Once Qiuyang had placed the golden-brown grilled fish on a plate he'd taken from his backpack, Jiraiya finally strolled out from behind the tree. Without the slightest bit of courtesy, he sat down across from Qiuyang.
He casually picked up one of the fish and began eating.
He'd barely taken one bite and started chewing when Jiraiya was captivated by the flavor. It was so delicious he nearly wanted to bite his tongue off.
It was a feast for the taste buds.
Only then did he realize how fishy and awful all the fish he'd grilled outdoors on missions had tasted.
Qiuyang said nothing. He arranged some wild vegetables he'd found while grilling onto a plate, added clean water, then sprinkled in chili oil, cumin, and other secret seasonings.
Then, under Jiraiya's puzzled gaze, he set the whole plate of fish over the flames to simmer.
Before long, that already enticing aroma grew even more intense.
There was something even tastier?
Jiraiya looked at the half-eaten fish in his hand, now a little dry, and suddenly it didn't seem appealing anymore.
Just then, a pair of chopsticks appeared in front of him.
"Teacher Jiraiya, these spices are precious. I've spent years painstakingly collecting what little I have."
That wasn't an exaggeration. As soon as Qiuyang had tried the food in this world, he'd noticed how scarce seasonings were.
Most people valued food for its "natural flavor." Anything that really stimulated the taste buds was rare.
But it wasn't that the Ninja World lacked plants that could be used as seasonings. In a world where strength reigned supreme, people simply didn't care much about enjoying their food.
Hearing that, Jiraiya was naturally pleased. He set down the fish in his hand and took the chopsticks.
Setting aside the Great Toad Sage's prophecy, Jiraiya's fondness for Qiuyang had already grown considerably.
"You're quite particular, bringing all this stuff with you."
He'd thought the kid's backpack would be full of ninja tools and the like. He hadn't expected such good things.
"Unless I'm on a mission, I believe living well is an attitude, no matter where I am."
Jiraiya nodded in strong agreement.
"I didn't expect you to be such a connoisseur of the good life."
He was quite different from the Uchiha he'd known long ago. Qiuyang had exactly the kind of personality Jiraiya liked.
What Jiraiya didn't know was that Qiuyang's real reason was simple: he wanted to eat well without spending much, and he hoped it might win Jiraiya's favor.
Gurgle, gurgle...
By now, the fragrance of the fish and spices had completely melded together. Jiraiya's stomach was clamoring for him to try it, and he fought back the urge to drool.
"Hey, you didn't put something in there on purpose so you could grab the bell after I lost the ability to fight, did you?"
"That kind of win wouldn't exactly be honorable."
Well... that was true.
Jiraiya didn't say anything else to spoil the mood. He simply picked up a piece of fish that had soaked up the juices and popped it into his mouth...
"Oh! Oh... It really is delicious!"
Jiraiya prided himself on having traveled through most of the Ninja World by now. He'd even snuck into a daimyo's residence, yet he'd never tasted fish this good.
After eating more than a dozen pieces of fragrant grilled fish, he took the large cup Qiuyang handed him and drank most of the beverage inside. Then he let out a long, contented sigh.
Haaaaa...
This fizzy wheat drink tasted a little like sake, but wasn't sake. It went unbelievably well with grilled fish.
If only he could also have a fair-skinned beauty with long legs and a generous bust in his arms, it'd be perfect...
After the satisfying meal, Jiraiya stretched comfortably. He watched as Qiuyang finished washing and putting away the dishes, then asked at his leisure:
"Now then... let's get back to your challenge. Use your clan's Sharingan."
Qiuyang looked up in surprise. Jiraiya had his chin tilted up at a proud forty-five-degree angle, gazing at the stars.
"Don't think I didn't notice when you used the Rasengan. Those red eyes of yours are hard to miss."
Jiraiya knew a little about the dark night of the Uchiha Clan Massacre in Konoha a few years earlier, so he understood why Qiuyang wanted to keep it secret.
The poor kid had even dyed his black hair, the signature look of his clan, to hide his identity.
Seeing Qiuyang furrow his brow with worry, Jiraiya quickly reassured him in a gentle voice that he wouldn't tell anyone. Qiuyang could use his Sharingan without worry.
Qiuyang was surprised again, and a trace of warmth rose in his heart.
No wonder people said Jiraiya was the first person to truly heal Naruto's inner wounds. With his consideration for others, he really was a good teacher.
Then Qiuyang couldn't let Teacher Jiraiya down...
Qiuyang blinked. When he opened his eyes again, they had transformed into the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
He decided to go all in.
He'd use his strongest technique and make one last attempt.
If he got it, that was good fortune. If not, it was fate.
Seeing Qiuyang take up a fighting stance, Jiraiya formed a miniature Rasengan in his right hand to show his gratitude for dinner.
"I've heard the Sharingan has incredibly keen perception. Let's put that to the test."
He wanted to see whether this kid really had the potential to stir up the entire Ninja World, as the Great Toad Sage had said.
The decisive battle for a master was about to begin--
Qiuyang threw a kunai downward at an angle, then bent slightly at the waist. He raised his left hand in a sword-finger gesture as he slowly lifted his right palm...
Jiraiya dodged, then glanced at the kunai, which had landed less than two meters away. From their sparring so far, he knew the kid wouldn't throw something without a reason.
There was no Explosive Tag attached.
There was no wire attached.
It was just an ordinary kunai, except... for the strange Eight Trigrams pattern on its handle.
But Jiraiya would never have connected that pattern to the Flying Thunder God.
The technique demanded extraordinary talent. Even as one of the Sannin, he hadn't figured out its principles.
So to him, this was just an ordinary kunai.
That wasn't how things were supposed to go after Qiuyang activated his Sharingan!
"Hey, hey, did your aim get worse after you awakened it? I thought the Sharingan greatly improved your clan's dynamic vision... Holy crap, how do you know that technique?"
He wasn't seeing things, was he? Was that a Rasengan?
A glowing sphere had appeared in Qiuyang's slowly raised right palm.
But unlike Jiraiya's, the one in Qiuyang's palm was an irregular mass of chakra, with chakra constantly escaping as it spun.
Had the kid learned most of the Rasengan after watching Jiraiya use it twice today? Had he already figured out the rotation and the first two stages of its power?
No... wait, this Rasengan wasn't even at the second stage. What was going on?
As Jiraiya stared in shock, the chakra escaping from Qiuyang's palm gradually stabilized. At last, it compressed into the Rasengan's ultimate form.
Only then did the tomoe in his eyes stop spinning.
Jiraiya had of course noticed the tomoe spinning in Qiuyang's red eyes. He instinctively lowered his gaze to the miniature Rasengan in his own hand.
So Qiuyang had been watching his Rasengan just now?
At that moment, Jiraiya suddenly thought of Kakashi, the kid in the village known as the Copy Ninja. Didn't he use the Sharingan to copy other people's techniques?
These eyes... they were practically cheating. It was ridiculous.
No wonder the Third Hokage always said that Second Hokage Tobirama Senju had called the Uchiha Clan a clan born evil...
Now Jiraiya finally understood. It really was downright wicked--
Other people worked hard to master their techniques, while the Uchiha could learn them just by watching a few times. It was seriously unfair!
Just as he was lamenting this, a ghostly voice suddenly came from behind him:
"Rasengan."
Before you continue