Jiraiya Takes a Disciple

"The Paper Clone could be controlled without any issue within five hundred meters. Beyond five hundred meters, there was a slight delay." Having finished his experiment, Indra looked at Konan beside him, whose eyes were filled with admiration.

"Big brother, you're amazing! You learned it just like that!"

Konan's words dealt a blow to Yahiko and Nagato beside her.

The two of them had also tried to use the Paper Release Secret Technique. They had memorized it in their heads, but their bodies simply would not cooperate at all.

"Yahiko hasn't even extracted chakra yet, so don't even think about using it." Indra was nearly amused by the two of them.

Hearing that, Konan awkwardly kneaded the corner of her clothes.

She had clearly learned it long ago, yet she could only make a paper shuriken.

"Konan, the most important thing for you right now is to put on some weight. Only then can you extract enough chakra. If you're willing, I can teach you how to use Paper Release."

"Mm~ Really? Thank you, big brother!" Konan smiled shyly, though a sense of reliance showed in her eyes.

It felt so wonderful to have someone standing behind her—someone she could rely on and receive help from. It allowed her to relax from the bottom of her heart.

Was this... family?

Konan's thoughts drifted further and further off course, while Indra took out a stack of talismans and handed them to her. "Keep the deed to the house safe, Konan. If anyone comes to snatch it, just throw a few of these at them."

Indra leaned close to Konan's ear and explained the effects of each type of talisman.

Konan nodded seriously and solemnly put the talismans into the ninja tool pouch Indra had given her.

"Hehe~ So, big brother, what about us..." Yahiko rubbed his little hands together and shamelessly sidled over.

Indra rolled his eyes at him. "None for you. I don't even know you that well."

"..."

Indra's blunt words left Yahiko speechless.

Having wandered for years, Yahiko had an exceptionally thick skin and did not feel embarrassed at all. He immediately pressed on, "Then what about becoming your disciple?"

"Wait two days." Indra answered casually, then turned around and started chatting with Konan.

With such a cute little girl right in front of him, who would want to pay attention to those two bratty kids?

Nagato's Rinnegan was rather tempting, but Indra knew it was not something he could touch right now.

For the next several days, Indra came by to visit Konan almost every day, teaching her a few Paper Release Secret Techniques along the way.

"Uwoo... Konan!" Yahiko in the corner was like a useless husband, able only to watch helplessly as Indra and Konan grew increasingly close.

"Yahiko..."

Nagato saw it and felt for him.

Still young, he only had vague, immature feelings for Konan, while toward Yahiko, he held the admiration one had for an older brother and a deep brotherly bond.

He tugged on Yahiko's sleeve, but did not know how to comfort him.

"What a pair of star-crossed lovers."

Indra caught sight of the scene in the corner, brimming with suspicious intimacy. He raised a hand to block Konan's view and warned her, "Don't look at that sort of thing too much."

"Mhm, mhm~" Konan did not understand what Indra meant, but instinctively felt that he was right.

"Don't slander me in front of Konan, you bastard!" Yahiko snapped. This guy was openly defaming him.

As the oldest among them, he was not as clueless as Konan and Nagato.

"Shut up, Yahiko. Otherwise, I won't take you to meet Jiraiya today."

"..."

The moment Indra made that threat, Yahiko could only shut his mouth unwillingly.

Holding Indra's hand, Konan was not particularly concerned about becoming his disciple. She asked softly, "Big brother, what were you telling me not to look at just now?"

"It's about how those two boys..." Indra leaned close to Konan's ear and explained.

His voice was very quiet. Other than Konan, no one else could hear him.

Yahiko was one thousand percent certain that Indra was framing him.

But because of the apprenticeship matter, he did not dare offend Indra.

Furious, Yahiko could only turn away and sulk in humiliation.

"Yahiko, I believe you." Nagato took Yahiko's hand and gave him a steadfast look.

He did not understand what Indra was saying to Konan, nor did he understand why Yahiko was angry, but Nagato felt that Yahiko needed his support.

