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[—]
Chapter Thirty-Four: The Pervy Sage
[Ding!]
[Trickster-Type Skill has been unlocked!]
[Skill: Sleight of Hand]
[Info: The user has the ability to flourish an item on their body into their hands out of thin air, as well as find their fingers to be incredibly dextrous for a specific amount of time. Usage drains 5 MP, with a cooldown of ten seconds.]
Naruto read the passage at light speed, his eyes looking back and forth between the charging Sasuke and the blue box. The second he was done reading, he leaped backward. The Uchiha pulled out a kunai that was sparkling with lightning that ran across its edges.
I guess now is the best time to test it out. Like they say, there's never a better time than the present! Let's see…the skill specifically said to flourish the weapon….
Naruto ran forward, clearly not holding a weapon towards the armed Sasuke. The black-haired boy didn't budge, however, and knew it was pointless to underestimate the blond at this point. Whatever Sasuke thought Naruto would try to do, he would go out of his way to do the exact opposite.
Naruto entered into the stabbing range of the kunai.
Activate Sleight of Hand!
[Activating…]
[Skill: Sleight of Hand Lvl 1 Activated!]
[Usage drains 10 MP points, with a cooldown of ten seconds.]
Naruto twirled his right hand, before grasping the solid metal that appeared between his fingers. It worked! Naruto thought with a pleased expression. Sasuke, certainly not expecting Naruto to randomly summon a kunai, could do nothing as the blond cut lightly into the side of his torso.
That's for cutting my legs, bastard! Naruto thought vindictively.
He stood up and looked at the kunai in his hands, before trying to feel for it in the place it used to be, which was his utility bag. Sure enough, the utility bag didn't show any sign of the weapon. That meant 'Sleight of Hand' wasn't just giving him a boost in dexterity—it was literally teleporting the kunai into his hands. That's perfect! Naruto exclaimed internally with glee.
His hands twirled the kunai between his fingers with immaculate precision and fluidity. The blade seemed to almost be dancing in Naruto's hands for a brief moment, showing the effect of the dexterity boost the skill promised as well.
Naruto waved the hand using the kunai and then flipped it to the other side of his hand seamlessly and in a fraction of a second, creating the illusion that the kunai disappeared entirely. I'm kind of like a magician now. That's cool!
[Ding!]
[Skill: Intermediate Taijutsu has increased by a level.]
[Skill: Intermediate Taijutsu is now Lvl 3.]
Sasuke wiped the blood away and got into position for another clash. He smirked once at Naruto. "I'm not sure how you got the kunai out of your pocket so fast, but this time I won't fall for it again."
Naruto couldn't help but chuckle. "Sure, let's do it!"
A sudden clap distracted them from the ongoing fight.
"Listen up kids! Fun is over!"
Naruto groaned when the silver-haired Jonin they came to call sensei finally made his way to the ground.
"I'm deeply sorry for my late arrival, my dear students," Kakashi said mournfully. "But there was this old lady with a severe case of dementia who couldn't remember her way home."
"Couldn't you have just carried her there?" Sakura asked with an annoyed frown.
Kakashi sighed. "I tried. Alas, she managed to forget exactly where her house was as well. As you can imagine, that was an entirely different situation altogether to deal with."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Why'd you gather us here, sensei? We didn't have any training scheduled. I'm a busy man, you know—the winner of the Chuunin Exams has a lot of work to do."
"You didn't win the Chuunin Exams," Sasuke said plainly.
Naruto laughed. "I know. I just wanted to piss you off."
Sasuke took a deep breath. "How does it feel to know that you succeeded?"
"Well, the happiness I've gained is at least worth half a bowl of ramen. So worth it, in my opinion."
Kakashi sighed once more. "Alright, calm down, my dear Chuunin and Genin. This is important and relates to Team Seven."
The bickering duo quieted down, noticing the change in tone.
"Team Seven will be meeting less—and that's not just because you two are Chuunin. There are certain…complications Konoha is having with the rest of the world. The number of shinobi missions has been rising exponentially for a while now, and now with the shaky alliances we have with Iwa and Suna, it's bound to increase even more."
Naruto raised his hand. "Sensei, why would missions increase when we make alliances? Shouldn't there be less cus' there's not as much danger and stuff?"
