Jiraiya, looking like a frost-nipped eggplant, hung his head and dejectedly walked towards the center of the training ground to stand in punishment, under the gazes of his classmates who were stifling laughter, pitying him, or gloating. He couldn't understand it: "It's impossible... My parabolic calculations... Did the laws of physics stop working in the Shinobi World?"
After the kunai test fiasco, Jiraiya stood in the middle of the training ground like a scarecrow. The afternoon sun made him drowsy, and combined with the dark circles from staying up late writing last night, he felt like he could fall asleep standing up.
"Hey! Idiot Jiraiya!" Tsunade's clear voice carried concern. "What were you doing last night? Your dark circles are so bad! Did you stay up late cooking for us? You don't have to make so many dishes next time!" She and Orochimaru, at some point, had slipped over under the guise of practicing, standing "in punishment" next to him, one on each side.
Orochimaru, flipping through a book in his hand, said indifferently without looking up, "You can control the trajectory of one kunai, but the weight distribution and flight paths of two mutually influence each other. The force and angle of your throw both need to be adjusted. Do you think you're throwing pebbles, idiot?" His calm tone carried a hint of disappointment.
Jiraiya's eyelids were heavy, and he mumbled vaguely, "I... I know... I'll practice..." Before he finished speaking, his head uncontrollably tilted and rested heavily on Orochimaru's somewhat slender but surprisingly firm shoulder, instantly falling into a deep sleep.
Orochimaru's body stiffened slightly at first. His golden snake-like eyes glanced at the fluffy white head on his shoulder. His brow furrowed then relaxed, and he ultimately just sighed helplessly, returning to his world of books. Tsunade, meanwhile, diligently practiced hand seals nearby, occasionally looking up at the peacefully sleeping Jiraiya, a helpless yet warm smile curving her lips. The two silently acted as human shields, blocking Jiraiya from the teacher's view.
The last rays of the setting sun completely disappeared below the horizon. Jiraiya almost flew towards his small house located on the edge of the village.
"Bang!" The door was roughly shut. He didn't even have time to put down his schoolbag before rushing into the bedroom, eagerly calling out in his mind: "System! System! Icewing White Tiger egg! Time's up! Tell me how to get it out?!"
"Ding! Host, please concentrate your will, retrieve the Icewing White Tiger egg in your consciousness space, then drop a drop of fresh blood onto the eggshell to complete the blood pact ritual." The system's cold prompt sounded promptly.
"Retrieve with will... Icewing White Tiger egg!" Jiraiya took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and focused intently.
"Puff—"
A slight muffled sound, accompanied by the sensation of the bed sinking. Jiraiya suddenly opened his eyes to see a gigantic egg on his simple single bed! The eggshell was as white as jade, the size of a washbasin, covered with complex and mysterious silver frost patterns. Wisps of cold air enveloped it, making the bedroom temperature seem to drop a few degrees.
Jiraiya's heart pounded. He practically rushed into the kitchen, grabbed a cleaver, and carefully made a small cut on his finger. A bright red bead of blood immediately welled up. He quickly ran back to the bedroom, held his breath, and gently dripped that eagerly anticipated crimson blood bead onto the frost-patterned eggshell.
The moment the blood touched the eggshell, it seemed to come alive, emitting a faint "hissing" sound, and was quickly absorbed by the eggshell, leaving only a shallow, fleeting pink mark.
A long few seconds of silence... Just as Jiraiya was wondering if he hadn't dripped enough blood—
"Crack!"
An extremely faint but perfectly clear cracking sound suddenly rang out! A hair-thin crack abruptly appeared on the smooth surface of the eggshell!
"Crack! Crack! Crack-crack-crack—!"
The cracking sounds became more and more frequent, more and more urgent! Spiderweb-like cracks spread rapidly, instantly covering the entire eggshell!
"CRACK!—!"
Accompanied by a crisp pop, the top of the eggshell was pushed open by an internal force! A fluffy, wet little head suddenly poked out!
It was a small beast the size of a kitten. Its soft, fluffy pure white short fur was slightly damp and clinging to its body. Most striking were its eyes—like the purest blue sapphires, crystal clear, filled with the innocence of a newborn and curiosity about the world. The little one shook its head, splashing water droplets, then turned its large blue eyes, instinctively looking around. When those pure blue eyes met Jiraiya's surprised and delighted gaze, the little one's expression instantly changed! As if it had found the warmest harbor, its eyes held only pure, unreserved dependence and closeness.
"Meow... meow... meow..." It let out a soft, delicate cry, like a kitten purring, with a hint of milkiness, as if calling out.
Then, the little one seemed to remember something and lowered its head, beginning to gnaw on the eggshell that enveloped it. "Crunch, crunch..." It ate with relish, its movements swift and focused. The washbasin-sized eggshell, under the constant opening and closing of its small mouth, disappeared at a visible rate.
Jiraiya watched dumbfounded, his brain temporarily short-circuiting. This little thing... its appetite was too good, wasn't it? And its appearance... aside from the three faintly visible, crown-like black-gold vertical stripes on its forehead, and its cry being a bit deeper and more powerful than an ordinary kitten's, it was practically a beautiful, cute little white kitten!
While Jiraiya was still in a daze, the little one had already swallowed the last piece of eggshell. It contentedly licked its pink little nose, then with a slight push of its four paws, it lightly leaped up and landed steadily in Jiraiya's arms!
Jiraiya subconsciously opened his arms to catch it. As soon as it was in his embrace, the little one immediately found the most comfortable spot on his chest, affectionately nudging his chest with its small head, emitting satisfied "purring" sounds from its throat, then curled up into a warm white furball, as if it had found its eternal home.
Feeling the warm, soft little life in his arms, radiating the breath of new birth, and seeing the unique black-gold vertical stripes on its forehead, an indescribable sense of emotion and responsibility welled up in Jiraiya's heart. He carefully ran his fingers through the little one's soft fur, a gentle smile appearing on his face: "Little one... welcome to this world. From now on, we'll be the closest partners! Hmm... looking at your snow-white fur..." He tilted his head, thought for a moment, and a simple name with a hint of mischievousness slipped out, "From now on, you'll be called 'Shiro'!"