"Oh~ So you're traveling perforrs." Jiraiya stroked his chin, nodding thoughtfully. "Though we're both creators in the artistic field, I'd personally like to believe you... However."
His tone suddenly beca serious. "Konoha's current Hokage has encountered so minor issues. As the village's temporary person-in-charge, I must ensure security. You know what's recently happened in Konoha, right?"
Sasuke couldn't help frowning slightly at these words. He naturally knew what happened at this ti point—Orochimaru's launched "Konoha Crush Plan," the Third Hokage's sacrifice... But this understated description of "minor issues" felt extrely discordant.
"Sigh, honestly I really dislike this all-business attitude." Jiraiya spread his hands. "Simply put, this is an ergency period, so we must assign soone to monitor you."
"Eh? Monitor?" Boruto's eyes widened in surprise. As the Hokage's son, he'd never imagined one day being treated as a monitoring target in Konoha.
"Um... Jiraiya-sensei, since a monitoring mission needs executing, how about leaving it to ?" Naruto suddenly volunteered.
"Huh? You?" Jiraiya showed an incredulous expression. Not questioning Naruto's abilities, but feeling having the current Naruto execute such a low-level mission was complete overkill.
"It's fine—ninja missions are temporarily suspended anyway. I happen to be quite free." Naruto said easily.
"Sasuke-san! Wonderful!" Boruto lowered his voice, unable to hide his excitent. "Didn't expect we could stay beside Dad so naturally!"
However, Sasuke didn't respond to Boruto's joy. He gazed at Naruto's back, once again perceiving sothing wrong—this Naruto was far too polite.
In his mory, this period's Naruto should be a noisy, lively, active, even sowhat clumsy hot-blooded youth. This composed and polite Naruto before him was maturely unfamiliar.
"I see... Alright then..." Jiraiya stroked his chin contemplating a mont, suddenly his eyes lit up. "Oh! Then it's decided! Miss, want to grab so tea together?"
Before finishing, Jiraiya instantly moved beside a passing female villager with an extrely voluptuous figure, enthusiastically striking up conversation.
Smack!
The female villager was startled by this sudden advance. "SMACK!" A crisp slap rcilessly landed on Jiraiya's face, especially loud on the quiet street.
Standing aside, Boruto stared dumbfounded. He secretly glanced at Sasuke beside him, discovering the other remained expressionless. Naruto lightly sighed—long accustod to this scene.
"Huh? Go away, old pervert..." The female villager was about to scold when her peripheral vision suddenly glimpsed Naruto standing not far away. Her expression instantly transford from cloudy to sunny, voice becoming sweet. "Oh? Isn't this Young Master Naruto?" She slightly bowed, face full of warm smile. "Are you going to train? That's so hard-working. Would you like to co eat at big sister's house?"
Naruto politely retreated half a step, maintaining just-right distance. "Eh? That's unnecessary—I've already eaten." His voice was gentle yet carried obvious distance.
"Don't be shy~" The female villager advanced another step. "If it's Young Master Naruto, you can visit my ho anyti." Her gaze carried flattery, a complete reversal from her just-now attitude toward Jiraiya.
"Ahem," Jiraiya rubbed his reddened cheek, unwilling to give up. "Miss, Naruto has important missions right now, so... if you don't mind, how about I substitute?"
"SMACK!" Another loud slap. The female villager glared at Jiraiya, then concernedly told Naruto, "Young Master Naruto, please don't associate too closely with that kind of pervert—it'll pollute your pure heart." Finishing, she adjusted her kimono collar and quickly departed with elegant steps.
"What is this person... even doing..." Boruto muttered quietly, his lofty image of the "Legendary Sannin" violently shaking.
Sasuke quietly observed everything, brow slightly furrowing. This world's villagers' attitude toward Naruto was too abnormal—that nearly obsequious respect. This made him more convinced this world's developntal trajectory indeed differed completely from his understanding.
"...Ahem," Jiraiya awkwardly cleared his throat, attempting to salvage so dignity. Pretending composure. "Alright Naruto, I still have so important matters to handle. The monitoring mission is yours. I'll co find you after I'm done."
He turned to leave, calculating that though Kushina's warning prevented peeping at won's bathhouses, visiting legal entertainnt establishnts to experience "public sentint" should be fine—after all, those were mutually willing transactions.
"Um, please wait." Sasuke suddenly spoke.
Jiraiya stopped, turning back sowhat impatiently. "What else?"
Sasuke stepped forward, carefully choosing words. "Recently... in Konoha Village... has there been any situation of missing-nin leaving?"
"Missing-nin?" Jiraiya's eyes revealed confusion. "Nothing like that recently. Where did you hear such unreliable news?"
"...I see. I understand. Thank you."
---
Three shadows slowly moved along the sowhat empty street. After Jiraiya left, a subtle balance ford between Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Boruto. Logically, Naruto as monitor should follow behind the two, but the current situation was completely reversed—the monitored pair were following step-by-step behind Naruto.
Boruto's hands pillowed behind his head, curiously examining this Konoha completely different from his understanding. Buildings on both sides of the street appeared slightly aged. So shops hadn't completely recovered from the previous attack—occasionally workers could be seen repairing damaged eaves.
Sasuke's gaze constantly vigilantly swept surroundings while allocating so attention to Naruto ahead. This blond youth ford sharp contrast with that always bouncing Naruto from mory. Sasuke's inner doubts deepened increasingly—what exactly had this world's Naruto experienced?
Finally, they arrived at a relatively cold area. Most houses here stood vacant, the street showing almost no pedestrians—only a few withered leaves spinning in the breeze. Naruto stopped, turning around.
"Hmm? What is it? Da—" Boruto instinctively started, hastily correcting himself. "Is there sothing?" He lowered his hands from behind his head, standing straight sowhat nervously.
Naruto's gaze flowed between the two, finally fixing on Sasuke. He revealed a slightly apologetic smile, pointing at Sasuke. "Um... I have so words I want to say to this person. Could I trouble you to step aside first?"
"Eh? Looking for Sasu—" Boruto looked at Sasuke confusedly, eyes carrying inquiry. After receiving Sasuke's imperceptible nod, he could only reluctantly agree. "Fine, then I'll wait for you ahead."
After Boruto's figure disappeared around the street corner, this area seed even quieter.
"Alright, what's the matter?" Sasuke broke the silence first. "If it's about hidden jutsu questions... we have no intentions harmful to Konoha."
Speaking these words, Sasuke's inner feelings were wondrous. This youth standing before him, aside from being slightly taller than the sa-period Naruto from mory, looked almost identical in appearance.
But that composed bearing was completely different from that lively, impulsive Naruto in his mory. This contradictory sense of familiarity and strangeness made Sasuke unconsciously tense his nerves.
Naruto raised his head, directly gazing at Sasuke's face concealed by clothing. His eyes beca exceptionally serious.
"You... are Uchiha Sasuke, right?"
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