----
Minato reached out and ruffled Naruto's spiky blond hair, which matched his own, before asking incredulously, "Where do you come up with all these weird phrases?"
"It's true though! I thought you'd give me something like 'Learn Sage Mode in 30 Minutes!' or 'The Complete Guide to Sage Training After a Storm.' You know, something straightforward."
Minato chuckled helplessly. "There's no such thing. But since it seems you don't plan on resting quietly, I'll give you a special mission instead."
Naruto's ears perked up. "A special mission? What kind of mission?"
"It's a tracking mission," Minato explained. "This afternoon and tomorrow morning, I want you to follow four specific people. Stay within 100 meters of them without being noticed for at least 30 minutes. If you're discovered, you fail."
"Who do I have to follow?" Naruto asked, frowning slightly. He wasn't particularly confident in his stealth skills but trusted his natural ability to conceal his chakra.
Minato listed the targets with a grin: "Tsunade-sama, Jiraiya-Sensei, Kakashi, and… your mom."
Naruto nearly choked. "That's insane! That's like hell-level difficulty! There's no way I can sneak past people like them."
"As long as you successfully follow even one of them, you'll get a reward."
Naruto squinted suspiciously. "What reward? I don't really need pocket money anymore, and I've learned all the ninjutsu you can teach me. What's left?"
Minato's smile widened mischievously. "The reward is that I won't hold you accountable for all those unauthorized trips outside the village you've been taking recently."
Naruto froze, speechless. After a moment, he jumped to his feet, pointing at Minato. "You're using your authority for personal gain, Hokage-sama!"
Minato pretended to ponder. "Would you rather I punish you for all those trips instead?"
"Fine!" Naruto grabbed Minato's hand in mock defeat. "I'll do it."
---
Regardless of whether Minato was genuinely testing Naruto's abilities as a ninja or simply finding a task to keep him busy, Naruto decided to take the mission seriously.
He set some personal ground rules: lurking outside someone's house while they were asleep wouldn't count, nor would setting up ambushes in advance.
He had to follow them during moments when their guard might be down.
Naruto considered his options. For instance, Kakashi might get distracted while reading Jiraiya's Icha Icha novels. Or maybe Kushina, while busy haggling over prices in the marketplace, would lower her guard.
After some deliberation, Naruto chose Tsunade as his first target. Using his sensory skills, he located her chakra and realized she'd just left an izakaya.
If she's drunk, her perception skills should be at rock bottom, right? This plan is foolproof.
Naruto leapt across rooftops, landing quietly a few hundred meters away from her. Disguising himself as an ordinary villager, he began tailing her.
Tsunade staggered down the street, weaving slightly before turning into a small alley. She glanced around cautiously before slipping through a narrow door.
Naruto hesitated. 'Why is she being so sneaky?'
Mimicking her actions, Naruto pushed the door open only to be greeted by a sharp pain on his forehead. He stumbled back, clutching his head.
The force was familiar, and when Naruto looked up, he saw Tsunade glaring at him with her arms crossed. "What are you doing here, brat?"
"Why did you hit me so hard, Tsunade-nii?!" Naruto whined, rubbing the rapidly forming bump on his head.
Tsunade's expression softened slightly. "I thought it was Shizune following me. What's your excuse?"
Naruto straightened up. "It's a mission from my dad. I'm supposed to track a few people without getting caught. Guess I failed."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "What kind of test is that? Sounds like something Minato came up with to keep you out of trouble."
Naruto noticed something odd and narrowed his eyes. "Wait a second… you're not drunk, are you?"
Tsunade blinked and looked away, avoiding his gaze. "Of course not! What kind of Hokage candidate would get drunk in the middle of the day?"
Naruto wasn't convinced. "Then what are you doing sneaking around here? Don't tell me you're gambling. Konoha doesn't even have a legal casino."
Tsunade shifted uncomfortably before sighing. "Alright, fine. You caught me. Just don't tell Shizune, okay? I've been avoiding her all day to sneak in a quick bet."
Naruto frowned. "You pretended to be drunk to throw her off?"
Tsunade nodded sheepishly, clasping her hands together. "Please, Brat—Naruto! Just let me finish this one round, and I'll split the winnings with you."
Naruto stared at her, unimpressed. There's no more unreliable promise than 'splitting the winnings.' He sighed. "Fine. But if you lose everything, I'm reporting this."
"Good enough for me!" Tsunade grinned and darted into the casino, leaving Naruto shaking his head.
---
As he waited outside, Naruto reflected on how he'd been caught. He had concealed his chakra and used an impeccable Transformation Jutsu, yet Tsunade had still noticed him. Was it her intuition? Or was she just paranoid because she's a gambler sneaking off to an illegal casino?
Either way, the attempt had failed. After giving Tsunade ten minutes to lose her savings, Naruto decided to move on to his next target: Jiraiya.
Naruto weighed his options. Kakashi was with Gai, likely competing in one of their endless challenges. Naruto didn't feel like dealing with the absurd instincts of the "Blue Beast." And His mom? She was busy training reconnaissance students, which was basically like walking into a trap.
That left Jiraiya, who, for once, was staying put in his office.
Naruto grinned. 'Old pervert, I'm coming for you next.'
----
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