?"
"Damn right I did," Jiraiya said with obvious pride. "Minato was my finest student—brilliant, dedicated, innovative in ways that revolutionized sealing theory. Everything he became, he built on foundations I helped him establish. And from what I've seen, you've got his potential and then some. You just need proper guidance to develop it."
"So I should treat you with respect and deference and all that formal stuff," Naruto said slowly, trying to process this information.
"Gods no!" Jiraiya looked horrified at the prospect. "I'm many things, but I am not a stuffy traditionalist who insists on honorifics and bowing. Just call me Jiraiya, or Lord Jiraiya the Great. What matters isn't titles—it's that you listen when I'm teaching and actually apply what you learn instead of just nodding and then doing whatever you feel like anyway."
Despite everything, Naruto felt the corner of his mouth twitch with something that might have been amusement and annoyance at the same time. "Lord Jiraiya the Great?"
"You'll understand that nickname eventually," Jiraiya said with a grin that suggested stories Naruto wasn't sure he wanted to hear. "Point is, I'm offering you an adventure, kid. A chance to see the shinobi world beyond this village's walls, to learn from someone who trained one of the greatest Hokages in history, and to become strong enough that when you return, no one can question whether you deserve to be here."
He leaned forward, his expression becoming more serious. "I'm not going to lie to you—this won't be easy. Training with me is intense. I'll push you past limits you didn't know you had. We'll be traveling constantly, living rough sometimes, facing challenges that will test everything you are. But at the end of it, you'll be someone completely different. Stronger. More capable. More confident. Someone who can look your grandfather's sacrifice in the eye and say 'I made this worth it.'"
Naruto's hands clenched into fists on his knees. The offer was tempting—escape from the village's hostile whispers, intensive training with a legendary shinobi, the chance to learn about his father from someone who'd actually known him. But underneath the temptation was guilt so profound it threatened to choke him.
"What if I hurt someone?" The question came out small, vulnerable. "What if we're traveling and I lose control again and someone dies because of me? What if the Nine-Tails—"
"Then I'll stop it," Jiraiya said simply. "Kid, I'm one of three people in the entire world who are called Legendary Sannin for a reason. If your seal fails—which it won't, because I'll be monitoring and maintaining it—I have the skills to contain the Nine-Tails long enough to reseal it properly. You're not a danger to me or to anyone we'll meet, because I won't let you be. That's not bravado. That's fact based on forty years of experience dealing with exactly these kinds of situations."
"Plus," he continued, his tone becoming more animated, "think about what you'll learn! The shinobi world is enormous—dozens of countries, hundreds of villages, thousands of different fighting styles and techniques! You'll see landscapes you've never imagined, meet people whose lives are completely different from anything in Konoha, learn skills that most shinobi never even hear about! And more importantly—" his voice became more serious, "—you'll learn about what it means to be a shinobi beyond just the missions and combat. You'll see how shinobi interact with civilians, how politics and power shape nations, how the choices we make ripple out to affect thousands of people."
"If you want to be Hokage someday," Jiraiya added, and something in Naruto stirred at hearing someone acknowledge that dream without mockery or dismissal, "you need to understand the world you'll be protecting. A Hokage who's never left their village is like a doctor who's never seen illness—technically qualified maybe, but lacking crucial context. This journey will give you that context. You'll return not just stronger, but wiser. More capable of leadership because you'll understand what you're actually leading."
The reasoning was sound. Actually, it was more than sound—it was exactly what Naruto needed to hear to overcome the guilt telling him he should suffer in the village as punishment for existing. If he stayed, he'd continue drowning in self-blame and villager hostility. If he left, he could train, could grow, could become someone his grandfather would have been proud of.
"You said a year or two," Naruto said slowly. "That's a long time. What about genin team assignments? What about—"
"Will wait," Asuma interrupted gently. "Naruto, you were graduated early anyway because of extraordinary circumstances. Technically you shouldn't be eligible for genin teams until next year when your class formally graduates. This training journey just gives you something productive to do during that gap year instead of sitting around the village getting more depressed. When you return, you'll be assigned to a team like normal. You're not missing anything."
