Chapter 13 Part 1

Jiraiya

"We've lost him!"

That's what the 5th Hokage hears when Jiraiya trudge into her office. He came in silently like a ghost, along with the heavy depression you could almost mistake him as a zombi. It's no wonder she almost didn't recognize him.

"Jiraiya, what are you talking about. Who did we lose?"

"We lost Naruto. We lost Minato and Kushina's kid."

Tsunade's starting to worry, not in what he said but actually on her wayward ex-teammate. It's not often that she see him like this. This is worst than the last time she saw him (when he first left looking for Naruto).

"Calm down Jiraiya, tell me from the beginning what happened."

Thankfully, he can at least report, so she can rule out Genjutsu. Skipping over his journey, Tsunade listened attentively to how he approaches Naruto and their interactions. While it ended in failure, she couldn't see how this connected to his sorry state. However, as he continues she can see that there's more to the story than just their meeting.

"I didn't want to bring up his parents nor tell him who I am. I was his godfather but doing so would only be counter-productive."

Clearly she can see that he's using the past tense.

'Is he no longer his godfather?'

Nevertheless, Tsunade didn't say any but nodded in understanding.

Having also read the report, she too agreed in his assessment and decision.

"So I spent most of my time trying to reason with him."

"You should have been there to hear it, hime. The kid had his own set of adventures."

Tsunade couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as she wonders what adventure a civilian could get that could rival ninjas.

"Did you know that he's somehow involved in Snakeface's change. Something about a painting."

"?"

That's something she didn't expect. She assumes he's talking about Orochimaru's overly weird stance when they were in Tanzaku Gai. It was followed by his story with Sasori and Deidara, who are both Akatsuki members. Rather than getting himself taken, he somehow became friends with them.

Of course, the Hokage had to ask him to repeat what he said because it's getting way out of hand. She wanted an explanation, a working theory. At least anything other than what's been told by a teen let alone a civilian.

'Was that all a prank?'

In the village report, Naruto was a known prankster when he was young.

Thankfully, despite his godson's uncooperative attitude, the Toad Sannin did subtly steer the conversation to his advantage. He may act stupid and ignorant but he's still a Sannin. Just from the exchange, Jiraiya's able to pick out relevant key details for confirmation. He's maybe a ninja, a Sannin and a Sage but most importantly of all he's Konoha's spymaster. Therefore it wasn't difficult for him to later verify, confirm and connect those events.

There's also Pain's true identity, with the exception of himself he doubts there are any ninja villages out there knowing who he is. It was for this reason that he knew Naruto wasn't lying or making stuff up. Tsunade too agreed as she too was shocked by the revelation. She may not have been involved but those three war orphans are hard to forget. Considering her teammate leaving their group and training them, she can at least understand a little of his feelings.

He may have grown powerful but the fact is he's also responsible for Shizune's death so the Hokage's having a lot of mixed feelings. She may hate him for the death of her assistant but she was also the reason that Naruto's life was endangered. Therefore, hearing he left without taking his prize made no sense. Why go through all that trouble in the first place? She doubts he would change his mind just like that. Did Naruto do something?

Tsunade couldn't understand it and neither could her ex-teammate. It raised a lot of red flags and a lot of suspicions.

"Jiraiya, are you sure it's still there?"

The toad Sannin immediately what she's asking.

"Yes, I checked. The kid didn't like it but it was my last request before promising to leave him alone."

"The seal's still there and the fox's still behind it. The kid couldn't use Chakra, I suppose that's how it's pristine and not deteriorated."

"So, in the end. I followed up my promise and left him."

Sighing herself, she can see he did everything he could.

"Don't worry, Jiraiya. You did all you can."

However, to her surprise, his report didn't end there.

"Before leaving the capital there's one more thing I wanted to find out."

"I may have read what happened to him through village reports, however, what I didn't know was what happened to him when he's on the outside."

"So, I want to find out."

"Luckily, I knew where to start."

Tsunade too can sense where he's going with this.

"Somehow the Fire Lord seems to know more than he let on, so I thought I should start with him."

"Anyway, long story short I ended up heading back to the ex-prison."

His female ex-teammate didn't say anything, all she did was listen attentively. From what she can see, the prison is most likely where she will get her answer.

Just what did Minato and Kushina's son do there? She's sure that something must have happened because from what she can see, Naruto was sent there by the village. When he resurfaced in Fire Capital, he's clearly a changed person. At least based on the report she had on him, his attitude is very different. So that leads her to the conclusion that she will get her answer from there. She's not far from the truth as she listens to her once teammate.

#### Jiraiya Flashback

For Jiraiya, the trek to the ex-prison was filled with contemplation and confusion as he mulls over the Fire Lord's actions.

'What's all that about? It's full of riddles.'

'Last I heard, like all the other Daimyos he were fixated on modern art.'

It's not surprising since the appearance of 'Desert Lotus', every nation in one way or another got involved.

'Now that I think about it, didn't Minato's kid mentioned something about being an artist?'

'Maybe it's some kind of trend in the Capitals.'

