In an open field, Sarutobi Hiruzen was training his three students.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough."
Orochimaru clapped his hands, and in an instant, a fierce wind howled, producing a loud sound.
Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't hide his admiration. This was a C-level jutsu, yet Orochimaru mastered it after just one explanation. He had a natural talent, and it was remarkable that he came from a civilian background, meaning he wasn't affiliated with any faction.
Among his three students, Orochimaru was the most outstanding in Hiruzen's eyes.
But Hiruzen's obvious favoritism irked Jiraiya, who secretly decided he would learn the summoning technique to make everyone look at him with admiration.
At that moment, a woman was approaching them. Jiraiya noticed and nudged Hiruzen with his elbow, teasing, "Sarutobi-sensei, here comes your girlfriend."
Hiruzen turned to see Biwako approaching, and his face flushed like a monkey's: "What are you talking about? She's not my girlfriend, just a colleague."
Jiraiya smirked mischievously: "A colleague? Then why do you go to the lovers' inn together at night? Are you playing board games?"
Hiruzen's face reddened even more, thinking to himself, "Damn it, how does this kid know everything?"
Pretending to cough, he said seriously, "Train on your own; I have something important to discuss with Biwako-sensei."
Jiraiya understood and didn't continue teasing, waving his hand as he said, "Got it, love meeting, you're off duty today."
"You little rascal."
Hiruzen lightly tapped Jiraiya on the head, then happily headed toward Biwako.
Among his three students, Jiraiya was the closest to him, even though his talent wasn't the best. Their relationship was more than just student and teacher; it was more like a friendship.
And the reason? They shared the same hobbies, like having "deep" conversations with women. The difference was that one practiced it, and the other was still theoretical.
Tsunade also put her hands behind her head and said, "Hiruzen-sensei completely forgets about us once he has a girlfriend. All he thinks about is romance."
Jiraiya laughed: "What, are you jealous? Why don't you go on a date with a guy?"
"A date?"
"I'm here, what do you think of me?" Jiraiya said with a wide smile, showing off his white teeth.
During their studies, Jiraiya didn't think Tsunade was beautiful, but recently, he began to see her differently. She seemed more attractive to him, and he decided he would pursue her, even though she wasn't interested in him and even disliked him a bit.
But he believed that with persistence, he would eventually win her heart.
Tsunade raised her eyebrows and said mockingly, "In my next life, maybe. I'd rather go out with someone like Tōshirō. At least he knows how to cook."
Jiraiya smiled with that mysterious grin and said, "Really? Should I tell Tōshirō what you said?"
Tsunade raised her fist and said, "If you dare!"
"Why wouldn't I dare?"
"Boom."
With her great strength, Tsunade smashed a rock into small fragments, one of which hit Jiraiya's head, leaving him too scared to speak.
Jiraiya couldn't understand how Tsunade, despite being the same age and having a slender body, possessed such immense power.
"I mean, I was just kidding, don't take it seriously."
Jiraiya laughed in an attempt to ease the tension.
Tsunade ignored him arrogantly.
Jiraiya wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, realizing that if a real blow had hit him, he would have at least broken a few bones.
"Orochimaru, what do you think of Master Hiruzen's relationship with his girlfriend?"
Orochimaru didn't care about the question and replied briefly, "Boring."
Then he continued his training. In his view, talking about love was a waste of time, and he preferred to spend his time discussing philosophy with Tōshirō.
Orochimaru missed the days of study when he could seek out Tōshirō whenever he wanted, unlike now, where he had to constantly carry out missions, making it rare to see him.
Orochimaru wondered how Tōshirō was doing now. Perhaps Tōshirō was still meditating on philosophy, as Orochimaru believed.
In his opinion, Tōshirō was so deep in philosophical thought that he needed a lot of sleep to regain his energy.
Sarutobi Hiruzen started discussing with Biwako his search for a medical ninja at the Ninja Academy.
Biwako sighed: "It seems that students aren't very interested in medical ninja arts."
Hiruzen reassured her: "Don't blame yourself; it's not your fault."
Biwako shook her head with a comforting smile: "Fortunately, there's one student interested in medical ninja arts, so the effort wasn't in vain. He's from the Uchiha clan. His name is Uchiha Tōshirō."
