"Do you ever regret it, Jiraiya?" Naruto asked. It was the day after the Old Man's confession and Naruto hadn't slept much. After Hiruzen left, Naruto watched as a beaten Kabuto almost had his skull crushed by the hands of his lover. Subtly channeling Kurama's chakra he could feel her disappointment in Kabuto's actions. The offense in his motivation. But more than anything, her rage.
It didn't burn like his, before he integrated and got a true leash on his emotions, Naruto's anger often felt like it could melt tempered steel. Her's was cold but no less pronounced in its expression. He didn't step in, however, because she hadn't felt out of control and he was proven correct. The disgraced medic was told to leave, given some mission he only half paid attention to but while helping Kabuto up off the ground he placed a hiraishin marker on him. Kabuto had shown himself to be a potential threat and death would come swiftly should the need arise.
Jiraiya looked at his godson, the red-haired young man sitting under a tree and looking up at the sky. But his eyes didn't seem focus. It was not for the first time Jiraiya wondered what his final student was seeing. If there were a stark contrast between Naruto and Minato it would be that for all his genius, Minato was often focused on the present, the next obstacle. His freakish, and frankly inhuman, ability to process things at a rate a Nara would envy allowed him to do so. Naruto often seemed focused on the future, the present a mere formality.
Their worldviews showed in their development. Minato created the rasengan after seeing a tailed beast bomb and improved the hiraishin. Naruto believed he could use the sub-elements before he'd truly mastered any of the primary ones. Jiraiya never saw Minato have a moment of self-doubt. Not that he lacked introspection, he just came to decisions quickly and moved. Naruto doubted and thought and agonized. Whereas Minato was the perfect shinobi, Naruto was the most powerful.
"I have many regrets, kid, you'll have to be more specific."
"Seriously training me. You didn't have to make me a toad summoner or request I undergo training to be a Sage. Even some of the sub-elements I learned came from the information you provided me."
"Not for a minute," Jiraiya responded without delay. "Where is this coming from?"
Naruto hesitated before answering, not sure how to express it all. "When I first started seriously training it was out of offense. There was so much in my life I couldn't control. I couldn't know about my parents, couldn't change my reputation. Couldn't not be the shortest. Couldn't not be alone. But my chakra was just that, mine. Something I could control and yet some fucking geek was telling me when I was allowed to learn jutsu. I couldn't stand it so one day I made a decision. And I made that decision the next day and the day after that.
I didn't understand then that strength can't exist in a vacuum, not in this world. A decision made almost ten years ago and remade every day since. I wanted to be the strongest, the best."
"What would change for the better if you were weaker?"
"I'd probably sleep better," Naruto quipped.
"Bullshit. You may have made the choice at seven but you would have made it at ten or twelve or whatever. The weak are prayed upon unless they get stronger or someone does it for them."
"At what point are you simply praying on the weak regardless of your intention?"
Jiraiya stroked his chin, deducing some of Naruto's concerns. He hadn't told Tsunade the true extent of Naruto's abilities yet, there hadn't been much reason. Jiraiya had seen powerful shinobi, he'd trained five of them. Minato could decimate armies. Nagato could do so much more. Naruto was simply in a different class and he was likely there alone.
"You don't seek conflict Naruto."
"That's debatable. At the very least I invite it."
"You didn't invent war, kid. We've waged a few before you got here."
"I'm not saying that. However, even if only a pretext, Rasa's dossier on me didn't exactly help matters. Strength invites challenge; be it out of fear, anger, grief or arrogance. In a world full of killers what good is being the strongest, the best while speaking of peace? When your enemies only see the strength the peace you want looks like tyranny."
"We don't have to be just killers, we can be more."
"I could build every resident of Konoha a new house and they'd consider it a neat trick. If I killed the Raikage with a tree root I'd be made Hokage tomorrow. We didn't make ourselves killers alone, we had help. Someone was paying the clans, someone pays for missions now. An entire intricate web that runs on violence. The client sees one thing, the enemy sees another. No one is encouraged to see the humanity of the other."
"I believe people will understand each other, Naruto," Jiraiya responded and saw Naruto shake his head.
"I believe they can too but understanding promises nothing. What if what we want is simply incompatible? Understanding isn't going to change that. Or what if we can't forgo that feeling that comes with overcoming those that oppose us. That high from putting your life on the line, staring death in the face and getting away with it. The excitement of true victory?"
"I can't argue against that but it's a better path forward than false assumptions and bloodletting. Now, c'mon, what brought this on?"
"Everything? Nothing? Or something in the middle. We talk about people understanding each other but that doesn't even happen in Konoha or maybe it has and that's the problem," Naruto stated. He knew he wasn't being clear so he laid it out plainly. "The Old Man was waiting in Orochi-chan's house when we returned. He'd cooked up some plan with Kabuto but claimed he was abandoning it. Called for a truce of sorts between her and him."
"That's good."
"He was lying."
"Less so."
"I accepted that he almost got her killed when he held back help against Nagato. I didn't have much choice, he was Hokage. He isn't Hokage anymore," Naruto rubbed his face in irritation. "They, to some extent, have a better read on each other than anyone else. They enjoy playing those games and she isn't just passive. I recognize her part but my tolerance for it has run out. If he moves against her again I'll get involved."
"You thought of talking to him?" Jiraiya questioned but knew the answer. He sometimes forgot the Negative Emotions Sensing the Kyuubi had provided Naruto.
"He sees me as a seven-year-old prop not an agent with my own will. I don't want to do this, Jiraiya. I'm more than happy to leave him alone."