It's no surprise how he thought that because while he was in Capital, he did notice a lot of 'Artsy' staff. More shops are selling art equipment and many new art products appearing on shelves. Sasori's ninja figures and Deidara's 'Big Bang' were fine examples. There are even replicates of the 'Desert Lotus' but everyone knew it's a fake because the original is safely secured inside Suna's super museum. Both the painting and museum are one of a kind, and Jiraiya too was surprised how much the world had changed all because of one painting. He heard they calling it the Holy Grail of paintings.

Anyway, Jiraiya's still mulling about the stupid riddle.

'So what's with the riddle?! Why couldn't he just tell me directly?'

Well, honestly you can't fault the Fire Leader because even he couldn't be 100% certain. Most importantly of all, he couldn't quite tell the legendary Sannin that his information came from a hunch, a theory, some would even say, a superstition. So, instead of giving him an answer he gave him a direction. Like Dojima, he too strongly believes 'Konohagakure' is a message. So, he couldn't tell him the truth.

Then again, whether Jiraiya can read it is another issue but it wouldn't have mattered because he will nevertheless find answers from the ex-prison itself. Why? That's because it's where Naruto spent most of his young life. As a ninja, Jiraiya will no doubt find traces of his essence whether he like it or not. And by Dojima's account, the kid had been waiting for his home village to pick him up but they never did. The other prisoners were less optimistic thus encourage him to not place so much hope on the ninja village. They were no stranger to betrayal and abandonment, so they made sure the kid won't face too much disappointment in the end.

However, despite his joyous outlook, most prisoners recognize the mask he uses to hide his pain. They chose to not tell him but instead treated him like a family. Action speaks louder than words, so they don't really have to say anything. As for Naruto, he may deep down noticed it but too young to understand what it means. Subconsciously, he's grateful thus why he's more than happy to repay their kindness with his paintings. Dojima may have told him how priceless they are but he would happy to give them away nevertheless.

Since most of the prisoners left, so none of them are available to tell Jiraiya anything but Dojima is there. In a sense, he was there the whole time watching over him. Unlike the prisoners, aside from the occasion time of admiring his work he doesn't have the luxury of interacting with him. All he could do is lend a hand administratively. Aside from Ryoma, he's the other that watches over him so he knew most everything. So, Dojima should be able to supply Jiraiya with all the answers he needs.

On the other hand, there's also another reason why the Fire Leader is being a little less forthcoming with information. This was mostly due to his growing sense of dislike for the inhabitants of the ninja village. Having seen how extreme and fanatic those villagers are for himself, he wondered what happened to that peaceful village that the 1st Hokage founded. It was only because he's the Fire Lord that he had to show neutrality and objectivity.

Additionally, there's also a bit of curiosity on 'Konohagakure' as he wondered if Jiraiya is destined to see it. Not just to see it physically but to actually understand it. Considering his relationship with its creator, the Toad Sannin is perhaps fated to be drawn to it eventually. Hence, when Dojima first rejected him, he did it with both bitterness and a little curiosity.

Bitterness on the ninja village sending someone like Naruto to his prison. His curiosity, however, is something to do with the 'Wall Painting' as he wonders if someone from Konoha is fated or destined to see it. So when Jiraiya showed up, a part of him wanted to test this so he frostly sent him away. When he eventually came back, Dojima knew then that it was perhaps fate. Of course, this all could be a coincidence.

However, Naruto's painting is mysterious so you wouldn't be surprised if there's another force of nature actively in play. Dojima too had heard of his church restoration work, the Fire Lord still couldn't stop talking and praising how incredible it is. One thing that is certain, Naruto is just as Kirito had envisioned. His future is bright just as he had predicted.

When the Sannin finally arrives at the ex-prison, Dojima was already waiting. Only this time, he didn't give him the glare as they last met. Instead, it was indifference as he guides him through the premises.

"Come!"

As he follows behind the ex-warden, this time Dojima is more forthcoming with information.

"Since you have met with Naruto, I guess you know by now he was here before the Fire Lord took him in."

He didn't need an answer as he continues.

"Just so you know, the kid spends most of his time looking out for his village to one day come for him."

"It wasn't until one of the prisoners show him another path did he stop waiting."

"However, if you ask me the kid never did stop."

Jiraiya wanted to ask something but Dojima didn't let him as he continued.

"You will see when we reach our last location."

As they speak, they reached into the start of the gallery.

"Please feel free to browse around, there will be no visitors today. So you can take as long as you want."

"Before you reject my offer. I am doing this for you."

"You said you want to know about Naruto. Right?"

"Well, the answer is around you."

That's where Jiraiya truly starts to look around. The whole place literally littered with nothing but paintings. From what he can see, there are at least hundreds as they fill every space across the walls. Now that he realized it, this is a museum.

'Is this all Naruto's work?'

"I know what you're thinking. Yes, they are all his creation."

To the Sannin, this only gave him more questions than answers.

'Why are they on display and in a museum?'

'Then again, why was he painting in the first place?'

If that's not enough, the Sannin had to swallow hard as he stares down the path filled countless paintings. Somewhen near the back of his mind, he's afraid of the answer.

'That's a lot of paintings.'

'Just how long was he in prison again?'

