Naruto: Mixed Heritage(Rewrite)

The sun hung low over Konoha, bathing the village in a golden glow that softened the sharp lines of rooftops and cast long, dappled shadows through the towering trees surrounding the settlement. Renjiro Uzumaki strode through the gates with purpose, his dark cloak trailing behind him like a shadow. His mask, now tucked under his arm, revealed a face etched with exhaustion.

His feet carried him instinctively through the winding streets, past bustling merchants and villagers going about their evening routines, toward the outskirts of the village. There, nestled discreetly among the trees, was one of the ANBU bases. Renjiro's destination was clear—he needed to debrief Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin and his current superior.

The ANBU base loomed ahead, its unassuming exterior belying the secrets and power it housed within. Renjiro entered swiftly, bypassing a pair of guards who acknowledged him with curt nods. The halls were quiet, save for the faint rustle of paper and the occasional murmured conversation.

Renjiro reached Jiraiya's office, a modest room tucked away at the far end of the building. He knocked once before stepping inside, only to be greeted by an empty chair and an assortment of scrolls haphazardly strewn across the desk.

"Of course, he's not here," Renjiro muttered under his breath, the corner of his mouth twitching in irritation.

He stood there for a moment, his gaze sweeping the room as if Jiraiya might materialize from the shadows. When it became clear that the office was as empty as it appeared, Renjiro sighed deeply, the sound laden with the weight of his fatigue. "This is going to be a long day," he murmured to himself before stepping back into the corridor.

Determined, Renjiro began his search. He combed through the base, moving swiftly and methodically, checking every likely place Jiraiya might be.

When his efforts yielded nothing, he expanded his search to the other two ANBU bases scattered across the village's outskirts. Each time, he was met with the same result: no Jiraiya.

Now perched high on a sturdy tree branch overlooking the village, Renjiro leaned against the trunk and exhaled slowly, his crimson eyes scanning the horizon. The bustling energy of Konoha seemed at odds with his mounting frustration.

'Where is he?' Renjiro thought, his brow furrowing as he drummed his fingers against his knee. The search had taken nearly an hour, and his patience was wearing thin. His thoughts drifted to a more pragmatic solution.

'Should I just go to the Hokage and get this over with?' he muttered to himself, though he knew the answer wasn't so simple.

A piercing scream shattered the tranquil evening like glass struck by a hammer.

"KYAAAA!"

The sound reverberated through the air, sending a ripple of alarm throughout the nearby streets. Renjiro's body reacted instantly, his years of training kicking in.

He didn't hesitate, didn't pause to think. With a burst of chakra, he flickered from his perch in the tree, his body a blur as he sped toward the source of the commotion.

When he arrived at the scene—a women's public bath—he was met with absolute pandemonium.

The bathhouse entrance was a whirl of chaos, steam billowing out into the cool evening air as a stream of women emerged in various states of disarray.

Some were clutching towels tightly around their bodies, others scrambling to pull on robes or other hastily grabbed garments. Their faces were flushed, whether from the heat of the bath or the sting of indignation.

'Should I go in?' Renjiro hesitated.

"Who dares to peek at us?!" one woman shouted, her voice trembling with fury as she clutched her towel like a shield.

"This is outrageous!" another chimed in, her sharp voice cutting through the rising din. "Whoever it was, they'll pay for this!"

A particularly bold woman, standing a little apart from the rest, pointed an accusatory finger toward the bathhouse. Her fiery glare burned with righteous anger. "I saw his shadow! He went over the fence—toward the alley!"

The others followed her lead, turning their eyes in the indicated direction and erupting into a cacophony of demands.

"Find him!"

"Drag him out!"

"Make him pay!"

Renjiro stood silently at the edge of the scene, his imposing figure cloaked in the dark robes of the ANBU. His mask gave him an air of stoic detachment, though beneath it, his mind raced. He needed to act quickly to determine whether this was a genuine threat or just the antics of some low-level pervert.

