"I'm not—no, I didn't—I…"
Minato panicked, scrambling to explain himself.
Only for Takuya to give him a hearty slap on the back, causing him to stumble forward a couple of steps and start coughing.
"Relax, don't get too worked up. After the war, your teacher will take you to experience it. I guarantee you'll never want to leave once you try it," Jiraiya said, giving Minato a hearty laugh.
Seeing his student's face turn beet red, Jiraiya assumed Minato was just embarrassed and shy. With a sly grin, he put an arm around Minato and winked at him suggestively.
"..."
Master Jiraiya, we're in the middle of a war. Are these really the kinds of thoughts you should be having?
And who takes their disciple to a place like that?
Minato, you've changed. You're no longer that pure-hearted boy we used to know.
Nawaki's gaze at Minato grew increasingly peculiar.
"Ahem! Lord Jiraiya, shouldn't we move on to the next island?" Yūhi Shinku coughed deliberately, trying to bring Jiraiya back to focus. This was serious business, and once the war was over, they could do whatever they pleased.
"Oh, right! Let's move on. We shouldn't waste too much time here," Jiraiya agreed.
Minato's embarrassment, coupled with the distraction, had somewhat diluted the awe they all felt from the previous Thunderburst attack.
One by one, everyone looked at Minato like he was a child who had just come of age.
Minato felt utterly frustrated.
I'm not—I didn't! Can't you all at least let me explain?
Takuya, you've ruined me!
Suddenly, a small toad hopped up onto Jiraiya's shoulder, grumbling, "Lord Jiraiya, there are quite a few enemies on the second island. You need to be careful. I'll take my leave; seawater makes my skin wrinkle, and I don't want to turn into an ugly toad."
"Ahaha… thanks for your help," Jiraiya chuckled awkwardly.
It seemed that most of the toads from Mount Myōboku didn't particularly like the ocean environment.
But this raised a question: Toads covered in warts were concerned about wrinkles?
Could wrinkles really look worse than all those bumps?
Since they landed on the island, Jiraiya had been busy. One of his tasks was having the toads from Mount Myōboku gather intelligence. No matter how cautious Kirigakure's ninja were, it was unlikely they would suspect a toad of all things.
Using summons to gather intelligence was a signature move for both Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
"The toads from Mount Myōboku are really something—being worried about getting wrinkles," someone in the group chuckled.
Their tense atmosphere lightened considerably.
Jiraiya gave an awkward smile. "The toads from Mount Myōboku aren't used to the sea, and smaller toads have pretty delicate skin, so it's normal for them to dislike seawater. Even the snakes from Ryūchi Cave don't like it."
Jiraiya even went so far as to bring up the snakes from Ryūchi Cave as an example.
In truth, except for creatures that lived in the ocean, most animals disliked seawater, even amphibians like toads and snakes.
Delicate...
That word made everyone's expressions turn strange, and they began looking at Jiraiya with a new level of bewilderment.
It seemed like Jiraiya had a very… peculiar understanding of the word "delicate."
"Let's get moving!"
The second island wasn't far from the first, so Jiraiya intended to lead the group there on foot.
Seeing everyone eyeing him oddly, Jiraiya grew puzzled.
"You're the first person I've ever heard use the word 'delicate' to describe a toad," Takuya said honestly.
Nawaki added, "Now I understand why you turn down all the ladies. In your eyes, it's the toads that are delicate."
Minato: "..."
Should I also add a jab here?
What if people start thinking I also find toads "delicate"?
Minato contemplated whether he should deliver a verbal strike to his teacher as well.
"Ahem! Enough nonsense. Be serious," Jiraiya's face flushed red. He now realized his choice of words had been rather unfortunate.
Using "delicate" to describe a toad was indeed an odd fit.
Fortunately, aside from Takuya and Nawaki, no one else dared to tease Jiraiya lightly.
And with Jiraiya straightening his expression, everyone returned to a serious demeanor. The topic of "delicate toads" was put to rest.
Despite the heavy rain and turbulent waves, these were only minor obstacles. Before long, the group reached the second island.
"Junichi."
Prompted by Jiraiya, Hyūga Junichi activated his Byakugan to scout the area.
Day or night, so long as they were within range, everything was visible under the powerful perception of the Byakugan. No hiding, no deception.
In terms of scouting, the Sharingan didn't even come close.
"Lord Jiraiya, there's a large number of military installations on the eastern side of the island. The enemy numbers are significant—over a full battalion," Junichi reported.
"Over a battalion?"
Jiraiya wiped the water from his forehead, pondering aloud, "It looks like Kirigakure considers this island quite important."
"Not just that."
Takuya's keen sensory ability swept over the entire island. He pointed to the western side. "There's a port built by Kirigakure on the west side as well. Plenty of soldiers are stationed there too. We have no choice but to go for a frontal assault."
Your sensory ability is that strong?
Hyūga Junichi's eyes widened. The others were equally astonished by Takuya's ability.
Wait!
Hold on a second.
Junichi suddenly realized something.
If Takuya's sensory skills were this powerful, why did Jiraiya have him waste effort scouting earlier?
Could it be that using sensory skills was more draining than the Byakugan?
"Prepare for battle," Jiraiya ordered.
Since sneaking in and quietly eliminating the enemies wasn't an option, a full-frontal assault would have to do. The enemy was too spread out, and their numbers were considerable. Once the fighting started, the whole island would be alerted.
"Takuya's squad, Yūhi Shinku, and you two—handle the port. The rest of you, follow me," Jiraiya directed.
Yūhi Shinku and the two Uchiha jōnin, along with Takuya's team, formed a special assault unit to circle around and attack the port.
The remaining group would follow Jiraiya to assault the Kirigakure military facilities.
Swinging Samehada against the Mist ninja… that should feel pretty good.
Takuya gripped the hilt of Samehada tightly. Sensing Takuya's fighting spirit, Samehada let out an excited cry.
"Who's there?!"
"..."
Oh, come on!
Takuya wondered if he'd been betrayed by his own weapon. Was Samehada actually a spy?
"Attack!"
Now that they'd been spotted, there was no point in delaying. It was time to engage.
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Next Bonus: 1700 Power Stones. ╰ (´꒳`) ╯
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read up to chapter 345+ at patreon com/ Emik01. ಥ‿ಥ
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