In the Land of Fire.
Warm sunlight bathed the earth. Lush trees and vegetation soaked it in, brimming with life.
At a waterfall, silvery sprays of water sparkled brilliantly beneath the sun.
Above the falls, two figures, one large and one small, stood on a rock in the river at the waterfall's edge. The smaller figure had his eyes closed, as if quietly sensing something.
Beside him, the larger figure watched him with a look of satisfaction.
"Shing!"
The blond-haired figure suddenly opened his eyes. His expression was composed, and his clear blue eyes gazed calmly ahead.
He formed Hand Seals in an instant, his long fingers moving incredibly fast!
"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"...
In almost no time at all, he completed the Art Seal.
"Whoosh!"
In an instant, he vanished from the rock in the middle of the river and appeared on the flat ground along its bank.
Feeling solid ground beneath his feet, the boy's calm face broke into a brilliant smile. He waved to the white-haired figure still standing where he was and called out,
"That was awesome, Jiraiya-sensei!"
"I can use the Body Flicker Technique now!"
Jiraiya, smiling in the distance, grinned when he heard him.
He lightly brought his fingers together.
"Whoosh!"
The next moment, he appeared beside the boy.
The blond boy looked up at him, beaming with warmth and delight. His wide blue eyes sparkled as he said excitedly,
"Jiraiya-sensei, I finally did it! This is the first time I've mastered such an advanced technique. I'm going to give it a name."
As he spoke, the boy lowered his head and rested a finger against his chin. His brow furrowed, and his blue eyes shifted as if he were puzzling over an incredibly difficult problem.
After a while, he clapped his hands and exclaimed,