Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Chapter 5 This kid was peeping; he's lucky he wasn't beaten to death.

Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed his temples, his face etched with exhaustion.

The candlelight in the Hokage's office shone brightly all night, and the Hidden Leaf Village outside the window had long since fallen silent, with only a few patrol lights slowly drifting in the night.

He had just returned from Orochimaru's place, and his mind was exhausted, but the sense of accomplishment from nipping a future boss in the bud made him feel that it was all worthwhile.

Next, as long as I follow the steps and finish the mountain of official business, I can get tonight...

[Key figure at a pivotal moment in his destiny detected: Jiraiya.]

[Current Status: Running headlong down the road to perversion.]

The cold, mechanical voice in his mind made Hiruzen Sarutobi's brows, which had just relaxed, furrow again.

His eyelids twitched wildly.

"Can't you just let me rest for a day?!"

He roared silently in his heart.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath and brought up the simple map that came with the simulator in his mind.

On the map, a chakra dot representing Jiraiya is affixed to the outer wall of the Konoha Women's Bathhouse in an extremely lewd manner.

Not moving at all.

Concentrate intently.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's blood pressure spiked instantly.

Well, Orochimaru's problem is mental, while yours is a matter of conduct, right?

Not one can be missing!

He stood up from his chair, picked up the Hokage's robe and draped it over his shoulders. In a flash, he disappeared from the office.

……

The public bathhouse in Konoha was filled with steam.

On the high wall of the backyard, a little devil with striking white hair was clinging to the top of the wall, his eyes shining, and drool hanging from the corner of his mouth, watching with great interest.

Jiraiya thought this was much more interesting than a ninjutsu duel.

This contains art, and it contains his ultimate yearning for beautiful things.

However, just as he was engrossed in watching and preparing to memorize this valuable "material gathering" experience, he suddenly felt the brick he was standing on slip inexplicably.

It's like it's been coated with the finest lubricant.

"Um?"

Before Jiraiya could react, he lost his balance and thrashed about on the wall.

"ah--!"

A scream pierced the night sky, and he tumbled face-first into the courtyard of the women's bathhouse like a sack being thrown out.

Splat!

"Aaaaaah! There's a pervert!"

"Where did this brat come from!"

"Kill him!"

Instantly, the courtyard erupted in chaos.

The women's screams, curses, and the sounds of fists beating them mingled together to create a tragic symphony.

Outside the wall, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly emerged from the shadows.

He admired his masterpiece and nodded in satisfaction.

Using the newly acquired Chakra Precision Manipulation (Master Level) in this situation is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

He merely attached a tiny, almost imperceptible amount of chakra to that small pebble, precisely altering its surface friction.

The results were outstanding.

Soon, a patrol of ninjas arrived at the sound and, seeing that the Hokage was there, quickly stepped forward to pay their respects.

"Hokage-sama! What happened?"

"fine."

Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand, his expression indifferent.

"The child was naughty and accidentally fell while looking at the scenery."

The patrolling ninjas looked at each other, glancing at the two-meter-high wall and then at the sounds of chaos coming from inside. They felt that things weren't so simple.

But since the Hokage had already said so, they didn't dare to ask any more questions and could only stand guard outside with serious expressions.

After a while, the bathhouse door opened.

A white-haired brat with a bruised and swollen face, covered in bumps, and wearing only a loincloth, was picked up by the bathhouse owner like a chick and thrown on the ground.

The proprietress bowed to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Lord Hokage, this brat is now in your care!"

"Thank you for your hard work." Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded gently.

Jiraiya lay on the ground, feeling like he was about to die.

He was in pain all over, especially his face, which was swollen like a pig's head.

He groggily raised his head, and when he saw that the person standing in front of him was the new Third Hokage, he was so frightened that his soul almost left his body.

It’s over.

This is really the end.

Caught red-handed by the Hokage while peeping into a women's bathhouse, this crime probably warrants immediate execution, right?

He had even begun to imagine himself being tied to the Konoha Memorial Monument and publicly executed.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not scold him, nor did he show any sign of anger.

He simply walked over, squatted down, and patted Jiraiya on the shoulder with a complex expression of someone who had been there before.

"Does it hurt?"

Jiraiya nodded tremblingly, unable to utter a word.

Having aspirations is a good thing.

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke earnestly.

"But the method must be correct."

"You'll never achieve anything great if you continue like this."

Jiraiya was dumbfounded.

Pursuit? What pursuit?

What is the Hokage saying?

Looking at his silly, adorable pig-like face, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up and cleared his throat.

"Given your actions tonight, which have severely disrupted public order in Konoha Village and caused great mental distress to the villagers."

"I've decided to give you an 'S-level' punishment mission."

S-rank!

Jiraiya's legs went weak when he heard this.

At his age, he hasn't even done many D-level missions, and now he's getting an S-level punishment?

Is this to send me to assassinate the Raikage?

"The task is very simple."

Hiruzen Sarutobi, with his hands behind his back, spoke slowly.

"Write a 10,000-word report within three days and submit it to the Hokage's office."

The title of the report was "On the Character of Heroes and the Will of Ninjas".

"No food until you finish writing."

Jiraiya's mind went blank for a second.

One...ten thousand words?

Writing a report?

What kind of punishment is this?

For him, this was even more terrifying than having to fight a Jonin from Iwagakure one-on-one!

"Lord Hokage, I... I'd rather clean the memorial stone for a year!"

Jiraiya had a long face, practically clinging to Hiruzen Sarutobi's leg.

"Or... or I could run a hundred laps around the village!"

"no."

Hiruzen Sarutobi refused outright.

"A true ninja must not only possess great strength, but also a noble ideology to match it."

"You have a problem with your thinking."

"Come talk to me about your 'pursuit' when you've figured it out."

After saying that, Hiruzen Sarutobi ignored him and turned to leave.

Jiraiya was left alone, wearing only a loincloth, feeling the malice emanating from the entire world in the chilly night wind.

10,000 words...

He can't even write a 500-word essay!

Watching Hiruzen Sarutobi's departing figure, Jiraiya felt like crying but had no tears left.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, walking along the road, was already overjoyed.

To deal with a lecherous, hot-blooded idiot like you, you have to torture him with academic lessons.

Shift your enthusiasm for visiting women's bathhouses to contemplating life and philosophy.

This stubborn rock needs to be carefully sculpted; we can't let it grow crooked.

He raised his head and looked in another direction from the village.

That was once the settlement of the Senju clan.

"One done, next one."

"Tsunade, you must still be grieving over your great-grandfather's death."

His figure once again blended into the night.