Chapter 137: A Dark Conjecture"No, that's not right."Regarding Naruto's evaluation that 'a Genjutsu that must be activated through direct physical contact is practically useless in actual combat,' Jiraiya slowly shook his head.The resentful expression on his face, which had just been grieving for his bankbook, had quietly faded away. In its place was the shrewdness and sharpness belonging to one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha, famous throughout the Ninja World."Think about it from another angle," Jiraiyaextended a finger. "Your Taijutsu foundation is already ridiculously solid, and now you have a killing move that delivers a Mental Shock as long as you touch the opponent's body."His finger tapped Naruto's shoulder. "In a Taijutsu clash, do you understand what a massive advantage this gives you? In Taijutsu duels, victory or defeat is often decided by an opening in a single instant. And this move of yours can directly create that opening for your opponent.""Taijutsu, huh..."Naruto followed his teacher's words, lowering his eyes to think seriously.After a moment, he still slowly shook his head.Jiraiya's analysis was indeed reasonable. For any ordinary Ninja, this ability to surprise an opponent and shock their spirit during a Taijutsu struggle would be considered a useful trump card.But Naruto knew better than anyone that the ability to release Mental Shocks was a new power evolved by his Stand, Sun Echo, after being tempered in the Tsukuyomi Space.Most importantly, for some reason, this ability could not be added to the Vibration Release Chakra he had developed.This meant that if he wanted to use this new ability, he first had to find an opportunity to strike Hamon into the opponent's body, and then use that as a basis to convert the Hamon into a Shockwave, thereby causing a Mental Shock to the opponent.This brought about two problems.First, in a fight between Ninjas, even in a pure Taijutsu duel, there is always flowing Chakrawithin both parties' bodies for defense and power generation.When his Hamon hit, the Chakra in the opponent's body would instinctively resist immediately. Someone with a large amount of Chakra like Kisame Hoshigaki could even directly disperse the Hamon.The previous Taijutsu struggle with Uchiha Itachiwas the best proof.Naruto tried several times to strike Hamon into the other's body, but the results were always negligible.Unless, like Jiraiya just now, they had completely relaxed their guard and were not refining Chakra, it wouldn't be easy to succeed.Second, how much effect this ability could ultimately exert and how strong the shock would be all depended on how strong the Hamon struck into the enemy's body was.This meant that during battle, one must infuse a sufficiently strong Hamon into the enemy to achieve the effect of influencing the fight.But if a sufficiently strong Hamon were truly infused, then whether it was controlling the enemy's body through Hamon or directly converting Hamon into a physical Shockwave, the effect would be stronger than a simple Mental Shock.Of course, if it were only this, Naruto wouldn't be too disappointed.After all, no matter what, it was still a trump card.What truly bothered him was that this control ability realized in the Tsukuyomi Space actually couldn't be integrated into Vibration Release Chakra as a stable 'trait' like Suction or Repulsion.His original conception of this new ability should have been far more diverse than it is now, and the power and effects it could achieve should have been even more impressive."Why... I've clearly touched the threshold, but I just can't do it? This move should have been able to be much stronger..."Naruto's brow furrowed tighter and tighter as he lowered his head, staring blankly at his open palms before him.He originally wanted to demonstrate the new ability to help the Pervy Sage move past the pain of losing money.In the end, it was he himself who fell back into deeper worries.Jiraiya blinked. Seeing the boy's face fall again as if he were stuck in a dead end, he could only scratch his messy white hair."Ahem!"Jiraiya coughed loudly twice, forcibly pulling Naruto's attention back: "Alright, alright, stop with the long face! Once we get back to the Village, this Immortal will lead you into the next stage of training!"Then he put on a confident smile and patted his chest: "I promise you, the next time that bastard Uchiha Itachi shows his face, you'll definitely be able to beat him down yourself!"He intended to use a grand promise to encourage his disciple, but unexpectedly, as soon as his voice fell, Naruto looked up and replied gloomily: "Uchiha Itachi won't live much longer.""What?"The smile on Jiraiya's face suddenly froze for a moment, and then