[Naruto : Yellow Flash] Chapter 691 - 695

Chapter 691: Attention

"The Fourth Hokage was only about eleven years old at that time," Iruka said, his tone still containing shock.

According to common sense in the ninja world, a ninja around the age of eleven without any special talents, Kekkei Genkai, or secret techniques could only reach a limited level. Just like Kakashi becoming a jonin at around the age of twelve was already quite amazing.

At that time, although Minato's strength was only slightly better than that of an average jonin, that wasn't his most striking feature. At that young age, he had already developed S-level ultimate ninjutsu. This point was unprecedented, not just in the history of the Ninja World, but even during the Warring States Period before it. No ninja had ever reached this level.

When Iruka shared these records with the students in front of him, it immediately caused an uproar.

Sasuke, sitting in the center of the classroom, had his eyes flickering slightly. Of course, he had heard information about Minato from his clan, but it was mostly about his adult years. Sasuke had never deliberately looked up these resources, which weren't considered secret.

Today, he finally understood why his brother often said that their current Hokage might be a unique genius in the history of the ninja world. Sasuke knew clearly what S-level ultimate ninjutsu meant. In the Uchiha clan, there were only a few techniques of this level. If it weren't for the information confirmed by the five major ninja countries, anyone would think it was a fantasy that someone could develop such skills at the age of eleven.

Naruto was no exception—shock was evident in his eyes. His father had never mentioned these things to him. Whenever Naruto learned more about his father's past, he would inadvertently feel more pressure.

"The Third Ninja World War was actually an extension of the Second Ninja World War," Iruka continued. "Because in the previous war, Konoha won a great victory and gradually gained strength."

"So the other four ninja nations all felt threatened. About seven or eight years ago, the ninja of the land of Wind, Lightning, Earth, and Water formed an alliance and jointly attacked the Land of Fire."

At this point, the students in the classroom all had trembling eyes. During the two previous wars, although conflicts broke out between the five major countries in the ninja world, they were almost always fought under equal one-on-one conditions. However, when four ninja nations joined forces, it was like one person facing four opponents of similar strength. No matter how you looked at the situation, it seemed like there was no chance of winning. Even if Konoha was stronger than the other four countries, the situation was definitely not optimistic.

"That was the most severe situation Konoha had faced since its establishment. It was because of the Fourth Hokage that the tide of war, which was originally extremely disadvantageous to us, was turned around by his strength alone."

"The Sand Village, the Cloud Village, and the Rock Village all suffered defeats at his hands one after another. In the middle of the war, the Four Ninja Nations all gave the Fourth Hokage a title."

"The Yellow Flash of Konoha."

"The origin of this title is that in battle, as long as the Fourth Hokage appeared on the battlefield, no matter how disadvantaged Konoha was, all enemies would fall under that golden light, and the situation would be reversed."

Not only had they never seen such events with their own eyes, but even now in class, as Konoha citizens, just hearing about it made them feel excitement in their hearts.

"There was a standing order among all of Konoha's enemy nations at the time: No matter how many ninjas you have, when you encounter Konoha's Yellow Flash, you must immediately abandon the mission and flee."

Iruka said seriously, "Even now, when people from the other four major ninja countries talk about the Fourth Hokage, they all pale with fear."

"It is precisely because of him that even though Konoha is becoming more and more prosperous, the four great ninja nations can only remain silent and dare not act rashly."

Today, the Land of Fire and Konoha were becoming increasingly powerful, and no matter which era it was, only with enough power could they protect the fruits of victory. Although Minato was now the Hokage and had almost disappeared from the sight of ninjas from other major countries, the great reputation he established during the Third Ninja World War still intimidated many powerful people from various countries.

As time passed, this reputation had not diminished. Instead, it reminded people of another era—the more than ten years when Konoha was first established and the five major ninja countries lived in peace.

The First Ninja World War didn't break out because various conflicts intensified more than ten years after the formation of the Ninja World. The seeds of war had been planted long before, and the reason why it hadn't erupted was all because of the intimidation of one person's name: the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, who was revered as the God of Shinobi by the entire ninja world.

