Chapter 246: Competition with the Sage
"Since you call yourself a Sage, do you have any particularly powerful abilities?" Obito asked, squinting at Jiraiya with mild skepticism.
In Obito's mind, only beings of immense, divine power deserved the title of "Sage"—like the Sage of Six Paths, the godlike founder recorded in history books, or his own teacher, the wise and mysterious Mugetsu.
If the Shadow Clone Technique could have been used for homework without returning the memories, Obito might have called Senju Tobirama the "Clone Sage." But after discovering the dangerous drawbacks of the technique, he had decided Tobirama wasn't qualified either.
"I can enter Sage Mode and use incredibly powerful Sage Jutsu!" Jiraiya said proudly.
He couldn't help but recall his childhood—unremarkable, overshadowed by his teammates Tsunade and Orochimaru. Tsunade, the granddaughter of the First Hokage, inherited the powerful Senju bloodline and vast Chakra reserves. Orochimaru, though a commoner like him, possessed terrifying talent, learning every jutsu with ease. Next to them, Jiraiya had been the eternal underachiever.
But now things were different. All three of them had signed summoning contracts with the Three Great Sage Regions, yet only Jiraiya had successfully learned Sage Mode.
Though he required the assistance of the two elder Sages—Fukasaku and Shima—to enter it, that ability alone set him apart. He had endured years of lonely, punishing training, once even tying himself to a pillar to stay still long enough to draw in nature energy. But through that pain, he gained Sage Mode and an arsenal of powerful Sage Arts.
Now, Jiraiya was confident that aside from Hiruzen Sarutobi, no one in Konoha could defeat him—not even Tsunade or Orochimaru.
"What's that? It just sounds like mastering a really strong Ninjutsu," Obito said bluntly. To him, mastering a technique—no matter how strong—didn't make someone a Sage, especially if it wasn't created by their own hands.
"I see you truly don't understand," Jiraiya said with a sigh, then grinned mischievously. "If you're not convinced, why don't you have a one-on-one with my disciple?"
Explaining Sage Mode to a child was a hassle, and he found teasing them far more amusing.
"Alright, Toad Uncle, bring out your disciple then!" Obito said confidently, thinking Jiraiya's student would be around his age.
"Minato! Someone wants to challenge you to a one-on-one!" Jiraiya shouted gleefully.
"Huh?" Obito froze when he saw Minato's face—so similar to Mugetsu's calm demeanor. His confidence immediately wavered.
He hadn't seen Minato fight, but he had seen the man use the Flying Thunder God Technique, vanishing faster than the eye could follow. Mugetsu had also mentioned that Minato's strength surpassed most Jonin.
Obito had defeated a Jonin before—but only with teamwork, not alone. And definitely not someone like Minato.
"How about it, Goggles Kid? Scared now?" Jiraiya teased, grinning from ear to ear.
"I'm not scared," Obito said stubbornly, "but your disciple's been training for way more years than me! That's not fair!"
"Jiraiya-sensei, don't tease Mugetsu's disciple," Minato said with an awkward smile. "How could I possibly fight him seriously?"
Jiraiya chuckled heartily and waved it off. He just found Obito's reactions entertaining.
"Mugetsu, are you interested in discussing cooking with the Sages of Mount Myoboku?" Jiraiya suddenly asked, recalling his promise to Sage Shima.
"They're the two I summoned during the previous battle," he explained briefly. "Sage Fukasaku and Sage Shima have lived for over eight hundred years. They're wise, incredibly powerful, and have mastered countless Sage Arts."
He tried to emphasize their greatness to stir Mugetsu's curiosity.
A thoughtful gleam flashed in Mugetsu's eyes.
Judging from how even Kurobane benefited from his dishes, the meals prepared with his Chef skill should also work wonders for the toads of Mount Myoboku. Winning their favor shouldn't be hard—but what concerned him was the Great Toad Sage himself.
The Great Toad Sage possessed an extraordinary ability: he could see the future in his dreams. In the original timeline, nearly all his prophecies had come true—his visions were terrifyingly accurate.
Mugetsu couldn't wrap his head around that power. He understood the logic behind techniques like the Tailed Beast Ball's city-shattering force or the eternal flames of Amaterasu. But the ability to see the future defied all reason.
