Note: If you want the continuity of this story consider to join Pãtreon/Flokixy to access advance Chapters and help me translate more Chapters for you
The Hokage's office buzzed with murmurs as everyone marveled at Naruto's antics. While others were working hard, the boy had turned Konoha itself into his playground—a grand piano of sorts. Though no one understood what he was playing, his audacity was undeniable.
"Cough, cough… Everyone else is dismissed for now. Kakashi, stay," Sarutobi said, waving away the crowd of onlookers. Only Kakashi remained behind.
"Kakashi, why do you think Naruto did this?" Sarutobi stood by the window, gazing at the figure atop the First Hokage's head, still waving twigs around like a maestro conducting an orchestra.
Sarutobi knew Naruto well. The boy had always been playful, ever since he gained independence. Even after becoming a ninja, his missions often felt more like games—experiences to explore rather than tasks to complete. Most of Team Seven's assignments revolved around things Naruto hadn't yet tried. But until now, his antics had mostly been solo or limited to his team. Why such a grand spectacle this time?
"Could it have something to do with what Jiraiya-sama told him?" Kakashi ventured uncertainly. After all, the only stranger Naruto had met recently was Jiraiya.
Sarutobi considered this and realized it was quite possible. He knew his disciple too well—Jiraiya was also someone who loved to play around.
Returning to his desk, Sarutobi scribbled a note on a piece of paper and called in an ANBU operative.
"Dog Zero, deliver this to Jiraiya. Tell him I need a quick response."
"Yes, sir!"
Dog Zero was specifically assigned to track Jiraiya—not as surveillance, but simply to know his whereabouts. His abilities lay in sensing chakra, not combat prowess.
Not long after, in a private room of a seedy tavern filled with drunken revelry, Jiraiya received the message.
Jiraiya was in high spirits that night. His first meeting with Minato's son had gone smoothly, so naturally, he decided to celebrate with a drink—or two. Even if things hadn't gone well, he probably would've drunk anyway.
Reluctantly pushing aside the voluptuous woman clinging to him, Jiraiya scrawled a hasty reply while squinting through his drunken haze. Once Dog Zero vanished, he promptly pulled the woman back into his arms—he had a type, after all.
"Kakashi, you're dismissed too," Sarutobi sighed deeply after reading Jiraiya's response. At least they'd found the culprit.
The reply contained just a few lines:
*Question:* What exactly did you say to Naruto?
*Answer:* Life is short; enjoy it while you can.
Sarutobi nearly choked on his pipe. If he ever decided to clean house, Jiraiya might just find himself included on the list. That boy had been perfectly content playing alone until now. But thanks to Jiraiya's careless words, Naruto had started using the entire village as his stage.
"I asked you to teach him offensive jutsu, not how to play around!" Sarutobi grumbled under his breath.
Indeed, contacting Jiraiya was meant to address a pressing concern: teaching Naruto combat techniques. Naruto's match against Neji was fast approaching—the first bout of the Chunin Exams. During his sparring session with Hinata, which lasted forty minutes, Naruto ultimately won by outlasting her—but only because he lacked proper offensive ninjutsu.
What about Neji? Everyone knew about Naruto's close relationship with Hinata. Though Neji harbored resentment toward the Hyuga clan, they were still family. Would Naruto hold back against him? If he did—and again dragged out the fight due to a lack of offensive skills—how long would the battle last? Neji's mentor, Might Guy, ensured that Neji possessed superior stamina compared to Hinata. Could Naruto really endure an hour-long fight? Two hours?
Sarutobi didn't doubt for a moment that Naruto would emerge victorious. He understood the boy's resilience. With that body of his, even facing multiple opponents wouldn't bring him down unless they managed a one-hit kill. For all Sarutobi knew, Naruto might finish the fight and still have enough energy to drag Gai along afterward.
If the first match dragged on endlessly, the Chunin Exams would become a laughingstock.
Moreover, Naruto's obsession with learning offensive jutsu had already led him to experiment with forbidden techniques. Who knew what chaos he'd unleash next if left unchecked?