Kakashi smiled. "The world would be a better place if everyone thought like you, Naruto. Alliances come with certain challenges and consequences, especially ones that were made on a whim like the one we have with Iwa. Not that I'm doubting the Hokage's choice—he surely knows more than I do about the current political state of Konoha. I'm confident the alliance was necessary, but that doesn't mean the aftershocks of the treaty don't exist either. Other countries will see powerhouses like Konoha, Iwa, and Suna forming an alliance and get fearful, and rightfully so, may I add."
"Rightfully so?" Sakura questioned.
"The last time there was such a treaty between major nations, the Second Shinobi World War occurred a mere year later."
The trio winced.
"Especially a treaty between Konoha and Iwa, who are well-known enemies. It brings a lot of suspicion into our neighbors' hearts. Well, I can't get too deep into the politics of the situation, though there is a lot more to it than just that. Just know that the alliance was formed in preparation for something other than war, though the details aren't completely clear."
Naruto had a sinking sensation that he may know what Kakashi was referring to.
The timing is too coincidental!
Kakashi snapped his fingers, the sharp noise acting like an arrow that pierced through Naruto's confused, troubled mind. "Now, back to the topic. You guys are too young to listen to all of that, anyway. Team Ten meetings will now be scheduled a week before so you guys have ample time to prepare ahead of time. We will still have training sessions and missions here and there. Naruto and Sasuke will be busy with their Chuunin responsibilities, and Sakura, I'll be recommending a Jonin teacher who's more suited to your talents when I'm not around. With that said, you all are free for the week! That's it."
[—-]
Naruto slowly walked around the streets of Konoha, his hands in his pockets as he tried to process everything that was occurring. Things were moving way too fast. It seemed the good days of his childhood were gone, which was strange for someone so young to say, but his so-called 'childhood' was gone the instant he became a Genin.
Even though there was so much occurring around him, Naruto could do nothing but walk around aimlessly. He was bored, quite frankly, and needed a new goal or objective. Sure, the Akatsuki quest was an ideal, long-term goal, but it was still way too early to even think about.
The Akatsuki must have been doing some crazy stuff for the old man and the Tsuchikage to make a truce knowing how it would seem for the rest of the world. I refuse to believe that the Akatsuki don't have a play in the truce.
Naruto was briefly pulled out of his thoughts when he heard a manly giggle from around the corner. What the hell? Since when can a giggle sound creepy and manly at the same time? He made his way closer to the noise, looking around closely for any sign of the odd encounter.
The giggle got louder.
Naruto noticed that he was near Konoha's Ladies Hot Spring, the large stone walls a famous landmark in the village, well known for providing the most relaxing hour of one's life. He made sure to avoid the entrance and walked around the walls, keeping a comfortable distance from the structures just in case.
The giggles quieted down, replaced by the distinct scratching noise of a pencil on paper.
Naruto was willing to justify it as some woman who was giggling inside of the springs who also happened to be a writer with a surprisingly deep voice. That was until, from the corner of his eye, he found long, white hair resting on the floor as a tall man kept his eye against the walls, clearly having found some kind of crevice for him to peek into the spring.
Some crazy old pervert has the gall to do that in public? Naruto thought angrily. Let's see if he likes this.
Naruto growled before rushing forward and grabbing the ridiculously long hair that was laid all over the ground. The man in his grasp let out a shocked gasp as the blond tightly clutched onto his mane.
"Oi, perv, don't you have some dece—"
Naruto felt his control over the white hair disappear as the mane suddenly grew and twisted around Naruto's arm before surrounding his body, rendering his body immobile.
What the fuck—
The man in front of him jumped on top of a curtain of smoke. The white fog slowly lifted away, revealing a comically large toad that stared down at Naruto imposingly. The pervert was on top of the toad, posing magnanimously for the world to see, his face set into a grand smile that only the worst of con artists were capable of.
"Who dares interrupt Jiraiya the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku?!" Jiraiya shouted, not even looking down at the boy he just trapped.
The hair reacted instinctively, almost like it was alive. Naruto thought with a frown. That was an interesting—
WAIT DID HE JUST SAY JIRAIYA?!
Naruto attempted to speak, but couldn't due to the hair that covered his mouth. As such, incessant mumbling was the only thing Jiraiya could hear as he looked down at the boy. The Toad Sage could not see anything except the boy's blue eyes which peeked out of his hair, which moved around violently.
