Jiraiya

In the end, the medical team's ninja carried me onto a stretcher.

"This child's injuries have already gone untreated for several days. Please treat her as soon as possible..." Kakashi instructed the medical team, then lectured me. "Your body was already on the verge of giving out, so you shouldn't have used Taijutsu! Couldn't you have used clones and Ninjutsu instead?"

"Sorry, Kakashi-sensei..." I lay on the stretcher and smiled weakly. "He kept going on and on about destiny, and I couldn't help getting worked up. Cough, cough... I took a Taijutsu stance to mislead him in the first place, but I didn't expect him to see through it at a glance. That Neji really is perceptive!"

"Focus on recovering... Sorry, I can't go to the hospital with you. I have to stay here and watch Naruto... Don't worry, I'll keep track of what happens afterward for you."

"I'm not a child. I don't need you to come with me..." Once I was lying on the stretcher, my body seemed to lose all its strength at once, turning sore and limp. After I withdrew the Water Release supporting my broken bones and injured areas, I couldn't move at all. I wanted to shout, but all I could manage was a hoarse cry: "Naruto! Do your best! You have to win!"

"Don't worry! I'll be waiting for you in the third round! You and Sasuke just focus on getting better!"

Naruto's voice grew more and more distant... Lying on the stretcher, I fell fast asleep.

It was morning, though I didn't know which day.

The sun shone brightly, the air was crisp, and a gentle breeze made the curtains sway.

I woke up in a quiet room.

"Hmm, where am I?" I sat up in bed, shook my head, and looked around. Plain white sheets and walls, simple furnishings—this was undoubtedly Konoha Hospital.

My clothes had been changed into a white hospital gown, and bandages covered me from head to toe.

I took off my gown and found that the largest wound on my chest had been thoroughly bandaged. I didn't know how well it had healed; all I could smell was a strong medicinal odor. I pressed it gently, but it didn't hurt much. Perhaps it had already healed, or perhaps the nerves were only temporarily numbed.

Because of the wound, they hadn't put my bra back on either. The mounds on my chest, which had only just begun to develop curves, were exposed to the air. I ran my slender fingertips over them, and the cool sensation gave me goosebumps. Moving down from my chest, I counted my ribs one by one. The broken ones had also been set properly, and pressing them gently caused no pain.

I lightly ran my fingertips along my left arm, feeling through my skin that the bones beneath the flesh had been set straight again. Because I often kept water against it, my skin wasn't like a real ninja's; instead, it was as excessively delicate as that of a pampered young lady. After the fracture, I had only used ultrapure water to forcibly hold the bones in place, but now they had fully mended, without a trace of injury.

A world with Ninjutsu really was convenient. They said injuries to muscles and bones took a hundred days to heal. In my previous life, injuries like mine would have kept me in bed for at least a few months, wouldn't they? Now, after just a few days, I had nearly recovered. Still, when I tried to extract Chakra, I couldn't muster the strength. Even when I clenched my fist, I felt no power. Although my wounds had mostly healed, my weak body was telling me I hadn't fully recovered.

I got out of bed. There were no shoes beneath it, and when I stood barefoot on the floor, its chill made me shiver. The feeling of standing on solid ground... I hadn't experienced it in a long time. How strange. Normally, I stood barefoot on Chakra water, so when I moved, my leg muscles and the water under my feet exerted force together, giving me greater speed and explosive power. Walking on the floor like this, I'd barely taken a few steps before I felt dust sticking to my soles, giving me a powerful urge to wash my feet.

After standing quietly for a while, I felt a little strength gradually return to my body.

Knock, knock! Someone knocked at the door.

"Come in!" I said as I slipped my hospital gown back on. "Oh, Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi-sensei came in, asked about my injuries, and then got down to business. "...Sakura, I have a favor to ask."

"I'd like you to help me... train Naruto for a while."

"Huh??!!"

After Kakashi explained himself...

"...So, Kakashi-sensei, you're going to give Sasuke a month of special training, and you're leaving Naruto to me?" I looked at Kakashi helplessly.

"That's right... Naruto's fundamentals are rather weak. I'd like you to start by teaching him Chakra control. With your skill, that should be a small matter, so there's no problem, right?"

"A problem?! Of course there's a problem!" I sat on the bed with my arms crossed and turned away from Kakashi. "Kakashi-sensei, you're playing favorites! All three of us made it to the third exam, but you're only giving Sasuke special training! You're dumping Naruto straight on me! And what about me? You haven't made any arrangements for me at all!"

"Uh... sorry, Sakura... I really can't be in two places at once! Besides, given your situation, you can handle developing your Azure Water Release Ninjutsu on your own from here, right? Sasuke needs my guidance more... Please forgive your teacher this once!"

"Hmph, you're always focused on the Sharingan! Ordinary team members like us never get any attention! We're overlooked every time! Fine, you want me to train Naruto, right? I'll just teach him Wind Release: Rasengan!"

"Teaching him that... should be fine too, I suppose!" Kakashi gave a helpless, wry smile. "Don't be angry, Sakura!"

"I can't even be bothered to be angry!"

