Toad Sage

For seven days, Kaede's original body lay in the basement. It took that long for his eye to recover completely. It was still a Sharingan with one tomoe.

"The world outside is so wonderful~ Every time the sun sets..." Kaede sang happily.

"Waaah... waaah... waaah... waaah..." A little child's cries came from the room downstairs.

Their mother, Xiang, shouted right after. "It's so early in the morning! What are you yelling about? You've woken your little sister!"

She was cooking in an apron, and pointed her spatula at Kaede on the roof as she gave him an earful. Kaede smiled sheepishly and didn't dare say a word. The Uchiha clan head's usual dignity was nowhere to be seen.

"Mother, I was wrong. Let me go soothe Quan back to sleep!" A wisp of smoke shot into Quan's little room.

When Kaede went in, he saw Quan staring at him with huge, sparkling eyes, tears still glistening at their corners. She babbled unintelligibly and reached out with her two soft, pale arms, trying to climb out of her crib.

He went over and gently picked her up. After checking that the bed was clean, he finally relaxed and tapped her little cheek. "Tell me, was it me who woke you up?"

Kaede gently rocked her little arms. "No, no, it wasn't big brother."

"I knew it. Mother must have been blaming me unfairly."

"Oh~ So I was blaming you unfairly? Uchiha Kaede, how dare you slander your own mother? I'm going to teach you a lesson." Xiang's voice drifted over from behind him.

Her spatula came right after, swinging toward Kaede's head.

But the next moment, Kaede had vanished. Only Quan remained, smiling happily. "Mother, I'm off on a mission! Don't save me any food today."

Walking down the street, Kaede looked at Konoha and felt much better. He spotted all sorts of interesting things. A good mood really did bring good luck.

He planned to stop by Ichiraku Ramen first, then visit the Hokage and explain the Uchiha's recent moves. That might put the Third Hokage at ease. Orochimaru wasn't a child who would run home to Daddy just because he'd taken a hit.

He'd just keep it in mind and wait for a chance to bite back hard. That was Snake Uncle's style.

"Hm~ What's that creepy white-haired guy doing? Peeping into the women's bathhouse?" As an Anbu, Kaede was about to go warn him.

Then he suddenly stopped.

"Why does this scene feel so familiar? That familiar way of doing things, that creepy figure... Could it be him?" Kaede watched closely, then confirmed that it was.

Kaede used the Body Flicker Technique to reach the bathhouse roof and unleashed Lightning Release: Ground Run. A bolt of lightning shot toward the white-haired man clinging to the wall and peering inside.

The man seemed completely absorbed and hadn't noticed the danger. Just as the lightning drew near, his ear twitched, as if he'd heard the Lightning Release. He leaped high into the air and dodged the bolt from Earth Flow.

Jiraiya, interrupted while gathering material, looked at the Konoha ninja who had forced him back. It was just a kid. From the look of him, he was still a student at the Ninja Academy.

"Kid, were you the one who attacked me with Lightning Release just now?" Jiraiya picked his nose, acting quite brazenly.

"Creep!"

"Kid, don't make things up! I, the Toad Sage, am only gathering material for my art!" Jiraiya protested loudly.

Kaede narrowed his eyes and pointed at Jiraiya's nose, looking malicious. "Look at you, red in the face and neck. No one would believe you weren't peeping. Pervert!"

Jiraiya clenched his fists, his forehead shadowed with frustration. To think a kid like this would insult him! Didn't Lord Jiraiya deserve any respect? "Listen up, kid."

Jiraiya jumped off the roof and summoned a red-skinned toad, which leaped onto his head as he struck a pose. "You little rookie, open those tiny eyes and look closely! I am the Toad Spirit Immortal Sage of Mount Myoboku, commonly known as the Toad Sage! I'm here!"

The toad below gave a well-timed "Ribbit~"

Kaede laughed happily. Now this was what he called a blast from the past!

He put on his Anbu mask and drew the short sword on his back. "In the name of the Konoha Anbu, I'm placing you under arrest for peeping and impersonating Lord Jiraiya. Surrender quietly, pervert!"

The moment Kaede put on his Anbu mask, Jiraiya gaped at him. "He's actually Anbu? Have the recruitment standards gotten this low?"

Kaede leaped forward, landing on the roof tiles and darting toward Jiraiya. Lightning Release Chakra surged through his short sword, bright sparks flashing as he slashed again and again.

Jiraiya didn't take the young ninja from his own village seriously and kept dodging.

"Not bad, kid. You've got some skill."

"Hmph! Lightning Ball!"

Kaede didn't bother listening to him. He had a chance to spar with Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, so of course he was going to make the most of it. Neither of them would use their full strength, but it was still a chance to make a name for himself.

A sphere crackling with lightning shot toward Jiraiya's toad. Jiraiya hurriedly sent the toad back to Mount Myoboku, then used Needle Jizo to wrap himself up and block the Lightning Ball.

"Try this! Thunder Flash!" A sharp streak of lightning shot from Kaede's fingertips toward Jiraiya, who was hiding inside Needle Jizo.

His abundant combat experience told him that the Ninjutsu had tremendous penetrating power, and Needle Jizo might not be able to stop it. He released his long hair and leaped into the air, dodging the lightning streak's incredible speed.

"Don't get too cocky, kid! Take this—Hair Needle Senbon!" The long white hair on Jiraiya's back stiffened and shot out like a barrage of senbon, whistling through the air.

The Hair Needle Senbon covered a wide area with a dense barrage. They punched into the roof with a series of thunks, and Kaede, unable to dodge in time, was riddled with holes.

Jiraiya watched the body fall from the air, his face stricken with horror. He hurried over and caught it. "Oh no! I got carried away and forgot he was just a kid! Hey, are you dead?"

"Of course I'm not dead."

Kaede's voice came from behind Jiraiya, along with a cold short sword pressed against his neck. The body in Jiraiya's arms went poof and vanished in a cloud of smoke. It was a Shadow Clone.

"Now I'm arresting you!"

"But I'm not going with you, kid."

Jiraiya's voice came from behind him, and a Kunai pressed against Kaede's throat. The Jiraiya in front of Kaede turned into a puddle of mud and slopped onto the ground. It had been an Earth Clone.

"Clap, clap. What a spectacular fight."

A blond man stood on the roof, his hair stirring in the wind. Minato Namikaze had been watching the two of them fight for a while. Only after the outcome was clear did he speak up.

"Minato?"

"Welcome back, Sensei."

He then turned to Kaede. "Kaede, this is Lord Jiraiya, one of the Sannin. He's my teacher. And that was a great fight just now."

"Minato-senpai, is he really Lord Jiraiya? Because just now... I thought he was a pervert." Kaede pulled Minato aside and asked him in a low voice.

Kaede's question left Minato awkwardly trying to explain. "He... has some unusual hobbies. But he's a good person."

Jiraiya eyed Kaede. Kaede said, "Lord Jiraiya."

"Heh heh! I, the Toad Sage, am hungry. I'm going to get something to eat. Minato, care to join me?"