"Naruto!"
After gathering his thoughts, Lin Mu stepped forward and patted Naruto Uzumaki on the shoulder.
"I'm sure your parents were great heroes who gave their lives for Konoha! They wouldn't want to look down from heaven and see you feeling so low..."
"Yeah..."
Naruto Uzumaki snapped out of his daze. He raised a hand and wiped his reddened eyes.
Then his cheerful smile returned.
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the man who's going to become Hokage! My parents will definitely be proud of me someday!"
"Hahahahaha!"
Lin Mu and Naruto Uzumaki looked at each other and burst out laughing, then headed up the mountain side by side.
Now that was the real Prince!
Before long, they reached the clearing in the mountains where Jiraiya was waiting for them to train.
Lin Mu had already handed both Jiraiya's and Naruto's breakfasts to Naruto.
Naruto jogged over and handed Jiraiya his breakfast. As Jiraiya took it, Naruto's eyes shifted a couple of times.
He scratched his head sheepishly and smiled.
"Um... well... could you train with me for a little while today?"
He looked at Jiraiya expectantly.
At Naruto's request, refusal immediately showed all over Jiraiya's face.
"I don't have time for that. I'm heading into town right now!"
Jiraiya's tone grew stern.
"If you don't think for yourself and figure out the trick on your own, you'll never get anywhere, no matter how much time passes!
I told you three weeks ago, didn't I? Stop whining like a child. You're a proper ninja."
Jiraiya's words silenced Naruto.
His lips trembled violently, as though he were about to burst into tears.
"Hahahahaha! You don't have to tell me that! I was just asking. Hurry up and leave once you've finished eating, you Pervy Sage!"
But in the end, Naruto still laughed.
"..."
Watching