his expression changed slightly, with his voice deepening a bit: "Did he... also tell you about this?""Huh?" Naruto raised an eyebrow and tilted his head at Jiraiya. "'Also'?"Jiraiya's expression immediately became extremely unnatural, and a flash of panic crossed his face.Realizing he had let it slip in his haste, he quickly laughed it off, his eyes guiltily glancing at the ceiling as he tried to cover it up with feigned composure: "Um, look at how pale that guy's face was; you can tell at a glance he definitely won't live long, right?"However, to his great disappointment, Naruto was not led astray by this inferior attempt at glossing things over."Pervy Sage, the question you subconsciously asked was 'Did he tell you about this.'"Naruto rubbed his chin, his sharp gaze fixed on Jiraiya as if trying to see right through him."This means that long before my battle, Uchiha Itachi had already told you that his days were numbered."He analyzed to himself, his brain spinning rapidly as he pieced together recent events: "That explains it. That explains it.""Before, I felt something didn't make sense. When Uchiha Itachi attacked Sasuke, he clearly fled immediately after seeing you, obviously very wary of you. Yet you were full of confidence, certain that if you took me out as bait, that guy would absolutely be unable to resist appearing."At this point, the corner of Naruto's mouth quirked up: "There's some kind of unknown connection between you and Uchiha Itachi, isn't there?""O-of course not." The muscles at the corner of Jiraiya's mouth twitched twice as he let out a dry, hollow laugh. "You brat, what are you overthinking all day?"However, Naruto remained unmoved, continuing to search for evidence in his memory: "Also, when Uchiha Itachi and I woke up from Tsukuyomi, I already had the advantage, yet you entered the battlefield just as I was about to strike him and blocked my path."In Naruto's deep blue pupils, Jiraiya's slightly embarrassed face was reflected: "You weren't there to support me then; you were there to stop me and save Uchiha Itachi, right?"Jiraiya fell silent for a moment. On that face being pressured by Naruto's gaze, a bitter smile broke out.He grabbed his white hair forcefully and sighed helplessly, wearing an 'I give up on you' expression as he waved his hand: "What are you babbling about, kid? I think you're suffering from the aftereffects of Tsukuyomi and starting to get paranoid, Naruto.""What exactly is going on?" Naruto didn't buy it and took a step forward. "And speaking of which, an instant in the outside world is three days in the Tsukuyomi Space. You two were in there communicating and talking, weren't you?""I told you, you're overthinking it!"Jiraiya threw down these words and, with a flick of his large sleeve, stood up abruptly from the wide armchair.He didn't give Naruto a chance to continue questioning, walking toward his room without looking back, only leaving behind: "Alright, alright, this Immortal is going to rest. That fight made my whole body feel like it's falling apart. Don't bother me if there's nothing important!"Naruto stood where he was, not chasing after him or asking another word.He just watched Jiraiya quietly until that somewhat hurried back disappeared at the end of the corridor. Only then did he slowly narrow his eyes, his gaze becoming deep and complex.A conjecture was quietly taking shape in his heart.That conjecture was too dark, too unreasonable; he didn't even want to believe it.So he just stood there in silence, pressing that heavy doubt into the deepest part of his heart.
Chapter 138: Extraordinary TalentThree days later, Jiraiya returned to Konoha with Naruto.Over the past few days, the unease in his heart had not faded with time; instead, it grew heavier.Ever since that day at the hotel when Naruto had bombarded him with questions, this boy—who usually spoke his mind—seemed like a different person. He never again brought up anything regarding himself or Uchiha Itachi.It was as if that previous, intense interrogation had never even happened.Jiraiya had already prepared his excuses, rehearsing them in his head over and over, thinking of how to brush the matter off.But all those meticulously prepared mental drafts were now completely wasted.This situation was clearly abnormal.Jiraiya had spent so much time with Naruto that he understood the boy's personality all too well.He was never the type of person who could let doubts rot in his stomach, especially regarding a matter involving Sasuke—the dear friend he would risk his life to protect.The more silent Naruto became and the more indifferent he acted toward that incident, the more Jiraiya felt a splitting headache coming on.He couldn't help but wonder to himself: Could this