In that era, the title of the First Hokage represented unparalleled power. He didn't need to take any action. As long as he stood in Konoha, he could shock the ninja world. Just his name could suppress the world and prevent war!

After the Third Shinobi World War, Minato's name also had a similar effect. As early as during the war, he was dubbed the new pinnacle of ninja power. Therefore, in the current ninja world, many ninjas had begun to call him the God of Shinobi of this era!

Minato himself had heard about this, but he had never accepted it. Because he knew that even if his strength was truly comparable to that of the First Hokage, he could only protect Konoha from harm while he was alive.

After all, human life is limited. Just like after the death of the First Hokage, the four major ninja countries no longer had any fears, and war broke out in an instant.

Therefore, if you want to keep the village peaceful and stable, the most important thing is to pass on the will. This is also the important significance of the existence of ninja students. Because the future peace of the village will still have to be protected by them.

Knowing this, Iruka took the initiative to return to the Ninja Academy and become a teacher after becoming a Chunin. Perhaps some people would think that the position of a teacher is mediocre and doesn't fit with the nature of a ninja. But for a ninja village, cultivating the next generation is the top priority.

When Iruka finished narrating the history of the ninja world and the deeds of successive Hokage, the students in the classroom no longer seemed so playful. Their expressions flickered slightly, and gradually, more and more of them looked towards Naruto.

Because to these students, the successive Hokage and their great achievements, although shocking, were too abstract. Coincidentally, the son of the current Fourth Hokage was their classmate.

Therefore, whether Naruto was willing to bear this kind of attention or not, because he was the son of the Fourth Hokage, his life in the ninja academy, his ninja career, and perhaps his entire life would become more special than others and attract more attention.

Chapter 692: Situation

When Iruka finished narrating the history of the ninja world and the deeds of successive Hokage, the morning class came to an end.

He first sorted out the textbooks on the desk, then raised his eyes and looked at the entire classroom. At this time, most of the students' eyes had fallen on Naruto, who was sitting by the window.

This was to be expected. When Naruto's relationship with the Fourth Hokage was revealed, he would naturally attract attention.

"The morning classes are over. Everyone, remember to have a good lunch." Iruka chuckled before picking up his textbook and walking out of the classroom.

Before he even walked out of the door, some students had already stood up impatiently. Everyone's target was obviously Naruto's location.

Before Naruto could fully react, he was surrounded by students. The expressions in everyone's eyes when they looked at him were completely different from before.

"Naruto-kun, I didn't expect you to be the son of the Fourth Hokage!"

"Naruto, what is Hokage-sama like normally?"

"Your dad is so powerful, Naruto must be very strong too!"

Suddenly, the students around him asked questions in a variety of ways. They all looked at Naruto with bright eyes and expectant expressions.

This sudden change caught Naruto off guard. He looked a little panicked and didn't know how to deal with the situation.

More and more students surrounded him. In the classroom, only a small number of students remained at their desks, but many of them were still looking at the crowd surrounding Naruto.

"Sasuke-kun, you knew Naruto before, right?" Sakura did not move towards Naruto like most people did, but asked Sasuke who was beside her. She had observed Sasuke and Naruto arguing when they gathered at the gate of the ninja academy earlier.

Sasuke ignored her and turned his head slightly to look at Naruto, who looked flustered and surrounded by the crowd. There was a slight flicker in his eyes.

Nara Shikamaru also sat in his seat, his arms resting on the table and supporting his head. Ever since Iruka revealed Naruto's identity, he knew that this would happen. However, the target of those students wasn't really Naruto at all, but his father.

"Shikamaru, let's have lunch together." At this time, a very chubby boy walked to Shikamaru's seat, holding a bento of an exaggerated size in his hand.

Faced with the chaotic voices coming into his ears, Naruto quickly became anxious given his personality. But even in this situation, he couldn't get angry.

Fortunately, Naruto's current abilities were superior to these freshmen. He found an opening, jumped up on the spot, and landed outside the crowd with a flip. Then he ran towards the classroom door without looking back.

"Naruto-kun." At this moment, Hinata appeared in Naruto's escape route. She was holding a bento in both hands and spoke in her usual soft voice.

