Naruto! Where are you going?!
If Pervy Sage had been the Fifth Hokage...
he wouldn't have let Granny Tsunade take such risks...
Never!
Naruto!
Sakura... It's all right. Let him be.
But...
I can see that child truly loved and admired Jiraiya-boy.
I can't help but hope that he is the Child of Prophecy.
Following the Master's Shadow
I'm sorry...that you always get the short end of the stick.
What's with you?!
I'm saying, you were supposed to be Hokage.
The Third Hokage always wanted you to be the next to--
I was never cut out for that sort of thing.
Being on my own suits me too well...
You regretted not being able to stop Orochimaru.
So all that time,
you were tracking his movements alone, isn't that right?
I no longer need to do so.
That means I get to release the sequel to my novel sooner.
Tsunade-girl...
Tsunade-girl!
Are you all right, Master?
Yes, I'm fine.
I'm sorry.
You just received sad news.
I don't blame you for feeling distraught.
However, you have the important duty of protecting the village.
This is where you must stay strong.
Yes...
Anyway, the clues left by Jiraiya-boy...
There is something besides the hidden message on my back.
A Hidden Rain Ninja captured by Jiraiya-boy is inside his belly.
And, one more thing...
Inside this fellow is one of Pain's bodies that Jiraiya managed to kill.
Pain's?
"MAKE-OUT TACTICS" LONG-AWAITED NEW NOVEL BEST WORK EVER
Oh, there they are!
So many well-developed gals!
Hey! What're you doing, Pervy Sage!
What a sight! What a sight!
I'm getting inspiration for my next novel!
AUTOPSY ROOM
This is Pain...
The ripple pattern... Is it the legendary Rinnegan?
That's correct. If we study it well,
we may find clues on how to defeat him.
A ninja's corpse is a treasure trove of information.
We will gather skilled Medical Ninja, and begin an autopsy immediately.
Shizune.
Yes, ma'am. I will take care of it.
Hmm... That is a good photo.
I have given you all that was entrusted to me.
Yes, indeed.
I will return home now. Let me know what you learn.
With Jiraiya-boy's student here,
you will be able to contact Mount Myoboku.
Thank you very much.
I promise that we will find a way to defeat Pain!
Now listen, Naruto.
I have only three years to make you strong.
I will spend that time training you vigorously.
Be prepared for that.
You bet! This time, I'm going to bring him back for sure!
There's no time for me to waste.
Cripes... I can't stand this...
What is this?! What's with this lame training?!
Fool! Nothing in training is lame!
You foolish student!
You're mine!
You're not the only one who uses Shadow Clones.
You're still so naïve...
Damn! I was so close!
Liar. It'll take a hundred years before you can beat me.
I can't wait a hundred years!
Just wait... Next time...
This is super-cool!
Hmm... Fine feathers make a fine bird, eh?
Yo! Naruto.
I hear you've been real active on missions and such.
Everyone in the village is talking about you.
Hey, let's go somewhere and catch up!
How about Ichiraku for some ramen?
No thanks...
What? Right now?
Yes. Take that, and go immediately.
The Cipher Corps folks don't work this late.
Summon them and tell them it's on my orders.
I'm putting you in charge of this case.
I know it's a very important encryption,
but can't you ask someone else who's not on a mission right now?
Wait... Where are you going?
I came here on a different matter.
Shikamaru!
But...
Lady Tsunade has been busy since morning, and...
Well, the same goes for me.
Shikamaru, please...
I must say... You've grown even more beautiful.
You haven't changed...
But... If you try anything to betray the village...
At that moment, I will kill you.
Then how about making a bet with me?
You bet that I will die. After all, you always lose.
But if I make it back alive...
Joking! I'm just joking!
You know, I'm grateful to you.
Heya... I'm Jiraiya!
You can send me the love letters later!
Nice to meet ya!
You fool...
24-HOUR CONVENIENCE STORE
Naruto...
I heard about Lord Jiraiya.
I wanted him to keep watching over me.
I wanted him to see me become the Hokage.
But I only ended up showing Pervy Sage the worst, most un-cool side of me.
I was...
Lord Jiraiya only had praise for you.
