A glint of amusement flashed in Takuya's eyes as he proposed his condition:
"You need to capture a member of the Yuki clan, one who has already awakened their Kekkei Genkai. I need them for some research. And don't look at me like that—it's not for human experimentation. It's mostly to learn from their experiences."
Takuya had no interest in conducting experiments or research himself. His interest in capturing a Yuki clan member was solely to study the Ice Release and learn how to master it.
Human experimentation was too dark and cruel, something better left to someone like Orochimaru, not something Takuya would want to do. He wanted a fair exchange—capture the person, and he would share his research and learning with Jiraiya.
Lightning Release training could be free, considering Jiraiya had helped him before. But Ice Release? That was off the table until they had a fair exchange.
Jiraiya scratched his head and smiled ruefully, starting to weigh his options. If given a chance to master a Kekkei Genkai, he certainly wouldn't refuse. Mastering one would undeniably increase his strength, but capturing someone from the Yuki clan wasn't going to be easy.
"You're really giving me a tough task here. The Yuki clan has dwindled in numbers. At least, I haven't seen any Yuki clan members in this war, and to catch one, we'd have to infiltrate deep into the Land of Water."
"That's your problem," Takuya said bluntly. "You bring them here, I'll share my experience. Fair trade."
There's no way I'd let you keep leeching off me, Takuya thought. Fair trade was the only way forward.
"If you don't want to do it, I can ask Orochimaru. I'm sure he'd be more than willing."
Takuya even brought up Orochimaru as a threat. He knew well that Orochimaru would be more than happy to do something like this. Plus, if there was a chance to retaliate against Kirigakure, Orochimaru would probably wipe out the Yuki clan along the way.
"No! I'll do it!" Jiraiya was immediately goaded into agreeing once Orochimaru was mentioned. Sure, it would be troublesome, but it wasn't hopeless. Especially if he sought Minato's help.
Minato could easily take him into the Land of Water, straight to the Yuki clan's territory.
After parting ways with Takuya, Jiraiya couldn't wait to take the remaining roast meat and go find Minato.
My teacher really cares for me, Minato thought, feeling touched when Jiraiya came with delicious roast meat, fussing over his well-being. Unfortunately, before Minato even finished eating, Jiraiya patted him on the shoulder and said regretfully, "Minato, hurry up and eat. Once you're done, I need your help with something."
The smile on Minato's face froze, and he felt like spitting out the meat he was chewing. Care and concern? This was just a setup!
Still, good food was innocent, Minato thought. After some hesitation, he continued eating before asking, "Sensei, what do you need me to help with?"
Mimicking a flying gesture, Jiraiya said, "It's simple. Take me deep into the Land of Water, then help me capture someone."
After learning about Takuya and Jiraiya's deal, Minato agreed to help. He wanted Jiraiya's strength to grow too, and who knew? Maybe he could learn something along the way as well.
Today's battle had made not only Jiraiya and Orochimaru realize their shortcomings, but Minato also became aware of his own need for a trump card.
"Sensei, of course, I'm willing to help, but the current situation doesn't allow us to just leave so casually," Minato said, giving Jiraiya an apologetic look and glancing around.
Jiraiya paused, his neck stiff as he looked around at the people around him, scratching his head with a dry laugh. "Haha, yeah... now really isn't the best time to leave."
Konoha had just suffered a major defeat, and everyone was busy, still dealing with the aftermath and mourning the loss. Leaving for personal matters, dragging Minato along, was definitely inappropriate.
"Forget it."
With that realization, Jiraiya dropped the idea of leaving. "I'll just train my Lightning Release for now. Takuya's lightning technique was really something—had the Three-Tails crying in pain. Ice Release is a distant dream for now."
"Well, you'd better prepare yourself, Sensei. When Takuya was mastering that Lightning Release, he went through a lot," Minato warned with a smile.
It looked easy, but in reality, it wasn't. Otherwise, Minato would have learned it already—why would he wait until now?
Takuya's self-developed Lightning Release jutsu was incredibly powerful, but Minato's focus was still on the Flying Raijin and Rasengan. Even if Rasengan didn't quite compare to Takuya's Lightning Release in sheer power, Minato hadn't foolishly dabbled in Lightning Release.
Every jutsu had its weaknesses. Takuya's Lightning Release was no exception—it couldn't be used for sustained battles, as its immense power came at the cost of injuring the user's own body.
If one's body wasn't strong enough, trying to use it could end in disaster. That's why even Nawaki hadn't tried it recklessly. The fact that he and Nawaki dared not touch it spoke volumes, but perhaps Jiraiya could give it a shot.
Thinking it over, Minato decided to encourage his teacher.
"Sensei, Nawaki and I are wary of trying it because it could seriously injure us. But you could definitely explore it. I think mastering Takuya's Lightning Release could greatly enhance your strength."
"Oh, I'm definitely giving it a shot," Jiraiya said. Whether it would end up crippling him remained to be seen, but for now, Jiraiya thought it was more important to go back and consult Takuya further.
"Forget it, I'm going to have another chat with Takuya."
"You go find Orochimaru and tell him that if he needs me for anything, he should let me know. As for patrol duty, it's on you, Minato."
Since Minato knew the Flying Raijin, he was perfect for the patrol team—he could instantly return at the first sign of trouble.
"Got it."
After parting with Jiraiya, Minato went to find Orochimaru to pass along the message. He also mentioned joining the patrol team.
Konoha had suffered a crushing defeat, and there was always a chance that Kirigakure would launch a surprise attack at night, so they had to organize the patrol teams well.
"Why are you back again?" Takuya asked. He was just about to extinguish the campfire and look for a place to sleep when Jiraiya returned.
"Changed your mind?"
Under Takuya's amused gaze, Jiraiya felt a little embarrassed, coughing as he explained, "We've just suffered a major defeat, and the camp needs all hands on deck. I can't just run off for personal reasons, dragging Minato with me. The Ice Release plan can wait—let's focus on the Lightning Release for now."
I thought you really had no sense of propriety, Takuya thought. Charging off with Minato into the Land of Water right now would've been reckless.
Without holding anything back, Takuya explained his training process and the difficulties he had encountered to Jiraiya. Whether Jiraiya could master it or not depended on his own effort.
This technique was harsh on the body—Minato and Nawaki hadn't dared attempt it lightly, but maybe Jiraiya could.
Especially once he entered Sage Mode.
Thanks to the help of Earth Release and some resourceful use of local materials, a new camp was built quickly.
Orochimaru even personally supervised the camp's construction, covering every possible detail, ensuring that the enemy wouldn't find any opportunities to exploit.
While the camp was now set up, the entire place was shrouded in an atmosphere of sorrow and fear.