"Ah, there's his first work."

Turning to the object his guide is pointing out, the Sannin listen attentively to what he has to say. Maybe he can glean something from this.

"It was first of his many creations, that he gain recognition from Kirito."

"Kirito?"

"He was one of the many prisoners we had here. He's the one that shows little Naruto how to paint."

"Although he's just a mediocre artist. He nevertheless recognizes his talent thus encouraged him to pursue the path of an artist."

"Well, you saw very well how he's doing in the Capital."

Jiraiya could not answer back, but he had to acknowledge he's definitely living off better than he did in Konoha. To be honest, Jiraiya's having mixed feelings as he would prefer Naruto to stay the path of ninjas. Then again, it's not like the boy had a choice.

"Kirito said the boy's a natural, and I wholeheartedly agreed."

Dojima's still talking about his first picture. Jiraiya tried to follow with the conversation but this is beyond him, so all he could do is nod stupidly. He had no idea why the ex-warden is giving it so many high praises. It's not like it's outstanding like ones he's seeing.

To be honest, the only artists he knew are Deidara and Sasori. So one can understand how he feels on topics on the topic of art. The two may have mellowed out over the years, but their past exploits were so infamous that it can never be forgotten. Like Sasori's use in corpse puppets, it's not something that can be easily forgiven. His Akatsuki partner's no different as he literally wiped out a small village for his art.

Hence, when the topic on 'Art' and 'Artists' are brought up, Jiraiya couldn't help but remind him of the two Akatsuki missing-nins. Then again, the Sannin still hadn't quite figured out why all this is relevant. Clearly he still hadn't made the connection between his godson and 'UZU'. It's not that farfetched, he may not look or act like it but when it comes to Konoha he will carry out his duty like a true ninja.

In a way, his duty sense is perhaps more like Itachi. Who's willing to carry out his duty and kill his own family for the sake of the village. Thankfully, Jiraiya never had to make that choice. However, when it comes, he may lean towards the village than personal feelings.

Of course, that's just speculation so we will never know what choice he will make. Anyway, if he had paid more attention he would have noticed the 'UZU' signature thus became curious. He would be curious because 'UZU' is the first three letters to the Uzumaki Clan. It's just too bad that his sources didn't say 'UZU painting', instead they use the term the elemental nation commonly used - the 'mystery painting'.

In the meantime, as he listens to Dojima attentively. He wondered why Dojima had to tell with the paintings, it's like he's more interested in the portraits than Naruto himself. From the way he's preaching them, it's more like boring history lessons back in the academy. Jiraiya can see he's praising them, too bad he knew nothing about art so he couldn't what so special about them.

'Why couldn't he just tell me about Naruto directly instead of talking about his paintings.'

'This is like that crappy academy all over again.'

Obviously, the Toad ninja wasn't very academic hence why he was the 'dead-last' at the time.

Nevertheless, Dojima is still telling him some information about his godson. He just wishes, he didn't go about it with paintings. Considering how many there are, the Sannin had to inwardly groan.

'Is he seriously going to over each one?'

"... Kirito did say he's a natural, at first I was skeptical. That's until I lay eyes on his work."

"The kid's amazing, with his imagination and brush skills he stood out above all."

Had Dojima went into more detail on what he meant, Jiraiya might have suspected some kind of sealing. Since he didn't, Jiraiya couldn't suspect anything. Even if he did, he wouldn't know what it is because it isn't like any 'ninja seal' he knew. On the other hand, even if he somehow understood it he wouldn't be able to replicate it. The process may involve using a brush like in seals, there are also some considerable skills involved.

It's the same principle as someone knowing how to write does not mean they can automatically draw. So aside from the obvious talent, they need a little artistic sense as well as creativity. Even to a master artist or a forger, duplicating a masterpiece is no easy task. Not only do they need to have a keen eye in the smallest details, but they also had to match the original artist's style. It's essentially 'Think like the creator' and 'Feel like the creator', thus making the duplication process difficult.

When it comes to famous masterpieces, many artists had made many attempts to duplicate them. Usually, it's how young students learn from their mentors in the old days. However, in the modern era, such practice is favored by criminal forgers so they can sell the fakes in the place of the original. Still, such master forgers are few thus one can see how difficult the process is.

This is especially true with portraits with 'UZU' signature as its impossible to forge. Like Jiraiya, those that knew the creator personally and aware of the talents of the Uzumakis, they too long suspected seals. Unfortunately, due to the creator's oblivious knowledge of his own clan art, they were skeptical. Then again, one has to be a ninja to learn how to use seals. Since he isn't trained as one, they were just as confused as he is.

'Do you have to be a ninja to use seal?'

'Explosive Tags' needed 'Chakra' as a trigger to activate, so the answer is 'yes, you have to have training.'.

Coming back to the prison, to Dojima the paintings were nostalgic but to Jiraiya it's another story. While he couldn't quite understand what's so special about them but they gave him a little sense of regret. For some reason, there's a sense of sadness welling inside him.

'Instead of an artist, I could have trained him to be a ninja.'

Strangely, he wondered about his feelings.

'Like all kids, he must be quite proud of himself.'