It was the practical answer that made the decision feel less like abandonment and more like strategic planning. Naruto looked between them—Asuma, his uncle who was barely holding himself together but still trying to do right by him, and Jiraiya, this eccentric legendary shinobi who'd apparently decided Naruto was worth investing time in.
"When do we leave?" Naruto asked, and the decision settled over him with equal parts relief and terror.
"This morning," Jiraiya said cheerfully. "Like, in an hour and a half. So start packing—clothes, toiletries, weapons, that forehead protector Iruka gave you. Travel light because we'll be moving fast. Leave anything truly valuable with Asuma for safekeeping. And wear comfortable shoes because we're going to be walking a lot."
"An hour and a half?!" Naruto's voice rose to a near-shout. "That's insane! I need time to—to say goodbye and arrange things and—"
"And if I give you more time, you'll spend it overthinking and talking yourself out of this," Jiraiya said knowingly. "Better to move fast, rip the bandage off, commit to the decision before doubt sets in. Trust me, kid. Quick departures are often the kindest kind."
Which is how Naruto had found himself frantically packing while Asuma helped him decide what was essential versus what could be stored. How he'd ended up with a travel bag that felt impossibly light considering it held everything he'd need for the next year or more. How he'd walked to the village gates with Jiraiya before his mind could fully process that he was leaving.
Present - The Gates
Now, watching his classmates' faces as he prepared to walk through those gates and away from everything familiar, Naruto felt the full weight of the decision settling over him. This was real. This was happening. In minutes, Konohagakure would be behind him, and whatever lay ahead would be his reality.
"Ready, kid?" Jiraiya asked, his hand resting briefly on Naruto's shoulder with surprising gentleness.
"No," Naruto admitted honestly. "But I don't think I'd ever be ready. So we might as well go anyway."
"That's the spirit! Fake confidence until it becomes real confidence—great strategy!" Jiraiya's grin was encouraging. "Come on. Adventure awaits, and it won't wait for us to feel emotionally prepared. That's what makes it adventure instead of planning."
They walked through the gates side by side, Naruto stealing one last look back at his classmates waving farewell, at the village that had been both home and prison, at the monument where his grandfather's stone face would continue watching over the village long after everyone who'd known him personally was gone.
I'll come back, Naruto promised silently. Stronger. Better. Someone worthy of what you gave up for me. I swear it.
And then they were past the gates, on the road that led away from Konohagakure toward whatever the world held beyond. Toward training and growth and healing that might be possible away from the site of trauma. Toward a future that remained uncertain but carried possibility rather than just the grinding weight of guilt and grief.
"So," Jiraiya said conversationally as they walked, the village disappearing behind them with each step. "First stop is a town about thirty miles east. We'll get there by evening if we maintain a good pace. Then tomorrow we start your actual training—chakra control exercises, seal theory, maybe some toad summoning basics if you're ready. After that... well, we'll figure it out as we go. That's half the fun of a journey—not knowing exactly where you'll end up or what you'll learn along the way."
"Toad summoning?" Naruto latched onto the detail, grateful for distraction from the emotions churning in his chest. "Like, actual toads?"
"Giant combat toads, actually. I'll introduce you to them when you're ready. They're... an acquired taste. Literally, in some cases. Long story." Jiraiya's grin suggested stories that Naruto wasn't sure he wanted to hear but would probably end up hearing anyway.
And just like that, walking beside someone who knew his father and believed in his potential despite the demon inside him, Naruto took his first steps into a future that might be different than anything he'd imagined but carried hope he desperately needed.
The sun rose higher. The road stretched ahead. And behind them, Konohagakure continued without them, the village that had shaped them both now left to face its own future while they forged a different path.
The journey had begun. Where it would end, neither of them could say.
But for the first time in over a week, Naruto felt something other than crushing grief and guilt. He felt possibility. And that, more than anything, was reason enough to keep walking forward.
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