Land of Fire
In a clearing in the forest not far from Jiraiya's camp.
Chihane had already been discharged from the hospital, but after lying in bed for so long, he felt as though his body had rusted stiff.
So Chihane sought out Jiraiya, who also wanted to stretch his legs, and suggested they loosen up with a sparring match.
Jiraiya had always been curious about Chihane's strength, too. The two hit it off immediately and agreed on the spot.
Jiraiya then had someone summon Shikaku Nara and irresponsibly dumped all the camp's affairs on him before running off to the clearing with Chihane.
The news soon reached Tsunade. Grumbling angrily that Chihane and Jiraiya never gave her a moment's peace, she followed them out, too worried to leave them alone.
In truth, injuries were perfectly normal in a profession as dangerous as a ninja's. Tsunade also understood why Chihane and Jiraiya wanted to spar.
After spending this time with Chihane, Tsunade had come to understand why he possessed such incredible strength at his age.
Talent was one factor, and hard work was another. But Chihane had both talent far beyond the reach of ordinary people and a work ethic several times greater than theirs.
Even in the treatment room, the moment Chihane could move again, he wanted to train.
With the help of her Fist of Love, she finally managed to make Chihane abandon the idea-at least in front of her. But when she checked on him in the middle of the night, she found him secretly training again.
Every time she caught him, Chihane would promise her he would stop, only to resume his secret training the next day.
He even declared with utter conviction, "Have you ever seen a wild beast promise not to bite?"
Faced with