"Oh, right, here's the matchup chart and schedule for the third exam. Don't forget."

"I know!"

Kakashi slunk away.

I opened the matchup chart and looked at the first match-

"Sakura Haruno vs. Naruto Uzumaki!"

Did I take Neji's place? And you're actually having his opponent teach him? Kakashi-sensei, do you really have that much confidence in me?

At noon, at Ichiraku Ramen Shop.

"Pfft-! What? So Kakashi-sensei's mystery teacher was you?! We're going to fight each other in the next round!" When Naruto heard that I would be his instructor for the next month, he was so shocked that he treated me to the amazing feat of noodles coming out of his nostrils...

"Could you finish eating properly first...?" I tossed a stack of tissues straight at Naruto's face. "Clean yourself up!"

"Anyway, Kakashi-sensei is going to give Sasuke a month of special training, so he's abandoned us!"

"But don't lose heart, Naruto! After we eat, let's go to a hot spring bathhouse. I'll teach you an incredibly powerful Ninjutsu, even stronger than the move Kakashi-sensei is teaching Sasuke right now!"

"As for us having to fight... Please. Even if I teach you that move, you still might not be able to beat me!"

Of course, I had suggested the hot spring bathhouse to look for Jiraiya. Although I had already decided to teach Naruto Wind Release: Rasengan, I only intended to train him until he could use the non-nature Rasengan. Adding wind nature transformation would not only take time, but was also beyond the current Naruto's ability to master. Besides, I didn't intend to watch Naruto practice for an entire month. Telling him the key points of the training and letting him practice on his own would be enough. After that, he could train by himself. If I found Jiraiya early and entrusted Naruto to him, I could save myself a lot of work.

And the hot spring would also let Naruto undertake another kind of training-

Water Walking.

Rising Sun Hot Spring Bathhouse.

Not being able to find Jiraiya gave me a bit of a headache. I'd forgotten where he appeared in the original story. He should have been easy to spot while gathering material. I had no choice but to send Shadow Clones to other places to keep watch while soaking in hot springs. I had once considered using Shadow Clones to soak in hot springs to relieve fatigue, but in the end I found that it only made me more tired the longer they soaked. My original body and Naruto picked a hot spring bathhouse at random.

By the time I left the hospital, my wounds had fully healed and could be exposed to water. Wearing a swimsuit, I stepped into the steaming hot spring. A tingling sensation welled up from every part of my body, making me feel lazy.

"Naruto, get in too!"

"Sakura, we didn't come here to soak in a hot spring. We came to train! And why did we have to come to a hot spring bathhouse to practice Ninjutsu?"

"I came to soak so my body could recover from fatigue and regain its strength faster. As for you, I have other plans... Oh, forget it. Since you're so eager, let's get started!" I raised my hand out of the water. "Watch closely, Naruto!"

"Wind Release: Rasengan!"

A tiny ball of Chakra appeared in my hand!

"Isn't that the Ninjutsu you created yourself?"

"That's right. This Jutsu is clearly very powerful, but I've never used it against an enemy. Do you know why?" Without waiting for Naruto to answer, I continued, "Because it consumes too much Chakra. Even at my peak, using it once would leave me exhausted, so there's no point using it in a real fight. That's why this Jutsu isn't suited to me."

"But it's perfect for you! Naruto, I don't know if you've noticed, but you lack a Ninjutsu that can decide a fight in one blow! The two Wind Release Ninjutsu you just learned are both fairly ordinary in power, and your Shadow Clones aren't offensive Ninjutsu either, although the combination of Shadow Clones and Wind Cutter you used last time caught my eye. And you're not suited to learning Ninjutsu with too many Hand Seals, because you can't remember them... If you fought me, you might not even be able to break through my defense! Anyway, this Jutsu of mine is as powerful as it is Chakra-intensive, and it doesn't need Hand Seals. It's just right for you, with your naturally huge Chakra reserves! After all that, did you understand?"

"Uh, basically, you're going to teach me a really strong Ninjutsu that takes a lot of stamina, right?"

"...You skipped everything I worked so hard to analyze for you, but you got the main point. So now I'll tell you what this Ninjutsu is about!"

"Simply put, this so-called Rasengan creates a ball of rapidly spinning Chakra!"

"That's it? Let me try!" Naruto interrupted me impatiently and held out his right hand, trying to form a ball of Chakra. Naturally, after several attempts, all he produced was a series of light breezes.

"Wait!" Naruto was about to resort to his ever-reliable method of cheating with Shadow Clones, so I hurriedly stopped him.

"Don't be fooled by how easy I make it look. That's because I've already done a lot of preliminary Chakra training and can easily manipulate Chakra to form the Ninjutsu I want! As for you, take it one step at a time. Otherwise, even if you cheat with Shadow Clones, you won't master it in a year!"

"First, learn Water Walking!"

I created a Shadow Clone to stand on the water and demonstrate. "It's actually like Tree Climbing practice, but harder. Tree Climbing trains you to produce the right amount of Chakra. In this exercise, to stay on the surface of the water, you need to continuously produce the right amount of Chakra under your feet. The key is maintaining that Chakra! Give it a try!"

