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The more Hiruzen Sarutobi behaved like this, the more Jiraiya felt Hiruzen Sarutobi was definitely hiding something from him.
"Jiraiya!" Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up directly, the aura of the Shinobi God erupting and pressing down on Jiraiya.
"Getting angry now? Teacher Hiruzen, you're really losing your composure more and more lately. Fine, I won't look. I'm leaving the village," Jiraiya saw Hiruzen Sarutobi's reaction and knew his actions had hit a nerve. Thus, he stood up directly and left.
"You, follow him. Under no circumstances let him contact Naruto!" Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke towards the shadows.
"Yes!!"
Walking on the streets of Konoha, Jiraiya keenly noticed someone following behind him.
"Hehe, Teacher Hiruzen, you don't trust me this much?" What kind of person was Jiraiya? An infiltration master, and also one of the ninjas standing at the pinnacle. For someone of this level, if he couldn't even detect being followed, it would be impossible.
'Lord Jiraiya discovered me?' A drop of sweat dripped down the forehead of the ANBU in the shadows. That feeling just now shouldn't have been wrong; Lord Jiraiya's gaze glanced in his direction. Just as the ANBU ninja slightly retracted his form, Jiraiya ahead suddenly showed a smile at the corner of his mouth, then continued walking out of Konoha village as if nothing had happened.
'Did he not notice?' When the ANBU ninja poked his head out again, he found Jiraiya had continued walking out of Konoha village, and immediately sighed in relief. Then he remembered his mission and quickly followed behind Jiraiya, continuing the surveillance.
...
...
Inside the Konoha Nursery, Jiraiya, disguised as an ordinary villager, had arrived at the entrance. Yes, the moment the ANBU ninja retreated, Jiraiya had directly used the Shadow Clone Technique and Transformation Technique. The clone continued walking forward, while the real body came directly to the nursery.
"This should be the place, right?" Jiraiya took out the paper Shinji gave him and checked. The address was here. Looking at the nursery, there seemed to be no one moving around. Checking the time, perhaps the people living in the nursery had already gone to sleep. Jiraiya carefully observed the surroundings, then leaped directly inside.
After several turns, although he sensed people monitoring the surroundings, how could someone with Jiraiya's skills possibly let them discover him?
"Why does it feel like there's only a child in one room?" Jiraiya frowned. He knew this nursery before; it used to have many children. But why? Why, in this large nursery, was there only the life fluctuation of one child? Gritting his teeth, a bad premonition appeared in Jiraiya's heart. With a flash, he arrived directly at the door of that room. Quietly, Jiraiya reached out, opened the room door, and quickly slipped inside.
Inside the room, a small child with yellow hair, blue eyes, and several whisker marks on his cheeks stared wide-eyed at the suddenly appearing Jiraiya. However, he didn't show the fear of an ordinary child. Instead, he smiled at Jiraiya, even constantly reaching out his hands, seemingly signaling Jiraiya to pick him up.
Looking around, the environment was very simple, crude, and dirty. Casually picking up the milk carton nearby, checking the date, it was already expired for nearly a week! Looking elsewhere, the bedding on Naruto was unknown how many days it hadn't been washed, emitting waves of disgusting odor. On Naruto's arm, Jiraiya even saw several bruises! This!
Looking at Naruto's living conditions, the anger in Jiraiya's heart was almost uncontrollable. He reached out, trembling, and picked Naruto up.
"Hahaha~" Naruto seemed very close to Jiraiya, reaching out and grabbing Jiraiya's long white hair, constantly letting out happy laughter. It seemed... being held so gently was a rare occurrence for Naruto. Jiraiya's warm embrace made Naruto very happy. His small body constantly wriggled in Jiraiya's arms, playing with Jiraiya's clothes.
"Naruto, have you... been living so miserably?" Jiraiya looked at Naruto's behavior, couldn't help but reach out and stroke Naruto's hair, the same color as Minato Namikaze's.
"Yes, this is Naruto's real situation," Unbeknownst to them, Shinji's voice came from a corner.