"Nagato, my good brother!" Yahiko cried as he hugged Nagato tightly, their powerful brotherly affection nearly overflowing from the scene.

"Eww~~~" Seeing this, Konan immediately frowned slightly and revealed a look of disgust.

How had she never noticed before that Yahiko and Nagato shared such feelings that transcended worldly conventions?

Luckily, Brother Indra had told her in advance.

Konan felt incomparably fortunate, but she also secretly resolved to stay farther away from the two of them from now on.

Indra walked at the front with Konan, smiling as he looked at the All-Heavens Pearl's progress bar.

"It's finally full!"

In high spirits, Indra practically had a spring in his step.

By then, inside the office building, Jiraiya, having crushed the Hidden Rain Village shinobi's defensive line, had already brought the main force over to join Tsunade.

Jiraiya sat down in a chair and let out a long breath. "The battle here is finally ending. We can take a break too."

"I'm not as idle as you."

Tsunade rose to her feet and called Mikoto over to treat the remaining wounded.

Just as she was about to look for Indra, he arrived with the three children.

"Kid, I was just about to come find you." Tsunade greeted him, then looked at the three behind him. "Who are they?"

"Konan, Nagato, Yahiko. They're all orphaned wanderers from the Hidden Rain Village. I happened to run into them and looked after them for a few days." Indra briefly explained, then stepped aside.

"Please teach us ninjutsu!"

Yahiko pulled Nagato along and bowed, his attitude extremely sincere.

Konan was a beat slower. She had no particular obsession with finding a teacher; Yahiko had kept talking about it before, so she had gone along with the idea.

Looking at Yahiko and the others sincerely asking to become disciples, Tsunade frowned slightly.

"Don't even think about it. I hadn't wanted to take Indra and Mikoto as disciples in the first place, if it weren't for..."

As Tsunade spoke, she suddenly remembered something. "Right, Indra, you still haven't transferred the money to me, have you?!"

"I didn't transfer it because I was afraid you'd renege on the debt. Then I forgot about it for a while. We'll talk after we get back to the village." Indra spoke righteously, wearing an expression that said, Keep talking, and I'll really renege on it.

Tsunade glared at Indra indignantly, but in the end, helplessly withdrew her gaze.

Tsunade, who often defaulted on her own debts, was experiencing the pain of being defaulted on for the first time.

Indra owed her three and a half million ryo now!

She did not even dare raise her voice at him, afraid that Indra would find an excuse not to pay.

"So that's why you took on two disciples, Tsunade. There was a story behind it after all." Even Jiraiya, watching from the side, found it amusing.

"Get lost. What does me taking disciples have to do with you?" Tsunade shot Jiraiya a glare, then left directly with Indra and Mikoto.

Yahiko and the others, left where they were, immediately turned to look at Jiraiya.

Jiraiya gazed at the three children as well, lost in thought.

He had seen far too many children from the Hidden Rain Village become displaced or even die because of war. As one of those who had caused all this, Jiraiya had always carried guilt toward the Hidden Rain Village in his heart.

Jiraiya carefully studied the three of them and suddenly noticed the Rinnegan beneath Nagato's red hair.

"Those are... the Sage of Six Paths' eyes!"

There were many strange people and bizarre events in the ninja world, and the Rinnegan was even more the stuff of legend. Even if it appeared, almost no one would recognize it.

But Jiraiya, who had received the Great Toad Sage's teachings, happened to recognize the Rinnegan!

At that moment, the Great Toad Sage's prophecy echoed in Jiraiya's mind.

[As a ninja, your disciple will bring tremendous change to the entire ninja world. He will bring the world unprecedented stability... or destruction.]

"If he is the Child of Prophecy, then I have a duty to teach him and bring peace to the ninja world!"

With that thought, Jiraiya nodded at Yahiko and the other two. "I agree to take you as my disciples. Train with me."

"That's great, Jiraiya-sensei!!!"

Yahiko excitedly grabbed Nagato's hand and jumped up and down. Seeing this, Konan silently stepped aside.