[TL/n: Extra Chapter for reaching 500Stones]
"How did you manage to defeat Orochimaru? I'm curious."
Back at the village, Murasaki couldn't help but ask this question.
"Well, tell us, I'm also curious."
Sakumo also wants to know the story.
Everyone has been in a class together since they were young, and they are fully aware of Orochimaru's capability.
For several years, he has been at the top ranks of various subjects. Although academic performance is not necessarily equal to combat prowess, as someone who got chosen to become the Third Hokage's students, his combat prowess must be above average.
"Just because I'm a slacker and only thinking about drawing comics does that make me someone weak for you to doubt?"
Akabane answered lightly and left his teammates a few steps ahead.
"Hey, don't shift the question!"
Murasaki caught up, but he found that Akabane was walking faster and faster, and finally used the Substitution Jutsu to swiftly leave them two alone.
The two left behind looked at each other and were speechless for a while.
"It seems that he got angry?"
Murasaki tilted his head, seemingly guessing.
"Ahh, he's just too lazy to explain it all."
Sakumo sighed and based on his understanding of Akabane. He was just simply lazy.
If they want to know the story, they can probably ask Orochimaru for the details.
…
"Hey Akaba, I know that we haven't been able to talk lately. So how's your mission."
Seeing Akabane come back early, Akabane's father was a little surprised.
Akabane told his father, "Yeah, my mission was fine.."
"Our clan is proud of you, my son, to become the student of Danzo, you will become a great shinobi in the future."
Isamu Kurama was happily praising his son.
Danzo was the man who found root and the head of Anbu, his reputation on Konoha was well known.
"Yes, father.."
Akabane nodded slightly.
It is the dream of every parent to have a son like Akabane. Isamu Kurama and Keiko Kurama were only ordinary families. Having Akabane was their biggest gift from god.
"Let Akabane take some rest, darling, he finally has free time for himself."
Akabane's mother nagged.
Akabane felt lucky enough to have a harmonious family who cared for him dearly.
What a life…
Akabane sighed for a while and felt that his shinobi life would be harder from now on.
If he could, he didn't want to be a shinobi, but since now he is part of team 7 led by Danzo, he was afraid that he would be recruited into the root one day.
"Ahh, finally, I can take a rest again."
Lying on the bed, he didn't want to move an inch.
"Shadow clone Jutsu!"
He called out his loyal worker. Then the clone starts to work on the comic while Akabane was lazily lying on the bed.
I have no human rights!
The clone sighed from the bottom of his heart while drawing a panel.
"Don't take it like that. I just had the time to take a rest after two whole long days, okay!"
Akabane reluctantly sat, crossing his leg, and began to regenerate his chakra.
After a while, Akabane had restored half of his chakra pool, then laying on his bed again.
Suddenly a sound came to form his window.
Tuk tuk tuk!
"who is that again..?"
"Heyya Akaba-kun.."
Jiraiya!?
Akabane saw Jiraiya was outside his window, waiting to let him in, so he got up and opened the window.
"Okay okay wait a sec-"
"Eh eh wait!"
Boom!
With a sound, Akabane stuck his head out of the window and looked down.
He saw Jiraiya lying on the ground.
After a moment on the ground, Jiraiya climbed back from below.
"Can't everyone visit me by a knock on my front door instead of my window?"
Akabane was helpless.
"Ouch.. this is the way of Shinobi.."
Jiraiya denied it while holding on to his back.
"Yeah whatever, what are you doing here?"
Akabane actually can guess his intention. Jiraiya simply wants him to teach him to become better at using his ninjutsu.
Jiraiya didn't have many friends to ask for this kind of request.
He glanced at Akabane's clone, who was busy drawing, and asked, "You have a good understanding of shadow clone Akaba-kun, can you teach me some tricks?"
"If Sarutobi-sensei said that you have potential, then he will surely teach you."
Akabane kindly rejected it.
"Hmm, am I worthy enough to be the disciple of someone like Sarutobi-sensei?"
Jiraiya was crossing his leg on the floor with a dejected look.
The result of today's test hit him so hard that it made someone optimistic and care-free like Jiraiya became depressed."
Akabane wasn't good at choosing words, but seeing someone come to him to confide, he had no other way than to consulate his friend.
Jiraiya will eventually go to Mount Myōboku and discover his talent to become a sage. But no matter how you look at it now, he is only a naughty boy who enjoyed peeking in the bathhouse and not worth becoming the Third Hokage's disciple.
If he was defeated by his teacher, he wouldn't be so frustrated, but his team got beaten up one-sided by another team, which gave a quite severe blow to his pride.
After thinking about it, Akabane said: "Jiraiya, Orochimaru is a genius, but you are the one who took the attention of Sarutobi-sensei. Naturally, you have your advantages."
"Oh is that so Akaba-kun!?"
Jiraiya was easily convinced by Akabane's words.
And he said, "You mean, I'll be a genius if I train harder tomorrow?"
"Mmmmm…"
Akabane didn't know how to answer for a while, and now Jiraiya was a little too excited.
Akabane's clone helped him to put up his words, "Don't get us wrong, you can't be a genius, but you could train harder than everyone every single day to be a better shinobi."
"Aah, I see… what are you trying to say was hardworking is the key, right!?"
"Umm yea.. something like that.. then maybe someday you can reach the level of Orochimaru and Tsunade."
However, seeing how his confidence was restored, Akabane and the clone couldn't bear to say anymore. Otherwise, he would get it over his head.
"Thank you, Akaba-kun!"
"Yeah… it's nothing.. I'm going to continue my comic. I'll see you later."
Jiraiya got out of the window excitedly.
Boom!
With a sound, Jiraiya fell again.
Ahh, not again…
Akabane sighed lightly.
Not long after he thought that he could finally rest, there was another rustling sound from the window, followed by a thump.
"Ahh, here we go again.."
This time a white hand, then showed long black hair.
In the next second, Orochimaru jumped into the room. He was undoubtedly more adept than Jiraiya.
"Should I just nail down my window.."
Akabane was helpless and a bit annoyed.
Well, what is the point of a door if a Shinobi thought that they could just enter through someone's window!
Orochimaru was a little dumbfounded, and after a long pause, he said, "Jiraiya said that you only talk to him when he enters through the window?"
"Why would you believe words that came from Jiraiya?"
"Are you really Orochimaru?"
Akabane was shocked by the fact that Orochimaru would buy Jiraiya's words.
This time, Orochimaru didn't hesitate and said directly: "I've analyzed your character, and it might be true that you will ignore me if I came from the front door."
"Haiss!"
"Hahahahaha…"
Akabane's clone couldn't help but laugh wildly, and the room was filled with a cheerful mood.