kid have actually guessed something? Is it that he's not asking because he doesn't need to ask anymore?But how could such a thing be brought up and asked directly?Along the way, Jiraiya had tried to fish for information with indirect questions several times. To his surprise, Naruto's lips were sealed tight, revealing not a single hint of his true thoughts.Jiraiya was out of options.He could only swallow his worries and keep silent, maintaining a tacit, unspoken peace with Naruto."I'm going to the Konoha Hospital to see if I can treat Sasuke, so I'll be going now, Pervy Sage."After arriving at the Village, Naruto gave him a quick greeting at the intersection and turned toward the Konoha Hospital without looking back.Jiraiya stood there, watching the silhouette disappear at the end of the street. Finally, he could only scratch his messy white hair in frustration, set his worries aside for the moment, and head to the Hokage Office."You're back, Jiraiya."The Third Hokage looked up from a mountain of documents and greeted his Disciple who had just pushed the door open.At this moment, only the master and Disciple were in the office. Jiraiya didn't bother with formalities; he casually pulled over a chair and sat down, his burly frame sinking into the not-so-spacious seat as he let out a long breath."How did it go?" the Third Hokage asked curiously, seeing his relaxed yet pensive expression."It went smoothly enough. I made contact with Uchiha Itachi," Jiraiya reported succinctly."So, are there answers to those questions?" The Third Hokage's eyes narrowed slightly, his tone deepening."Let me think..." Jiraiya tilted his head, rubbing his temple with one hand as he organized the information obtained in the Tsukuyomi Space. He then spoke slowly, "First, Uchiha Itachi's return to Konoha this time was to observe and test Naruto's strength."The Akatsuki Organization's goal is confirmed to be the Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki. However, as for the specific methods, timing, and who will target whom, no one knows these core plans except for the Akatsuki leader, Pain."He paused, his tone becoming even heavier: "Secondly, the reason Uchiha Itachi dealt such a heavy blow to Sasuke is that his physical condition suddenly deteriorated over a month ago."Based on his own judgment, he likely only has one to two years of life left. That's why Itachi chose such an extreme method to forcefully stimulate Sasuke, pushing his younger brother to grow up as quickly as possible.""Using such a method... it's far too risky." The Third Hokage slowly shook his head, his wrinkled face showing little emotion. After a brief pause, he let out a long sigh. "However, considering what Itachi has always carried and the little time he has left, making such a choice... is not entirely incomprehensible."He looked up at Jiraiya. "Did Itachi make any requests?""No," Jiraiya shook his head, his gaze darkening. "He only said that regarding Sasuke, he has his own arrangements.""His own arrangements?" The Third Hokagetroubledly placed his pipe in his mouth and took a puff. Amidst the swirling smoke, his voice sounded weary and aged. "The last time he and Danzo said they had 'their own arrangements'... the result was that tragic Night of the Clans Massacre.""Speaking of which," Jiraiya seemed to suddenly remember something. His eyes became incredibly serious and solemn, and he sat up straighter. "Naruto is also an issue.""Huh?"The Third Hokage's gray eyebrows shot up, his eyes filled with surprise and scrutiny.One must understand that as the Hokage, he had specifically conducted various investigations into the child Uzumaki Naruto.Among everyone who had interacted with the boy, not a single person had a bad word to say; it was unanimous praise.Because of this, he had already mentally included Naruto as a candidate for the future Hokage.Now, hearing his most trusted Disciple suddenly say Naruto might have an issue, he naturally felt suspicious.However, the Third Hokage also knew his DiscipleJiraiya very well.This guy usually acted carefree, but he never spoke recklessly when it came to serious matters.Thus, the Third Hokage slowly set his pipe on the edge of the desk and asked in a deep voice, "What kind of issue does Naruto have?"At this point, as if to slightly soften the suddenly heavy atmosphere, a chuckle formed on his face as he added half-jokingly, "It couldn't be because that child's talent is even greater than Minato's was, and you, as his teacher, are finally feeling the pressure?"Jiraiya did not laugh. He simply shook his head slowly. "No, my evaluation won't change. Compared to Minato Namikaze, any Ninja would seem lacking. He was the most perfect Genius I have ever seen in my life. But