But Naruto had no time to respond to her. He simply walked around her and escaped from the classroom under the gaze of the crowd.

The teaching building and training ground were not safe at all, so Naruto simply jumped onto the roof and hid.

"Phew..." Naruto glanced down with lingering fear, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that no one had noticed him.

However, just as he turned around, he suddenly discovered another person on the roof.

"Why are you here?" Naruto's eyes widened in shock because the person next to him was Sasuke.

But given Sasuke's personality, Naruto knew he wouldn't get a straight answer to his question. Looking at the silent boy in front of him, Naruto had already gotten used to it.

"Grrr..." When he saw the sumptuous lunch in Sasuke's mouth, Naruto's stomach began to growl involuntarily. His lunch box was still in the drawer of his seat. He had been surrounded by too many people earlier, so he didn't have time to take it.

Sasuke, who heard the noise, turned his eyes slightly. Seeing this, Naruto turned his face away.

"Mom prepared too much food. I can't finish it." Sasuke suddenly placed the lunch box in the space between them and spoke casually.

Naruto looked back when he heard that. Sasuke had only eaten half of the bento, and the other half was still untouched.

Now, no matter how dense he was, Naruto could see that Sasuke had intentionally left half of the lunch box for him. But given Sasuke's personality, it was certainly impossible for him to say this directly.

Although the two of them had disliked each other since they were young, in Naruto's heart, Sasuke was his first friend. Naruto didn't know if Sasuke thought the same way, but now it seemed that he still regarded him as a friend.

Immediately, a smile appeared on Naruto's face. He turned around, picked up the half-eaten lunch box and started eating.

After a while, Naruto finished the food. "Thank you," he said as he neatly packed up the lunch box and placed it next to Sasuke, smiling slightly.

"You really don't act like your father at all," Sasuke said, staring at Naruto for a long time.

From the class earlier, they had gained a general understanding of Minato's past, and because of the relationship between their two families, Sasuke also had a certain understanding of the Fourth Hokage. Apart from certain features in appearance, Sasuke really couldn't see that Naruto was like his father in any way.

"Yeah." This time, Naruto did not refute Sasuke's words. He agreed and turned his gaze toward the Hokage Monument. From the roof of the ninja academy, he could see the faces of the successive Hokage carved into the mountain. He stared at the Fourth Hokage's face, his eyes trembling.

The two of them stayed on the roof until the afternoon class started, then they walked back into the classroom together.

After what Naruto had done earlier, some students noticed his reluctance and changed their approach. But there were still countless eyes staring at him, making him feel very uncomfortable.

When the day's classes ended, it was time to leave the ninja academy. After the teacher left, Naruto's situation improved slightly compared to noon, but there were still a few students surrounding him.

Children of that age certainly weren't snobbish yet. Although they surrounded Naruto because his father was the Fourth Hokage, these children were almost all motivated by curiosity. After all, the deeds of the Fourth Hokage seemed almost mythical.

Sasuke was in a similar situation as Naruto, with the only difference being that all the students around him were girls.

Chapter 693: Similarities

When Naruto and Sasuke walked out of the classroom, each surrounded by several freshmen, they found that the corridor outside was filled with ninja academy students who looked slightly older than them.

These people's eyes quickly turned to Naruto.

Seeing this, Naruto frowned. The way those people looked at him was the same as everyone else before them. He looked puzzled, not knowing why the situation had suddenly turned out like this.

At this time, Sasuke seemed to sense his confusion and whispered: "I think almost all the students in the ninja academy now know that you're the son of the Hokage."

"What's going on?" Naruto glanced sideways.

Sasuke shrugged, then walked forward, leaving behind a message: "You'll have to ask the people around you."

This was a very simple truth, just like there is no such thing as an airtight wall in this world. The noon break had been enough time to spread the news of Naruto's identity. As the son of the Hokage, no matter where Naruto went in Konoha, he would encounter situations similar to the current one.

Outside the school gate, Sasuke, who had just walked out, saw Mikoto and Kushina waiting there.

"You've been following me all day. It's so annoying," he said to the girls around him.

