Chapter 11: The So-Called People

"Don't be like this... Naruto. They're still your parents, after all."

Jiraiya sighed as he looked at Naruto's detached expression, a flicker of guilt flashing through his eyes.

"I wasn't around these past few years, and I know you've had a rough time. That's my fault. As Minato's sensei, I didn't live up to my responsibilities."

"But I'm back now, and I won't let you suffer like that again. Besides, look the village has acknowledged your identity. People are starting to accept you. Isn't everything finally moving in the right direction?"

As Jiraiya spoke, an ingratiating smile tugged at his lips, his tone almost like coaxing a child.

Naruto, however, stared at him with a look of sheer disbelief like he'd just witnessed someone say the most idiotic thing imaginable.

"Heh... I guess people really can laugh when they're completely speechless."

After a long pause, Naruto's cold expression finally cracked, and he chuckled in disbelief.

"You said... acceptance? Why would I want their acceptance? Do I look that pathetic to you? Like some mongrel desperate for scraps? Or do you think I owe them something?"

Jiraiya's smile froze on his face. "That's not what I meant, Naruto, listen"

"No. You've talked enough. Now it's your turn to listen."

Naruto pressed his fingers to his temple, as if nursing a headache. "First of all, Jiraiya… you're an absolute idiot. If you weren't still of some use to me, I wouldn't even bother speaking to you."

"I-I'm... garbage?!"

Jiraiya's eyes widened, his expression darkening.

"Garbage? Please. That would be flattering you."

Naruto gave a derisive snort, casually pulling a strip of jerky from his pocket and dangling it from his lips. Hands stuffed in his pockets, he eyed Jiraiya with mocking arrogance.

"You're not even worth being called trash. So what gives you the right to lecture me? Your ugly wart-covered mug?"

"A wart…"

Jiraiya visibly deflated. He'd never been insulted so viciously before. It wasn't that Naruto was intentionally trying to hurt him he didn't even seem angry but to someone unaccustomed to such raw verbal brutality, it hit like a point-blank blast from a Remington shotgun.

"Second... like I just said, the Fourth Hokage means nothing to me. I don't acknowledge those so-called parents of mine. So whether I'm the son of the Fourth or the Nine-Tails itself it's all meaningless."

As he spoke, Naruto turned his head slightly, glancing at the surrounding villagers who were covertly eavesdropping. A flicker of amusement crossed his eyes.

"Unfortunate? Mistreatment? Does crying about it benefit me in any way? Jiraiya... do you concern yourself with the opinions of insects?"

"In truth, it's the opposite. I enjoy watching them squirm hating me but powerless to stop me."

"Naruto, you-"

Jiraiya faltered. But the moment Naruto began forming a Rasengan in his hand, he swallowed his words.

"When the object of your hatred suddenly becomes the son of the Hokage, what do you think happens to all that rage and resentment? Where do you expect it to go?"

Naruto dismissed the swirling chakra and shook his head slightly.

"Very few people are capable of true introspection. Most just drift aimlessly through life."

"And that majority the so-called people possess the capacity for thought, but their minds are shackled by the limits of their perception. Lacking direction, they fall into a state we call confusion."

"Like startled rabbits, people instinctively flee from anything that unsettles them. And when they can't run, they simply force themselves to ignore it, pretending it never existed at all just like this oh-so-peaceful street."

"You think revealing I'm the Fourth's son will change anything? Seems like the village elders have spent so long playing politics they've forgotten how human beings actually work. It's a shame, Jiraiya... but truth often stands in direct opposition to ideals."

"Two opposing identities. Two conflicting emotions. As they grind against one another, they sharpen into something jagged ultimately splitting apart. Like nature transformation with wind chakra."

The street fell into a deathly silence. The bystanders who had been listening nearby lowered their heads, embarrassment written across their faces.

Jiraiya's thoughts were in turmoil. He'd never even considered the possibility Naruto was now laying bare.

But the truth was undeniable. Since they'd stepped into the street, the heavy, awkward atmosphere hadn't once dissipated. He'd thought time might eventually smooth things over but from the looks of the villagers' reactions, this tension would only fester, morphing over time into indifference and silent rejection.

"Why… would you say all this out loud?"

Some things, once spoken, can never be taken back...

Staring at that young face that so closely resembled Minato's, Jiraiya's voice was conflicted. "The future can be changed, Naruto. What you're describing is just one possibility "

"Konoha's future has nothing to do with me. Because my future doesn't lie here."

Naruto scoffed. "As for why I said it? Simple curiosity. I wanted to see what people would do when their own ugliness was laid bare, stripped of any way to escape it."

"Of course, I suspect the most likely outcome is that they'll slowly smother any lingering guilt or conscience, start treating it all as 'normal,' and rot away completely. And considering Konoha's track record this wouldn't be the first time, would it?"

Jiraiya stood there stunned, speechless.

He realized, with a sinking heart, that Naruto was right.

The village's darkness had existed for generations. Its people had been deteriorating for just as long. And Naruto's experience wasn't some isolated tragedy it was merely one visible crack in a much deeper rot.

Hadn't he himself chosen exile for all these years for the same reason Naruto had stated? Because he was too afraid to face it?

By the time Naruto's silhouette disappeared around the corner, Jiraiya finally snapped out of his daze and rushed to catch up.

Soon, Naruto entered a weapons shop, pushing the door open with one hand.

"Do you have chakra paper?"

"Ah-yes, yes, we do!"

"How much?"

The shopkeeper hurried over with a pack of chakra paper in hand, chuckling awkwardly. "Oh no, no need to pay "

Before he could finish, Naruto dumped a wad of cash on the counter and turned to leave.

Money had never been something he needed much.

For the past two years, he'd survived off hunting. Occasionally, he'd ask Ino to buy some spices for him.

Even the clothes he wore were things Mr. and Mrs. Yamanaka had quietly provided though Ino always claimed some cousin had bought the wrong size by mistake...

As Naruto exited the shop, the owner clicked his tongue and muttered under his breath, "Tch. Acting like he's something special. A fox is still a damn fox…"

Outside, Jiraiya stood frozen in place, face stiff with awkwardness. Both he and Naruto had sharp enough senses to clearly hear every word.

Naruto turned toward him with a faint smirk, his eyes brimming with quiet mockery. "Did you hear that? You really thought they're being kind to me out of guilt? No. They're only trying to ease their own conscience."

"People always want to shift the blame. And when their mistakes aren't forgiven, guilt turns to resentment. In the end, all that talk of gratitude and righteousness? Completely meaningless."

"To call it human nature might be oversimplifying things. But if we're talking about the masses, then it's not far off."

"Jiraiya, I don't hate Konoha. I just don't care what ants think. But if anyone dares to stand in my way…"

His voice dipped low, and cold.

"Not the Hokage. Not even you."