Naruto..."He looked seriously at the Third Hokage. "Unlike the Genius Minato, Naruto is an [Extraordinary Talent].""Extraordinary Talent?" the Third Hokagerepeated, signaling for him to continue."Exactly." Jiraiya's brow furrowed as he seemed to search for the most accurate words. "Any Breakthrough or progress Minato made followed a clear logic; it was traceable. Compared to him, you would only feel left far behind, but you wouldn't feel it was incomprehensible.""But the feeling Naruto gives me is of a completely different kind."He closed his eyes slightly, recalling every detail of his time spent day and night with Naruto."It's as if Naruto has a set of theories and cognitive systems unique to his own mind. He can master what others teach him at an astonishing speed, but he won't obediently follow the path others have trodden. Instead, he deconstructs and digests what he learns, then integrates it into his own system."As he spoke, Jiraiya raised his fingers to count. "First, there was the Chakra theory Kakashi taught him. After learning it, Naruto combined it with his own special Physique to develop his unique 'Vibration Release'.""Then, there was the Rasengan I taught him. Before completing the third stage of training, he found his own alternative path and added a Nature Transformation to the Rasengan, achieving a goal even Minato hadn't finished."After that, just a few days ago, he experienced Uchiha Itachi's genjutsu 'Tsukuyomi'. Not only did he not suffer a mental breakdown, but he even developed a powerful genjutsu that causes Mental Shocks in the target..."Listening to Jiraiya's detailed account, the Third Hokage's tense expression gradually relaxed, and the weight in his heart lifted.He even involuntarily grinned, his aged face wrinkling into layers of smiles.However, in the next instant, the final sentence Jiraiya spoke caused his smile to freeze on his face."But precisely because he is so special, another issue becomes exceptionally lethal." Jiraiyalowered his hand, interlacing his fingers over his knees as his gaze became incredibly serious and solemn. "That kid Naruto's intuition and insight... are simply terrifying!""On the way back, he made deductions based on just a few slips of the tongue from me and some extremely subtle battlefield details. I even suspect he has already discovered the secret regarding Uchiha Itachi, so..."Jiraiya took a deep breath, as if making a major decision. He looked directly at his mentor behind the desk and voiced the thought he had been suppressing."I feel that rather than letting him continue to deduce things and cause unpredictable events, it would be better to directly tell Naruto the truth about the Night of the Clans Massacre!"
Chapter 139: Absolute Genius, and the Loneliness Born From It..."Are you serious, Jiraiya?"The Third Hokage stood up abruptly, his wrinkled old face full of solemnity.He clasped his hands behind his back, his brows furrowed tightly into a knot as he paced back and forth behind the desk.Even the pipe that usually never left his hand was forgotten, left lying on the table.The truth of the Night of the Clans Massacre was one of Konoha's deepest-buried secrets since the Nine-Tails Rampage.Once this matter leaked out, accusations from other Ninja Villages and external public opinion would be secondary concerns.The real threat lay with the Ninja clans within the Village.Back when the Uchiha Clan planned their coup, the reason Konoha hesitated to act was not because the Uchiha Clan was too strong, but because they were concerned about the reactions of the other Ninja clans.After all, after the First Hokage ended the Sengokuera, the reason the Ninja Village model became so prevalent was that the power a Village could mobilize and use crushed the clan-based model.While the Uchiha Clan produced many geniuses, in Konoha's eyes, they were still an existence that could be wiped out with a flip of a hand.But if such a precedent were set, it could very well shake Konoha's Foundation.Because essentially, Konoha was a Ninja clan Alliance from the very beginning.Although Konoha has trained a large number of civilian Ninjas after decades of development, Ninjas from Ninja clans still make up a huge number and are mostly the mainstays of the Village.The Uchiha Clan massacre was undoubtedly a dangerous signal to other Ninja clans.After all, in their eyes, if Konoha could wipe out the Uchiha Clan today in the name of a coup, who knows if they would find a reason to kill us all tomorrow?That was why the Third Hokage had been indecisive about how to handle the Uchiha Clanuntil Uchiha Itachi appeared out of nowhere.By wiping out his own clan, he downgraded the deep-seated political conflict between 'Konoha and a single Ninja