Sasuke didn't want his mother to see these annoying people surrounding him. But his words, which were even a bit harsh, had no effect on the girls.

They knew, however, that they couldn't bother Sasuke anymore once they reached the gate. Their parents were also waiting outside the school.

So, after saying goodbye to Sasuke, they each went to look for their own parents.

Sasuke walked over to Mikoto and Kushina. Chiharu was also there with them.

"Brother Sasuke," Chiharu said with a smile after seeing him.

Sasuke nodded slightly, then looked at Kushina beside Mikoto and said, "Aunt Kushina."

Because of some incidents from their childhood, Sasuke, like Naruto, was somewhat wary of Kushina.

"Sasuke, why didn't you come out with my Naruto?" Kushina asked, her eyes fixed on the gates of the ninja academy, with still no sign of Naruto.

"That guy is having a hard time moving right now," Sasuke said.

"What do you mean?" asked Mikoto.

"Go see for yourselves," Sasuke replied. Mikoto and Kushina looked at each other, and walked towards the main entrance with Chiharu.

They immediately saw Naruto being surrounded by a slowly moving crowd.

"What is going on?" Mikoto turned her eyes and asked Sasuke.

Sasuke replied, "Today, the teacher at the ninja academy openly stated in class that Naruto is the son of the Hokage."

Upon hearing this, the two women immediately understood the situation.

"Brother, he looks so tired," Chiharu said, frowning slightly as she looked at Naruto surrounded by the crowd.

Kushina wanted to go and rescue Naruto, but she could tell the students who surrounded him did not have any ill intentions.

"I'll go," Mikoto said, noticing Kushina's somewhat anxious look. She first spoke briefly to the ninja in charge of student dismissal at the gate, and then entered the school grounds.

After a while, the students surrounding Naruto dispersed. Mikoto led the exhausted-looking Naruto out.

"Mom, Chiharu," Naruto said weakly. Kushina and the others had never seen him like this before.

For these students, although the Hokage couldn't be said to be completely out of reach, it wasn't easy to interact with him either. So when these people who respected Minato heard that Naruto was his son, they couldn't help but ask questions out of curiosity.

Dealing with these situations happened to be what Naruto was least good at.

At this moment, Kushina knew that no words could express what Naruto was feeling. When she was first brought to Konoha from the border of the Land of Fire, she had also been treated like an outsider. But it had been okay because of the presence of Mikoto and Minato. Even though she was an outsider, the strange looks she received were only temporary.

Of course, these students couldn't keep pestering Naruto like this forever. But in the future, there would be other situations that would make him even more helpless than this. There was nothing they could do about it.

Perhaps Mikoto knew this better than she did. Mikoto was born into the Uchiha clan and carried this name, so she had to excel in everything at school. Otherwise, not only would she face pressure from within the clan, but she would also be criticized by others.

Just like Obito back then. Although his grades weren't excellent at the ninja academy, he wasn't a bad student either. But the reason why he received some unusual looks was because he had the reputation of being from the "Elite Uchiha" clan.

Kushina reached out and ruffled Naruto's hair, then parted ways with Mikoto and Sasuke at an intersection.

"Sasuke," Mikoto said softly as they were on their way back to their clan.

"What's wrong, Mom?" Sasuke, being more perceptive than other children, quickly realized that Mikoto must have something important to say to him.

"If Naruto encounters this situation in the future, you must give him some advice," Mikoto said.

Sasuke paused, and Mikoto chuckled and said, "I know that although you and Naruto have had many conflicts since childhood, both in your heart and in his, you regard each other as good friends."

"Friend? I don't need that kind of idiot as a friend," Sasuke immediately objected.

Mikoto knew her son's personality very well, so she stopped pushing and casually said, "Don't you think that Naruto now has a lot in common with you?"

"Am I similar to that idiot?" Sasuke's eyes widened slightly, his expression somewhat indignant.

"Yes." Mikoto smiled gently, then said, "I've always known why you started practicing so hard since you were old enough to understand."

"Because your brother is such an outstanding person, it must be very hard for you, right?"

