Chapter 172 Winter

Naruto left Konoha Hospital at noon, and the autumn sun was hanging in the sky.

When he reached the edge of the hospital's outer wall, he stopped and slumped against the old structure, sitting down weakly, 'Dark Sakura' was getting more and more out of hand, almost unsettling my focus. Who could withstand that?'

'But now that I thought about it, Dark Sakura was also quite pitiful. However, I couldn't voice such thoughts. Everyone had their own fate to deal with.'

'All in all, Sakura's problem had seen a positive start, and the reformation of Team 7 seemed to be coming along smoothly.'

After returning home, Naruto collapsed directly onto the sofa.

Kurama glanced at him but said nothing. He knew that Naruto had a few days off, and since that guy usually just lazed around when there was nothing to do, it was already used to it.

It was a strange holiday indeed and Naruto spent the entire seven days lounging.

Because of the reformation of Team 7, Tsunade hadn't assigned any new missions to Naruto, giving him time to train. After all, Jiraiya had returned to the village.

On the rooftop.

"What exactly is Senjutsu?" Naruto asked with a yawn.

"Hmm?" Jiraiya put away the telescope and turned his head to glance at him, "Tsunade has already told me about it, but it's not that easy to train Senjutsu."

"You need to lay a solid foundation first before even thinking about Senjutsu."

"It's not like I want to learn Senjutsu." Naruto said dismissively, picking his nose, "But Tsunade-sama is forcing me to learn it, saying if I don't, she'll send me out on missions."

"You brat, you're really picky about what you want to learn. Do you know how many people would kill to have the Toad Sage as their master? And you're complaining?"

"I don't care about that stuff. I just want to do whatever's easier." Naruto said nonchalantly.

"But, Pervy Sage," Naruto looked up, "You probably don't have much time to stay in the village, right? No matter what you teach me, there won't be enough time."

"No, I just came back to supervise you until you learn the Rasengan." Jiraiya waved his hand and said.

"Oh, right, I almost forgot, there's that Rasengan thing." Naruto nodded, sitting cross-legged on the rooftop, "I haven't practiced it since we got back from Tanzaku Town."

"You little brat… Don't you have any shame at all?" Jiraiya knocked Naruto on the head with his telescope, "How can you become an outstanding Shinobi if you are so lazy?"

"Outstanding? Shinobi?" Naruto turned his head and squinted at Jiraiya, "You mean a perverted Shinobi?"

"Such disrespect!" Jiraiya muttered as he put away the telescope. He glanced reluctantly at the women's bathhouse and said with a sigh, "I can't stay for long. Uchiha Itachi's whereabouts are unknown. And this time I went out, I only managed to uncover a name, Akatsuki. As for the others, I found nothing."

"After this winter, I will have to go out and gather more intel in the spring of next year."

"Is that so?" Naruto yawned, his expression showing a trace of boredom, "Then go gather your intel. Just don't take unnecessary risks."

Jiraiya didn't take it seriously and laughed.

"I'm the Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku, how could anything possibly happen to me? I've traveled around the world for decades without a hitch, relying only on three things!"

"Drinking, chasing women, and shamelessness?" Naruto asked leisurely.

"What nonsense are you talking about? Naturally, it's caution, caution, and more caution!" Jiraiya said, "If you are out there collecting intelligence, one slip-up could cost your life."

"Got it." Naruto said lazily.

The late autumn sun was warm, no longer scorching. Time flowed like water, trickling away with each day of training, rising with the steam from the ramen shop and drifting into the distance.

…

In the blink of an eye, it is already deep winter.

The sky is gray and it looks like it's going to snow again.

Naruto stood beneath the red walls and green tiles, his feet buried in a layer of snow that reached his ankles. He had grown taller, his face gradually showing the youthful vigor of a young man.

The slightly thin body stood in the cold wind, clad in black training clothes, seemingly waiting for someone.

Jiraiya appeared from the entrance of the alley, walked up to him and said, "It's getting late. The sooner we finish training, the sooner we can head back. I'm leaving the village tomorrow."

The wind howled, the night air biting cold, as if it could freeze a person into a coffin.

"Why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Naruto was a little confused, "The New Year's Festival is just around the corner. Can't you wait a few more days before leaving?"

"What's there to wait for?" Jiraiya looked up at the sky, brushing the small snowflakes off his shoulder, his tone carrying a hint of reproach, "I'm just a lonely old man during the New Year's Festival, nothing special to celebrate. It just so happens that the Land of Wind's Customs Store is holding a New Year's Festival that I want to check out."

"You Pervy Sage, I suspect you went out just to have fun." Naruto retorted mercilessly, "You can't even wait for a New Year's Festival? You're definitely just a dirty old man."

"The village received new intel. The situation in the Land of Wind is unstable. That Jinchuriki brat seems to be having trouble and is about to lose his position as the successor of Kazekage. Now, it looks like something big is happening."

Jiraiya's expression turned serious and he spoke in a low voice, "The village's higher-ups wants to help that brat, who has a favorable view of Konoha, succeed as the Kazekage, so they're sending me to gather intel and handle the situation. I need to go and see what's going on."

"Isn't that basically interfering with the internal affairs of other countries?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"What nonsense are you talking about? I was just there to gather information. I'm completely innocent." Jiraiya argued, "Gaara becoming Kazekage would benefit the people of both the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire."

"At the very least, it could bring peace between the two countries for decades, if not a century. It's something worth doing."

"This sounds boring. But if you want to do it, Pervy Sage, then go for it." Naruto said, shrugging, "Whatever the meaning of being a Shinobi is, I totally don't get it."

"You are such a jerk..." Jiraiya calmed down, pointed at Naruto and laughed, "Do I need to explain myself to a brat like you?"

"The adult world is very dull. You have to bear responsibilities wherever you go, so I won't take you with me this time."

If Jiraiya wanted to, he could still take the Jinchuriki out of the Land of Wind alone. After all, with Jiraiya's qualifications, he was a master-level figure even as an intelligence Shinobi.

"Whatever." Naruto said, waving his hand, " Let's make today our last training session. Pervy Sage, let me show you what a perfect Rasengan looks like!"