clan' to the level of 'individual conspiracy and madness.'Because of this, for all these years, the truth of the Night of the Clans Massacre had always been locked away among a minimal number of people.Only Hiruzen Sarutobi himself and the three Advisors—four people in total—knew about it.Even Jiraiya, his Personal Disciple whom he regarded as a confidant, would never have been told the ins and outs if Uchiha Itachi hadn't reappeared this time.But now, Jiraiya wanted to tell Naruto about this?Setting aside Naruto's 'always do the right thing' personality, once he learned the truth, he might impulsively spread the word.Even if he only revealed it to Sasuke out of friendship, it would be enough of a massive trouble to drag the entire Village into turmoil.Of course, what made the decision even harder for the Third Hokage was what thoughts would arise in Naruto's heart after learning about this.One must know that he now considered Naruto a key candidate for the future Hokage and had invested great expectations in him in his heart.If that child developed some irreparable resistance and alienation toward the Village because of this dark truth, it would be a devastating blow to Konoha's future."I am serious, of course." After voicing his thoughts, Jiraiya seemed to have completely offloaded a burden.His burly frame relaxed as he leaned back in his chair: "In fact, Naruto has already guessed a lot of clues. If we don't tell the truth and let him keep overthinking, Naruto might take an extreme and wrong path, which would cause even bigger trouble.""I believe in Naruto." The Third Hokage stopped pacing, turned around, and answered firmly."My thoughts are exactly the opposite of yours." Jiraiya slowly shook his head.He pondered for a moment and spoke again after careful consideration: "Naruto's current situation... is actually very dangerous.""What do you mean?" The Third Hokage frowned."Naruto has established many deep and sincere bonds. Everyone who comes into contact with him turns their prejudice around; they no longer see him as a dangerous Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, but accept him, recognize him, and even rely on him from the bottom of their hearts. This is the basis of your trust in Naruto, right, old man?"The Third Hokage nodded: "That's right. Is there a problem with that?""The biggest problem lies exactly there." Jiraiyatook a deep breath, a hint of complexity appearing in his eyes. "Naruto is simply too strong, and too elegant."His thoughts drifted back to the day of the memorial service, when he and Naruto were walking down the street together.At that time, Naruto had his hands behind his head and said the words that remained fresh in his memory—"No matter when, I, Uzumaki Naruto, will always leave elegantly!""For Naruto, it's not that he needs others, but that others need him." Jiraiya closed his eyes slightly. "His heart is very full. The bonds in the Village are not anchor points to fill a void in his heart, but gentle threads he actively radiates outward. He is not complete because he is loved, but because he is loving others."He suddenly opened his eyes and posed a question to the Third Hokage: "Do you know when Naruto is at his strongest?""When?""When he is alone." Jiraiya's tone was incredibly solemn. "In my eyes, Naruto is essentially the same type of person as Uchiha Itachi. They are exceptionally talented and can resolve battles alone. Even Sasuke, who is also a Genius, would only be a burden by their side.""A perfect example is," he held up two fingers, "aside from training and the Harem Jutsu, when have you ever seen him use a Shadow Clone in a real battle? Never. Because to him, even those Clones would only get in the way.""Absolute Genius, and the loneliness born from it, will quietly breed an arrogance that no one can understand. His initial thoughts might be very pure—to protect his comrades, to never let any comrade get hurt.""But as time passes, loneliness and arrogance will make them gradually stop trusting anyone and stop being willing to share with anyone. They will develop a thought: Since I am stronger than everyone else, then I will be the one to carry all the burdens and solve all the problems alone."Jiraiya looked up, staring directly into his master's eyes: "You saw the result, old man. Uchiha Itachichose to carry the guilt of the massacre alone. I believe Naruto won't go to extremes like him, but I also believe that if something happens in Konohathat he sincerely loathes and cannot agree with, Naruto will turn and leave without hesitation.""After all, you know best; from the first day he stepped into his life as a Ninja, he has been practicing that Ninja way: always do the right thing, and ultimately die without