"Now before you accuse me of being a pervert, I must say you're absolutely wrong. I'm not just a pervert, I'm the MEGA PERVERT! Furthermore, I was just conducting research for my book, you see," Jiraiya said, bringing out an infamous bright orange book. Naruto's eyes bulged out in recognition. "Ahh…you recognize my writing? Now, I'm not one to shame, but what is one as young as you reading my works? Whatever, brat. Consider this a warning."
Jiraiya walked back, not even looking back as his hair gradually released its pressure on the boy.
The Great Toad Sage only sighed. "Ah, I wonder where this brat could be. And of course, my research gets disturbed, truly—"
Jiraiya felt a fist crash against his face.
He was a Sannin, sure. If he was even a percent more focused on that instant, Jiraiya was sure he could have dodged that punch easily enough. The punch was mostly telegraphed, and he could have sensed the fist with a small burst of chakra. So why didn't he dodge it? The main issue was that Jiraiya wasn't expecting it in the slightest. Sure, some people didn't recognize his name in other countries and villages, but in Konoha, he was a big deal.
They taught his name in the history books, for god's sake! Most people just bowed in respect and went their way, or attempted some small talk that usually fell flat within a minute or two. He had heard the rustling of feet and clothes from behind him before he got hit, but he just assumed that the kid was running away in fear.
Lastly, the brat was fast. Much faster than someone his age should have been. Naruto wasn't the tallest for his age, so Jiraiya had incorrectly assumed he was younger than he was.
Well, that's a pain. Jiraiya thought with a grimace as he felt blood pour down from his nose. Though maybe I deserve it. Whatever, this kid is gonna go through hell now! He looked up, prepared to give the kid an earful when he noticed the bright blond hair. It can't fucking be…
Naruto shook his fist. "You're Jiraiya, aren't you? I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I'm sure you know who I am, don't you, Pervy Sage?"
Jiraiya was somewhat shocked. He looks a lot like Minato…but has the rough personality of his mother. "And why would I know you, boy?" He said, ignoring the Pervy Sage comment. He knew how kids worked, and if he tried to deny the title then it would only stick even further.
"You sent Bee to train me, didn't you, Pervy Sage?" Naruto asked for confirmation.
Oh no…
Jiraiya winced. "Yes, I may have…I wonder, what else did he happen to tell you?"
There were many things Jiraiya had regretted in his life. A drunken conversation with the Eight-Tails Jinchuuriki, unfortunately, happened to be one of them.
Naruto raised a mocking eyebrow. "I'm not sure, Pervy Sage. Or should I call you Godfather?"
Jiraiya could have felt the temperature drop from a mile away. He quickly felt a headache taking over the last functional part of his brain. This can't end well, can it?
[—]
Naruto happily slurped up ramen from his favorite ramen place. Next to him was the tall, gallant Jiraiya of the Saanin, quickly eating his food as well.
"Thanks for the meal!" Naruto said to the owner, Teuchi, who simply smiled and laughed.
Jiraiya wasn't sure how he got roped into eating ramen so suddenly, but it was certainly better than being on the bad side of his student's kid, who had a very good reason to be angry. He had randomly found the boy and was quickly swept into the whirlwind of energy that was Naruto Uzumaki. He wondered if others found themselves equally at a loss when it came to the boy. They left the premises soon after forking out some money.
Jiraiya motioned for the boy to follow him.
Naruto was the first to break the silence. "So, what did Bee mean by you being my Godfather?"
Of course, he had to start with the elephant. Jiraiya thought with a grimace. "Look, Naruto. I knew your parents very well. They thought it was appropriate for a super-strong ninja like me to be your Godfather. But, as luck has it, you got the Kyuubi and I got the job of being Konoha's espionage master, and thus most of my time was spent on enemy ground. That's it."
d
Naruto's eyes widened, his ears listening to most of Jiraiya's words but his heart and mind also focused on the initial part. "You knew my parents?!"
"…you don't know your parents?" Jiraiya inquired, slightly shocked. What is sensei thinking? Should I interfere? No, I'll ask him myself.
Naruto quieted down, his mood souring. "No…"
This could be somewhat tricky. I'm probably the worst person to be consoling orphans. We know how that turned out last time…but Minato would have wanted me to say something if he was here.
Jiraiya placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'll tell you myself once I get the clearance from the Hokage. No, it doesn't matter. A boy should know who his parents were…. Regardless, is there anything else you wanted to know?"