"Then make him see you differently. I've tried to dissuade him. I have no doubt Tsunade has as well but Sensei is convinced he's protecting you. Maybe he just needs some reassurance that's not the case. Besides, if you were to move against him, even justified as you would be you have to know there are a lot of ninja that would stand in your way. Retired Hokage exist in a murky place. No real authority but a lot of sway and pull."
"He doesn't have enough bodies to put between us to deter me."
'Ah, that's part of the problem,' Jiraiya thought. "Don't go feeling guilty for things you haven't even done yet, idiot. You know, your mother would kick your ass if she saw you sulking like this. Then she'd feed you inhuman amounts of ramen," Jiraiya said with a chuckle. Naruto laughed as well, liking the thought.
"I think you should go talk to him. Believe it or not, he really does think he's doing this for you. But enough of all that heavy stuff, what are we working on today?"
"A few clones will be experimenting with steel release but I'll be training Yin-Yang release."
"Why don't I just save you some time and carry you to the hospital now?"
"It's not that bad, 'ttebayo," Naruto exclaimed but in truth, it was. Of all the releases he's attempted, this was by far the most difficult, Naruto not managing to create a single jutsu or reliably channel to chakra nature at all.
"Whatever, kid. What exactly are you attempting? I've got time so when you knock yourself out I'll get you where you need to go." Naruto rolled his eyes but got to work, committed to making his godfather eat his words. "So, what specifically are you trying to do? Maybe I can help."
"I've been learning how to generate healing chakra from Oba-chan. Her self-healing ability comes mostly from a mastery of Yin release. She hypothesized Hashirama-sama's came from his mastery over Yang release," Naruto stated.
"Which is believable given the requirements of the Mokuton," Jiraiya added.
"Yup. I'm attempting to use Yin-Yang release. If I can, I theorize it should allow for even more radical healing than Hashirama-sama and with none of the drawbacks of Oba-chans and I could even use it on others, not just myself."
"How radical?"
"Hard to say but Yin-Yang release is basically pure creation so grow back a limb, bring someone back from the brink of death? Who knows really?" Naruto answered. Jiraiya's eyes light up at the possibilities of such a technique. It'd certainly be a step forward in the medical arts if Naruto could pull it off.
"What are you waiting for, get to it!" Jiraiya exclaimed, breaking Naruto's concentration.
"I'm trying you shitty pervert!"
"Try harder." Naruto's hair shaping into nine distinct tails was all the warning Jiraiya got before the chase began, one Toad Sage doggedly pursuing the other.
Elsewhere, Tsunade donned a grim expression on her face. Orochimaru had shared Hiruzen's confession and call for a truce. Neither woman believed the man was done. Tsunade knew neither side would ever truly budge, their mutual antipathy well earned over the years.
"Is Kabuto still alive?"
"Kukuku, of course." Tsunade hummed in acknowledgment. It wasn't a guarantee she'd have left the boy alive, not after he confirmed he told Sasori where to find Naruto. Tsunade wouldn't have cared if Orochimaru killed him but doing so without going through proper channels could have caused a problem, which was the Sandaime's goal. It wasn't the worst plan.
"Where is he now?"
"He was told to join Kimimaro-kun and the others in their search for Zetsu," Orochimaru responded. Tsunade shot her friend a look.
"You sure that was wise? From my understanding, the Kaguya is a bit fanatical in his loyalty. What happens if he guts Kabuto?"
"Kimmimaro won't do any permanent damage. He knows how to follow orders."
"Uh-huh. And if they should find and neutralize Zetsu? What then?"
"Why, I don't know, Tsunade-chan. You're the Hokage, I'm sure you'll figure something out," Orochimaru said, sarcasm dripping off every word. Tsunade simply rolled her eyes before sighing.
"Are you going to finally tell Naruto? Now that he knows about the secret room?"
"Yes, tonight," Orochimaru answered, her tone losing all playfulness.
"If he doesn't respond well-"
"I'll handle it, Tsunade-chan," Orochimaru stated. Tsunade nodded and let the matter rest. Not liking the tense atmosphere, the Snake Summoner decided to change topics. "We've been so focused on how my night went we haven't even brought up your after dinner activities. Tell me, Tsunade-chan, did you let that toad play in your well?" She said, donning a devious smirk.
"What?" Tsunade asked in genuine shock.
"It's a metaphor. The toad represents Jiraiya and the well your vag-," she was cut off before she could finish.
"I know what you meant and no, of course I didn't. What is wrong with you?"
"I'm a high functioning sociopath that got cockblocked by a geezer."
"The question was rhetorical."
"And I answered using rhetoric."
"Ugh, keep this up and I'll declare you a missing ninja," Tsunade said on faux exasperation.
"Sex was that bad? Glad the student doesn't take after the teacher."
"Once again, Jiraiya did nothing but walk me home. To even suggest anything more is absurd."
"You did go out on a date with him."
"That was to observe you and Naruto. You rarely go out, how am I supposed to watch you blush cutely when Naruto does something sweet if you don't go out into the public?"
"I never knew you liked to watch," Orochimaru said, attempting to unsettle Tsunade once more.
"I get my jollies where I can," Tsunade responded, not allowing her friend the upper hand any further. "But to be serious for a moment, wouldn't Jiraiya and I dating bother you? I thought you hated him."
"I don't hate Jiraiya. I did when we were kids but I realized he was just competing for Sensei's attention like we all were. Once you understand that, he just becomes a sad, little fool that's fun to mock. Besides, even I know the value of someone that has your back and we fought a war together. Don't abstain on my account."