"If the future can be observed," Mugetsu thought, "then is everything predetermined—even the act of seeing it?"
It was a deeply unsettling thought.
"Whether the future can be changed or not… I'll find out soon enough," he murmured.
In a world without his intervention, Maito Dai would open the Gate of Death and die for his son. Obito would descend into madness, leading to the deaths of Minato and Kushina. Shisui would fall to Danzo's betrayal and take his own life.
But with him here, things could be different. If he continued training, by the time the Hidden Mist clashed with Konoha, Might Guy would already have mastered Constant Breathing and the Fifth Gate—Maito Dai would never need to sacrifice himself.
As for Shisui, that situation would be even easier to change. By then, both Shisui and Rin himself would far surpass their original counterparts. No one would be able to ambush them so easily.
The only true uncertainty was Obito. His tragedy wasn't born of war, but of Uchiha Madara's manipulation.
For now, there was no perfect solution. The only path forward was to keep strengthening Obito and Kakashi. Power was protection—and protection was freedom.
"Of course, I'm interested," Mugetsu said with a calm smile. "A Sage who's lived for eight centuries must have unique insights into the art of cooking."
Though wary of the Great Toad Sage's prophetic abilities, he knew forming ties with Mount Myoboku would bring more benefits than risks.
If he wanted to grow stronger, Sage Mode was an ideal path. Among the Three Great Sage Regions, Mount Myoboku seemed the safest option.
The Shikkotsu Forest required Tsunade's cooperation—a difficult relationship to build. As for Ryuchi Cave, Orochimaru's connection made it far too dangerous; Mugetsu's secrets would draw his attention instantly.
After weighing all options, Mugetsu decided to accept Jiraiya's proposal. Even if Mount Myoboku didn't offer a summoning contract immediately, earning their goodwill would be valuable. It never hurt to have more allies.
"Summoning Technique!"
At Mugetsu's agreement, Jiraiya immediately performed the summoning seals. With a puff of smoke, the two elderly toads appeared before them.
"Little Jiraiya, why did you summon us now?" Fukasaku asked, puzzled. "There's no battle going on."
"Yes, I was just about to go to sleep. I have to get up early to make breakfast tomorrow," Shima said with a yawn.
"Didn't I promise to introduce you to a culinary master after the battle?" Jiraiya said, gesturing proudly to Mugetsu. "This is Hayate Mugetsu. I've traveled the entire Ninja World and never tasted food better than his."
He spoke with complete sincerity. Jiraiya truly believed Mugetsu's cooking had reached the pinnacle of perfection. In fact, he felt that no other meal in existence could even compare.
"His cooking skills," Jiraiya declared with conviction, "are the best in the entire Ninja World."
"The best in the Ninja World?" Sage Fukasaku's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected Jiraiya to give such high praise.
"I wouldn't dare claim to be the best. Perhaps somewhere in the mountains, an even greater culinary master exists," Mugetsu said modestly. Admitting to being the best would have sounded far too arrogant.
"That's right. The housewives in our mountain aren't to be underestimated either," Sage Shima replied, her gaze toward Mugetsu softening considerably.
Jiraiya recalled the dishes Shima had once made for him, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly. In a sense, she truly wasn't to be underestimated.
"Since Little Jiraiya says you're the best in the Ninja World," Shima said with interest, "then let me, a humble housewife, compete with you—the so-called best chef."
Mugetsu smiled and nodded in agreement.
Hearing that the two were going to have a cooking contest, Jiraiya instantly felt a bad premonition. He loved eating Mugetsu's food, but Shima's infamous insect feast was something else entirely.
"Then I and Little Jiraiya will be the judges," Sage Fukasaku said with a smile. "This sounds quite interesting."
As soon as he said that, Jiraiya's expression froze. He knew there was no escaping this. He had summoned them earlier to fight a Tailed Beast—how could he possibly refuse now?
"Minato, Dekai, Izumo—you're all idle right now, right? Come be judges too," Jiraiya said with a cough, quickly dragging others down with him.
"Such good fortune!" Dekai grinned, feeling that Jiraiya truly cared for his students. He had just been enjoying Mugetsu's food earlier and now had another chance to eat it again.
Kamizuki Izumo smiled and nodded. Though less enthusiastic, he shared the same thought.
