Naruto: The New Beginning

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"Um... what kind of person is Tsunade-sama?" Sakura asked curiously, now understanding the purpose of their journey.

Jiraiya thought for a moment before replying, "Well, if I had to say it, she's a troublesome woman who loves gambling... excessively. People in almost every village know about her."

"..." Sakura was silent for a moment, confused. 'Are you sure you're talking about the legendary Tsunade-sama?'

Jiraiya continued, "Speaking of which, she's earned a nickname — the 'Legendary Sucker,' hahaha."

"Are you serious? How could she have such a title?" Sakura is struggling to accept the reality as the newly minted medical ninja; like many others, she idolises Tsunade.

It was hard to reconcile that image with someone having such bad habits.

"There's no mistake about it. She's always loved gambling, but her luck is so terrible that she almost always loses. That's why they call her the 'Legendary Sucker.'" Jiraiya chuckled, clearly entertained by his old friend's misfortune.

"How could this be..." Sakura's idealized image of her idol was crumbling. "Then if she's so well-known, shouldn't it be easy to find her?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "It's not that simple. She despises ageing, so she uses special ageing to alter her appearance. Though she's in her 50s, she looks like she's in her 20s."

He grinned and continued, "Plus, when she loses everything, she borrows money and runs off. She'll change her appearance to look like she's in her teens, 30s, or 40s to dodge her debts."

"Hahaha, the old days were something else!"

Sakura suddenly felt disillusioned. Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin, is a shameless pervert, and now Tsunade is revealed to be a gambling addict.

What would Orochimaru be like? A total madman? (Well about that...)

Even Sasuke is shocked, thinking, 'The great Sannin addicted to gambling and not paying their debts? How could such a disgraceful person exist?'

He glanced at Naruto and had a sinking feeling that Naruto could end up the same way if he wasn't careful.

"So, how do we even find her?" Sasuke asked, focusing on the more practical matter.

"Well, I got a lead on her whereabouts a few days ago. We'll check the next town for more information."

As they travelled, Jiraiya shared about his adventures throughout the ninja world.

He spoke of the different customs and the political situations in various nations.

Occasionally, he'd slip in remarks about the best hot spring inns or places with mixed baths, but overall, he carried himself as a reliable mentor.

By evening, they arrived at a small town and checked into a hotel. Jiraiya announced he was going out to gather intel and told the trio to explore on their own.

Naruto chimed in, "Actually, there's no need to stay in a hotel. I could just take you all back to Konoha with my Flying Thunder God Jutsu. I've already marked this spot, so I can teleport us back tomorrow."

"No, Naruto," Jiraiya said sternly, "From now on unless it's necessary for combat or training, you are forbidden from using the Flying Thunder God Jutsu."

"Huh? Why?" Naruto complained. "There's no cooldown, and I've got plenty of chakra, so why not use it?"

Jiraiya raised a finger. "Listen, I brought you out here to train and help you grow. True training isn't just about ninjutsu. It's about strengthening your spirit."

"Only by leaving your comfort zone and seeing the world with your own eyes can you truly grow. A ninja endures, If you keep teleporting back home, you'll never grow."

Sasuke and Sakura listened intently, feeling a deep respect for Jiraiya. Despite his quirks, there was wisdom in his words.

"Oh..." Naruto admitted the point but had a nagging suspicion that Jiraiya just didn't want him interrupting his drinking plans back in Konoha.

Jiraiya soon slipped away, and the trio decided to explore the town. This was only their second time leaving Konoha, with their first trip to the Land of Waves being rather sombre.

This time, they intensely enjoyed themselves in this bustling town, which seemed geared towards travellers and merchants.

The streets were lined with hotels, hot springs, shops, and snack vendors.

Naruto sampled some snacks, thinking they weren't bad. Quietly, he left a Flying Thunder God mark on the street, planning to bring Hinata here later.

Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind: 'Why not bring Hinata some snacks right now?'

Jiraiya might have forbidden him from using the technique to return home, but nothing was stopping him, right?

So Naruto packed up a variety of snacks for later.

Meanwhile, Sakura was enjoying herself shopping with Sasuke. Although they weren't alone, Naruto was always running around, giving them time to browse together.

Despite Sasuke's usual aloofness, he was curious about the various items for sale.

However, he seemed reluctant, Although he resisted when Sakura dragged him to different stalls to play games like dart throwing and goldfish scooping.

Sasuke won a bracelet from the dart game and handed it to Sakura, who was so overjoyed that she had tears in her eyes, wondering how to repay him.

'I owe him big time... maybe I'll repay him with... myself?' Sakura's thoughts spiralled wildly.

Sasuke felt chills down his spine.

"Am I sick or something?"

…

As night fell, the trio returned to the hotel after having a great time. Naruto laid out all the snacks he had packed, guessing that Hinata had just finished her evening training session.

In Hinata's room, she and Hanabi were startled by the sound of food bags falling onto the table. The aroma of freshly cooked snacks filled the room.

"Dong, dong, dong..." More snacks appeared one after another.

Hanabi was dumbfounded. 'Father said there's no such thing as free food, only hard work, but here it is, falling from the sky!'

Hinata smiled, realizing what had happened. On the table was a kunai that Naruto had given her, marked with his Flying Thunder God seal.

Finally, a note appeared, written in Naruto's handwriting. He explained where the snacks had come from, ending with a few words that made Hinata blush.

Hanabi saw the note and couldn't help but grumble, "It's that guy again!" Though she ate the chocolate banana happily. "Hmm, it's pretty sweet..."

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