"Akira, you arrived just in time! This white-haired old man was trying to steal my Rasengan!" Naruto shouted with excitement when he saw Uchiha Akira arrive.
"Who stole your technique? Are you an idiot? Do you think Rasengan is so easy to steal?" Jiraiya, already agitated, retorted angrily at Naruto, who kept insisting on the theft.
"I may not be smart, but I managed to learn Rasengan in just a few days. So, it's not surprising that you, old man, could steal it!" Naruto responded, nodding as if Jiraiya's insult was just a statement of fact.
"Wait, you learned Rasengan in just a few days?" Jiraiya was stunned once more by Naruto's words.
"Yeah, Akira taught me how to train in Rasengan, and I mastered it in a few days! And by the way, the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu was even easier. I learned that in just over an hour. Were you spying on me to learn that too?" Naruto questioned, eyeing Jiraiya suspiciously.
"What? The Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu? You learned it in just over an hour? What kind of talent does this kid have?" Jiraiya was left speechless, not knowing how many times he'd been shocked by Naruto today.
Of course, Jiraiya knew how to perform the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu, but admitting that now would mean conceding that he'd been spying, which he wasn't about to do. So, he shook his head, refusing to let Naruto know he also knew the technique.
"So, this kid taught Naruto the Rasengan?" At this moment, Jiraiya finally focused on Uchiha Akira. The boy wore the Uchiha clan's emblem on his clothing and a Konoha forehead protector. He looked about the same age as Naruto, around seven or eight.
So, this was Uchiha Akira? The one who had opened the Eight Gates and killed the Third Hokage? The one hailed as the current greatest genius in the ninja world?
"Alright, Naruto, you've got it wrong. This is Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin from Konoha!" Akira said, giving Jiraiya a slight nod as a greeting and then addressing Naruto.
Although Akira had already known about Jiraiya's arrival through the life simulator, he hadn't expected the situation to unfold with such a misunderstanding between Jiraiya and Naruto.
"Kid, now that you know who I am, you should apologize! I'm one of the Sannin, after all!" Jiraiya, relieved that Akira had cleared up his identity, looked at Naruto expectantly, waiting for an apology.
"One of the Sannin? So he's just like that Orochimaru, one of the three Sannin?" Naruto asked, still skeptical.
"That's right," Akira confirmed with a nod.
Hearing this, Jiraiya's expression grew even more self-assured. It seemed that Naruto did understand the significance of the Sannin title. Surely, now he would apologize.
However, the next words out of Naruto's mouth caught Jiraiya completely off guard.
"Figures, none of the Sannin are any good!" Naruto shot Jiraiya a disdainful glance, showing no intention of apologizing. Instead, he continued to criticize the Sannin.
"What!?" Jiraiya froze, as if struck by lightning. Naruto's words echoed in his mind: "None of the Sannin are any good!"
After standing there dumbfounded for a while, Jiraiya finally snapped out of it and looked at Naruto with frustration. "Uchiha kid, is this some lie your clan spread to tarnish the Sannin's reputation?"
After the Uchiha clan's successful coup, they had publicly exposed the so-called seven deadly sins of the Third Hokage, causing his name to be cursed even after death. Could it be that they were also smearing the reputation of the Sannin?
"Isn't it true?" Naruto interjected before Akira could respond, clearly irritated. "Let's talk about Orochimaru, for example. Back in Konoha, he secretly captured villagers and even ninjas to perform cruel experiments. Then, just a few days ago, he tried to poison us all. Orochimaru is a complete villain, right? And now, here's this old man who tried to steal my jutsu. So yeah, all the Sannin are no good! Am I wrong?"
Jiraiya was left speechless by Naruto's impassioned rant. It wasn't that the Uchiha clan had defamed the Sannin; Naruto had simply misunderstood him because of Orochimaru's actions.
Faced with Naruto's logical reasoning, Jiraiya found himself at a loss for words. Meanwhile, Akira, who had been silent until now, just observing the exchange, couldn't help but smirk.
Jiraiya, the esteemed author and ninja, was no match for Naruto's sharp tongue. Even a skilled debater like Jiraiya couldn't stand up to Naruto's verbal prowess.
"Alright, Naruto, Jiraiya isn't like Orochimaru," Akira finally intervened, breaking the tension.
Seeing Akira step in to mediate, Naruto decided to drop the subject, though it was clear he wasn't entirely convinced.
With the misunderstanding cleared up, Akira led Naruto and Jiraiya back to the camp.
"Jiraiya-sama!?" When they arrived at the camp, Kakashi and the others were surprised and delighted to see Jiraiya, quickly greeting him with enthusiasm.
Given the looming threat of facing the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, everyone had been feeling quite apprehensive. Seeing Jiraiya, a legendary figure, appear out of nowhere was a much-needed morale boost.
"Hey, Kakashi! How far are you into my book? Oh, you want me to release the next one sooner? Nice, nice, you've always been my best fan!" Jiraiya grinned, exchanging greetings with everyone.
"Hiashi, it's been a while! Didn't expect to see you here in person! And Shikaku, Chōza, Inoichi—long time no see! And you must be Might Guy—what a spirited young man!"
As Jiraiya made the rounds, greeting everyone warmly, he felt a sense of satisfaction. This was how things should be—him being warmly welcomed by his comrades from Konoha.
"Hmph, I still don't get it. Why do they respect this white-haired old man so much?" Naruto muttered, turning his head away, still holding onto his initial impression that Jiraiya wasn't to be trusted.
Seeing Naruto's dismissive attitude, Jiraiya's expression darkened again. It was clear that Naruto had a deep-seated bias against him, and changing that first impression wouldn't be easy.
With a resigned sigh, Jiraiya sat down after exchanging pleasantries with everyone. Even though it was getting late, no one felt like sleeping now that Jiraiya had arrived.
"By the way, Uchiha kid, did Naruto say you taught him Rasengan? And he mastered it in just a few days?" Jiraiya asked, looking at Akira with a curious expression once they were settled.
"That's right," Akira confirmed with a nod.
"And you also taught him the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu? He learned it in just over an hour?" Jiraiya continued, still trying to wrap his head around it.
"That's right," Akira nodded again.
"How did you learn the Rasengan?" Jiraiya asked, his expression turning even more puzzled.
The Rasengan was a technique unique to the Namikaze lineage. Only those connected to Minato, like himself and Kakashi, should know it. So how had this Uchiha kid learned it?
"Rasengan? Who said I know it? I don't," Akira replied straightforwardly, shaking his head.
"Huh? You don't know it? But didn't you teach Naruto?" Jiraiya was completely taken aback by Akira's response, staring at him in bewilderment.
"Yes, I taught him, but that doesn't mean I have to know how to perform it myself," Akira said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Teaching someone Rasengan without knowing how to use it himself? And Naruto mastered it in just a few days?
Jiraiya was left feeling utterly confused. Had the ninja world progressed so much that he now felt out of touch with reality?
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