Minato also agreed with a gentle smile. Being able to eat Mugetsu's cooking was never a bad thing. He had no idea that Sage Shima's dishes included insects.
After pulling his three disciples in, Jiraiya suddenly remembered Obito, who had been challenging him earlier.
"Anyway, since it's your teacher's competition, you should come and be a judge too," Jiraiya said with a grin.
Upon hearing that, Obito immediately agreed and even dragged Might Guy and Kakashi along to cheer for Mugetsu.
Jiraiya couldn't help but smirk. He could already picture their horrified faces when Shima's "feast" appeared.
"I'll head back to cook. Summon me again in about an hour and a half," Shima said.
Though there were insects here, she believed the ones from Mount Myoboku were far superior. For a proper competition, she intended to use only the best ingredients.
Jiraiya released the summoning, sending both Sages back to Mount Myoboku.
With them gone, Mugetsu thought for a moment before swiftly gathering ingredients and beginning his preparations.
During this time, Jiraiya and the others followed him closely. Some wanted to help, while others simply wanted to observe how he created such heavenly dishes.
"It all looks so natural and effortless," Izumo said, bewildered. "But there doesn't seem to be anything particularly special about it."
"Yeah, Jiraiya-sensei, do you understand it?" Dekai asked curiously.
"This is skill honed to perfection—returning to simplicity," Jiraiya said after a pause. "It's like Ninjutsu: once every step is mastered to its limit, it transcends technique and becomes art."
"I see… as expected of Jiraiya-sensei," both disciples said, feeling enlightened by his words.
"Toad Uncle, you actually have good taste for once. Mugetsu-sensei's cooking level is that of a culinary Sage," Obito said approvingly.
Jiraiya couldn't even be bothered to correct the nickname anymore. Let the kid say what he wanted—Mugetsu's cooking was indeed on a Sage's level.
An hour later, everyone gathered inside a large tent. A long table was prepared, and Jiraiya once again summoned the two Sages.
"You're in for a treat," Sage Shima said proudly, placing her dishes on the table. "I usually only cook for my husband."
Dekai froze as his eyes fell upon the food. There were two dishes and a soup—but the soup was an unsettling purple, with gray-green insects as thick as an arm floating inside. The main dish was made of pink bugs as thick as a finger, drizzled in a mysterious brown sauce.
"Ugh…" Obito's throat convulsed as he fought the urge to vomit. He quickly turned his eyes to Mugetsu's dishes to calm himself.
Dekai and Izumo both turned to Jiraiya, while even Minato couldn't help glancing at his teacher with a questioning expression.
Jiraiya looked up at the tent ceiling. If he didn't see it, maybe it didn't exist.
"Jiraiya-sensei, I suddenly feel really full from dinner. I don't think I can eat anymore," Dekai said nervously, cold sweat dripping down his face.
"If you're full, just eat less," Jiraiya said dryly. "Opportunities to taste Shima's food don't come often."
"No… will drinking that soup actually not kill us?" Obito asked warily, staring at the purple liquid.
"It's not necessarily poison… but maybe the bugs themselves are," Might Guy muttered, shivering. Even with his iron will, he found it hard to view Shima's dish as edible.
"How rude! This is a special tonic soup," Shima said indignantly. "It restores your energy after training or battle."
"That's right," Jiraiya said with forced enthusiasm. "Shima's cooking is very nourishing. You all should eat plenty." Then, without hesitation, he reached for Mugetsu's food instead.
Mugetsu had prepared two dishes and one soup: Emerald Jade Soup, fried Tempura, and stir-fried wild vegetables with meat—all made from fresh local ingredients.
"I've eaten a lot during training, so I'll make the sacrifice and eat more of Mugetsu's dishes. I'll leave Shima's cooking for you all," Jiraiya said with feigned seriousness before tasting a bite of Tempura.
The moment the flavor hit his tongue, his mind filled with illusions—waves of warmth and bliss washing through him.
Kakashi watched silently, his impression of the legendary Sannin collapsing little by little. He couldn't even imagine how Orochimaru or Tsunade acted in private anymore.
"Jiraiya-sensei, please don't say that," Izumo said quickly. "You're one of the Konoha Sannin, and a future Hokage candidate. Your strength is too important to the village. Let us take this loss instead."