Itachi and Sasuke were brothers, so it was inevitable that they would be compared. The reason why Sasuke had been training so diligently was that he didn't want others to think he was inferior to his brother.

After hearing this, Sasuke gradually fell silent.

"Remember when I told you that although your brother Itachi is very outstanding, you don't have to be like him, because to me and your dad, Sasuke is the only one," Mikoto said.

"And Naruto is now facing the same situation as you. His father Minato is too outstanding, so the pressure on him has been too heavy from the beginning."

"You are friends, so I hope that you can take the initiative to help him. This way, Naruto can understand that he is not just an oddity in everyone's eyes, and not everyone will approach him just because he is the son of the Hokage."

Chapter 694: Parents' Confidence

After hearing what Mikoto said, Sasuke's eyes wavered. He lowered his gaze slightly and pursed his lips.

In fact, Sasuke himself realized something tonight. His own situation was identical to what happened to Naruto this morning.

To outsiders, it was a happy thing for them to have such outstanding relatives. Indeed, Sasuke loved and respected his brother deeply. The same was true for Naruto—he was proud that his father was the Fourth Hokage.

But because of this, outsiders would always unconsciously compare them to their relatives. Talent, while it couldn't explain everything, at least at certain stages reflected the ability of a ninja.

Sasuke knew very well that he didn't have the same talent as his brother Itachi, who amazed the entire clan. The same went for Naruto—he couldn't be compared with the Fourth Hokage. So they both started practicing hard very early.

Thinking of the look in Naruto's eyes when he was surrounded by everyone earlier, Sasuke remembered himself in the same situation.

After being silent for a while, Sasuke suddenly raised his eyes, turned to look at Mikoto, and said, "Mom, I understand!"

"Sasuke is such a sweet child," Mikoto smiled and ruffled his straight black hair.

Sasuke continued, "You, Uncle Minato, and Aunt Kushina have been good friends since childhood. What kind of people were they when they were young?"

"Why did you suddenly think to ask these questions?" Mikoto was stunned for a moment, then she understood.

If Sasuke wanted to help Naruto, he must first understand how dazzling the halo on his friend's head was. He had just learned from today's lesson that Minato had developed S-rank ninjutsu at the age of eleven. From the beginning at the ninja academy, Minato was destined to be extraordinary.

"Haha, if I have to say, even though Naruto is a boy, his personality is exactly the same as his mother's," Mikoto smiled gently and began to narrate those old stories to Sasuke, starting from the first time she met Minato at the ninja academy.

Dinner time at the Namikaze household.

"Dad, Mom, I'm done eating!" Naruto wolfed down his dinner, then hurried to the hall to resume his daily training.

Kushina and Chiharu glanced at Naruto as he ran off, and there was an unusual look in both their eyes.

"Something must have happened at the ninja academy today," Minato said. He had noticed the strange expression on Naruto's face since he returned home. The reactions of his wife and daughter in front of him once again confirmed Minato's observation.

Kushina looked at him and nodded, then moved closer to Minato and told him everything they had observed at the entrance of the ninja academy that day.

"So that's how it is." After listening, Minato frowned slightly, but his expression remained calm.

"You've thought about these things a long time ago, haven't you?" Seeing that Minato's expression hadn't changed much, Kushina asked.

He was the Hokage and Naruto's father. Minato should have had an idea of what was happening at the ninja academy. The two had been together for so many years—Kushina knew Minato very well, and he could definitely have foreseen what happened today.

Minato shrugged unconvincingly.

"Dad, why didn't you tell us in advance?" After getting her answer, a hint of blame appeared on Chiharu's face. She felt sad because she had seen her brother's expression at the ninja academy that evening.

Naruto was very obedient to his sister Chiharu, and the relationship between the siblings had always been good.

"So what if you had known?" Minato seemed very calm. He looked at Chiharu and said, "Although you are young, you have understood social dynamics far beyond your age since you were a child."

"So you have to understand that Naruto and you are both my and Kushina's children. This is a fact that cannot be changed. It was only a matter of time before Naruto experienced what happened at school today."

