Jiraiya stared at Satoru, his expression a mix of disbelief and growing frustration.
"You're a real piece of work, kid," he muttered, running a hand through his pale hair. He'd encountered many unpredictable ninjas in his time, but this one… this one was something else.
Still, Jiraiya wasn't a Sannin for nothing. He quickly regained his composure, a wry smile spreading across his face. Fine, he thought. Let's see what this kid is made of.
Without further ado, Jiraiya launched a quick attack, his hand moving with lightning speed.
Satoru blinked, tilting his head as if perplexed. "Wait, are you mad? All I did was expose your hobby," he said, deftly dodging the attack with ease.
Naruto and Sasuke, standing at a safe distance, were stunned by the sudden fight.
"Are they… seriously fighting now?" Naruto asked, eyes wide.
Sasuke crossed his arms and smirked. "Good. That idiot deserves it after the stunt he just pulled."
Naruto hesitated. "Should we stop them?"
Sasuke shot him a sidelong glance. "Why? This is Konoha. It's not like anything serious will happen. Besides…" He trailed off, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Maybe a good beating will teach my second brother a lesson."
With that, Sasuke leaned casually against a nearby wall, content to watch the battle unfold. Naruto, after a moment of thought, decided he agreed.
"Yeah, he kinda deserves it," Naruto muttered, focusing back on the fight.
The skirmish between Jiraiya and Satoru was gaining intensity. Jiraiya's attacks were fluid, his movements precise, but Satoru was keeping up surprisingly well, dodging each strike with agility.
"You're pretty good for your age," Jiraiya admitted, a note of respect in his voice. Who is this kid, really?
Satoru leaped back onto a nearby roof, his pale blue eyes glinting with amusement. "Uncle, you've got a bad temper. All this because of a little teasing?"
Jiraiya couldn't help but laugh, though his guard remained up. This kid's combat awareness and reaction time were exceptional, but something about his movements struck Jiraiya as odd. It's all basic taijutsu… but he's using it so effectively.
"Who trained you?" Jiraiya asked, narrowing his eyes.
Satoru shrugged. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
Suddenly, Satoru's gaze shifted toward the hot spring pavilion. A mischievous grin spread across his face. Before Jiraiya could react, Satoru pulled out a handful of explosive tags and hurled them toward the structure.
"What are you doing?!" Jiraiya shouted, his eyes widening.
The tags detonated with a thunderous boom, and the wooden pavilion collapsed, revealing a group of ninja who had been relaxing inside. Their expressions darkened as they turned toward the source of the explosion—Jiraiya, standing directly in front of the wreckage.
The atmosphere was tense. The ninjas, all seasoned warriors, glared daggers at Jiraiya. Their murderous intent was palpable.
"Unbelievable," one of them growled. "This pervert just destroyed the men's hot spring. What kind of person does that?"
"I'll teach him a lesson!" another barked.
Jiraiya took a step back, his hands raised defensively. "Wait! This wasn't me! It was—"
But the ninjas weren't listening. In an instant, they surged toward him, their fists clenched.
"Time to run!" Jiraiya yelled, turning on his heel and sprinting down the street at full speed.
The sight of Jiraiya fleeing, pursued by a mob of angry ninjas, left Satoru smirking.
"Another good deed for the day," he said, crossing his arms.
As the chaos settled, Satoru's sharp eyes spotted a familiar figure in the crowd: Kakashi Hatake. The silver-haired ninja was leaning against a wall, his deadpan expression betraying a hint of exhaustion.
"Yo, Kakashi!" Satoru called, sauntering over. "Enjoying the show?"
Kakashi's single visible eye narrowed. He straightened, and the lazy demeanor he usually carried disappeared in an instant. His presence turned cold and sharp.
"You," Kakashi said flatly, his voice low. "This is your doing, isn't it?"
Satoru tilted his head innocently. "Me? What makes you think that?"
Kakashi didn't answer. Instead, he reached behind him and, to Satoru's shock, pulled out an enormous broadsword—easily eight feet long.
"Uh… Kakashi?" Satoru said, his voice tinged with unease. "When did you start carrying that thing?"
Kakashi didn't respond. His gaze was locked on Satoru, and in the next moment, he charged.
Satoru yelped, spinning on his heel and bolting down the street. "Okay, okay! No need to get violent!"
Nearby, Might Guy happened to witness the scene. His eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.
"Kakashi, my eternal rival! So youthful! Let me join you!" he exclaimed, dashing after them with his trademark vigor.
And so, Satoru found himself being chased by not one, but two formidable opponents.
"Why me?" Satoru groaned as he sprinted toward the sunset, the shouts of his pursuers echoing behind him.