With that, Izumo bravely picked up a piece of wild vegetable and placed it in his mouth.
Instantly, he felt as if his spirit had merged with nature itself—peaceful, pure, and utterly content.
"Hokage, huh? There's no way I'll ever become Hokage," Jiraiya said with a laugh, continuing to eat. "If Hiruzen sensei asked, I'd just refuse."
He had no interest in the position. Not only did it feel like a burden that would interfere with his "research," but he also believed his real mission lay elsewhere—finding the Child of Prophecy.
"Toad Uncle, why are you so unambitious? I think I can become Hokage!" Obito declared proudly.
"Then you'll have to train hard. You can't become Hokage as you are now," Jiraiya said with a chuckle. Though he didn't share the dream, he respected it.
"Of course! With Mugetsu-sensei teaching me, I'll be stronger than your disciple—and even stronger than you!" Obito said confidently, grinning wide.
"Youth means not being picky!" Might Guy shouted, psyching himself up. "A man should have the courage to face challenges!"
With trembling hands, he picked up a red bug and shoved it into his mouth.
A bitter, sour, and indescribably foul taste exploded across his tongue. His entire face twitched as he clenched his teeth to keep from spitting it out.
Then, with shaky resolve, he took a sip of the purple soup—expecting to faint. To his surprise, it actually tasted slightly better than the pink bugs.
Although it was still unpalatable, it was much better than the bugs he had just eaten.
If Might Guy had to describe it, the taste of the bugs just now was like turning unwashed smelly socks into a sauce, pouring it over rotten mud, and eating it straight. That was about what it was like.
"Thank you for the meal!" Might Guy still smiled and gave Shima a thumbs up.
"Your taste isn't bad after all." Shima, who had been a little displeased, saw Might Guy give her a thumbs up and her mood immediately improved.
Jiraiya did not actually eat only Mugetsu's cooking. He had just been teasing his disciples. He was on such good terms with the toads, so of course he had to eat their food too. After tasting a few bites of Mugetsu's dishes, Jiraiya also took a sip of the bug soup, then very quickly put another piece of Mugetsu's tempura into his mouth.
"Hundreds of years and it is still as delicious as ever," Fukasaku said with a smile after eating the bug dish, offering praise.
He was not praising her just because Shima was his wife. He genuinely felt it was good.
But since it was a competition, Fukasaku also picked up a piece of wild vegetable from Mugetsu's side and tasted it.
With that one bite, Fukasaku was instantly astonished. In that instant, he felt as if he was no longer a toad, but a green blade of grass growing freely in nature.
"Dear, the food that person made is not better than mine, is it?" Shima asked.
Fukasaku savored the feeling for a moment, then shook his head and said,
"Your cooking is delicious, but little Mugetsu's cooking lets one perceive the essence of nature. The difference between the two of you is like the gap between ordinary Ninjutsu and Sage Mode."
The moment he ate it, Fukasaku was truly shocked. He had lived more than eight hundred years and had never eaten such a dish. The feeling was so real that he felt he could faintly sense natural energy.
"Is it that amazing?" Shima felt a little unconvinced when she heard her husband praise an outsider so much.
So she also picked up the wild vegetable Fukasaku had just eaten.
After eating it, Shima's sense of unconvinced disappeared at once, and the displeasure on her face turned into shock.
"When did human cooking become so delicious?" Shima said in surprise.
"And that feeling just now was so real. How did he do that?" After her surprise, Shima became especially curious.
But Shima quickly stopped thinking about it. She had to hurry up and eat. If she ate slowly, the rest would all be gone.
Very soon, Mugetsu's dishes were completely wiped out, and Shima's insect feast was also eaten, though everyone did so with expressions of resigned determination.
"Little Mugetsu, what do you think of my cooking?" Shima asked Mugetsu with a smile.
"For a homemaker, it is excellent in every aspect, but it is not suitable for ordinary human consumption," Mugetsu said with a gentle expression.
"It really can't compare to yours, little Mugetsu," Shima said, very satisfied with Mugetsu's evaluation.
"Little Jiraiya, what do you think of little Mugetsu?" Fukasaku suddenly asked.
"Very excellent, in both strength and other areas," Jiraiya said after thinking for a moment.
