Chapter 42: Jiraiya Catches Sarutobi Hiruzen Lacking

Words : 1480 Updated : Sep 20th, 2025

Chapter 42 of "Naruto: What Kind of Starter Pack is 13 Years Late?" commences with: Hokage's office. Sarutobi Hiruzen was holding his pipe, concentrating intently on the scene in the crystal... Don’t miss the next part!

Hokage's office. Sarutobi Hiruzen was holding his pipe, concentrating intently on the scene in the crystal ball. Although he was old, he still enjoyed looking at some fragrant and beautiful things. It was purely for his eyes' pleasure. "Hey, old man!" But just as he was engrossed, a voice suddenly and inappropriately interrupted him, causing him to quickly grab a cloth and cover the crystal ball. Turning his head, he saw Jiraiya poking his head in from the window to greet him, before climbing inside. "You're back?" Sarutobi Hiruzen took a couple of puffs from his pipe to calm his emotions, then spoke with a helpless tone, "There's a front door, but you insist on jumping through the window. Where did you pick up that bad habit?" "Don't mind the details." Jiraiya didn't care at all. He quickly ran in, a mischievous smile on his face. "What, are you peeking again—" "Don't talk nonsense. I'm just checking if Konoha is peaceful right now!" Sarutobi Hiruzen's old face flushed. Although his disciple had the same bad habit as him, he still needed to save face. "Alright, tell me about this mission. Did you find anything?" "I did. Things are much more complicated than we imagined." Jiraiya pursed his lips, but thankfully he knew the priorities. "This time we were lucky. We didn't spend much time in the Land of Hot Water before we found something—" Jiraiya recounted the details appropriately, omitting some minor points but highlighting Takemi's role and the information extracted from Orochimaru. Sarutobi Hiruzen held his pipe and quietly listened to Jiraiya's account. After Jiraiya finished, he slightly furrowed his brow. "It seems this matter is indeed troublesome, but it also matches the information Danzo gave us. However, do you believe Orochimaru's words?" The Mizukage hiring this mysterious organization indicated a high level of internal strife, so high that the Mizukage had to mobilize external aid to clear the trouble. This was good for Konoha. No one liked those bastards from Kirigakure. But it made investigating the mysterious organization a bit troublesome. "I think it shouldn't be a big problem." Jiraiya nodded seriously. "Even if Orochimaru held back a bit, that's normal. At least we got some crucial information." Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't speak. In fact, he also believed that the information Orochimaru revealed this time was likely not a big issue. He understood Orochimaru well. Although he would lie, he was ultimately a proud person. "I understand. It seems I'll have to make a trip to Kirigakure." Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed. Although he didn't really want to take the risk, that mysterious organization truly startled him. Especially that fellow Obito, whose heart seemed full of hatred, and who had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan while also possessing Wood Release. He had to investigate this matter... "Alright, old man, don't think about it so much." Jiraiya looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen's troubled expression and couldn't help but offer a word of comfort. "Some things just have to be figured out. This organization is a hurdle we must overcome, isn't it? Relax, relax, we'll handle it." "You little brat, I need you to comfort me?" Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Jiraiya, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Jiraiya, however, didn't mind and, after a moment's thought, spoke, "Oh, by the way, remember to give this mission an S-rank. Takemi seems to want to become a Chunin, give him a good resume." "He needs a good resume?" Just thinking about Takemi improved Sarutobi Hiruzen's mood quite a bit. Although he hadn't had many missions since graduating until now, the difficulty of each mission wasn't low, and his evaluations were very high. Whether it was dealing with Jūzō and Itachi, or this time, based on Jiraiya's account, his performance was excellent. Perhaps, this kid would become Konoha's new 'Minato'... Thinking of this, Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded, but he wouldn't speak too soon. "Okay, I understand. I will consider this matter." "That's good." Jiraiya smiled, then slyly ran to Sarutobi Hiruzen's