Chapter 164: Lao Deng is shocked
"It's not as simple as you think," the beast said gruffly, its tail lashing in annoyance. "I still find much about your kind... disgusting."
Jiu Lama sighed, and the huge breathing sounded like the wind, rustling the trees.
"But that brat... is completely different."
A long, awkward silence fell - Kurama seemed to be struggling to find the right words to explain what he meant, and Jiraiya did not interrupt.
Besides, he thought he knew what Kurama meant - Naruto was a special case.
Jiraiya had only known him for a few hours, but he already realized that.
And the Nine-Tails had been with Naruto since he was born, curled up in Kushina's belly when she was pregnant, and sealed together at the moment of birth.
"Yes." Jiraiya whispered, sitting down on the sand. "I think I understand."
"Trust me, pervert," Beast corrected, almost gently. "You really don't understand."
It didn't go into detail. Instead, Kurama reached out to touch the wisteria bouquet again, continuing their previous conversation as if they had never been interrupted. "Do you know what they represent?"
Jiraiya nodded and recited the contents of the scroll from the Yamanaka clan directly:
"Honor. Memory. Patience. Longevity. Love." He paused, another, lesser-known meaning catching in his throat as it began to sink in. "Victory over adversity."
"Yes," the fox whispered, and moved closer, so close that their eyes met across the vast space.
"You want to know what changed me? I'll tell you. If you want to escape, tell that false village everything you heard, it's up to you." Something swirls in the beast's eyes, something golden and powerful, something that has nothing to do with ancient chakra. "It doesn't matter. He doesn't need you, and he doesn't need them. It's them who become smaller without him."
******
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked like he was about to throw up on his desk.
Interestingly, Jiraiya didn't find himself feeling sympathetic towards this.
"He... what? That... that's impossible." The old man muttered to himself with a pale face, as if he had seen a ghost.
"That's it," Jiraiya said bluntly, not caring how heartless his tone was as he spoke the truth of what Sarutobi Hiruzen was thinking. "All the secrecy, all the covert actions, all the efforts to isolate him from anyone who loved him or his parents... it was all in vain."
"Jiraiya!" Sarutobi Hiruzen said harshly, but Jiraiya gritted his teeth and finally exploded.
"No. It was a bad idea from the beginning. He should have hated the village! It was so easy! We made it so easy!" He took a deep breath, lowering his volume to a tolerable level. "But he didn't. This is his credit, not ours."
He let the words hang in the air, his eyes determined, and Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes widened in surprise - Jiraiya had never spoken out loud to him like that before.
Oh my god, he was becoming like Kakashi now, what the hell was going on.
"Listen." He exhaled, his tone thick with anger. "You want a report, and I'll say it again; the Kyuubi is safe. The Eight Trigrams Seal has been altered. It cannot be re-strengthened. I have no doubt that the only reason this village still exists is because its destruction would displease Uzumaki Naruto."
Sarutobi Hiruzen did not answer.
Jiraiya wasn't sure if he could even talk now.
Jiraiya sighed.
"Something needs to change, Sensei. If you don't, someone will step in and do it for us, and that probably won't be pleasant."
After saying this, he turned and walked towards the window, opened it, and put one foot on the windowsill before turning around.
Sarutobi Hiruzen held his head in his hands, pressing his old knuckles deeply into his temples.
The sight calmed some of Jiraiya's frustration.
Sarutobi Hiruzen always does his best to do what he thinks is right, he may have blind spots, he may make mistakes, but he is only human after all.
They had lost one of their best Hokage too soon, and Sarutobi Hiruzen had done the best he could after the tragedy.
This was much more than most people could do, so Jiraiya retained a glimmer of pity for him in his heart.
"I'll be staying with Kakashi and his students," he admitted. "Once you've dealt with your mess, come find me. Don't take too long, okay? If Naruto decides to leave the village, he'll probably take half of your top ninja with him, including me." He tried to sound lighthearted, and even though it wasn't a joke, his attempt failed.
Sarutobi Hiruzen just nodded dumbly.
Jiraiya began to climb out of the window, but paused, turning around and catching Sarutobi Hiruzen's weary gaze.
"There's one more thing you might want to pay attention to - the feelings of the Uchiha in Kakashi's team towards Naruto."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes narrowed slightly, and his crow's feet became more profound.
"Sasuke? Is he in danger in this matter as well?"
Jiraiya shrugged.
"They can be considered dangerous to some extent, yes," he admitted. "They are the same kind."
---
When Jiraiya returned to the Hatake mansion - still wondering if dropping one last bomb and leaving would be too much for the old man - he found Kakashi waiting for him.
Kakashi was leaning against one of the wolf statues that flanked the front door, wearing a simple black outfit.
His hair was wet and slicked back, and his Sharingan was covered by a simple black cloth band.
Jiraiya had prepared himself to some extent - he knew now that the Kyuubi wasn't the only fierce 'parent' Naruto had, and he really wasn't sure which one he would rather face.
He landed softly on the grass a few feet away from Kakashi, the night at the manor was cool and dark, far away from the bright lights and constant noise of the village, exuding a peaceful atmosphere that soothed the troubled mind of Jiraiya.
"Are the children asleep?" he asked in a low voice.
Kakashi hummed softly and nodded.
"Want to know what I told the old man?" He probed Kakashi's strange silence.
It was a soft silence, but somehow powerful—like acceptance, or maybe .
determination.
"Tell him whatever you want, Jiraiya." Kakashi whispered, his tone serious yet soft. "This won't change anything."
---