Although he had not interacted much with Mugetsu, Mugetsu had left a very good impression on him.
If it had been earlier, Jiraiya might really have taken Mugetsu as a disciple. Having two disciples who were both excellent and alike in temperament would have been quite good.
But now Jiraiya was focused on finding the Child of Prophecy. After the war, he would continue to travel around, and he would not have the time to teach Mugetsu.
"Then when you have time, bring little Mugetsu to Mount Myoboku as a guest. I really want to see what kind of feast he can make with the ingredients from Mount Myoboku," Fukasaku said with a smile.
Jiraiya roughly understood Fukasaku's meaning and laughed, nodding. "I will definitely bring him over when I have time."
Mugetsu heard their conversation and more or less guessed what they were thinking. The two Sages probably felt he was quite agreeable and that he could become a Mount Myoboku contractor, but since they did not know him well yet, they asked Jiraiya to observe him first. If there was no problem, he could be brought to Mount Myoboku.
Of course, it was also possible Fukasaku was simply craving his cooking and wanted to invite him over.
For Mugetsu, either way, it was a good thing. Cooking a few dishes was nothing to him.
To prevent Iwagakure from pulling anything strange, Mugetsu stayed in the war camp for a few days. When he confirmed that nothing else was happening, he finally said goodbye to Minato and Jiraiya.
"Minato, is there anything you want me to tell Kushina? I can tell her for you when I get back," Mugetsu asked with a smile.
Minato thought for a moment. He actually had a lot he wanted to say. He wanted to ask Kushina if it was tiring to have a monster living inside her, whether she felt lonely training by herself. But if all that was to be relayed through Mugetsu, it would take a ten thousand word letter. So Minato condensed everything into one sentence.
"Tell her I'm doing well, that she should take care of herself, not stay up late, and eat on time."
"I will pass it on word for word," Mugetsu said, committing it to memory and nodding.
"Mugetsu, all the achievements you made on the battlefield have already been reported. You may have a surprise waiting for you when you return," Jiraiya said with a laugh as he bid farewell.
On the very first day the battle ended, he had sent the news of their victory back. Jiraiya even wrote a separate letter to Hiruzen, detailing Mugetsu's performance during the war and recommending that Mugetsu be further trained.
"Thank you, Jiraiya sama," Mugetsu said with a warm smile, thanking him for helping him earn credit.
"If you want to thank me, then make me a big meal when I come back. And your three disciples are all very good, keep training them well."
Obito and the others were already used to following Mugetsu and training wherever they went. Even in the camp these few days, they had continued to train. Jiraiya noticed this and felt that all three were extremely outstanding, the top of their generation.
"If they keep training like this, they might have a chance to become the next Sannin. It is just a little strange that it is not two men and one woman," Jiraiya thought to himself.
"Minato senpai, Toad Uncle, goodbye!" Obito waved goodbye to Minato and Jiraiya.
Minato, like Mugetsu, was humble and excellent. After spending a few days together, Obito had formed a very good impression of him. As for Jiraiya, although he was sometimes a bit annoying, Obito still felt he was a very good person.
"Dekai senpai, if we have the chance in the future, let's have another battle of youth!" Might Guy gave Dekai a thumbs up.
After discovering that Dekai was good at Lightning Release body techniques, he had immediately tried to challenge him. Although he was soundly defeated, the two got along well.
"Haha, as long as you pick a good time, no problem," Dekai said with a hearty laugh.
"Jiraiya sama, Minato senpai, goodbye," Kakashi said politely to each of them.
After saying their goodbyes, Mugetsu led his disciples and the supply convoy back toward Konoha.
On the road, Obito kept fiddling with his camera, looking at the photos he had taken.
"So there are this many kinds of plants. If you don't look carefully, you really can't tell," Obito said in surprise. What he had once thought were the same green trees actually had many kinds of leaves.
When he flipped to the photo of Minato smiling stiffly that Jiraiya had taken, Obito could not help but laugh and said,
"Mugetsu sensei, do we really have to show this to Minato senpai's girlfriend?"
Obito felt that if it were his own photo looking like that and Rin saw it, he might not dare to show up for two days.
"This is the most precious one. She should like it," Mugetsu replied with a smile.
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