"Boss Shinji, you knew all along?" Jiraiya looked at the suddenly speaking Shinji, his eyes filled with anger that was about to burst.
"Yes, I knew long ago," Shinji walked over, looking calmly at Naruto in Jiraiya's arms. Seeing Shinji, Naruto seemed even happier, reaching out towards Shinji and babbling something.
"Yes, you knew... what could you do?" Jiraiya seemed to realize something, his whole person deflating somewhat. But then thinking about Naruto's living environment, the anger in Jiraiya's heart couldn't be suppressed anymore. A huge aura exploded from his body. Remember, Naruto's surroundings were 'guarded' by Konoha ANBU. After Jiraiya's aura exploded, ANBU members immediately came looking. And Shinji, when Jiraiya's aura exploded, just chuckled lightly, then his whole person sank directly into the ground. This was his ability to control Geo element to create something similar to Earth Evasion Technique, allowing him to observe silently from underground. Somewhat similar to Black and White Zetsu's Mayfly Technique.
"Konoha Demon Fox restricted area! Who goes there!?" Just as Jiraiya approached, several ninjas dressed as ANBU instantly rushed out from the surroundings.
"Hehe, calling him Konoha Demon Fox?" Hearing the ANBU ninja's words, a fire began to burn in Jiraiya's heart. The son of the esteemed Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, Naruto Uzumaki, actually received this kind of treatment? Jiraiya suddenly understood somewhat why Tsunade and Orochimaru left Konoha village one after another. This was simply... Konoha's dark side! Had it actually reached this point!?
Holding Naruto, Jiraiya no longer hid his face. With a bang, his long white hair appeared, and the 'Oil' (油) character on his forehead protector already proved his identity.
"Lord Jiraiya?"
"It's Lord Jiraiya?" The ANBU ninjas all recognized Jiraiya. But after their surprise, they remembered their mission.
"Lord Jiraiya, put down the Nine-Tailed Fox in your hands. Without Lord Hokage's order, you have no right to contact the Nine-Tailed Fox. This is also not something you should be involved with." The ANBU squad leader stepped forward. Looking at Naruto in Jiraiya's arms, a trace of disgust and anger flashed in his eyes. During the previous Nine-Tails attack, his older brother, also an ANBU member, died fighting the Nine-Tails! So, in his heart, he held extreme resentment towards Naruto's existence.
"Nine-Tailed Fox!? Thing!? You actually call him that!" Jiraiya looked coldly at this group of ANBU ninjas. His disappointment towards Hiruzen Sarutobi and the village began to rise in his heart...
"Lord Jiraiya! This is the Demon Fox! Please step aside immediately!" The ANBU squad leader took another step forward. Although he respected Jiraiya greatly, when it came to Naruto, he absolutely wouldn't back down. Under the double brainwashing of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzō, most people in Konoha had fallen into the misconception that Naruto was the incarnation of the Nine-Tailed Fox.
"Hmph! Me step aside? Impossible!" Jiraiya held Naruto, looking at the fearful expression on Naruto's face due to the arrival of many people, a trace of heartache flashed in his heart.
Thump thump thump! "Insolence! Jiraiya! This is not a place for you to run wild!" The sound of a cane hitting the ground echoed, and Danzō appeared at the doorway. At this moment, he looked sternly at Jiraiya, a trace of excitement flashing in his eyes. As long as he could solidify Jiraiya's crime, he could use this opportunity to take control of Naruto! With this, possessing the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, he would naturally be the most powerful contender for the next Hokage, and could even use the excuse of inadequate protection to pull Hiruzen Sarutobi down from the Hokage position!
"Danzō! So your shadow is indeed behind all this!" Jiraiya looked at the nursery, now completely surrounded by Root ninja. This formation was not common.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I only know you trespassed into the Nine-Tailed Fox's place, intending to take away the Nine-Tailed Fox!" Danzō wouldn't give Jiraiya a chance to explain. He now firmly held the upper hand. As long as he insisted on this point, Jiraiya would fall behind from the moral high ground.