Hiruzen raised his eyebrows, remembering the name well. It seemed this student was so talented that even Orochimaru praised him.
Biwako asked curiously, "Do you know this student?"
"He seems to have a good relationship with my three students. I saw him once, and he was sleeping the whole time, leaving an unforgettable impression on me," Hiruzen said thoughtfully.
Biwako agreed: "Yes, in school, he always seemed tired and slept in class. The teachers didn't know how to handle him, but despite that, he was one of the top students in martial arts."
At that moment, Hiruzen noticed someone sneaking up on them and laughed, saying, "Sensei, what are you and your wife talking about?"
Biwako blushed, but she didn't try to deny it.
The two had already done most of what should and shouldn't be done, so it wasn't far-fetched that they might marry officially. If they had a child out of wedlock, it would be a big problem.
"You, you little brat!" Hiruzen shouted as he grabbed Jiraiya's ear and twisted it hard, making Jiraiya scream and beg, "I won't do it again, Sensei!"
Sarutobi laughed as he scolded, "It's good that you feel pain; let's see if you'll dare to do that again."
After saying that, he let him go. But just two seconds later, Jiraiya suddenly changed his expression as if he were in a theatrical performance and smiled mischievously, saying, "Next time, for sure."
Sarutobi's anger flared, and while he was about to discipline him, he suddenly stopped and decided to delay it: "Jiraiya, I want to ask you something."
"What is it?" Jiraiya asked cautiously, looking at Sarutobi, thinking he might be trying to trick him into relaxing and then attacking.
Reading his thoughts, Sarutobi laughed, saying, "If I really wanted to hit you, do you think you could escape?"
"Oh, that's true," Jiraiya said, standing confidently with his hands on his hips. "Alright, tell me what you need me for."
Sarutobi tried to suppress his urge to hit Jiraiya and asked, "You know Tōshirō well, don't you?"
"Who? Tōshirō? Uchiha Tōshirō?"
Sarutobi nodded.
"Yeah, I know him well," Jiraiya said curiously. "Why do you ask?"
"I suddenly became interested in knowing how he became close friends with you, Orochimaru, and Tsunade."
Jiraiya replied, "That's simple." He then gestured to Tsunade and Orochimaru to join them.
After a moment, the two arrived and looked at Jiraiya questioningly, with Tsunade, in particular, glaring at him sharply as if she was ready to hit him if he didn't give a satisfactory answer.
Jiraiya swallowed hard and said, "Sarutobi-sensei asked me to ask you how you became friends with Tōshirō."
Tsunade frowned and said, "What's with that phrasing? You could have chosen better words. It sounds like I have a romantic relationship with him!"
Jiraiya responded indifferently, "What's the difference? As long as you understand what I mean."
Tsunade ignored Jiraiya's comment and turned to Sarutobi to ask about the details.
Sarutobi told them Biwako's story, and Tsunade expressed her surprise: "I never imagined Tōshirō would listen seriously in class. Could it be that he's interested in medical ninjutsu? But I don't see him as that type."
Sarutobi asked her, "Has he been like this from the beginning?"
Tsunade paused for a moment, then answered, "Since I knew him, he's always been like this. I once asked him about his past, and his former friends told me he was extremely diligent. But after his grandmother's death, his personality completely changed, becoming neglectful and uninterested in becoming a ninja, even mocking the idea."
After hearing this, Sarutobi felt sympathy for Tōshirō and asked the three of them for their opinions on him.
Orochimaru: "Tōshirō is the only man who can reach the depths of my soul."
Jiraiya: "We share the same interests."
Tsunade: "He's good at cooking; I think he's a useful tool."
Sarutobi: "..."
After hearing his students' evaluations, Saruobi became even more puzzled about Tōshirō.
He returned to the original question: if that's the case, why is Tōshirō showing such a strong interest in becoming a medical ninja? Why did he suddenly change and start paying serious attention in class?
At that moment, Orochimaru, who knew Tōshirō well, offered an explanation: "If I'm not mistaken, Tōshirō isn't interested in medical ninjutsu itself; he's more interested in survival by any means possible."
(End of Chapter)
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