Facing Naruto's speculation, Jiraiya's eyes flickered with doubt—his thoughts had been seen through that easily.
Looking at Jiraiya's frown, Naruto chuckled softly.
"Senior Jiraiya, your thoughts aren't that hard to guess. After seeing how clear and unified Uzushio Village is politically, of course you'd compare it to Konoha. That's where your idea of reform comes from."
"And if you want reform, you have to sweep away the stubborn old fossils in the village and firmly hold power in your own hands."
"You went out to find Tsunade-sama… wasn't it just to win her support and push her to become the Fifth Hokage?"
Jiraiya fell silent. He'd been completely read like an open book.
After seeing Uzushio Village's atmosphere, he could no longer tolerate Konoha's declining, suffocating state. He wanted change—wanted to bring it back to the glory days of the First and Second Hokage.
Having just recovered from her hemophobia episode, Tsunade crossed her arms and stared at Naruto.
"Then tell me this, Naruto—why do you think your Uzushio Village is better than Konoha? What's your philosophy? What exactly is the 'Will of Uzumaki'?"
Naruto looked at her for a few seconds before answering calmly,
"Uzushio Village has plenty of flaws right now. But at the very least, it's better than Konoha tearing itself apart from the inside."
"At least we don't have people like Danzo running around, forcing capable subordinates to leave one after another."
"As for laws and systems? I mostly copied Konoha. To be fair, Konoha did a pretty solid job building its foundation."
Tsunade's expression softened slightly, but she still snorted coldly.
"So in the end, Uzushio Village is just a mini Konoha. I thought you'd come up with something new."
Naruto didn't get angry. He just shrugged.
"You're right—there's not much difference. The only change is… we don't treat people differently. We don't bend the rules for personal gain."
"We just treat ninjas—and civilians—like actual human beings. That's all."
That sentence hit like a kunai straight to the heart.
Tsunade's face darkened instantly. Every word Naruto said stabbed right into Konoha's deepest problems—the exact reasons she had left in the first place.
Problems she had deliberately avoided thinking about.
Could those things really be changed?
Even she knew… she still held prejudice against certain people.
At this moment, Jiraiya, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke in a low voice:
"Then tell me, Naruto… how should Konoha be reformed to become like Uzushio Village?"
Before he could finish, Tsunade shot him a glare.
"Jiraiya—"
But for once, Jiraiya ignored her. His eyes stayed fixed on Naruto, dead serious.
He genuinely wanted an answer.
Naruto stared at him for a long moment, then suddenly smiled—playful, almost mocking.
"First? Seize power. Take control of the Hokage's authority and suppress all potential opposition."
"Second? Develop chakra technology aggressively while dealing with the daimyo—the guy holding the purse strings. Make the ninja village independent, then push it further… until it becomes the true ruler of the Land of Fire."
Jiraiya's eyes widened slightly.
"And after that?"
Naruto shrugged.
"That's it for now. Uzushio Village is still figuring things out too."
Despite how casually he spoke, Naruto had just laid out a brutal, no-nonsense roadmap for revolution.
This wasn't idealism.
This was straight-up tearing the system apart and rebuilding it from scratch.
He wasn't holding back at all—not because he trusted Jiraiya, but because he knew something:
Reform is a double-edged blade.
It might save a dying system… or completely destroy it.
Unlike Uzushio Village, Konoha wasn't just a small ninja settlement. It was backed by the entire Land of Fire—millions of civilians, countless factions, deep-rooted interests.
Trying to reform that mess?
Good luck. That shit could explode in your face at any moment.
That's exactly why Naruto had left.
Too many shackles. Too many people pulling in different directions.
In Uzushio Village, his will was law.
He was both daimyo and village leader—no need to waste energy fighting internal politics.
But in Konoha?
Yeah… you'd spend more time dealing with bullshit than actually fixing anything.
To suppress opposition… even target the daimyo…
Not just Jiraiya—even Tsunade looked shaken.
They had never considered that angle before.
In their minds, the daimyo was just a symbolic figure—something to be used, not overthrown.
Because that system… was the foundation of the entire ninja world.
Destroy it, and everything might collapse.
After a moment of silence, Naruto lost interest in continuing the discussion. He stretched lazily, placing his hands behind his head as he turned to leave.
"Anyway… good luck, Senior Jiraiya. Senior Tsunade."
"Hope one of you actually becomes the Fifth Hokage."
He walked off casually, as if he hadn't just dropped a political bomb.
Neither Jiraiya nor Tsunade tried to stop him.
They didn't say anything stupid like "come back to Konoha."
Because they knew—
Naruto's decision wasn't impulsive.
It was the result of everything he had experienced… as a war orphan, as a Jinchūriki… as someone who had lived through Konoha's hypocrisy.
And more importantly—
He had already found his own answer.
In a battle of words?
They weren't beating him.
In a fight?
Maybe they could win together…
But neither side wanted that kind of war. Not now.
Jiraiya sighed softly.
"…That kid still cares about the village. Otherwise, he wouldn't have told us all that."
"But yeah… he's already the leader of Uzushio Village."
Tsunade was much calmer. She glanced at Jiraiya and said,
"His ideas are interesting… but reform is far harder than you think."
"The enemy isn't just the Hokage or the advisors."
"It's… everyone in Konoha."
She paused, then narrowed her eyes slightly.
"And Naruto knows that."
"This is his little scheme."
"We can't follow his plan blindly. Right now, the best option is to unite the ninjas in the village and deal with the old man and Danzo first."
"And if needed… we use the daimyo's power instead."
She looked at Jiraiya.
"Do you still have evidence on Danzo?"
Jiraiya scratched his head.
"Mine's gone… but Kakashi should still have a backup."
Then suddenly, his eyes lit up.
A grin spread across his face.
"Tsunade… does that mean you're coming back to the village with me?"
Tsunade frowned.
"Don't get ahead of yourself. I'm going back temporarily. Once things stabilize, I'm leaving again."
"Since you dragged me into this, you should be the Hokage."
She shot him a sharp look.
"That brat Naruto is right about one thing—you keep relying on others. First it was the 'Child of Prophecy,' now it's me."
"When are you going to grow a spine and become a real man?"
"Don't let that kid look down on you."
Jiraiya laughed awkwardly, clearly embarrassed—but his eyes had changed.
They were firmer now.
More determined.
"…Got it."
"I won't let you down."
"…And I won't let anyone else down either."
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