It was indeed because Iruka was a new teacher that the fact that Naruto was the son of the Hokage became known to the whole school so quickly. But even without him, everyone in the ninja academy would have known the relationship between Minato and Naruto sooner or later.

"I am the Hokage, but even as Hokage, I cannot control other people's thoughts. Maybe my position and I have unintentionally brought some pressure to you, but this is beyond my control. I'm sorry."

Minato knew very well that if others knew that Naruto and his sister were his children, they would attract attention and even be talked about frequently.

Naruto wasn't the only one like this in Konoha. Among those descendants of the village's prominent families, many of them in Naruto's class had to bear similar burdens when they were younger than Naruto.

Just like Hinata, whom Naruto and Chiharu knew—her father was the head of the Hyuga clan. As the eldest daughter, she had been trained as the heir of the family since she was a child.

To outsiders, children from large families had better bloodlines, resources, and talents in various aspects than ordinary people. But the pressure they bore was heavier than others from the beginning.

"I understand, but—" There was a gleam in Chiharu's big eyes. She could understand what her father said, but she was still worried about her brother.

"Don't worry, your brother is not that fragile. You have to have faith in him." This was the only way Minato could comfort her. As the Hokage, he couldn't provide any special help to Naruto now.

Moreover, since Minato believed that Naruto was the savior who might be able to prevent the disaster that would sweep across the ninja world in the future, experiencing setbacks was the only way for him to become strong. Any powerful ninja must first have a strong heart.

"Naruto is our son. Think about the path you have taken in the past. You don't believe that your child can be defeated so easily, right?" Minato chuckled and looked at Kushina.

"Of course, I believe in Naruto!" Kushina said that although as a mother she felt sorry for Naruto, it has always been said that loving mothers often spoil their children, and her love for her child would definitely not be excessive coddling.

In the living room, Naruto was still consolidating his practice of refining chakra. Although he had increased the intensity of his training under Minato's guidance and had mastered the basic methods of chakra manipulation, he vaguely knew that this was more strenuous for him than for others, so he could not relax for a moment.

The next day, near noon.

"Knock, knock!" There were knocks on the door outside the Hokage's office.

Minato said casually, "Come in."

Soon the door opened and someone walked in. Minato raised his eyes slightly, and when he saw the person in front of him clearly, he stood up from his seat suddenly with a strong look of joy on his face.

"Teacher, you're finally back!"

Chapter 695: Intimate Paradise

"Haha, Minato, you haven't changed at all."

Jiraiya looked at Minato in front of him and chuckled.

"Teacher, you haven't changed either," Minato said happily, quickly walking over to Jiraiya.

They hadn't seen each other for nearly five years, and Minato had always missed him, but as the Hokage, he couldn't leave the village without good reason.

"I'm old," Jiraiya shrugged. He was already in his forties and no longer young. Even as a ninja, his face was covered with many wrinkles.

On the other hand, Minato was almost thirty years old, but he looked almost the same as he did five years ago. Minato's body was transformed by the Nine-Tails' chakra, so he aged much slower than ordinary people.

"I've missed you so much. Have you been doing well these years away from home?" Minato said. In his heart, Teacher Jiraiya was like a father.

Jiraiya stretched out his palm, patted Minato's shoulder lightly, and said, "Everything is fine. I've heard about it from outside over the years. You've done an excellent job."

He was very pleased that his disciple was the Hokage who could lead Konoha to greater prosperity.

"How are Kushina, Naruto, and Chiharu doing?" Jiraiya asked. Naruto was only a month old when he left. Minato had told him about Chiharu during their information exchanges.

"Well, everyone is fine. Naruto just entered the ninja academy yesterday," Minato replied.

"He's already at the academy?" Jiraiya recalled that the first time he met Minato was also at the ninja academy.

He was just in his early twenties at that time, and now, in the blink of an eye, his student's children were already in school.

The two exchanged a few pleasantries, and Jiraiya pulled out a scroll from his chest pocket and handed it to Minato.

Minato took it and began to read, then he raised his eyes with a slightly solemn expression.

"Sure enough, there is some connection between Orochimaru and the masked man who attacked Konoha."

