Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 279: I'm very happy.

Jiraiya's laziness failed again. Naruto used the excuse that the Chunin Exams were approaching and the village needed to increase its defenses to prevent any further incidents to have Jiraiya brought back.

"Last year's exam was the same even without me, so why do they insist on making me go back this time!"

"I wasn't in charge last year, so how could they possibly find someone as capable as you? Please, this is my first time coordinating a large-scale event, and I can only feel at ease with everyone around me."

"...I'm not going to work for free."

"Add a package deal from a chain hot spring hotel to your salary."

"make a deal!"

Of course, it's impossible for an ordinary person to invite one of the Three Ninjas with such a small amount of money; after all, this is a friendly price offered internally.

"I used to think the Land of Rivers was all barren mountains, but I never expected there to be so many delicious foods and fun activities!"

"The clothing designs are quite interesting; the women's clothes are surprisingly not bulky at all, and they are both beautiful and practical."

"Everyone was incredibly enthusiastic. Several kids even wanted to become my students while I was exercising."

"That was overly enthusiastic; people actually mistook me for blind..."

"Haha, wasn't it because I was worried you had trouble walking and wanted to help you?"

"Speaking of which, Naruto, you didn't go out much those few days, so you missed out on a lot of good things."

"Isn't it time to arrange the Chunin Exams when we get back? We need to write a plan in advance."

"Didn't you ask Shikamaru for help before you left?"

“He has his own things to do too. If we both go out, who will do the task review?”

"Is this the world of Jonin...? Even when they're on missions, they don't have a moment to spare. Naruto-kun is so busy yet still has such strength, which means I haven't been working hard enough! Alright! I'll run ten laps around Konoha!"

As Xiao Li broke away from the group like a gust of wind, everyone gradually began to say goodbye.

"Leave the report to me."

"I've been away for so long, I should go back and let them know I'm safe, so they won't nag me anymore."

"I also need to report to the clan chief."

"I happen to have something to discuss with my master. Let's go to the Hokage Building together. I hope she'll be available."

"Sakura, do you dare say that to Granny Tsunade's face?"

"...As long as you keep your mouth shut forever, she won't hear you."

The pink-haired girl's punches were not something Naruto could easily withstand right now, but he couldn't resist being sarcastic. However, Naruto was able to dodge even the least serious punches with his speed alone, which was a testament to their teamwork.

The squad disbanded on the spot, and the captain and his teammates moved nimbly all the way, entering the Hokage Building directly through the window. They stopped fighting each other at the entrance of the Hokage's Room and pretended nothing had happened as they walked in.

"Welcome home." Tsunade said the first part of the sentence with a smile, then changed to a slightly threatening expression, "You guys really know how to give yourselves a vacation."

Naruto replied without batting an eye, "I used up too much chakra fighting the demons, so I can't do long-distance jumps. Besides, we specifically kept records of the countries we passed through, so we can't just skip them on our way back."

"If you want to hide the transmission range of the Flying Thunder God Technique, then why use it to transmit battle reports?"

"Isn't it because I was worried that Granny Tsunade would worry?" Naruto said very sincerely, then as if he had just remembered something, he tapped his head and said, "Oh right, when we passed through the Land of Rivers, we also brought back the Perverted Sage. He went straight to the hot spring as soon as he entered the village."

The veins on Tsunade's forehead bulged. Knowing Jiraiya as she did, how could she not guess what his purpose was in going to the hot spring?

"This guy needs to be taught a lesson." Tsunade gritted her teeth, threw down her pen, and stood up abruptly. "Which way? Lead the way."

"Huh? The Hokage's affairs..." Sakura looked at the messy desk with a puzzled expression.

"Anyway, it won't be finished in a short time. While Shizune isn't here..." Tsunade realized her little scheme had been exposed and immediately said seriously, "Hurry up and lead the way. If we're too late, everyone might be kicked out."

Although Tsunade spoke with righteous indignation, she didn't walk very fast after going downstairs. She would buy some snacks from the stalls from time to time to satisfy her cravings, so that the two children could also enjoy them.

Seeing that Tsunade didn't seem to be in a hurry, Sakura simply asked the question she had wanted to ask earlier. Human potential is limitless, and it's often unleashed on the brink of life and death. Although this mission wasn't yet life-or-death, it was the most urgent and intense mission Sakura had ever experienced, so her basic superhuman strength seemed insufficient.

"Master, is it necessary to fully accumulate the chakra that supports the Yin Seal in order to unleash the full power of the monster?"

Tsunade thought for a moment and said, "No, having enough chakra is fine too. But Sakura, you don't have an advantage in chakra, which is why I had you learn the Yin Seal to try your best to accumulate reserves for battle."

"I see..." Sakura asked for a bite of grilled fish with little interest; this answer was clearly not what she wanted.

Naruto, listening from the side, was sweating profusely. He had witnessed Sakura unleash her full power before; the force of that punch was earth-shattering, causing him to momentarily lose focus on the battlefield. He didn't know the connection between the Yin Seal and her superhuman strength, assuming it was Sakura's first time using her full power after long training. However, Sakura's superhuman strength seemed quite formidable along the way, especially the way she smashed through the road with a single punch—it already looked a bit like something from the future.

"Master, if I create a smaller chakra pool outside the main chakra of the Yin Seal and fill it up, will the power of my superhuman strength increase even further?"

"Oh? That's a good idea. We can give it a try. Its power will definitely be stronger than ordinary superhuman strength." Tsunade stood with her eyes closed for a while, then opened them and urged Naruto to lead the way.

At this moment, although Naruto's perception range had decreased slightly, his accuracy was still there. He could clearly "see" that there was another place where chakra was gathered in Tsunade's body. Of course, the amount was not as great as the seal on her head, but it was about one-tenth of that amount.

It seems the best experimental target is the lecherous immortal...

Naruto silently lit a candle for Jiraiya in his heart, then without hesitation sped up and brought him to the correct position.

"Yes, yes, that's it, let's play a little longer..." A person appeared on the roof of a hot spring, lewdly pointing at something. This person cleverly hid on the roof where there were no people, the towering ridge perfectly concealing his figure.

However, this did not allow him to escape the clutches of perception, and the fist of justice still descended from the sky.

"Jiraiya! How many times have I told you! No peeping!"