"Brats! I'm the Sage! The Toad Sage Jiraiya! A renowned and powerful ninja in the ninja world!" Jiraiya proclaimed, tossing his head back with flair and striking a stylish pose, casting a sideways glance at the two kids before him.
However, when his gaze fell on Naruto, a flicker of melancholy crossed his features. He was well aware of the scandalous rumors swirling around the 'Grass Village leader.'
He had initially expected these two children to be heartbroken and lost after hearing about their mothers—perhaps even to shout, "I hate Mom!" and run away from home. But that didn't seem to be the case at all.
Instead, they were discussing how to become stronger. Could it be that these kids, like Konoha's genius Itachi Uchiha, possessed the mindset of a Hokage at such a young age, hoping their mothers could find happiness?
Of course, as the great Toad Sage, Jiraiya wasn't inclined to meddle in other people's relationships. If Kushina found happiness again, he, as an elder, would offer his blessings just as he had for Tsunade in the past.
Yet, he had been in Konoha for a while now, and since he still hadn't found Ekinu-sensei, it was about time he took his leave. Before departing, he decided to check on Minato's child. If the boy needed support, Jiraiya had considered taking him under his wing and personally caring for Minato's orphan until he grew up. It was the least he could do to honor the memory of Minato.
With a heartfelt sigh, Jiraiya smiled warmly. "How about this? Just call me Sensei, and I'll teach you how to get stronger."
Naruto, intrigued, asked, "Are you really strong?"
"Of course." Jiraiya puffed out his chest proudly. "I'm the Toad Sage. Who in the ninja world doesn't know me? Countless people want me to teach them."
"Really?" Naruto still regarded Jiraiya with skepticism.
"This Sage never lies. How will you know if you don't give it a try?" Jiraiya insisted, thumping his chest for emphasis.
"Alright then. Let's give it a shot. What are you going to teach us? Hurry up!" Naruto exclaimed, eager to begin.
This kid… why does it feel like he's doing me a favor by allowing me to teach him? Jiraiya's mouth twitched in irritation as he glared at the two boys.
Clearing his throat, Jiraiya adopted a serious expression and declared, "My training is tough. Most people can't handle it. I'm interested to see if you two can keep up."
"Bring it on! As long as it makes us stronger!" Naruto shot back at Jiraiya's provocation.
"This idiot's right! Don't underestimate us, old man!" Sasuke chimed in with a scoff.
"Just call me Sensei!" Jiraiya retorted, exasperation creeping into his tone. He looked down at the two determined faces and nodded. "Since you're still kids, the first step is to build a solid foundation. We'll begin with chakra control."
"What's the first thing we need to do?" Naruto asked eagerly.
"Give me a moment to think." Jiraiya scanned the surroundings, searching for inspiration. Then he waved his hand. "Alright, follow me, you two!"
After speaking, Jiraiya led the two curious kids toward a small grove nearby. Before long, Naruto and Sasuke found themselves silently watching as Jiraiya walked back and forth along the trunk of a tree. "Isn't this just the tree-climbing exercise from the first-grade chakra class?" Sasuke asked, furrowing his brow.
"Class?" Jiraiya paused for a moment, then seemed to connect the dots. "You're already familiar with this?"
"Yeah, we covered it in the first week of school after we refined our chakra," Naruto replied, a hint of irritation creeping into his voice. "Do you even know how to help us get stronger?"
"Haha!" Jiraiya chuckled, brushing off Naruto's skepticism. "I just wanted to gauge how solid your foundation is. And it looks… pretty impressive."
As he scanned the area, Jiraiya noticed a small pond nearby. "In that case, let's skip this step and move on to the next one."
Noticing the self-proclaimed Sage eyeing the pond, Naruto and Sasuke exchanged knowing glances. "Water walking?" Naruto asked.
"You learned that too?" Jiraiya replied, surprise evident in his tone.
"Yep. I mastered it in a day," Naruto said proudly, puffing out his chest.
"More like you took a week while I took a day, idiot!" Sasuke shot back.
"Shut up, Sasuke! I was just going easy on you!" Naruto retorted, his face flushing slightly as he glared at Sasuke before turning to Jiraiya. "So, do you actually know how to make us stronger or not?"
Haha, I—" Jiraiya began, his mouth twitching with amusement, but he was interrupted by Naruto.
"Stop laughing and just get on with it! If you don't, Sasuke and I will go play!" Naruto exclaimed, impatience evident in his voice.
"Alright, kid. You've got my attention now." Jiraiya narrowed his eyes and said seriously, "Next, this Sage will teach you some ninjutsu."
He formed a series of hand seals, ready to showcase something impressive.
But Naruto, pouting, interrupted, "Isn't that the Clone Jutsu?"
"You know that too?" Jiraiya asked, slightly taken aback. He quickly shifted gears. "What about this?"
"Substitution Jutsu?" Naruto identified it again.
"And this?" Jiraiya pressed on.
"Transformation Jutsu? These are all basic first and second-grade techniques," Naruto sighed, noticing Jiraiya's face reddening. "Sasuke and I are practically geniuses, almost ready to graduate from the first grade. You're not just all talk like that jerk, are you?"
Thanks to the Uzumaki clan's perfect sealing techniques, Naruto's chakra was remarkably stable. Coupled with the teachings of Kushina and Akihiko, along with Naruto's diligence in school, he was far from a slouch. While he sometimes picked up ninjutsu a bit slowly, he always mastered it in the end. His only real issue was his aversion to homework, a trait he inherited from Kushina's carefree nature, which often left Akihiko with headaches.
However, Jiraiya was left speechless. What exactly were they teaching at the Grass Ninja Village? These were techniques even sixth graders at the Konoha Ninja Academy were mastering.
Of course, Konoha students also learned kunai throwing, explosive tag usage, observational skills, and crucial ninja knowledge. Most importantly, they were instilled with the Will of Fire.
Jiraiya's mouth twitched at Naruto's disdain. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "What else did you learn at the academy?"
"Just these basics," Naruto replied matter-of-factly.
"Even so, you managed to learn all of this in just a year?" Jiraiya asked, a mix of curiosity and amazement in his voice.
"Yep, and some second-grade stuff too. Sasuke and I are ahead of the curve," Naruto said, nodding with a hint of pride.
"Let me ask you, how many classes do you have in a day?" Jiraiya inquired after pondering for a moment.
"Eight! Four in the morning and four in the afternoon!" Naruto replied, puzzled by Jiraiya's questions. "Why do you want to know?"
"Nothing... just curious," Jiraiya said, falling silent for a moment. He then looked at Naruto with a complex expression and sighed, "No wonder the Grass Ninja Village is developing so quickly. Even the kids are this dedicated."
Eight classes a day for first graders? What the hell…