regrets."He paused for a moment, then poured out the final sentence weighing on his chest: "So, what we should do is tell Naruto the truth. Then trust and respect his judgment and choice. Otherwise, continuing to hide things like this will only drive him to the opposite side."A long silence fell over the office.The Third Hokage raised his hand to rub his aching temples. After a long time, he let out a long, heavy sigh from the depths of his Soul: "...I will consider it carefully. I will give you an answer on this matter soon.""Good." Jiraiya also knew how much weight this matter carried; it wasn't something that could be agreed to just like that.He didn't say anything more to urge him, but just nodded quietly.The Third Hokage slowly sat back into the large Hokage chair, which seemed exceptionally empty at this moment.The face full of wrinkles and age spots no longer held the relief and happiness from when he first saw Jiraiya return; instead, it was covered by a thick, inseparable cloud of gloom.Seeing his master like this, Jiraiya didn't feel good either.After thinking about it, he decided to temporarily dispel the heavy atmosphere, so he adopted a relaxed tone and said: "Old man, I think it's about time you considered retiring, isn't it?"The Third Hokage looked up, and a trace of unexpected pleasant surprise finally appeared on his solemn old face: "What, do you finally have the intention to return to the Village?"If Jiraiya was willing, with his seniority, combat record, and prestige, he would definitely be an excellent candidate to take over as Hokage.However, Jiraiya immediately spoke, shattering the hope that had just ignited in the Third Hokage.He waved his hand and flatly denied it: "Not me, I'm talking about Tsunade. The Village has just gone through such a great catastrophe; as one of the Sannin, she should come back and take a look, shouldn't she?"Jiraiya had mentioned finding Tsunade to the Third before.But at that time, the Third Hokage had many concerns and rejected his proposal, instead giving him the task of tracking Uchiha Itachi's whereabouts.Now that Jiraiya was bringing up the old matter, he had clearly heard of some new developments during his time away."You're a step too late, Jiraiya." The Third Hokagepulled a thin file from the mountain of documents on the desk and tossed it to him across the room with a flick of his wrist.Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, caught it with one hand, and after flipping it open for just a glance, a flash of undisguised surprise crossed his face: "That guy Orochimaru really didn't die! And he already beat us to finding Tsunade?"He closed the file, tossed it back onto the desk, and his tone became somewhat irritable and confused: "I really don't know what's going on in Tsunade's head, that she would actually be shaken to this extent. Orochimaru clearly attacked Konoha and even toyed with her grandfather's Soul, yet she still...""Back then, to pursue eternal life, Orochimaruconducted so many forbidden experiments in secret. And those results of his have already been displayed in the Konoha Destruction Plan." The Third Hokage didn't seem very surprised by this.He picked up his pipe again, putting it in his mouth without lighting it, just holding it loosely as his voice became hoarse and low: "You should understand in your heart what those two people actually mean to Tsunade, right?"Jiraiya didn't answer.He just subconsciously raised his hand and touched his chest through his clothes; beneath the long-healed scar, it seemed to still throb with pain.Then he lowered his eyes and gave a low snort: "Tch, to think she's become so weak. It's really not like the Tsunade I know."With that, he cast off the heavy mood and stood up elegantly, striding toward the office door, his voice already returning to its usual casual and unrestrained tone: "I should go get some good rest too. That brat Naruto cost me a huge sum of money! I need to go to the Hot Spring Street to gather material for my new work!"However, just a second before he pushed open the office door, Jiraiya's footsteps suddenly stopped.As if he had just remembered something extremely important, with one foot outside the door and the other still inside, he suddenly turned his head and tilted his chin at the Third Hokage behind him: "Right, old man, one more thing. To help Narutowith the next step of his cultivation, I need to borrow someone from you.""Borrow someone?" The Third Hokage couldn't help but be stunned upon hearing this.He thought left and right but really couldn't think of anyone in Konoha Village right now who could do something that even Jiraiya couldn't: "Who do you want to borrow? It wouldn't be Tenzo, would it?"Jiraiya grinned: "Gekkō Hayate."