The next day, sunlight filled the room, and Jiraiya awoke with a clear head.
The windows of the room had been opened early, and the place where Naruto's futon was supposed to be was empty, 'He must have gone out.'
In the now-empty room, Jiraiya leaned against the head of the bed with a calm expression.
What you fear often comes true. He couldn't even remember the last time he saw Tsunade.
The village remained the same, but they had grown old.
The moment he closed his eyes, all he could see were the death scenes of the people he cared about. His life should have been legendary, with both his master and the pupil being the Hokage, and all the disciples being excellent Shinobi.
But, they are all dead.
If he had another chance, maybe he could stop Orochimaru from straying down the wrong path, avoid being rejected by Tsunade, protect his master and his students, find a way to change the hatred-filled Shinobi World, and train the Child of Prophecy.
Perhaps such a life would be complete, comparable to the great achievements of all the previous Hokage.
But everything from the past was like ashes, blown clean by the wind. Now, all he could do was reminisce through the haze of alcohol, enjoying brief moments of happiness in his dreams.
The story of Jiraiya the Gallant could hardly continue.
'What a failed life.'
Bang!
The door suddenly opened from the outside, and Naruto walked in carrying lunch. He then called out, "Hey, Pervy Sage, are you awake?"
"It's time to eat."
Jiraiya watched as Naruto, with a hint of concern, placed the lunch boxes on the table. His expression softened into a slightly relieved smile.
"I didn't expect you to be so considerate. No wonder you managed to win over the Yamanaka Clan's daughter."
"Watch your words, Pervy Sage." Naruto said as he opened the boxes, and set out the dishes one by one on the table in front of the window. "You were drunk yesterday, so eat first."
"I didn't say anything weird yesterday, did I?" Jiraiya asked as he got up, putting on his slippers and heading to the bathroom.
The room was simple, with only a basic bathroom and two nondescript twin beds. A single table, one chair, and a balcony were the only other features. The wallpaper was yellowed, and the outer walls were weathered, exuding a sense of cheapness.
It's not that the two of them were short of money, but Jiraiya insisted that a Shinobi's life should be frugal, so he had stubbornly chosen this inn, which was right next to a pleasure house.
"Yesterday, Pervy Sage, you got drunk and insisted on going to the place next door to play."
"I can't stop you, so I can only let you go."
"What?" Jiraiya quickly opened his wallet, and then his expression turned even more horrified, "Why do I have an extra 3,000 ryo?"
"Well…" Naruto scratched the back of his neck and smiled without answering.
"Spill it!"
"I got 3,000 ryo as my share." Naruto's words made Jiraiya's face instantly go blank, "Actually, the total is 6,000 ryo."
Jiraiya deflated like a punctured balloon, lying motionless on the bed with a vacant expression.
Seeing this, Naruto tried to console him, "Pervy Sage, it's not that big of a deal. Getting 6,000 ryo just for a push is actually a pretty good deal."
"A push? What do you mean?" Jiraiya suddenly sat up from the bed.
"You insisted on going to the pleasure house, and someone pushed you at the entrance…" Naruto started eating by himself, and said while eating, "You know, I'm a bit introverted."
"Since I'm not good at reasoning with people, I just put a sword to his neck."
"Introvert?" Jiraiya was stunned.
'You call yourself introvert and yet you grabbed 6,000 ryo? This kid clearly doesn't understand the three prohibitions for a Shinobi!'
However, after confirming that he did not exchange his body for the 3,000 ryo, Jiraiya felt relieved again. He counted the money again and then gestured to Naruto, "Kid, I will keep your 3,000 ryo for you."
"No way." Naruto slapped Jiraiya's hand away and said, "Hurry up and eat, we still have to get going."
"What a cheeky brat." Jiraiya reluctantly withdrew his hand, but there was a hint of smile on his face.
Seeing the grin on Naruto's face as he held his bowl, it was as if he was saying, 'No conscience means more profit.'
Jiraiya couldn't help but laugh heartily. The sun was shining brightly outside, and a gentle breeze blew through the open window.
After they resumed their journey, Jiraiya brought up the idea of taking Naruto as his disciple.
Naruto agreed without much fuss.
However, when Jiraiya mentioned long-term training with him, Naruto outright refused. He wasn't interested in a life of hardship and wandering like Jiraiya. The legendary Sannin was a vagabond, but Naruto wasn't.
As soon as he left home, Naruto began to miss his couch and bed, where he could sleep in every day. Although Konoha didn't treat him well, they couldn't really do anything to him.
If they wouldn't sell him something, he'd just take it himself. After all, as long as he pays for them, it is not considered stealing.
And if they absolutely refused, well, some beating might change their minds.
As long as he didn't wear his forehead protector, he wasn't officially a Shinobi, and the higher-ups wouldn't bother him. He'll just be fine. Anyway, he doesn't need money now, he just wanted to enjoy life.
He didn't want to train, he just wanted to take it easy.
Even if he wasted his life, as long as he completed the tasks given by the system and gradually grew stronger, that would be enough.
Finally, Jiraiya had no choice but to suggest that Naruto should train Rasengan while they're looking for Tsunade. Naruto thought that he would be free when they are not traveling, so he simply agreed.
But training wasn't easy, and Naruto wasn't as diligent as Jiraiya had hoped. Still, Naruto's attitude towards learning ninjutsu was decent enough, so Jiraiya turned a blind eye to his shortcomings.
By nightfall, they had reached Tanzaku Town.
"There's definitely a trick to the Rasengan, right?" Naruto asked.
"That's something you have to figure out on your own. Stop being so annoying!" Jiraiya said impatiently.
The bustling street was brightly lit, with plenty of shops, taverns, and gambling dens. Jiraiya led the way, his eyes darting around as he searched for a nearby pleasure house.
"Why do you have to learn Ninjutsu on your own if you have someone with experience? It's easy to go astray, right?" Naruto said with some dissatisfaction, "It's a complete waste of life."
"What do you know, brat? Only when you figure it out yourself does it become your own Ninjutsu!" Jiraiya muttered, clearly distracted.
Naruto was about to retort when he noticed Jiraiya suddenly quicken his pace, heading in a particular direction.
Weaving through the crowded street, they moved towards a more secluded area.
At the end of the street, outside a busy tavern, Jiraiya blocked the path of two women. From a distance, Naruto noticed that the tall, blonde woman in a green robe had a particularly eye-catching figure.
Before Naruto could get a closer look, he noticed that Jiraiya's gaze was gradually drifting downwards. Naruto's brows twitched slightly and he had a bad feeling in his heart.
A sudden gust of night wind blew by, and with no warning, a swift, powerful punch sent Jiraiya flying.
Tsunade's eyes were fierce and extremely oppressive, "Brat, are you with him?"
"I don't know him."