As time passed, the day of Jiraiya's departure was approaching.
One day, Jiraiya found himself gazing at his disciple with a somewhat distant look in his eyes. The experiences of recent days felt like a deep, torturous abyss, and worst of all, there was no escape.
Now, Jiraiya was contemplating whether to leave the village immediately, to get away from his relentless disciple!
Meanwhile, Natsuro wore a look of satisfaction. His theoretical understanding of sealing techniques had advanced remarkably over the past few days. Although he could continue to study further, the gap between his theoretical knowledge and practical application was significant.
He understood this wasn't ideal, but with Jiraiya's departure imminent, he could only focus most of his energy on theoretical knowledge. He planned to gradually practice the techniques after Jiraiya left, believing his learning speed would not suffer.
He found it amusing to see Jiraiya looking somewhat unnatural. He knew Jiraiya had been driven to the brink of exhaustion by his incessant questions.
But, as they say, if you're going to leave Konoha, I won't let go easily!
"Any more questions today?" Jiraiya asked, his voice trembling slightly. Anyone familiar with him would be surprised by this uncharacteristic display.
"Don't worry, Sensei, not for now. I've learned too much theory; it's time to start practicing." He said with a smile. After spending so much time together, he was no longer as reserved as before.
"Good." Jiraiya sighed with relief, then suddenly realized something and stared wide-eyed at Natsuro, saying, "You little rascal, what do you mean by 'don't worry'? How could I, the great Toad Sage, be stumped by such trivial matters!"
"Then I'll continue asking. I haven't exhausted all the deeper aspects." Natsuro said, reaching for paper and pen as if he were already prepared.
Jiraiya's face froze for a moment but he forced himself to say, "Go ahead!"
"Forget it, I don't have any more questions." Natsuro decided after seeing Jiraiya's strained attempt to remain composed. He thought it best to give Jiraiya some dignity.
Jiraiya felt his back no longer ached, his legs no longer hurt. He roared with laughter, "I told you, how could I, the great Toad Sage, be challenged by such a minor issue!"
Natsuro looked at Jiraiya and had to admit that Jiraiya's broad and large frame made his laughter seem quite grand.
"Sensei, you're leaving tomorrow, right?" Natsuro's tone was tinged with reluctance. He now understood how fortunate he was to have a teacher who could genuinely instruct him. If he had to tackle all these questions alone, it would take much longer—several months, or even close to a year.
"Yes, sorry, Natsuro. I can't take you with me." Jiraiya said, his gaze softening. He ruffled his hair affectionately.
"It's alright. I'll come find you once I've grown stronger." He said. He wasn't fond of having his head ruffled, but on the eve of their separation, he allowed it.
"Haha, alright. I'll be waiting for you!" Jiraiya laughed heartily.
"Hmm, when I find you, let's continue learning sealing techniques." Natsuro suddenly said.
Jiraiya choked on his laughter, and his joy was abruptly cut off. Seeing his smiling face, he couldn't help but shake his head with a smile, "You little rascal, you've really got me this time. But with your speed, maybe by the next time we meet, your sealing techniques will have surpassed mine!"
"Maybe." He did not deny it. He learned theoretical techniques very quickly.
Jiraiya laughed again, liking his confidence. Compared to Minato, each had their own strengths. Jiraiya hadn't expected the talents of his disciples to be so remarkable.
After a while, Jiraiya continued, "I've already informed Mount Myoboku about you. Today, let me introduce you to my master."
Jiraiya bit his finger, began to form hand seals, and he felt the immense chakra radiating from Jiraiya with envy. If only he had such a vast amount of chakra, he could certainly summon Gamabunta.
However, Gamabunta wasn't likely to be the one Jiraiya referred to as his master. Natsuro had a good idea of who it might be.
A puff of white smoke erupted, and soon, a 'diminutive' figure emerged from it.
"Cough, cough, Jiraiya. It seems the time has come as you said."
"Ha ha, Master, this is my new disciple." Jiraiya said, pulling Natsuro forward and introducing him to Sage Fukasaku.
"Hmm." Sage Fukasaku examined Natsuro closely before stepping forward and starting to feel his physique.
Soon, Sage Fukasaku remarked, "Jiraiya, it looks like you've taken on a remarkable disciple. His foundation is much better than yours when you first arrived at Mount Myoboku, and his age is quite suitable."
Sage Fukasaku's face showed a look of satisfaction. In his view, Jiraiya's new disciple was not inferior to the previous one, who had already impressed him.
"Of course. How could I have a disciple without talent?" Jiraiya said with pride, then asked, "But Master, he is only seven years old. Shouldn't he have a few more years? Why is his age considered suitable?"
Jiraiya was puzzled.
Sage Fukasaku stroked his white beard and said, "Your disciple is no ordinary child. He must have started training at a very young age and has used some special methods. I used sage techniques to check; your disciple could reach the next stage more than a year earlier, or possibly even sooner."
Jiraiya calculated the time. If he could advance more than a year early, that meant he might reach the next stage just a bit past ten years old. If that's the case, the timeline indeed seemed tight. Jiraiya was relieved he returned just in time.
Natsuro's eyes lit up. Although he knew he could advance early, he didn't expect it to be by such a margin. It seemed the Lightning Release massage had been very effective. Even if its effects diminished, he would continue with it.
Sage Fukasaku then looked at him and said, "Your name is Natsuro, right? Since Jiraiya has entrusted me to teach you, I'll be responsible for your training plan from now on."
"Okay." he nodded, hesitantly wondering how to address him.
Sage Fukasaku noticed his hesitation and said, "Just call me Sage Fukasaku."
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