In Sarutobi's eyes, Naruto's self-explosion shadow clone technique qualified as a forbidden art—not because of its destructive power, but because of the toll it took on the user. Forbidden jutsu weren't classified solely based on their strength. Orochimaru's inhumane experiments fell under this category regardless of their potency. Likewise, techniques that caused severe harm to the caster—such as the Eight Gates, Dead Demon Consuming Seal, or Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu—were deemed forbidden due to their overwhelming backlash. Anything else, no matter how devastating, didn't count unless it endangered the caster.
Naruto's explosive clones clearly fit the bill.
Initially, Sarutobi hadn't planned to involve Jiraiya immediately. However, given the circumstances, Jiraiya practically walked right into the role. Someone needed to step up.
Thus, Sarutobi penned another letter to Jiraiya. The gist of it was simple: As a disciple, you should shoulder some responsibility. Teach Naruto properly, at least enough to prevent him from turning the entire village into his playground. If he kept this up, Konoha itself might collapse. Didn't Jiraiya care about either his teacher or the village?
The letter was handed to Dog Zero to deliver once Jiraiya sobered up the following morning.
Early the next day, a refreshed Naruto teleported to the small grove where he began preparing breakfast. Yesterday's performance had been exhilarating. Planning was one thing, but executing it revealed just how much fun it could be. Naruto felt as though he'd unlocked a new world.
He resolved to delve deeper into music and singing. At the very least, he wanted to perform The World Within My Heart before an audience of 100,000 White Zetsus.
Ah yes, the theme song from Baolian Lantern. It suited Black Zetsu perfectly. Besides, given how intertwined Black and White Zetsu were, there was no point distinguishing between them.
Of course, he'd need to modify the lyrics into Japanese.
As he ate, Naruto spotted Jiraiya approaching. Without hesitation, the Sannin grabbed Naruto's breakfast and started devouring it.
"Old pervert, do we look familiar?" Naruto glared, pulling his food closer to protect it. The message was clear: This is mine.
"Come on, Naruto, don't be stingy," Jiraiya replied shamelessly, earning himself a glare sharp enough to cut steel.
"Do we even know each other?"
"One meeting makes acquaintances; two makes friends!" Jiraiya grinned, grabbing another bun.
What kind of logic was that? Did Jiraiya think Naruto ran some sort of service industry? Was he expecting complimentary services on top of stealing food?
Naruto sniffed disdainfully. Alcohol and perfume lingered on Jiraiya—clear signs of last night's escapades. So the old man hadn't fully sobered up yet?
Jiraiya, upon waking earlier, had intended to use the restroom when Dog Zero shoved Sarutobi's letter into his hands. Reading it while sitting on the toilet, he finally pieced together what Naruto had done last night. Still, the whole situation reeked of his own influence. Naruto's behavior had changed drastically after their conversation, and he hadn't interacted with anyone else in the meantime.
"Could my words really have had such an impact?" Jiraiya mused narcissistically from his perch on the toilet seat.
He couldn't ignore his teacher's request, nor could he pass up the chance to mentor Naruto—Minato's child, after all.
Thus, despite the lingering stench of alcohol, Jiraiya arrived early at the grove.
"Perverted old man, here," Naruto said, handing over a cup of tea.
"It's Sage, Sage!" Jiraiya corrected, gulping down the tea in one go.
"You've got some weird abilities, kid," Jiraiya remarked, impressed. In all his years wandering the shinobi world, he'd never encountered such a casual summoning technique—conjuring an entire table of food out of thin air.
"Is that strange?" Naruto countered. "You've never seen the Ten-Tails' summoning, have you? Compared to that, this is nothing."
Hearing the tone in Naruto's voice, Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "So there's something even stranger?"
Without hesitation, Naruto produced a bag of flour and a torch, his eyes gleaming mischievously.
"Old pervert, ever heard of a dust explosion?"
Last night's musical performance had ignited Naruto's artistic instincts, sending his thoughts spiraling into increasingly creative directions.
Art, hmm!