"Nine-Tailed Fox... Hehe... Danzō, you should be someone who knows Naruto's true identity!" Jiraiya listened to Danzō's shameless words, momentarily speechless with anger.
"Enough talk. Jiraiya, leave the Nine-Tailed Fox, and you can leave," A mocking look appeared on Danzō's face. So what if he was one of the Sannin of Konoha? Didn't he still have to obediently submit before him?
"Danzō... you're overstepping your authority." Just as Jiraiya clenched his fists, an old voice suddenly came from behind Danzō.
"Lord Hokage!" The ANBU squad leader breathed a sigh of relief. Danzō's arrival just now had put immense pressure on him.
"Overstepping? Hehe, Hiruzen, you're getting old. The Nine-Tailed Fox should be in my hands to exert its greatest potential!" Danzō said sinisterly. Then, he took two steps forward, posturing as if to take Naruto from Jiraiya's hands.
Clang clang clang! Jiraiya took a step back. The white hair on his head had elongated and blocked the space between himself and Danzō.
"Jiraiya, are you planning to attack me?" Danzō looked sinisterly at Jiraiya. As long as Jiraiya attacked first, everything would become much simpler.
"I'm just defending myself. Teacher Hiruzen, I'm taking Naruto away," Jiraiya frowned. He really couldn't rest assured with Naruto in his current state.
"Impossible! You actually want to take away the village's Nine-Tails Jinchūriki!" Jiraiya's words made Danzō completely unhappy. The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, such a nuclear weapon, you want to take him away just because you say so? Did you ask me?
"Leave him in the village for you to continue abusing? He is..." Jiraiya also got angry. Danzō's words clearly showed he didn't regard Naruto as a human being at all. Instead, it was like looking at a weapon that could be used at any time.
"Jiraiya!" Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't let Jiraiya continue like this. Naruto's identity must be kept secret! Otherwise, just based on the recent events, he and Danzō would definitely be criticized by the villagers. Humans are like that; when someone in a high position makes a mistake, as long as they point fingers at him, their own equivalent mistakes will be ignored.
"Teacher Hiruzen, I already know Naruto's situation. How do you plan to resolve it now?" Jiraiya stood firm for a rare moment.
"Naruto... is living very well now!" Hiruzen Sarutobi felt like he couldn't spit out a mouthful of old blood. He felt like whatever he said now was wrong.
"Hehe, really well? Eating these things, and this expired milk?" Jiraiya sneered, picking up the expired milk carton nearby.
"Jiraiya! Some things are beyond your understanding," Hiruzen Sarutobi grit his teeth. He was now in a passive situation.
"Hiruzen! I told you long ago to hand him over to me, then today's events wouldn't have happened!" Danzō sneered.
"You shut up, Danzō! I command you in the name of the Hokage, withdraw from this place!" Hiruzen Sarutobi glared fiercely at Danzō, his aura pressing down on him.
"I refuse!" Danzō didn't bow his head directly this time, but took a step forward. The auras of three Kage-level individuals erupted fully. The surrounding Root and ANBU ninja felt as if they had been hit by a large hammer, letting out muffled groans. After a long time, Danzō snorted coldly. Under the pincer attack of the two Kage-level figures, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Jiraiya, he turned and left. But as he left, his cold gaze remained fixed on Naruto.
After Danzō left, the surrounding Root ninja also followed suit.
"Now that the troublemaker has left, Jiraiya, hand Naruto over to me. I will give him a complete childhood!" Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, his face reverting to its initial aged appearance.
"Teacher Hiruzen, what Naruto's identity is, I believe you know," Jiraiya didn't put Naruto down, just looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi like this.
"You all leave first," Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand, dismissing the remaining ANBU ninja.
"I know. But I did this to protect him. Minato Namikaze's reputation was too great, his enemies countless. Only this way could I protect Naruto from harm," Hiruzen Sarutobi took out his pipe and puffed on it.
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> Each 50 Spirit Stones I will release an extra chapter
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