Rasengan

Jiraiya and Lin Mu chatted excitedly about the practical uses of Wood Release.

After a long while, they finally reached a conclusion.

A Wood Release user was practically an essential teammate for traveling and carrying out missions!

Unfortunately, there were very few Wood Release users in the world.

As Lin Mu and Jiraiya joked and bantered, Naruto Uzumaki suddenly spoke up:

"Hey! Pervy Sage..."

Ever since Sasuke Uchiha's accident, Naruto had been unusually quiet, completely unlike his usual self.

He gathered his thoughts, his eyes downcast.

"Why are those guys after me? Pervy Sage, you must know why, right?"

Jiraiya's expression turned serious when he heard the question, but a few seconds later, a smile appeared on his face.

There was no harm in letting Naruto know some things.

He explained:

"They're not really after you. They're after what's inside you!"

"What exactly is that thing? It's the monster that attacked Konoha, right? That's why everyone fears it. So why do those guys want it?"

Naruto touched his stomach, feeling puzzled.

Jiraiya's expression grew solemn again. He knew the question had been troubling Naruto.

That would be bad for his future training!

"Indeed... the Nine-Tails has appeared at the turning points between eras since ancient times. It's a powerful demon that destroys everything in its path!"

Jiraiya slowly began explaining the Nine-Tails to Naruto.

"That's why people used to fear it as a natural disaster... As for why those guys want it, to be honest, I don't know their motives.

"But since the Nine-Tails is sealed inside you, they may want to take control of that power for themselves!"

As he spoke, a trace of sympathy flickered across Jiraiya's face.

Naruto was still just a child.

"It's cruel to have those guys constantly after you, but it's fate. Still, I'll protect you!"

Halfway through, he smiled again.

With him by Naruto's side, there was no need to worry about Naruto's safety!

"Then I'll have to get stronger as soon as possible. All right! Let's find that woman named Tsunade and start training right away!"

Naruto was naturally an optimist. He'd been quiet about this for a long time.

But after Jiraiya's explanation, the gloom in his heart gradually lifted.

Now he was full of energy again!

"Hahaha..."

Seeing Naruto cheer up, Lin Mu, walking behind them, laughed along with Jiraiya.

This was the real Naruto Uzumaki!

Tap, tap, tap...

The three of them walked into a town, and the surroundings gradually grew more bustling.

"The super beauty you want to interview—is that Tsunade?"

Naruto looked up, his little brows furrowing.

Jiraiya looked down at him, apparently surprised by the question. He smiled.

"You're quick on the uptake, for a kid. So what?"

"She's one of the Sannin, just like you, Pervy Sage... How old is she?"

"Well... of course she's the same age as me."

She's probably an old lady, right?!

Imagining what Tsunade might look like, Naruto shuddered and scrunched up his face.

After walking a few more steps, Naruto couldn't help asking another question.

"Then, then... what kind of person is Tsunade?"

"Hmm? Are you interested in her?"

Jiraiya rubbed his chin, looking thoughtful, as if he wasn't sure how to describe Tsunade.

"In a word, she's an unpleasant person. She also loves gambling, and practically everyone in every country knows her!"

"If she's that famous, we should be able to find her quickly, right?"

Naruto bounced along, his face full of anticipation.

Jiraiya thought for a moment before answering:

"I'm afraid we won't find her right away... She hates getting old, so she's probably using a special jutsu to change her appearance."

As he spoke, the corner of Jiraiya's eye drifted toward Lin Mu.

That kid had Senju blood, too. Hopefully they'd find some answers from Tsunade this time...

"Even though she's actually fifty, she looks about twenty!"

Listening to Jiraiya from behind, Lin Mu pictured Tsunade's face.

Of the Konoha Sannin, Tsunade was the only one he hadn't met in person.

"..."

Jiraiya's vague answer only left Naruto feeling overwhelmed.

Who knew how long it would take to find her!

"I won't waste any time. We'll use all the time on the road for you! The time it takes to make you stronger... is training!"

As if he'd guessed what Naruto was thinking, Jiraiya smiled encouragingly.

"Training?"

Naruto's eyes widened slowly, shining with anticipation.

"What powerful jutsu are you going to teach me, Pervy Sage?"

Jutsu?

Jiraiya rubbed his chin again.

Maybe he should teach Naruto that technique. After all, Naruto had a special connection to the person who created it.

Once he'd made up his mind, Jiraiya acted without delay.

He held out his right hand.

"Naruto, watch this jutsu closely!"

Chakra began gathering in his right hand, its movements chaotic yet following some strange, subtle pattern.

"This is..."

Lin Mu's eyes widened, too.

Bzzzz—

A strange vibration emanated from Jiraiya's right hand. In no time, the chakra gathered into a round sphere, glowing blue.

Jiraiya looked around, then fixed his gaze on a large boulder.

He stepped closer without another word.

He shouted:

"Rasengan!"

Then he slammed the blue sphere in his hand into the boulder.

Bzzzz—

The boulder didn't shatter into flying fragments as one might expect. Instead, a neat, circular hole appeared in it.

That was the result of compressing chakra's power to an extreme degree.

It was even more impressive than smashing the boulder to pieces!

"As expected of the Fourth Hokage's jutsu!"

Lin Mu's eyes gleamed. He knew the Rasengan's reputation, of course.

It was a jutsu created by Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, inspired by the Tailed Beast Bomb. He had spent three years developing it.

The user concentrated chakra in one hand, making it flow continuously in irregular directions while compressing it into a palm-sized sphere of chakra with no elemental nature.

Its power was immense, no less than Chidori's!