Jiraiya for the First Time
After a good night's rest, Xu Fan began the next phase of his plan.
The new sign-in task was limited to three days, which meant he had no time to waste.
Even though he knew the route to Mount Myōboku, he doubted he could make the journey within the time limit. Moreover, the system's requirement might not be just to reach the place—it could demand arrival at the heart of Mount Myōboku.
All things considered, Xu Fan figured the most reliable approach was to find Jiraiya first.
Finding Jiraiya, however, was easier said than done.
As everyone knew, Jiraiya was rarely in the village. He wandered across the elemental nations—partly to gather material for his novels, and partly to track down intelligence on Orochimaru.
When Orochimaru was preparing to invade Konoha during the Chūnin Exams, Jiraiya had coincidentally returned to the village. This showed that even though Jiraiya was usually away, his bond with Konoha was still strong.
Just like Tsunade, he never truly severed ties with the village.
With this knowledge, Xu Fan devised a trap.
He would have the Root division spread false intel about Naruto going berserk—something that would no doubt reach Jiraiya's ears—and draw him back to the village.
Then...
The final step was simple: wait for the target in a location Jiraiya would be sure to visit.
Xu Fan walked toward one of Konoha's most infamous hot spring locations—the women's bathhouse.
"I considered countless possibilities," Xu Fan muttered as he arrived. "Even thought about setting out for Mount Myōboku directly... but this might be faster."
To his disbelief, the target had already appeared.
There, crouched behind the fence with a pervy grin, was the man known as one of the Legendary Sannin—Jiraiya the Toad Sage.
Xu Fan exhaled, dragging a palm down his face. "Seriously? Of all the places…"
Still, the important thing was that Jiraiya was here.
"Hey," Xu Fan called out.
Jiraiya, caught mid-peep, glanced over with surprise.
Before he could spin some excuse about "research" for his next book, the boy calmly said his name.
"Jiraiya."
"…You know me?" the white-haired Sannin asked, eyeing Xu Fan up and down. The kid wore a Konoha forehead protector and looked no older than twelve or thirteen.
Though Jiraiya was famous, it was still unusual for a Genin to address him so directly.
"Of course. My name's Xu Fan, and I need to speak with you."
Jiraiya remained seated atop the summoned Toad Tadashi, unimpressed. He gave a subtle hand signal.
With no visible motion, the giant toad's tongue lashed out toward the boy.
But Xu Fan vanished in an instant.
"Hmm?" Jiraiya's eyes narrowed.
Even without taking the boy seriously, the fact that he could evade a sneak attack from Toad Tadashi meant his skill level was no joke.
Activating his sensory perception, Jiraiya suddenly turned—Xu Fan was already standing on the rooftop behind him, looking down.
"You try to lick me with your toad on our first meeting?" Xu Fan said dryly. "Not the best first impression."
He jumped down lightly.
"Anyway, I'll get to the point. I'm here because of Naruto."
Jiraiya blinked. "Naruto?"
The name hit him like a shock. Not only did this kid know him, but he also knew about Naruto—and the Nine-Tails?
According to his intel, Naruto had indeed gone berserk the night before, triggering a minor emergency in the village.
"…Who exactly are you?" Jiraiya asked, now fully serious.
"I told you. I'm Xu Fan, a Konoha ninja."
He met the Sannin's gaze evenly.
"I need you to take Naruto and me to Mount Myōboku."
Jiraiya's face changed.
Not only did this kid know about Naruto and his condition, but he also knew about Mount Myōboku, the sacred land of the toads. That knowledge was top-secret.
This wasn't just a coincidence anymore.
Jiraiya quickly scanned the surroundings.
The street was empty. Too empty.
Was this all planned?
"I want Naruto to gain control over the Nine-Tails' chakra," Xu Fan continued. "He needs to become a perfect jinchūriki. Otherwise, he'll always be at risk of losing control."
Though the statement made logical sense, it only raised Jiraiya's guard further.
Something felt off.
If this were a real mission from the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, he would have been contacted directly—not through a mysterious Genin he'd never seen before.
No… this kid probably infiltrated the village during the Nine-Tails disturbance last night.
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed.
Without hesitation, he signaled to Toad Tadashi.
He leapt into the air, landing on the toad's back, and lunged toward Xu Fan, aiming to subdue and question him properly.
But Xu Fan only sighed.
Guess we're doing this the hard way.
"Wood Style: Tree Wall Formation!"
Thick wooden stakes erupted from the ground between him and the charging Sannin, slamming upward with immense force. The barrier easily blocked the oncoming attack.
The ground shook. Jiraiya stared in shock.
Wood Release…?!
This wasn't something any ninja could perform—not even someone as talented as Tsunade had inherited the First Hokage's Wood Style.
Only one person in history had ever used it naturally: Senju Hashirama.
Who IS this kid…?
As Jiraiya landed and prepared for a follow-up, the Tree Wall crumbled—on purpose, it seemed—and the shockwave sent a loud BOOM echoing through the area.
Unfortunately, that was enough to disturb the women bathing nearby.
With towels flailing and panic in their eyes, the bathhouse erupted in chaos.
"KYAAAAAAAAAA!!"
Screams echoed through the village.
And Jiraiya, unfortunately, was caught in the most compromising position possible.
"…This is going to take a while to explain," Xu Fan muttered, rubbing his temples.
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