***
**Chapter 20: Sasuke's Request**
"Hey! Where are you taking me? Damn it! Put me down!"
Naruto struggled to break free from Jiraiya's grip. He'd only been peeking because this old pervert dragged him into it—why was *he* the one getting hauled away? This lecherous, stingy guy was really Rubik's master?
For the first time, Naruto doubted what Rubik had told him.
"Rubik probably got duped by this guy..."
Jiraiya, the grandmaster of peeping, lived up to his reputation. After fleeing the bathhouse, he darted into a nearby grove and hid behind some bushes, his eyes gleaming as he ogled the girls frolicking by the stream.
"Heh heh heh,Hidden leaf never disappoints—gorgeous ladies everywhere. Oh! Turn a bit more! Yeah, that's the angle! What a sight for my sore eyes..."
Naruto couldn't take it anymore. He wound up and kicked Jiraiya's protruding butt with all his might!
"OWWW!" (Tom-and-Jerry-style scream)
"Ah! You little brat! What the hell? That hurts, you jerk!" Jiraiya clutched his throbbing backside, grimacing and pointing at Naruto.
"Hmph! Cut the act!" Naruto planted his hands on his hips and jabbed a finger at Jiraiya, brimming with confidence. "I've got you figured out! You're no legendary ninja—you're a total fraud! You heard Rubik's master was back in the village and figured you'd leech off his fame to scam people, right?
"I've seen through your scheme, Lord Uzumaki Naruto! Come with me to apologize to Rubik—I might put in a good word. Otherwise, I'll drag you to the Third Hokage and have you thrown in jail!"
Jiraiya fell silent. He rubbed his forehead and sighed deeply, suddenly missing his clever disciple. Rubik might be a handful, but at least he could hold his own in public. If he took this kid as an apprentice, his already shaky reputation would hit rock bottom.
Jiraiya didn't strike back. Instead, he formed hand seals in a flash. His silver hair exploded outward, forming a massive fist that slammed down on Naruto's head.
"Ow! That hurts! What was that for?!" Naruto yelped, cradling his skull.
"Idiot, didn't you see my jutsu? That's my signature move—you should've seen Rubik use it!" Jiraiya was exasperated; the kid was dense.
"Oh! So... you *are* Rubik's master? One of the Legendary Sannin?" Naruto's eyes lit up.
"The one and only!" Jiraiya puffed out his chest proudly.
"Then you must be super strong, right? Stronger than Rubik?" Naruto pressed.
"Uh... well... of course!" Jiraiya hesitated for a split second but committed for the sake of pride.
*(It's not a lie—*with* Sage Mode, I'm stronger than that monster... probably?)* For the first time, he felt outdated next to his freakishly powerful student.
"Then... Can you teach me how to train? I wanna get as strong as Rubik and give that smug jerk Sasuke a beatdown!" Naruto gazed at Jiraiya with hopeful eyes.
"No way." Jiraiya shut it down flat.
"Aw? Why? Stingy old man!" Naruto deflated instantly.
"I'm one of the Legendary Sannin—do you think I'd take a disciple that easily? You have to pass a *rigorous* test first." Jiraiya wagged a finger solemnly.
"A test? What kind? Bring it on—I'll nail it!" Naruto's fire reignited.
"It's..." Jiraiya crouched down and whispered mysteriously in Naruto's ear.
Naruto's enthusiasm vanished, replaced by deadpan disbelief. He pointed at Jiraiya and yelled, "What do you mean 'research'? It's just peeping! You pervert sage!"
"Hey! Kid! Keep it down—you'll get us caught!" Jiraiya clamped a hand over Naruto's mouth in a panic.
"Hmph! Fine, now I'm getting serious! Get ready, you old perv!" Naruto broke free, formed seals, and fixed Jiraiya with a "serious" glare.
"Oh?" Jiraiya's eyes sharpened. Had he underestimated the kid? He was Minato's son, after all—maybe he had real talent. *Let's see what you've got.*
**"Ultimate Technique: Harem Jutsu!!!"**
A puff of smoke erupted, revealing a "stunning vista" that sent Jiraiya's blood pressure skyrocketing. His face turned beet red, and twin fountains of nosebleed sprayed out. Clutching his nose, he toppled backward stiffly.
"Kid... you... pass..."
...
Wood Leaf training ground.
"You want me to help you train?" Rubik swallowed his dango, eyeing Sasuke with surprise.
The proud Uchiha kid was asking a peer to be his "teacher"? Unexpected. Then again, maybe Rubik was being stereotypical. Sasuke had asked Sakura for tree-climbing tips back then, after all. When it came to power, pride took a backseat.
"Yes, Rubik. I'd like you to guide my ninjutsu training." Sasuke bowed deeply, utterly sincere.
To Sasuke, it was a no-brainer. Rubik had crushed Hidden Leaf's elite jonin Kakashi effortlessly, and as a fellow Uchiha, his Sharingan insights would outshine some outsider like Kakashi.
"Sorry, can't do it." Rubik refused bluntly.
"May I ask why?" Sasuke stayed bowed.
*(Because everyone who's taught you ends up getting stabbed in the back.)* Rubik kept the quip to himself.
Sasuke was Naruto's resident "backstabber": defecting from the village, killing Orochimaru, joining Akatsuki then flipping, and clashing with Naruto post-war... All with reasons, sure, but who wouldn't hesitate?
Rubik stayed serious. "It's not that I won't teach you—it's that I don't have anything suitable to teach. Or rather, anything I could teach, Kakashi could do better."
Sasuke straightened, puzzled. "Why? Didn't you beat him easily?"
"Let me ask you: what did you see in that fight?"
"Overwhelming dominance. Pure power crush. Low-Diff."
Sasuke's answer was firm. Rubik's display—especially trapping Kakashi's Chidori with "Hair tentacles"—still shook him. A simple hair jutsu neutralizing Chidori? Unbelievable.
"Exactly—the key is *overwhelm*." Rubik nodded.
"From the start, I poured way more chakra into my jutsu than Kakashi could match. Even if his technique was flawless, when my chakra output is three or four times his, raw power trumps all the skill in the world. Got it?"
"So, you knew your technique and experience lagged behind Kakashi's, so you led with your chakra advantage to smother him——giving him no room to maneuver, so achieve a quick win?" Sasuke grasped it instantly.
"Smart. Exactly. Think about it—I'm young; even at my strength, my real combat experience is maybe three or four years tops. Kakashi's the 'Copy Ninja'—decades of battles.
If I hadn't jumped him fast and let it drag into a war of attrition with his experience and tricks, I wouldn't have won so easily. That was just sparring, anyway—no full power from either side."
Rubik summed up: "Bottom line, train with Kakashi—he matches your style and needs perfectly. Even if I taught you, my jutsu and approach wouldn't suit you. Your chakra reserves can't sustain it." He laid it out plainly.
"As for Sharingan," Rubik added, "I'm not big on genjutsu—I mostly use it for analysis and perception. We can spar on that if you want; with your talent, you'll pick it up fast."
Sasuke paused, a flicker of conflict on his face, then nodded solemnly. "I understand. Thank you, Rubik."
"No problem," Rubik grinned. "After all, like you said, we're 'clanmates,' right?"
***