Without a word, Renjiro reacted. He sent out a pulse of chakra, his chakra field expanding like an invisible net cast over the area. The bath came alive in his mind—every chakra signature lighting up in his awareness like tiny stars in a constellation.

'What?'

A familiar flicker of chakra, faint and deliberate, moved just behind him. Renjiro's muscles tensed, but before he could react, a hand clapped lightly onto his shoulder.

"Ah, Renjiro," came a familiar, overly cheerful voice. "I heard there was someone peeking at the women bathing here. We have to look for them!"

Renjiro's body stiffened, and beneath his mask, his eye twitched violently. Slowly, with the deliberate precision of someone containing a great deal of irritation, he turned to face the speaker.

There stood Jiraiya.

The white-haired Sannin was the picture of casual innocence, his broad grin practically sparkling in the dim light. His hands rested comfortably on his hips, his posture relaxed, as though he hadn't a care in the world.

'Does he take me for an idiot?' Renjiro thought, his irritation bubbling dangerously close to the surface.

Jiraiya's grin only widened, as though he could sense the turmoil brewing beneath the ANBU mask and was thoroughly enjoying it. "What are you waiting for?" he said, clapping his hands together in mock urgency. "This is an order, you know!"

Renjiro's eye twitched again, but his voice remained steady, his tone betraying none of his inner turmoil. "Understood."

The two moved into the bathhouse, stepping over discarded buckets, towels, and other remnants of the hurried evacuation. The steam hung thick in the air, mingling with the lingering scent of lavender and herbs. The once-serene baths now seemed like a battlefield, rippling water reflecting the chaos that had unfolded.

Jiraiya walked with purpose, his eyes scanning every corner with a look of exaggerated seriousness. To any observer, he might have appeared a diligent investigator. But to Renjiro, the truth was painfully obvious.

'He's not looking for a pervert,' Renjiro thought bitterly seeing that Jiraiya was not looking at any of the mirrors around them.

'He's scouting for weaknesses in their security.'

As they moved through the bathhouse, Jiraiya began humming softly, a jaunty tune that grated on Renjiro's already frayed nerves. The ANBU operative clenched his fists beneath his cloak, his composure slipping by the second.

Jiraiya paused by one of the partitions, his fingers brushing lightly against the wood. "Hmm," he murmured, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "You know, this place could really use some reinforcement here."

Renjiro ground his teeth behind his mask. "I'm sure they'll appreciate your insight," he said flatly.

Jiraiya chuckled, waving off the remark. "It's just an observation. You can never be too careful with security these days."

After a thorough—or, in Jiraiya's case, entirely self-serving—inspection, they regrouped near the baths. The women's angered voices had faded into the distance, leaving the area eerily quiet.

"Seems the pervert was too quick for us," Jiraiya said, stretching his arms overhead as though he'd just completed a hard day's work.

"Yeah," Renjiro muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

'I wonder why.'

Jiraiya turned to him, his grin once again stretching across his face. "By the way, when did you get back from your mission?"

Renjiro folded his arms, his cloak shifting slightly. "Just now," he said.

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, his grin taking on a teasing edge. "Then why were you at the women's bath?"

Renjiro's eye twitched yet again. "I was looking for you."

"In the women's bath?" Jiraiya asked, tilting his head as though genuinely perplexed.

"No," Renjiro replied, his tone sharp. "The screams brought me here."

"Ah," Jiraiya said, nodding sagely. "Good thing you came. For a moment there, I thought you might be the one peeking." He leaned in conspiratorially.

"You never know with these things. The pervert could be standing right here with us."

Renjiro's patience finally snapped. "I bet he is," he muttered under his breath, the words just loud enough for Jiraiya to hear.

The Sannin's grin faltered for the briefest moment before returning in full force. "What was that?"

Renjiro straightened, his voice carefully measured. "I said I need to brief you on my mission."

"Ah, of course," Jiraiya said, his tone now more serious. He placed a hand on Renjiro's shoulder, his chakra flaring slightly. "Let's head to my office, then."

In an instant, they disappeared.

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