Naruto stood at Konoha's gates, his grin wide as he waved to Sakura and Kakashi. "Don't miss me too much, guys!" he shouted, his backpack slung over his shoulder. Jiraiya waited, his expression a mix of amusement and scrutiny. The village thought Naruto was leaving to train for Konoha's sake, but Naruto's mind was elsewhere. This was his chance—years away, honing his power, outsmarting Jiraiya, preparing to roam the world. Konoha's lies—about the Fourth, the Nine-Tails, his purpose—were chains he'd break with intelligence and strength.His clones had left a legacy: false reports of his "sloppy" training, ensuring Konoha underestimated him. The Scroll of Sealing was hidden, its secrets memorized, ready for deeper study. He'd cracked another seal, one for chakra redirection, which he'd test on the road. The Nine-Tails' chakra was his ally now, a red flame he shaped with precision, its rage subdued by his will. "I'm smarter than all of you," he whispered, his grin gone as he glanced back at Konoha's walls.Jiraiya's plan was vague—travel, train, grow—but Naruto saw through it. The Sannin wanted to mold him, maybe for Konoha, maybe for his own ends. Naruto would play the eager student, laughing—"Let's make me awesome, Pervy Sage!"—but his mind was a fortress. He'd learn Jiraiya's jutsu, his secrets, and use them to surpass him. The world was full of Jinchuriki, rogues, and truths Konoha couldn't bury, and Naruto would find them, alone, unstoppable.As they walked away, Naruto's grin stayed, his voice loud. "Time to become the greatest ninja ever, dattebayo!" But his eyes were sharp, his heart free. Sasuke's betrayal, Haku's sacrifice, Gaara's pain—they'd taught him bonds were traps. His intelligence was his shield, his power his sword. He'd train, grow, and return only to leave again, a ninja with no village, roaming the world to uncover why he was chosen, what he was meant to be. Konoha was behind him, and the truth was ahead.