Outwardly, the Sannin's expression didn't change, so Dojima moves on. All Jiraiya can do is sigh internally but followed along nevertheless.

'Looks like this is going to be a very long day.'

While that's partially true, Dojima's only talking about each painting for a few minutes but to the Sannin it's a very long and tedious lecture. This is especially the case when he knew nothing about art.

However, as they continue Jiraiya too slowly picking up details only someone like him would recognize.

'Dojima's right, the kid's always reminded himself of his home village.'

He can see a little bit of Konoha in every portrait. One literally had 'Ichiraku Ramen stand' in the background. It's not something someone outside of the ninja village would know, hence only the locals would recognize it.

Moving along, they soon came to one distinctive twin portrait. Even Jiraiya knew what it is and that the two actually belongs together. Now he can see how talented Naruto is and how his art evolved. Anyway, the reason he knew they are one is that he recognized the place.

"... And that's where Momo told him about the.."

"the slumps! I know the place." Jiraiya finished it for him.

He knew it because he was there in one of his old missions. Now he gets a glimpse into how amazing his godson is. From one's perspective, it's 2 separate and very distinctive place but once you have been there you will know it's just one place. However, although it's just one town the artist managed to split it into two. All the elements in one part of the town into one portrait and the rest the other. Although he already knew this while the two pictures vastly contrast to one another, they were at the same time seamlessly linked.

Once you understand that, the Sannin can understand why the painting is so perfect and valuable.

'Is this the talent Dojima's praising him?'

Even he had to agree that it's quite ingenious.

'It's two worlds when you look at them individually. But when together, it became apparent that it's one place.'

'Dojima said that he had quite the imagination, I suppose this was what he meant.'

It's even more amazing when you learned that he had never been there, yet can still paint it accurately.

Alright, he had to admit it looked nothing like the actual town but it is as Dojima describes it, its essences were perfectly captured. He may not quite understand but somehow managed to get the gist. The two portraits were like day and night, yet there's no mistake that they belong together.

'Rich' and 'Poor', both opposites to one another.

It's no different to two sides of a coin.

Unfortunately, that kind of thinking is giving poor Jiraiya a headache. He's more of a hands-on kind of a guy, not someone that talks about imaginary stuff. The painting is after-all just a painting, so it's difficult for him to take it seriously. He had been to the place so he knew what he saw. However, from the painting's perspective, it's one seamless world.

It's something no-one thought about, the answer had always been right in front of them. Jiraiya was there, even he fell to the way the city governs itself. However, seeing from the portrait it's obvious that the city is just one place. They may have 2 systems (rich and poor) but they all belong to one country. So when one take the fall, the other wouldn't be far behind.

Sadly, like majority people tend to dismiss things that aren't directly connected to them. The two brothers in the portrait was a wake-up call as Naruto had marvelously pointed it out. According to Dojima, the mayor of that city too was invited and after seeing this he vowed to change his city. It soon followed with a greater number of entree requests to see the masterpieces.

Apparently, the mayor had an idea. He needed these rich and influential people's support thus he and Dojima cooked up a plan to get this evolution underway. From what he sees, it's working as the royalties all agreed to invest in the city's improvement. At the same time, the story of the two brothers will be the legacy of such a revolution.

Having heard that, Jiraiya was shocked because this was news to him. Since it doesn't concern ninjas nor the ninja village, he supposes it's not so surprising that he didn't get such a report. He may not want to say it out loud but deep down he had a feeling that this was all part of the Fire Lord's plan. The initial invitation to the mayor was a dead give away.

Knowing that the museum will be opening soon to the public, this, in turn, made him and the other royalties to act. No-one wants to be seen as the heartless or the bad guy so they all agreed to contribute to the cause. All this only tells him that his godson's paintings can be one powerful motivator. Unfortunately, it doesn't make it easier to understand (his art).

'How can something that doesn't make sense actually making sense?'

He couldn't argue against Dojima's logic, they are all just paintings and something that's not a fact. So can it influence reality and what people see? From the way Dojima explains it, the 'Art World' is complicated. However, with the new additions of Naruto's creation, it's now beyond even art experts' understanding. It's no wonder Jiraiya is confused.

Funny enough, what Jiraiya also noticed is that this isn't the first time Dojima's calling Naruto's painting a masterpiece. Instead of just telling him about them, it sounds like he's trying to justify himself in claiming every painting a masterpiece. While 'art' isn't really his fort, he can sense the ex-warden meant what he said.

'A masterpiece, eh?'

Too bad he had no talent in the field so he couldn't quite see its value.

'Who would know, Minato and Kushina's son an artist.'

'Considering his father being the 4th Hokage and his mother an Uzumaki, you would think he's destined to be a ninja.'

He may not know what constitutes a 'masterpiece' but even he had to agreed that they are all quite pleasing to the eye.

Meanwhile, the tour continues and Jiraiya starts to notice the seasonal changes. Somewhen during the tour, he felt a tightness from his heart. It was shortly followed by a forlorn and heart-wrenching sensation. He may not quite understand why, but his gut's telling him to stop.

"What's wrong Jiraiya, we aren't there yet."