He was always boasting about you,
saying you were like his own grandchild.
He had faith that you were the one who would inherit his will.
And truly believed that
you would one day become a great Hokage.
Lord Jiraiya will always watch over you.
Even this very minute, he's watching from somewhere.
He wouldn't be happy seeing you sad like this. So...
Be your usual self, the one he praised so much.
Don't stay depressed forever.
For Lord Jiraiya himself, one of the Legendary Sannin...
acknowledged you as his promising student!
Thanks... Iruka Sensei.
Thank you for your efforts. How's it going?
Oh...
I checked very carefully...
But this isn't a Hidden Leaf code.
It doesn't correspond to any of our algorithms.
But considering the fact that Lord Jiraiya wrote this
in his dying moments,
I don't think it could be anything too complex.
It's a string of numbers,
so it has to be a shared-key encryption.
Can you...decode it?
Ahem.
Err... Frankly, it's impossible unless we know the key.
Key?
Namely, if you don't know the rules that define the code,
you can't break it.
Unless we know something about Lord Jiraiya
that could be the key, it's impossible.
So how do we figure out what the key is?
I wouldn't know...
But perhaps someone who was close to Lord Jiraiya
would recognize the key.
Although, given the circumstances of his death,
the encryption could have been hastily created
to prevent the enemy from discerning his message.
So we can't say for certain.
Consider who he may have intended that message for,
and ask that person. And perhaps you'll find some clues.
Which means...
Lady Hokage or Kakashi Sensei...
Thank you very much.
If I learn anything new, I'll come again.
Sure, but I'll be home in bed, so just come by the house, ok?
Well... I'm heading home to sleep.
What about you, Shiho?
Someone's gotta stay behind.
9...31...8...106...7...207...15...
Can you think of anything?
Maybe in a conversation with Lord Jiraiya?
Something about these numbers...?
This number 106 is...
Lord Jiraiya?
It's 106.
What is?
106 centimeters.
No... That's not it.
I can't think of anything.
Why don't you try Lady Hokage or Naruto next?
I already asked Lady Hokage.
Which leaves Naruto...
The secret code is a concern.
But I'm also worried about Naruto. Try to cheer him up.
Don't get your hopes up too high.
Shoot... He's out.
Shikamaru... What do you want?
For starters... Can I come in?
Well? Can you think of anything?
Hey Naruto, I said can you think of anything?
Naruto!
Oh sorry. What was it again?
Come with me.
Where?
Just come.
Wh-What is it?!
LEAF HOSPITAL
Why'd you bring me here?
Just wait.
Ah! Here she comes.
Huh?! Kurenai Sensei...
Yeah...
Were you hospitalized for eating too much barbeque?!
Your stomach's bigger than Choji's!
She's pregnant, not fat!
Cripes, you're still as obnoxious as ever.
Huh?!
You mean...she's...?
Shikamaru, stop coming here so often.
Sorry, no can do. Asuma asked me to do so.
Shikamaru... What did Asuma ask you to do?
That child will be my student.
Huh?
Asuma entrusted that child to me.
I heard about Lord Jiraiya.
I lost my teacher,
so it's not like I don't understand what you're going through.
But whining and sulking isn't going to make things better.
We're way past that point in our lives.
What do you mean?
My teacher entrusted me with many things.
Some important, some petty. All sorts of things.
You too, right?
In fact, you must have a ton of stuff.
So don't you think it's about time for us to step up?
Time for what?
Time for us to become the ones who entrust.
It's a pain, but we can't keep complaining.
You will eventually be the one treating to ramen,
and you'll be called Naruto Sensei, or something.
We can't stay brats forever...
If we wanna become super cool ninja like Asuma and Lord Jiraiya, that is.
You're right.
Thanks, Shikamaru.
Pull yourself together.
You got work to do.
Right!
Comrades move on to decode the message left behind.
Entrusted to Naruto from Jiraiya, what is the key to the encryption?
Shikamaru's brain and Shiho's experience leads them
to a certain answer.
Finally, the hidden mystery is revealed!
Next time on Naruto Shippuden: "Decryption"
What is Jiraiya's message?
Tune in again!