Konoha: The Honored One

In the Land of Fire, within Konoha Village...

A figure appeared out of nowhere.

With long white hair and red-and-brown attire, the kanji for "oil" boldly engraved on his forehead protector, this man was none other than Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin.

"So, Gojo, what's your take on Naruto Uzumaki?" Jiraiya's voice was casual, but his eyes held a weight of concern.

Gojo gazed thoughtfully at Naruto in the distance and gave a faint smile. "He's a bright kid. But if I were in his shoes, I might've chosen to destroy the village instead."

He knew Naruto's background all too well—the bullying, the isolation, the manipulation by the Third Hokage, and the constant surveillance from Danzo. No child should have to endure that.

If he were Naruto, he'd have already crossed to the dark side.

Jiraiya gave Satoru's shoulder a hearty slap, laughing, "Ha! If that were the case, I'd stop you, even if it cost me my life!"

Though he spoke with a chuckle, Jiraiya's tone had a deadly serious edge.

"The Fourth Hokage and his wife wanted Naruto to be seen as a hero, someone who sacrificed for the village," Satoru murmured, popping a lollipop into his mouth. Using his Limitless technique was mentally draining; he always needed a sugar fix.

"But look at the reality. Those old folks at the top see Naruto only as a weapon. Since childhood, he's been treated as the Nine-Tails reincarnated—a pariah in his own village. And it's not like the entire village was there when the Nine-Tails was sealed."

He held up the lollipop, pointing at Jiraiya. "So why does everyone know Naruto as the Nine-Tails' host?"

Jiraiya was silent, his face unreadable.

"Exactly—it's who you're thinking," Satoru said with a shrug. "The Third Hokage himself leaked it. By making Naruto the target of everyone's resentment, the 'Will of Fire' becomes the only light, a beacon to rally around."

"The Will of Fire starts with noble ideals, uniting the village—but those old geezers have twisted it beyond recognition," Satoru's smile took on a dangerous edge. "And I may not care about much, but if anything happens to Tsunade, I'll wipe this place off the map."

Tsunade was his adoptive mother, the one person he held above all else.

"Haha! Scary kid! And here I thought I was the only one Tsunade would be after!" Jiraiya laughed again, though he understood perfectly well. Behind Satoru's laid-back attitude was a fierce loyalty to those he cared for.

Satoru raised an eyebrow. "So, who's your latest crush, Jiraiya?"

"A gorgeous woman from the Hidden Sound Village!" Jiraiya's eyes lit up, gesturing grandly with his hands. "I'll even take you with me one of these days!"

"Just don't let Tsunade find out." Satoru smirked, thinking back to the first time he'd gone out drinking. Tsunade had chased him up and down the village when she found out.

"I'm relieved knowing you're here to keep an eye on things," Jiraiya said, turning serious. "I'll be gone for a while; I've tracked down some intel on Itachi Uchiha. Looks like he's joined a mysterious organization."

Gojo waved him off. "No problem. I'll take care of things here… and I'll keep an eye on Tsunade, of course."

Jiraiya chuckled. "Not Tsunade, you brat—Naruto! And I'm not going to die, I'm just going to investigate!" Shaking his head, he vanished in a flash.

As soon as Jiraiya was gone, Satoru pulled out a certain book, grinning. "Alright, back to reading. Gotta love Jiraiya's spicy novels."

The next morning…

Sunlight cut through the early mist, warming the village.

The new Genin recruits were buzzing with excitement; today was their first official day as ninjas.

Except for Team 7.

Naruto lay sprawled on the ground, his face a mix of exhaustion and frustration. "I'm starving… didn't sleep… didn't eat… all I want is instant ramen." He had shown up fifteen minutes late, hurrying as fast as he could, terrified of being stripped of his Genin title.

But, to his shock, Gojo Satoru—Team 7's new instructor—wasn't even here yet.

Sasuke sat with his back to a tree, arms crossed. "What kind of sensei shows up late on the first day?" he muttered with disdain.

"Come on, guys, Mr. Satoru might just be caught up in something important," Sakura said, forcing a smile as her stomach growled.

But inwardly, she was fuming. It was already 7:30—what was he doing? She hadn't eaten since last night, and her patience was wearing thin.

She glanced over at Sasuke, blushing slightly. Was he noticing her terrible morning face?

Time dragged on, and by 8:00, they had been waiting for a full hour.

Naruto lay on the ground, groaning. "That jerk, Gojo Satoru, I swear, when I see him—if I'd known this, I'd have eaten ramen last night."

Sasuke stood, ready to leave. "I'm done. I don't need some careless sensei to become strong."

"Sasuke, we can't leave! If we don't wait, we might lose our Genin rank," Sakura protested, clutching her growling stomach.

"Be quiet, will you? Even if I give up being a ninja, I'll find strength on my own terms." Sasuke shot her a frosty glare.

"U-ugly?" Sakura's expression darkened, her fist tightening. But seeing Sasuke's face softened her resolve, and her punch weakened.

Then an idea hit her, and she said, "Wait—maybe the test has already started! Maybe he's testing our patience!"

Naruto and Sasuke's eyes widened at this thought. Could that really be it?