To his confusion, his ninja sense telling him there's no danger. He couldn't sense any traps, enemies or anything remotely suspicious.

"Nothing, please continue Dojima-san."

Having said that he quickly caught up, yet at the same time, his eyes wander warily over the amazing canvases. For some reason, his instincts are telling him to be very wary but his mind could not comprehend why.

Anyway, as they continue the Sannin breath a sigh of relieving that his host isn't narrating every painting. Having seen how many there are, he doubts they could finish by the end of the week. Still, the sheer number he could see is daunting. It feels like a very long journey, an exhausting and endless road ahead of him.

'They are just paintings, right?'

Why does he feel exhausting?

Then Jiraiya realized something.

"Dojima-san, I noticed that there isn't any painting about shinobis. Do you know why?"

Ninjas are everywhere, so the Sannin's curiosity and line of questioning made sense. 'Didn't the report say the kid wanted to be Hokage like his hero - Yondaime?'

"Jiraiya, when Naruto was first transferred here, he did everything he can to continue his training."

"Clearly, he's hoping to return one day as the Hokage had promised him."

"However, everyone thought otherwise, myself included. We tried to make him see reason but the kid never doubted your village leader."

"So instead of trying to convince him otherwise, we got him into various hobbies so he can forget about the whole ordeal."

After hearing that, Jiraiya wanted to blame someone but at the same time, he couldn't. In his mind, Naruto was meant to be the destiny child, and he was meant to be his teacher. Unfortunately, reality seems to change that.

"Wasn't your chief security a retired ninja?"

Despite that, he still wanted to understand why Naruto was not trained even when they have already someone. He may not know the guy, but those in charge of security are usually ex-military or rather ex-shinobi.

"You aren't wrong, but like I said we didn't want to encourage him on some fruitless, senseless endeavor for some ungrateful individuals."

Calling it 'some' is just being polite because when over 70% of the village population are those ungrateful individuals. So as much as he wants to call it Naruto's birthright or destiny, even he can see how weak that argument is.

'What would Minato think?'

Jiraiya didn't want to know, nor did he want to find out. What's done was done so all he could do is leave it at them.

Seeing his guest's exhausted look, Dojima too sighs internally. Perhaps he's a little too hard on the Sannin, it's not like he couldn't understand his position. Like the Hokage's position, a Sannin isn't a title that one can just obtain. So Dojima too softens a little of his stance to give him some slack.

"Come on, Jiraiya. Let's carry on, I will take you to the museum's highlight."

Of course, the highlight is its main attraction – 'Konohagakure'. When they finally arrived, even an art novice like Jiraiya is blown away. For a moment he thought he was back at Konoha, it's 'Konoha' but at the same time it isn't. Even a Sannin like him had no idea what that meant because he had no words to describe his feelings. In all his years as a ninja, he had never seen anything like it.

It took him a moment to calm his racing heart and confused mind. Somehow he should feel familiar but for some reason, he didn't. If he had to say it, it's like seeing the 'pure' version of Konoha.

'Is there even such a thing?!'

'What the hell is PURE anyway?!'

Even he could not explain why he would choose that word.

He can at least now understand what those Konoha fools were saying. Yes, Dojima had told him about those prisoners. They must have thought it's some kind of demon sorcery or a trick, all to confuse them of their home. Idiots aside, he had no idea what made 'Konohagakure' 'pure'. At a glance, it's no different to Konoha.

Sadly, Jiraiya's more worried about his report to Tsunade because he wouldn't know where to begin. Unfortunately, the mysteries continue. It's something he should have known, having a bare witness to his work he knew Naruto's work is often more than it seems. As Dojima had shown him, his paintings sometimes have multiple angles to view. When he first discovered this he was shocked.

So as he pays more attention to 'Konohagakure', he was not surprised to find more mysteries. It's like Genjutsu, but it let you experience the serenity and nature of 'Konohagakure'. The whole thing made no sense, given the fact that they are indoors and that there are no opened windows, yet there's the gentle and comforting breeze? Even the trees somehow looked alive as he watches it sway in the background, yet he sensed no movement. Jiraiya had never felt so confused, his mind's telling him one thing whereas his senses contradict it.

He had heard of optical illusions but he's sure this is way beyond that. Then there's the matter on the details as he starts discovering things he didn't know about his home village.

'Was Konoha like that? Was that there the whole time?'

There are things he didn't usually notice are there on the painting. Some of those details made him question its authenticity or his godson's incredible memory.

'Did Minato's son have an eidetic memory or something?'

While his attention to detail is uncanny, that's not Jiraiya's main concern. What's alarming is its attempt to frisk him into it. At first, he resisted but once he realized it's not an attack, he let himself flow with it. The feeling's like basking himself into nature and being blessed by it. There are simply no words to describe that sensation nor could he understand the fundamentals behind it.

'Genjutsu? But there aren't any Chakra.'

Since then Jiraiya stayed to try to understand it. Oddly enough, there are also some classy hotels not far from the museum.

'Since when was this here?'

It's not surprising because this used to be a prison. Who in their right mind would build a hotel near there?

