"I don't understand. Uchiha Chen's talent is just as ordinary as ours. Why have both Lord Jiraiya and Lady Tsunade taken a liking to him?"
"Even though I'm jealous, what I want to know more is which of them Uchiha Chen will choose as his master."
"Haha, I'm curious too!"
"I bet Uchiha Chen will choose Lord Jiraiya!"
One of the Chunin spectators stroked his chin, deep in thought.
"I agree!"
"I think so too..."
The other ninja nearby all voiced their agreement.
"No, no, I think he'll choose Lady Tsunade!"
But some began to voice a different opinion.
"Why? Given the situation, Lord Jiraiya clearly has the advantage. Besides, having such an outstanding student as Minato proves that Lord Jiraiya is a great teacher.
"If it were me, I'd definitely choose Lord Jiraiya!"
The Chunin who had spoken first explained.
The others listened and nodded to themselves.
"No, no. It's precisely because Lord Jiraiya already has an outstanding student like Minato that he should choose Lady Tsunade!"
"Lady Tsunade and Lord Jiraiya are both Sannin, but Lady Tsunade has never had an outstanding successor. That means she'll devote herself even more fully to teaching her students..."
"Huh, now that you put it that way, that does make sense."
Jiraiya and Tsunade could naturally hear every word of the crowd's discussion.
"Chen, don't listen to their nonsense. If you become my student, I'll do everything I can to teach you!"
Jiraiya dropped his usual joking expression and looked at Uchiha Chen with complete seriousness.
As for why he had become so determined to compete with Tsunade for Chen after meeting him just once, it was naturally because Uchiha Chen could use perfect Sage Mode.
Although Jiraiya could tell Chen had only just begun to master Sage Mode, it still reminded him of the Great Toad Sage's prophecy. He had previously thought Nagato, with his Rinnegan, might be the Child of Prophecy. But now, after seeing Uchiha Chen, Jiraiya's resolve began to waver. Perhaps Uchiha Chen was the true Child of Prophecy?
Uchiha Chen, however, acted as if he hadn't heard Jiraiya. He pointed at Gamabunta and Katsuyu.
"Aren't you going to put them away?"
"Right, right. We'll release the Summoning Jutsu now!"
With a soft pop, the two enormous Summoning Beasts vanished in an instant, along with the oversized sword beneath Uchiha Chen's feet.
As the three of them landed, Uchiha Chen was met by Jiraiya's eager gaze.
"Lord Jiraiya, don't look at me like that. I respect you, but I don't plan on taking anyone as my master right now."
Uchiha Chen gave him an apologetic look.
"What... Are you saying you're going to choose Tsunade?"
Jiraiya's hand froze in midair. He asked in disbelief.
"Uchiha Chen... Is that true?"
Tsunade beside him also looked up in disbelief, gazing at Uchiha Chen with delight.
"Uh, Lady Tsunade, you're celebrating too soon. I won't choose you as my master either."
Uchiha Chen sighed and gave her an apologetic look as well.
He hadn't dared to refuse them outright earlier because he was afraid Tsunade and Jiraiya might destroy his home in their anger. But now that it was already gone, he had nothing left to worry about.
"Why? Have you already set your heart on a particular teacher?"
Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged a glance, then looked at Uchiha Chen in disbelief and asked in unison.
"Not at all. Like I said, I don't plan on taking anyone as my master right now."
"I've only just recovered from serious injuries. I just want to rest for a while."
For Uchiha Chen, his Max-Level Comprehension was the key to making a name for himself in the Naruto World. If he wanted to, he could learn any secret or forbidden technique. Having a teacher wouldn't make much difference.
Uchiha Chen didn't want anyone to discover this cheat, not even Tsunade or Jiraiya!
So he rolled his eyes and came up with a reason that was just plausible enough.
Hearing Uchiha Chen's explanation, Tsunade and Jiraiya's expressions shifted, and they fell silent. That was right. They understood the brutality of war better than anyone.
Unlike the three who had fallen silent, the ninja watching nearby all stared wide-eyed in disbelief. Even the Third, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the rest of the Konoha High Command looked just as stunned.
"What? Did I hear that right? Uchiha Chen actually turned down their offer to become his teacher?!"
"What's going on? How could this happen?"
"They're the Konoha Sannin! Countless people would do anything to earn the favor of either Lady Tsunade or Lord Jiraiya. Forget becoming their students—even a single lesson from them would benefit us for the rest of our lives!"
"But Uchiha Chen turned them down. Did his injury leave him with brain damage?"
"No, no. I think this proves Uchiha Chen knows his own limits!"
"What do you mean?"
"Hmph, isn't it obvious? Uchiha Chen had no talent to begin with. Somehow, he managed to win the favor of both of them.
"If he really became one of their students, his true colors might come to light someday, and who knows what would happen to him then? Better not to become a student at all. That way, he can still stir up some buzz!"
"Yikes, that Uchiha kid really is a sly one!"
Everyone present reacted differently to Uchiha Chen's refusal. They were shocked, but they also wondered why he had done it.
"Since you don't want to take a teacher right now, I won't pressure you. If you change your mind someday, you must come find me!"
Jiraiya let out a deep sigh, walked over to Uchiha Chen, and patted him on the shoulder, his face full of regret.
He genuinely wanted to take him as a student, but he couldn't force him.
"Uchiha Chen, you're welcome to come to me anytime, too."
Tsunade stepped forward and made the same heartfelt promise.
Afterward, she shot Jiraiya a fierce glare.
She still felt that if Jiraiya hadn't suddenly butted in, her plan would definitely have secured Uchiha Chen as her student.
"Since you don't want a teacher right now, we won't stay and bother you any longer!"
After Tsunade said her goodbyes, Jiraiya nodded and prepared to leave.
"See you next time!"
Just as Tsunade and Jiraiya turned to leave, Uchiha Chen suddenly shouted anxiously,
"Lady Tsunade, Lord Jiraiya, please wait!!"