That was good news. He would learn about his parents. It wasn't like Naruto held any deep sadness when he heard of his dead parents—how could he? He never met them, and he didn't know what they looked like or sounded like. He didn't know whether they were good people or bad people. In fact, for the majority of his life, before he found out about the Kyuubi nestling in his stomach, Naruto had assumed his parents were some sort of villain, which would have explained the hatred the other villagers held for him.
Whenever Naruto heard words about his parents, which usually came from some passing comments by the Third, he only felt regret. Regret that he couldn't experience life with them around whenever mostly everyone else he knew did.
He may not have gotten to love them, but he did hate the fact that he never at least got the chance to.
He shook his head. Right now wasn't the time to get emotional. Jiraiya, the main benefactor to the Jinchuuriki, and the one man who had all the information about the group that was hunting him was right in front of Naruto.
He took a deep breath. "I want to know everything about the Akatsuki. Every single detail."
Jiraiya blanched. What the hell is it with kids these days? He had expected a light-hearted conversation with the brat who was still extremely young. He was going to impress Naruto with his jutsu and take him under his wing, to make right for a mistake he made twelve years ago.
"That's…a loaded question, Naruto. And I'm afraid I can't answer you truthfully. It's too early to tell you everything."
Naruto scowled. "Too early? I've faced an Akatsuki member and would have died if it weren't for Gai sensei popping out at the last second. How the hell could it be too early?"
Jiraiya was startled. He knew that an Akatsuki member had shown up—Gai had already reported to the Hokage. But Hiruzen had avoided telling him all the details. "You faced off against him? What did he say? I need to know everything, Naruto."
Gone was the boisterous, charismatic Pervy Sage. In place of him was the spymaster of Konoha, one of the three Legendary Sannin, and a popular candidate for Hokage. Naruto himself was a bit confused at the change of character.
"And why should I tell you?" Naruto asked, arms crossed.
Jiraiya resisted the urge to yell. Then, a wide grin on his face slowly formed as his mind thought of an idea that could strike two birds with one stone. "Alright, how about this, then? We'll make a bet."
"A bet?"
Jiraiya nodded eagerly. "A test of your ability. I'll give you two weeks to learn a jutsu of mine, and if you manage to do so, I'll tell you all the information you need."
"And if I lose?"
Jiraiya smiled. "You'll owe me a small favor. I promise that the jutsu is possible to learn in that amount of time, and doesn't require any nature type preference."
Jiraiya knew he was going to get the information about Kisame whether Naruto wanted to give it or not. The boy obviously was going to tell whatever he had heard, but was acting a bit defiant like all kids his age.
The true reason for the bet was to get closer to his Godson who was already managing to grow on him as well as passing on Minato's jutsu to his rightful heir.
He purposefully kept the time limit at two weeks, knowing it was theoretically possible but practically impossible to learn the Rasengan in that amount of time without continuous guidance from a mentor. He would help Naruto, of course, but would do so with a limit in mind. Jiraiya congratulated his mind for thinking of such a beautiful idea. He could track the boy's progress as well as get some well-needed research into his system.
Naruto saw the creepy, devious look on the Toad Sage's face and was slightly against accepting the bet. However, his competitive nature and the need to prove the confident old man wrong were burning in his stomach.
"I accept."
The two shook hands, cementing the deal.
Jiraiya had planned everything out perfectly.
The only issue was that Naruto wasn't your regular boy.
He managed to do the impossible on a daily basis.
[Ding!]
[Quest: "Conquering The Rasengan" Created]
[Quest Details: Learn the Rasengan within two weeks.]
[Quest Rewards: Exp. 3000, become a true ninja, ?]
[Failure: Never unlock your true potential.]
[Does Player Accept The Quest?]
[Yes/No]
Hell yeah.
The grind is back!
—-
Yo!
My Pa tre on is back online for those who want to read THREE chapters ahead (chapters 35, 36, 37) and support my endeavor to become an actual author. So if you can't wait for the next update—check out:
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I hope you liked the chapter. There's not much to say here, to be honest. Well, actually, there is. I can't wait for this fic to pick up into the actual exciting parts of the story. I've planned a lot ahead and I'm hoping to deliver!
Question of the day!
What's your favorite jutsu in Naruto? I'd go with Kirin, the whole lightning dragon from the sky was insane to watch. Flying Raijin is a close second, though.
Shorter chapter, but the next one is a 5000 word monster!
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