Apparently, thanks to the Fire Lord's efforts, there had been many noble visitors lately. So the place was built purposely to accommodate these people's needs. There aren't just hotels as there are many restaurants and other establishments surrounding the museum. The place was literally empty, so why so many new buildings? When he turns to his host for answers, all he got was.

"It was all part of the Fire Lord's plan."

'Is the Fire Lord trying to turn this place into some kind of modern art town?'

He wasn't far off because this place is essentially the birthplace of the infamous 'UZU' and the Fire Lord seems to have some personal interest in it. From the way it's going, it's obviously centering around the museum.

"You think it would work?"

Art was a dying breed because there aren't enough talented artists or new work being produced. Even with the rise in Naruto's work, Sasori's and Deidara's creations it doesn't always guarantee success.

To his surprise, Dojima seems to have a lot of confidence in the project. However, what surprised the Sannin more is the source of that confidence.

"With this many UZU paintings in one place, I would surely be surprised to see it actually failing."

His response only made Jiraiya more confused thus turning to him inquisitively, and Dojima responded mysteriously.

"Naruto's paintings are special, they have the mysterious effect of bringing you luck."

"?!"

That's another mystery he doubts he will solve.

'Luck?! Why does it have to be that? Why can't it be something more substantial?'

He may not have seen someone extremely lucky but he had seen his teammate's legendary bad luck to dismiss it as some kind of hoax. Nevertheless, it's not something he wants to put in his official report, no matter how true it is.

Sighing in defeat, he supposes spending some time here is inevitable. That is if he wants to find out how Naruto became who he is now. So over the next days, he will be hanging around the museum deciphering the 'Wall Painting'. Dojima will not be with him but he's available to assist whenever he needs him.

Jiraiya didn't expect to solve it on the first day but after spending the whole morning and finding nothing would frustrate anyone. It's an amazing artwork he wholeheartedly agreed but he couldn't help but feel that there's something off about it. The reason he didn't mention it to Dojima is that he didn't know how to tell him. Ninjas are about facts and evidence, so tell him something isn't right wouldn't be enough.

So over the next morning, he spent the whole morning frustratingly investigate just that. Sadly, he's still hasn't a clue. The wall painting is as Dojima says it is, it's amazing and too perfect so why does he feel wrong about it? It's been glaring back at him for the whole morning, a nagging flaw that he couldn't find. Just why was he this desperate? Even Jiraiya didn't know why. He was so close, yet at the same time feel so far away. When he felt a 'growl' from his own stomach he thought it's time to take a break. Perhaps with a full stomach, he will have better luck.

He's probably right because, on his way back, Naruto's older paintings caught his attention.

'Might as well take look.' he didn't have any high hopes but he's hoping there's some kind of connection.

Although nothing like 'Konohagakure', the Sannin can deduce that his godson must have tried very hard. Consider how he was neglected in his report, he would no doubt try every way to please his new teacher. Jiraiya may not know what an artist's first painting would look like but Naruto's painting while simple, it's strikingly quite stood out. It's a simple bowl of fruit but the shading and angle were perfectly captured. Jiraiya can see the joy in him when he accomplished that. He may not be able to see it but he can very clearly picture it. Moving on, he continues over on to the next piece.

'Now, what did Dojima say about this one?'

As he slowly goes through each one, he unconsciously exposed himself to something that's beyond his understanding. At first, he had mistakenly thought that it was his emotions playing tricks on him so he suppressed them like a ninja. Sentimentality can be a hindrance when you want information, especially when the target is his godson. However, he soon realized his mistake when he found out it wasn't his emotions that's interfering with his judgment. They are actually coming from the painting?

Well, that isn't exactly true because paintings don't have emotions. It may sound ridiculous but he's still new at this. So after refining his analysis, he thinks because of his connection with Naruto, he's sympathizing. It's a little complicated, even he had to break it down to get to that conclusion.

What he meant is somehow he can sense the artist's emotion through his paintings. Obviously, when he figured that out, it baffled him.

'How can anyone feel how the artist feels? You have to be a psychic to do that?!'

Yet, he can sense his godson's feelings through these paintings.

'There must be another explanation.'

That's when he noticed another small detail among his paintings. He doubts Dojima knew about them because only those from Konoha will recognize it.

'I will be damned! Isn't that Ichirakus?'

'What's that doing there?'

It's a little blurry but it's distinctive colors and setup are unmistakably Ichiraku and no doubt a Ramen stand. Now that he thinks about it, some of the trees in his other works are native only to Konoha.

His newfound discovery made him revise his judgment on the previously visited pieces. Indeed, there is always a little bit of Konoha in them. He doesn't know what this means, was it added because he missed his own village or they were only there as substitutes? However, another thing he discovered is that every one of his painting have a bit of 'Naruto' touch in them. Perhaps, he meant it as his style.

He is as Dojima said he is, a trickster. You can almost sense a trick coming just from his paintings to know that there's another secret within. Sadly, there's no trick in knowing that because there's no secret pattern or mark or anything. It also isn't because he's a ninja neither. Only through his parents and having read his personal report did he knew.

'Yes, that's probably what Kushina would do and that's how Minato would do it.'