side, reaching out to pull at the cloth covering the crystal ball. "Hey, you bastard, what are you doing?" This action startled Sarutobi Hiruzen, but Jiraiya didn't care. "The troublesome things are over. We'll deal with future troubles later. Now is the time to relax. Don't be selfish, old man." "What nonsense are you talking about? And these are work matters, duties, understand?" "Alright, alright, let's just take a look quickly." "You bastard, hurry up and get out of here..." ..... "Thank you for the information, senpai. I'll take my leave now." "You're welcome." At Konoha Hospital, Takemi smiled and greeted the medical staff before turning to leave. But after leaving the hospital, he felt a bit disappointed because he found he had missed Kakashi. "He's already been discharged, huh? He recovered well..." With Jiraiya's reminder, Takemi naturally rushed to the hospital immediately to visit Kakashi, but he didn't expect him to have already left. "But that's good. Recovering early is better than being sickly." Since he didn't find him, Takemi decided to go back and rest first, and then visit him tomorrow. "I also need to think carefully about Obito's situation." Ever since he had messed with Obito, things had become somewhat chaotic. Moreover, he had even warned Jiraiya, effectively stirring up trouble both openly and secretly. But Takemi needed to carefully consider about how to proceed next. Of course, he already had an idea, he just needed to refine it a bit. "After all, there's still the second phase of Kakashi's exclusive side mission. This can't be neglected!" Obito had too many good things on him. He had inherited many things from Madara. Even though Takemi felt that the things he learned weren't complete, that didn't change the fact that he possessed them. If he could get them, he absolutely couldn't miss the chance. "Huh, Takemi? You're back?" Just as Takemi was contemplating, Naruto's voice suddenly came from behind. "Yeah." Takemi turned around and saw Naruto running over, holding a bag in his left hand and a basket in his right. "What's with you?" Looking at Naruto's getup, Takemi couldn't help but be curious. But when he saw what was inside the bag, his mouth twitched. "More of this cup ramen... Haven't you had enough at Ichiraku? Why buy so much?" "Hehe, this is limited edition good stuff!" Naruto grinned excitedly and said, "It's a good thing I was quick with my hands and eyes to grab so many, otherwise they would have been sold out long ago!" "This isn't some delicacy. I remember you seem to have quite a bit at home already?" "Limited edition! Limited edition! Wouldn't it be a loss if I missed it?!" "..." Takemi was truly speechless. He really didn't understand why this stuff sold for so much, or what was so good about it. However, he ultimately chose to respect others' fate and didn't say more, just looked at the other basket with confusion. "What's in this?" "This... This is also good stuff!" Naruto suddenly became mysterious. He looked left and right like a thief, then whispered. "Let me tell you, I found a great place. There's lots of food you can take there, and it's free!" "...Are you stealing?" "Nonsense, I would never steal!" "Then what about your allowance?" "Bought limited edition ramen!" Seeing Naruto's righteous expression, Takemi felt helpless. He finally understood. Although Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't stingy with Naruto, he didn't teach him how to spend money or save money. But thinking about it, as the Hokage, that old man probably had a lot on his plate, right? "Hehe, how about we eat together tonight? My treat." Just as Takemi was speechless, Naruto spoke with a smile, "It's a good chance for you to taste my creation, and the jutsu you asked me to develop is almost complete." "Is that so?" Takemi's spirits lifted immediately. He considered getting a camera to record it, but right now he was more curious about that basket. "What exactly is in here?" "Here, look." Naruto didn't hide it and casually lifted the cloth on the basket. Instantly, Takemi's face turned green. Inside the basket were colorful, various types of seemingly delicious mushrooms. This made him shiver instantly. He looked up and stared at Naruto, and after a while, he spoke, "Naruto..." "Huh?" "You should respect the old and cherish the young." "Uh? What do you mean?" "Make a pot of soup with these mushrooms and send it to Lord Hokage..."

Chapter 42: Jiraiya Catches Sarutobi Hiruzen Lacking

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