What Jiraiya gave to Minato was a summary of the information about Orochimaru that he had collected over the years.

"Has the Anbu found anything?" Jiraiya asked.

Minato shook his head and said, "It was just my guess before. It has been five years. Even if Orochimaru is incredibly powerful, his exact location has never been found even with the combined tracking efforts of the village and you."

"Among the masked man's companions, there are also people who are good at gathering intelligence. So Orochimaru has escaped our pursuit many times. They must have provided him with some help."

Jiraiya nodded and sighed, "Unfortunately, so far, I still can't find any important information about the people who attacked Konoha that night."

"It's not your fault. Those guys have been planning since the Third Shinobi World War or even earlier. We didn't realize it until they showed up that night. The power they possess should never be underestimated."

Minato said that the capabilities of the masked man and his companions exceeded his expectations time and time again.

It was quite impressive that Jiraiya could achieve this level of intelligence by himself outside the village.

"Not only did Orochimaru betray the village, he also had connections with the group that attacked the village. I should have killed him back then!"

Jiraiya said angrily that when he tried to stop Orochimaru, he was still thinking of their old friendship, which was why he was defeated so quickly.

Otherwise, even if he could not win in a short period of time, when the pursuers from Konoha arrived, he and Uchiha Yoruki would definitely have been able to stop Orochimaru by joining forces.

"At that time, we can't blame you entirely. Even if you had held back Orochimaru, with the secret help of that group of people, we still couldn't have stopped him."

Minato also had a cold look in his eyes, and he asked himself the same question in his heart.

If he had been able to kill the masked man that night when he attacked the village, perhaps he could have prevented the disaster and Naruto would not have had to become the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki again.

However, given the circumstances at the time, even he couldn't do that.

"You finally come back once, let's not mention these unhappy things again."

Minato laughed, and then asked: "How long do you plan to stay this time?"

He knew that his teacher couldn't let go of Orochimaru, so he wouldn't stay in the village for long.

"I'm not sure yet. Actually, I came back this time mainly to prepare for the launch of my new book, and I also wanted to visit the village."

Jiraiya said with great pride that among the five great ninja nations, the economy of the Land of Fire was the most prosperous.

His new book had been picked up by one of the largest publishers in the Land of Fire and would soon be released nationwide.

"You have a new book coming out?" Minato's eyes lit up.

Minato was so obsessed with his teacher's previous book, "The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi," that he even named his child after the protagonist.

So, when he heard that his teacher had a new work, of course he was very much looking forward to it.

"Well, it's a truly great work with epoch-making significance!" Jiraiya folded his arms and nodded firmly.

"Can you show it to me first?" Minato asked immediately. He couldn't wait to know what kind of wonderful story his teacher had created.

Jiraiya blinked at him, a slightly mischievous look in his eyes, and smiled: "Of course, no problem."

As he spoke, he pulled out a new book from his pocket that had already been bound and whose cover seemed to have been professionally designed and packaged.

Minato took the book from his teacher and first glanced at the cover. The expectant look in his eyes changed slightly.

【Icha Icha Paradise】

Not only the name, but also the cover of this book gave Minato a rather strange feeling.

He raised his eyes and glanced at his teacher with a little suspicion.

"Trust me, you'll love it," Jiraiya said confidently.

With some doubt, Minato opened the cover and began to read.

However, as soon as he started reading, he noticed something was wrong.

Because the subject matter of this book seemed to be completely different from the previous story of perseverance and ninja values.

After reading a few pages, Minato's face suddenly changed and he quickly closed the book.

"This..." Minato looked at Jiraiya with a very embarrassed expression.

Jiraiya gave him a somewhat suggestive smile and said, "How is it? Any man who reads my book will definitely love it."

"You..."

Minato didn't know what to say, remembering that something rather ridiculous had happened at Konoha's hot springs right after he became Jiraiya's student.

And what his teacher's new book described was not about ninjas like "The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi."

There were plots that were definitely not suitable for children.

He was stunned for a long time. After a long while, Minato stared at the teacher in front of him and said with a forced smile:

"Teacher, are you sure you want to publish this kind of book under your own name?"