"The night of the Nine-Tails' attack... I was on my way back to the village. By the time I rushed to Konoha and made it to Minato and Kushina, it was already too late. They were gone."
Jiraiya's usually hearty voice carried a heavy sorrow. For all his rough edges, when he spoke of his student the one he raised and cherished like his own son his grief could not be hidden.
"Naruto, I'm sorry. When you needed family the most, I wasn't there for you." Jiraiya looked at him earnestly, guilt plain in his eyes. "I once offered to raise you myself, but Hiruzen-sensei refused. He thought it would be too dangerous."
Naruto bit into his popsicle before speaking calmly. "I already know everything. I understand what the Third was trying to protect. You were my father's teacher. If you'd taken me in, it would have been like putting a beacon over my head. Everyone would know I was the Fourth Hokage's son."
He gave a small shrug, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Even if you're strong, you couldn't keep me tied to your side every second. Growing up under that shadow would've only put me in more danger. The way it turned out… sure, I had to deal with glares and whispers, but I survived. And I grew up safe enough."
From the very beginning, revealing his heritage would have done nothing but attract assassins from every corner of the shinobi world. Just the fact that his jinchūriki status was leaked had been enough to make him a target of scorn.
Jiraiya's expression softened. The boy sitting across from him wasn't just strong he was thoughtful, even mature beyond his years. There was no childish whining, no bitterness. Just quiet acceptance and determination.
"I'm relieved to hear you say that. Still, Naruto, as Minato's teacher, I carry a responsibility too. Teaching you… that's something I should've done long ago." Jiraiya managed a smile, though the weight behind it was clear.
"I've heard from the old man that you've already mastered all five elemental natures. And after our spar just now, I can tell your taijutsu is no joke either. But doesn't it feel like you've hit a wall?"
Naruto nodded. "Yeah. There aren't many shortcuts left to grow stronger. That's why I've been diving into medical ninjutsu and sealing techniques. I figured I should broaden my skills."
"Medical ninjutsu?" Jiraiya blinked, surprised. "I can see sealing techniques, but why medical jutsu?"
"Because it leads to Yang Release." Naruto answered without hesitation, as if it were obvious.
Jiraiya scratched his head. Of course he knew that medical ninjutsu was linked to Yang Release. His teammate Tsunade, the legendary Sannin, had practically founded the entire field. But to actually master Yang Release through that path? For most, it was almost impossible.
Still… this was Naruto. With his talent, maybe impossible wasn't such a certainty.
"Well, I can't say much about medical ninjutsu. But there is one thing I can teach you. If you master it, your strength will leap forward." Jiraiya's eyes glimmered.
Naruto tilted his head. "And what's that?"
"Sage Arts." Jiraiya's tone grew serious. "Senjutsu."
He leaned closer. "You don't have a summoning contract yet, do you? Come on, let's fix that."
With a puff of smoke, Jiraiya summoned a scroll-bearing toad. The creature hopped forward, its wide eyes flicking between Jiraiya and Naruto. It stuck out its tongue, unrolling the great summoning scroll before Naruto.
"This is the contract of the toads of Mount Myōboku, one of the Three Great Sage Lands. It's been passed down through generations of ninja." Jiraiya's pride was unmistakable.
Naruto eyed the scroll skeptically. "Will signing a contract with a toad really make me stronger?" Summons didn't seem that useful compared to his own power.
"Just sign it." Jiraiya grinned with his typical eccentricity, clearly trying to coax him along.
Naruto shrugged, unrolling the parchment. His gaze fell upon a name written there in bold strokes one that made his chest tighten.
It was his father's.
"Minato was the last one to sign." Jiraiya's voice softened as he noticed Naruto staring.
"I see." Naruto bit his thumb, pressed his blood to the paper, and wrote his name beneath his father's. He stamped his handprint beside it, marking his bond with the toads.
"The hand signs go Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram. Channel chakra into your right hand after completing the sequence. Try it." Jiraiya rolled up the scroll and placed it back on the toad's tongue.
Naruto nodded. He wanted to see what Jiraiya meant by this great power. His fingers blurred through the seals, chakra surging as he slammed his palm onto the earth.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A massive cloud of smoke erupted.
Jiraiya's lips curved. "If my guess is right, it should be…"
"Oi, Jiraiya! What the hell are you summoning me for this time?" A booming, gravelly voice rumbled beneath their feet.
The smoke cleared, revealing the hulking figure of a giant toad, a pipe clamped between its mouth.
"Don't get the wrong idea, Bunta. I didn't summon you. He did." Jiraiya patted Naruto on the shoulder, leading him forward to the toad's nose.
Gamabunta's golden eyes narrowed as he regarded Naruto.
Then the great toad let out a puff of smoke so thick it blanketed the clearing. "Pfft! You've got to be kidding me, Jiraiya. This brat? No way a little runt like him summoned me. You're pulling my leg!"
Naruto crossed his arms, unimpressed. "So, you're my summon?"
"Hah! Don't flatter yourself, kid. You might have signed the contract, but that doesn't mean I'll listen to you. Not a chance." Gamabunta huffed, clearly insulted by the idea.
Naruto tilted his head. "So what will it take for you to accept me?"
"Beat me in a fight. Otherwise, forget it."
The giant toad's voice thundered with pride. As the chief toad of Mount Myōboku, second only to the Great Toad Sage himself, he wasn't about to bow to some twelve-year-old kid. Even Jiraiya had to treat him with respect.
Jiraiya's expression shifted. He looked at Gamabunta with something that almost resembled pity.
"Ahahaha… you two should work things out. I'll leave you to it." He scratched his head, clearly eager to slip away before things escalated.
"Don't think I'll be playing nice with this brat," Gamabunta grumbled, eyeing Naruto disdainfully.
Naruto's smile was mild, almost gentle. "That's fine. We'll just… get to know each other better."
Jiraiya hesitated, then leaned close and whispered, "Naruto, take it easy on him. He's still a top-tier summon. You'll need him in the future."
Naruto's grin only widened. "Relax. How could I possibly hurt my own summon? You worry too much."
But Jiraiya shivered at that warm smile, a chill creeping down his spine. Without another word, he turned and left, deciding it was better not to stick around.
When the dust settled, only Naruto and Gamabunta remained.
The boy and the toad faced each other in silence, the air between them charged with challenge.
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