The kid is literally a combination of his parents, so Jiraiya's least bit surprised by the outcome. He has his mother's mischievousness and his father's genius to do it. However, how he did it was all him. The kid's creative, and the results only made his creations more valuable. People were fascinated.

A day later, Dojima came to see his progress.

"So, how did your investigation go?"

"Well, I went back to his older work to see if I can find out anything."

"And..?"

"These paintings are diaries?"

"..." Dojima didn't say anything for a few seconds before responding.

"You aren't wrong about that. Naruto did get the inspiration from his fellow inmates."

"I suppose his paintings are somewhat his diaries."

Then Jiraiya turns to 'Konohagakure' and said.

"I see, no wonder I see a bit of him."

Jiraiya didn't know why he said that there isn't exactly an image of his godson but it just came out as part of the conversation. However, to the Sannin he felt like he could see him clearly. He's like an ethereal image interacting with his fellow inmates. Jiraiya could almost feel his emotions, his curiosity and his drive to bring his creation alive.

Nevertheless, the museum director's response surprised him.

"Mmmmh, you can see it?"

He didn't know what he's talking about so he chose not to respond.

"You know what they say about artists putting their heart and soul into their creation."

Jiraiya didn't know how he should respond to that.

'Aren't they just tales, surely he doesn't mean it literally.'

Unfortunately, he didn't quite get an answer.

By the 3rd day, if he thought he wouldn't be surprised, he's once again found himself wrong. Naruto's paintings aren't just amazing, oddly enough he discovered that they sometimes contain its own story. At first, he noticed its evolution, how they improve over time. It reminded him of his own student rising to the position of Hokage. However, as he looks deeper he soon discovered its more than just a simple painting.

Aside from the story, he could somehow sense the painter's emotions. Is it the way it's painted or is it the theme? Well, a rainy backdrop is certainly gloomy.

'Didn't Dojima say that his sensei died?'

Considering the timeline, it's probably when Kirito died.

It was for this reason he went back to check out his other works and true enough he can sense somewhat some of his feelings. Since there isn't really a lot he could do inside a prison, Jiraiya can roughly guess what he did that day. On one painting, he knew he learned how to play chess because there's a group of people doing just that. The reason he spotted it is because it's in Wind Country and people don't play chess outdoors for obvious reasons. So some of the inmates must have told him about their home town while teaching him the game or someone else did.

It's kind of amazing, once he learned how to read them he learned a lot more about his godson. He learned how unpredictable he is as he paints his activities not always in the same way. Some of his finer work has more than one way to view them and the museum made it so the painting can be rotated. It still amazes him, not on the rotating panel but on the concept.

'Who knew that a sun-set can be seen as sun-rise and vise versa.'

Another thing he also discovered is his paintings all have his presence. Somehow even without his signature, you recognize it's his work because they contain a lot of his personality. Unfortunately, that's where he slowly understood what that forlorn sensation is. It was his sense of disappointment and frustration. He can tell his godson's efforts in trying to forget about the ninja village.

However, bits of Konoha resurfaced once again in some of his later work. If he's not from Konoha he probably would miss them, so he could sense his frustration. 'Ramen' reminds him of Ichiraku and that, in turn, the ninja village. Although, Naruto had stopped painting Ichiraku 'Ramen' still pop up from time to time. By then Jiraiya probably knew what awaits him at the end but he had to see it with his own eyes.

Eventually, he finally made it to 'Konohagakure'. Although he had seen it before this time he's more prepared for the extra surprises. Sadly, it was never enough. What he sees is as he feared, unlike the Fire Daimyo and Dojima, what he saw shocked him.

'This can't be!'

What he saw horrified him.

'What have you done, Naruto?!'

The reason he's so horrified is that there's a Naruto there. Not really in person or as an image. It was more of a feeling or a presence.

Even he had no idea what it is nor how to explain it. Despite that, he's still quite fascinated at what he's feeling. This isn't just any Naruto as its an older and more matured version of him. More importantly, this Naruto's trained as a ninja and in his Hokage robe.

'Why am I getting this? Is this my punishment for my negligence?'

As far as he could see, this could be what Naruto be had he been trained as a ninja. With his teaching and training, he would surely learn his father's signature Jutsu - Rasengan, and summon Toads. Eventually, he would learn Senjutsu thus easily making him worthy of the Hokage title. The ethereal Naruto is like a vision, the exact ideal of his dream, to finally achieve peace. The peace and serene feel from 'Konohagakure' is proof that true peace isn't impossible.

'Naruto was indeed the prophecy child.'

At the same time, he too can feel what kind of Hokage he is.

"Minato, the village really screwed up."

Despite it's just a painting, Jiraiya can sense how much he truly loved the village.

"He would have made the greatest Hokage the village has ever had with his dedication alone."

By then, the horrifying feeling came back and Jiraiya knew. He knew then there's no way to convince him to return. He couldn't explain how he knew, he just knew. There's one theory but it was so ridiculous even he finds it difficult to swallow. That's because it's somewhat related to the folklore. It's possible that his godson did leave a piece of his soul on the painting, a piece of him that still loves Konoha.

