Minato and Jiraiya

Three days later.

At night, Konoha Ninja Academy was peaceful beneath the moonlight. Together with the clouds and moon above, it formed a beautiful ink-wash painting.

Beneath the beautiful moonlight, Senju Wood Clone Genma was leaving the campus with his little sidekick, Namikaze Minato, when a strange uncle wearing a mask stopped them.

The strange uncle grabbed Namikaze Minato by the wrist.

"Young man, I can tell from your bones that you're a once-in-a-thousand-years ninja prodigy. I've got a secret ninja manual here, and since fate brought us together, I'll give it to you!"

Senju Genma folded his arms and said scornfully, "Jiraiya, what are you freaking out about now?"

Jiraiya made an exaggerated sidestep. "You can tell that too?"

"Obviously. You're wearing a mask. Who couldn't tell?" Senju Genma said disdainfully.

Beside them, Namikaze Minato suddenly realized what was going on. "Jiraiya?! Lord Jiraiya, the Third Hokage's student!"

Jiraiya suddenly took off his mask and struck a strange pose, standing on one foot with his hands held out at different angles.

"There's no point hiding it anymore. I am the white-haired boy, the Toad Messenger who can't tell east from west or north from south, the handsome man who can silence even a crying child, the invincible Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku—Lord Jiraiya!" Jiraiya swayed his head from side to side, reciting his introduction with great conviction.

"Idiot!" Senju Genma mocked him without mercy.

Namikaze Minato was completely stunned, standing stock-still beside them.

Perhaps discovering that a ninja revered by the village was a lunatic had dealt a great blow to his young heart!

When Jiraiya saw that neither of them was impressed, he grew a little embarrassed. Rubbing his nose, he leaned toward Senju Genma and asked, "Genma, does that kid have a teacher?"

Senju Genma raised an eyebrow. "You've got your eye on him?"

Jiraiya nodded and lowered his voice. "That's right. I was just passing by when I saw the kid, and I immediately took a liking to him. I have a feeling he might be the Child of Prophecy, or at least connected to the Child of Prophecy."

"You trust that toad that much?" Senju Genma asked.

"Genma, show some respect for the Toad Sage. I wouldn't be who I am today without it. If I don't trust it, who should I trust?" Jiraiya hurriedly replied.

Senju Genma shrugged. "Minato doesn't have a teacher. Whether he wants to take you as his master is up to him. I'm not getting involved."

Jiraiya nodded and walked over to Namikaze Minato.

"Kid, your name is Minato, right?"

Namikaze Minato nodded. "That's right. My name is Namikaze Minato."

Jiraiya got straight to the point. "You know who I am. I'd like to take you on as my student. Would you be willing?"

Namikaze Minato was still a little conflicted. After all, although Jiraiya was Lord Hokage's student, his behavior just now had been extremely strange.

Senju Genma spoke up at just the right moment. "I heard from Tsunade that Jiraiya was a dead last."

Jiraiya flushed bright red and protested, "It depends on who you're comparing me to! I might not look like much, but I became a Genin at six and a Jonin at fourteen."

After thinking for a long while, Namikaze Minato glanced at Senju Genma, then looked at Jiraiya and replied, "I'm willing, sensei."

Jiraiya was a strange person, but it was clear he knew Senju Genma. Namikaze Minato trusted Senju Genma.

Besides, Jiraiya was the Third Hokage's student and a renowned ninja in the village. He was sure to be strong, and learning from him would bring Minato one step closer to his dream.

Getting the answer he wanted, Jiraiya was instantly in high spirits. He began showing off to Senju Genma.

"Genma, after all these years following Tsunade, you must not have learned much, right? All Tsunade knows is Medical Ninjutsu and Strength of a Hundred. You couldn't have learned much from her. How about I teach you a few techniques when I'm training Minato?"

Senju Genma knew Jiraiya was getting carried away, but he wasn't about to indulge him.

He raised both hands. Blue lightning appeared in his right hand, making a sound like a thousand birds chirping, while a blue sphere of light formed in his left.

"The technique in my left hand is called Rasengan. I developed it by imitating a Tailed Beast Ball. The one in my right hand is Chidori. I once used it to cut through lightning. Which one would you like to experience?"

"No need. Looks like Tsunade taught you well. I'm in a good mood after taking on a student today, so why don't I treat you both to barbecue? How about Yakiniku Q? It's an old shop that's been around since I was a kid, and the food's delicious." Jiraiya shook his head repeatedly, choosing to back down.

Whether it was imitating a Tailed Beast Ball or cutting through lightning, both sounded far too dangerous.

If his information was right, Senju Genma was still pretty young. Yet he'd already developed techniques that looked so dangerous.

What had he been doing at that age?

He'd just become a Chunin, hadn't he? Then he'd retired from the battlefield.

Wait, Senju Genma was only a Ninja Academy student right now. He wasn't even a Genin!

Come to think of it, maybe he was quite a bit stronger than Genma!

Jiraiya successfully talked himself into it, then cheerfully led the two of them to the barbecue restaurant.

Senju Genma didn't leave. Although it was only a Wood Clone, his consciousness could still sync with it. He could use it to eat and get a taste of the food.

The three of them were far stronger than ordinary people, but they made their way to the barbecue restaurant very slowly, taking a full hour.

That was because they came across a bookstore on the way called Shueisha.

The moment Jiraiya saw the bookstore, he was like a horse that had bolted from its reins. He insisted on reading for a while before they went on.

The other two couldn't talk him out of it, so they had no choice but to stay and keep him company.

Shueisha didn't have Icha Icha Paradise yet, but it did have a few books in the same vein. They left both Namikaze Minato and Jiraiya blushing furiously.

Senju Genma had no interest in that kind of book.

After all, it was easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but hard to go back. Since he already had Tsunade, he could just look at her.

When the three of them entered the barbecue restaurant, they ran into some familiar faces.

"Genma!"

As soon as Senju Genma stepped into the restaurant, he spotted a boy with yellowish-brown hair calling out to him.

"Nawaki, Orochimaru, you're here too!" Senju Genma called back with a wave.

Orochimaru gave him a slight nod.

Orochimaru didn't mind that Senju Genma called him by his name.

Senju Genma had always been like that. In their trio of gambling, women, and drinking, he only ever called Tsunade "Big Sister." He always addressed Orochimaru and Jiraiya by their names.

Orochimaru was used to it by now.

"Who is this child?" Orochimaru looked at Namikaze Minato.

Jiraiya clapped Namikaze Minato on the shoulder and laughed. "This is the student I just took on. What do you think? Not bad, right?"

Orochimaru nodded in agreement. "I can't tell what kind of talent this kid has yet, but he certainly looks like a fine young man—much better-looking than you, his teacher."