"Okay! Produce the right amount of Chakra and maintain it..."

Splash! Naruto fell into the water before he could take a single step!

Naruto's talent shouldn't have produced a result like this... This was the effect of the seal Orochimaru had placed on him. But my Sealing Jutsu was only so-so, so I'd leave that to Jiraiya!

"All right! Naruto, use Shadow Clones to train with you this time! Take your clothes off first! Oh, right, go practice over there and call me when you've got it. I'm going to rest here for a bit!"

After sending Naruto off to the side, I had this area all to myself and leisurely enjoyed the hot spring. As my injuries fully healed and my fatigue faded, my body was slowly returning to peak condition. No, it was going beyond that, reaching a new level. The grueling battles in the second exam had not only left my body injured, but also brought out its potential. Although I hadn't fully recovered yet, the Rasengan I'd just used had already let me feel the increase in my Chakra reserves. After another night's sleep, I would probably be fully recovered by tomorrow morning. Then, when I used Wind Release: Rasengan again, it wouldn't be as strenuous as before.

This Chunin Ninja Exams had used up all the ultrapure water I'd made. In the preliminary match against Neji, I'd used up the last of my stock...

Ultrapure water was extremely strong, but it had a fatal weakness: once the slightest impurity seeped in, the entire body of water was ruined at once. And water happened to dissolve all kinds of substances extremely easily. Even floating in the air, it could absorb oxygen and carbon dioxide from it. Although I carefully protected it with Chakra, doing so in battle was far from easy!

In battle, once the surface of the ultrapure water was breached, impurities would rush in instantly, rendering the whole mass useless. So, to avoid waste, each mass should be kept as small as possible, but the less water there was, the easier it was to break... It was a very contradictory reality. Fortunately, now that I had a new way to make it, I no longer had to carefully count every bit I used as I had before.

There was still a month before the third exam, enough time for me to make all the Blue Water I needed. I also had to give some to my father; it could save his life... though no one in my family had been killed or injured in the original story.

Thinking of the third exam, I thought again of the Third Hokage, who would die during the Chunin Ninja Exams.

Although I hadn't had much close contact with the Lord Hokage recently, from the original story and my observations since transmigrating, I had a vague feeling that the Third Hokage seemed to have anticipated what was going to happen and had already prepared himself for the possibility of his own death...

Even knowing that Orochimaru and the Kazekage were very likely to make a move, he had still devoted more guards to protecting the village rather than himself, so that when he was attacked, only one Anbu squad on the scene had tried to assist him. When he made that decision, the Third had already resolved to fight and die, whatever the cost...

Although I didn't know exactly what considerations were in the Third Hokage's heart, before the coming storm, the Third had indeed made a choice that favored the village, and the heroic spirit of a Shinobi Hero was unmistakably revealed in it!

The quiet, warm spring water let my thoughts drift. In a drowsy haze, halfway to sleep, I heard a commotion over by the women's bath. They seemed to be shouting something about a pervert.

Then an angry woman shook me awake. "Miss, did you see two peeping toms, one big and one small, pass through here?"

"I don't know... I was asleep just now... Aah... Let me go back to sleep..."

After the women left, I thought about it. Two perverts, one big and one small?

Could it be...

I woke up at once! At the same time, water splashed, and the pervert's head surfaced.

I gave him a very dangerous look. "Naruto, don't tell me you practiced Ninjutsu all the way into peeping at the women's bath..."

"I didn't! It's all a misunderstanding! It's all because of some weird, lecherous old guy. He used a Ninjutsu just like yours and knocked the wall down in one go!"

"A Ninjutsu just like mine-?"

"-Miss, is this the Ninjutsu you intend to teach him?"

A hand held up a Rasengan, and the older pervert's solemn voice suddenly came from behind me!

Long white hair tied in a ponytail, a muscular build, a Forehead Protector bearing the character for "oil," and lines beneath his eyes running from their corners down to his chin...

With features that obvious, there was no mistaking him. He was Jiraiya, the "lust" among the Sannin of lust, gambling, and drugs!

Did he think I'd secretly learned the Fourth Hokage's Ninjutsu?

"Nope! This is the Ninjutsu I'm going to teach him!"

I smiled faintly and held out my right hand beside Jiraiya's. In it was another wildly spinning ball of Chakra. The difference was that my Rasengan, filled with wind-nature-transformed Chakra, faintly gave off a more terrifying aura of destruction than the Rasengan in Jiraiya's hand!

"My own creation-"

"Wind Release: Rasengan!"

[Still promoting the readers' group: 8, 9, , 8, 9, 8, 9, 8~ There are so few people in it right now... Also, if you think there are any technical problems with the Ninjutsu in this book, feel free to ask more questions in the review section. For example, one reader mentioned that real industrial water jets can't actually reach a hundred meters. That's a good question~ When I came up with it, I figured that, with Chakra assisting it, the Ninjutsu version of the water jet had been improved in some ways. If you want a detailed explanation, I could always pad out another chapter with one.

Also, didn't Jiraiya actually go looking for Naruto, rather than meeting him after getting caught peeping?]