Over the next days, Dojima couldn't find him thus knew he must have left. It was expected as he assumed that the message was delivered as its intended. From the very beginning, he and the Fire Lord had an inkling feeling that this might happen. Hence, they knew it probably wouldn't end well for the ninja village. However, as they say, one's loss is just another's gain. Konoha may have lost someone with Hokage potential but on the other hand, the art community gained a prodigy that's never been seen before.

End of Flashback - Hokage Building

Having listened to his report, Tsunade was speechless. First, she was wondering where he's going with his story. Museum? Paintings? ... Then 'Konohagakure'? She was literally speechless in the end by the fact that she had no idea how to respond. It took a little while, before finding the words she needed.

"What the fu**, Jiraiya. Are you drunk?"

"You drew your conclusion from a painting?"

Usually, her teammate would cower from her but this time he's just too exhausted and depressed to care.

"You weren't there, hime. Otherwise, you would have understood what I saw."

Still, the whole idea is ludicrous.

"Come on?! A painting?!"

"A 'Wall' Painting!" he corrects her.

She had to stare back to see if he's trying to be funny.

'What the hell is he doing? What's the difference between a painting and a 'Wall' painting?'

"I don't give a f***. Show me the proof? You did take a picture, right?"

Seeing is believing, it saves them the pointless banter and time.

"Yes, I did. But it wouldn't do you any good."

He did take a picture, but as Dojima explains it, it wouldn't be the same. True enough, Tsunade's expression said it all as she tries to see what's so special about it and not seeing anything out of ordinary.

She agreed that It's exceptionally well painted but she couldn't see anything pertaining to his report. Despite that, Tsunade wouldn't outright dismiss her teammate. They knew each other long enough to know when they are telling the truth. Besides, in the ninja world, there's always something to discover. However, this is the first coming from a civilian occupation.

Then again, Jiraiya is maybe a pervert but he wouldn't lie or falsify an official report, especially not to her. Perhaps it is as he had reported it, she has to be there to understand.

"Seals?!" she asked.

It's the only conclusion she can come up with.

"None."

He may have suspected it but he answered honestly.

"At least it's none that I recognize."

"So, there are seals?"

"No, hime but I think it may have something to do with them."

It's true, the other possibility is Genjutsu. However, if it is Genjutsu he should be able to sense it. Then again, the same could be said about seals because you will need Chakra to activate them. So, in a sense, they are back to square one.

Still, there's a nagging feeling that it's some form of a seal, just not ninja seal. Consider who his mother was, it's possible that he inherited some innate powers from his clan. His only problem is to somehow prove it. On the other hand, Tsunade's having another headache.

'This is like the 'Desert Lotus' or the 'Night Lotus' all over again.'

It's funny that it wasn't Tsunade that couldn't connect Naruto to both paintings. It's not surprising because with the exceptions of the royalties very few had the opportunity to witness the magnificence of 'Konohagakure'. Anyway, by now unless you lived under a rock, nearly everyone had heard about the famous painting in Suna. That's because the whole world somehow got dragged into the aftermath that started the 'Finding the Painter' mission. Some ninja village went as far as calling it a curse.

It's a curse because like a curse it spreads. Once it came to your village, you are forever doomed to partake endless cycle of that mission request that will result in eventual failure. You could call it the bane of all missions, some villages went as far as outsourcing it other ninja villages. Sometimes even willing to pay extras to get rid of it. While the major villages can afford it, it's the minor villages that sometimes get the mission.

A mission is a mission so they can't be too picky but they nevertheless need to produce some kind of result or their reputation will dive. Saying they couldn't find the painter in their report won't do because the client wants to know what lengths they went about their investigation. In a sense, it's a very high profile mission so the team will be under a lot of pressure. It wouldn't just their client reading their report, there will be many influential individuals interested what their progress. It's just so unfortunate that any one of them can change the fate of their minor village.

In Konoha, the teams rather catch 'Tora' than go on what they dub as 'lost cause'. It simply not worth the hassle because they will most likely be reporting the same thing and none of them want to be on the receiving end of these individual's irk. Unfortunately, like a curse, the same mission kept coming back thus making them repeat the same fruitless ordeal. That's because most of the rumors are fakes so the shinobis' goal is mostly likely hired to eliminate those false leads. It's like investigating some paranormal activity and finding the culprit.

"Jiraiya, pull yourself together! Your relation with Naruto can wait, we have a war in front of us that concerns also Naruto."

"Are you going to mop or will you fight for him?"

The Toad Sannin didn't need to be told twice, he knew what he will do. He may not be there for him but he damn well will not let him be harmed.

"Alright, Hime. Tell me what you have."

His godson may not want anything to do with him or the village, but he will be damned if he let Akatsuki take him.

Internally Tsunade couldn't help but smile, he may be a pervert but he's indeed the strongest Sannin among them.

"Alright, you may already know. War is approaching and the Bijus are the center of this storm."

"Long story short, the ninja villages have formed an alliance to fight against the Akatsuki."

"So far, we have agreed to hide the Jinchurikis away from the conflict and this decision will most likely include Naruto."

"Since he's in the Capital and under the watch of the Fire Lord, I will talk to him directly."