A violent gale suddenly erupted once more, howling across the riverbank as sharp streams of wind chakra surged straight toward Jiraiya.
Jiraiya's expression darkened slightly as he raised his arms to block.
"This really is dazzling ninjutsu…" he muttered.
"For a moment, it almost feels like I'm sparring with Sarutobi-sensei again."
The wind pressure intensified, slicing through the air like invisible blades. Without hesitation, Jiraiya activated the Wild Lion's Mane Technique. His long white hair hardened instantly, shooting forward like living steel cables. Not only did it deflect the Wind Release: Hurricane Palm, but it also wrapped tightly around Naruto's body, binding him completely.
"Got you," Jiraiya said calmly.
But in the next instant—
Naruto's body dissolved into a spinning whirlwind.
The bindings closed around empty air.
Jiraiya's eyes widened slightly as the "Naruto" vanished, and the real body reappeared more than ten meters away, skidding to a halt on the riverbank, breathing heavily.
"Hm?" Jiraiya murmured. "What kind of ninjutsu is that?!"
Naruto straightened up, grinning despite his exhaustion.
"This is my self-developed technique!" he declared proudly.
"Wind-Powered Hull Vibration Technique!"
He wiped his nose with his sleeve and added smugly,
"How about it? Pretty surprising, right?!"
Jiraiya stared at him for a long moment before breaking into laughter.
"Incredible… truly incredible."
Naruto's chakra was nearly depleted at this point, but he still clenched his fists, ready to charge again. Just as he shifted his footing, Jiraiya raised a hand.
"That's enough for now."
Naruto froze.
"Why?! We haven't even decided who won yet!"
Jiraiya laughed heartily.
"If you want to beat me, you'll need another ten years of training."
Then his expression softened.
"But even so… Naruto, you've already exceeded my expectations. You're much stronger than I imagined."
"When I was your age, I probably couldn't compare to you."
In truth, Jiraiya knew that was a blatant exaggeration. At Naruto's age, he had been an absolute failure—clumsy, unfocused, and constantly scolded by his teacher. But Naruto didn't know that, and Jiraiya saw no reason to ruin the moment.
Naruto's chest puffed out immediately.
"That's right! I knew it!"
"I am a genius, aren't I?!"
Jiraiya nodded solemnly.
"However," he continued, "if you refuse to rely on the Curse Mark and won't use the Nine-Tails' power…"
"Then the path you're aiming for is something even I can't fully grasp."
Naruto blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"Kakashi-sensei asked you this once before, didn't he?" Jiraiya said.
Naruto nodded slowly, then spoke with renewed excitement.
"I want to create Wind Release Chakra Mode."
Jiraiya's heart skipped a beat.
"Wind Release Chakra Mode…" he repeated thoughtfully.
"That's a bold idea."
Then he laughed loudly.
"You really are frighteningly talented."
"If you actually succeed… whether you become Hokage or not, you'll at least have the strength to contend with Kage-level opponents."
Naruto's eyes shone.
"Really?!"
"Absolutely."
"But don't misunderstand," Jiraiya added seriously.
"There are no shortcuts to completing something like Wind Release Chakra Mode. Its difficulty is probably no less than becoming Hokage itself."
Naruto clenched his fists.
"Unless…?" he asked eagerly.
Jiraiya chuckled.
"Unless you have a true master guiding you step by step."
Naruto squinted suspiciously.
"You're not about to say you are that master, are you?!"
"Of course not!" Jiraiya snapped, folding his arms.
"What's with that look? Even if you begged me, I wouldn't teach you."
He turned his back dramatically, gazing at the flowing river with a sigh.
"Well then, I suppose I should be on my way."
Naruto panicked and lunged forward, grabbing Jiraiya's leg with both arms.
"Wait! Please!"
"I'll do anything—please guide me!"
"Let go!" Jiraiya shouted.
"And don't call me Perverted Sage!"
"Okay, Perverted Sage!" Naruto replied instantly.
"..."
Jiraiya twitched.
Seeing Jiraiya's firm refusal, Naruto clenched his teeth and activated his ultimate trump card.
"Then take this!"
Sexy Technique!
A burst of smoke erupted.
In the next second, Naruko appeared—radiant, dazzling, and perfectly posed.
Jiraiya froze.
His eyes sparkled intensely.
"This… this is unbelievable!"
"Perfect!" he exclaimed.
"Alright, I'll teach you—but only if you maintain this form!"
Naruto immediately dispelled the transformation.
"You're seriously the worst, you know that?!"
"Perverted Sage!"
Jiraiya instantly lost all enthusiasm.
"Fine, fine," he muttered.
"I'll help you… but only if you perform well."
Naruto jumped in excitement.
"Really?! That's awesome!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Jiraiya said.
"Tell me first—what exactly are you training for?"
Naruto explained Kakashi's plan in detail: counter-strategies for decisive battles, especially against powerful opponents.
"First," Naruto said, "we need a way to deal with Genjutsu."
Jiraiya smiled faintly.
"Kakashi… his mind is still as sharp as ever."
"He truly is Minato's student."
"What he suggested is the most reliable method to counter Genjutsu."
He continued seriously,
"When you're fighting alone without teammates nearby, disrupting your own chakra flow—or using pain to maintain awareness—is critical."
"But more importantly, you must recognize that you're under Genjutsu, regain control of your chakra, and release it with proper hand seals."
He looked at Naruto.
"How's your progress?"
Naruto scratched his chin.
"Hard to say… no one ever uses Genjutsu on me."
Then his eyes lit up.
"Hey, Perverted Sage! Can you put me under Genjutsu?!"
Jiraiya stiffened.
"…I'm terrible at Genjutsu."
"What?!" Naruto exclaimed.
"They call you a legendary Sannin, and you can't even use Genjutsu?!"
Jiraiya exploded.
"Everyone has strengths and weaknesses!"
"I can't be good at everything!"
"I'm not Sarutobi-sensei!"
"The Third Hokage?" Naruto asked.
"That old man?"
"Yes," Jiraiya said respectfully.
"He's known as the Professor—master of thousands of jutsu."
"He's proficient in nearly every ninjutsu, secret technique, and even forbidden jutsu in Konoha."
Naruto's eyes sparkled.
"Then let's ask Hokage-sama to train me!"
Jiraiya rolled his eyes.
"Keep dreaming."
"He's buried in work. You think he has time to train a brat like you?"
Naruto sighed.
"Then who else can use Genjutsu?"
"True Genjutsu masters are rare," Jiraiya said.
"But many shinobi specialize in specific illusions."
"For example, your teacher Kakashi can use Genjutsu."
"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto frowned.
"He's training Sasuke."
"Then we'll just grab someone else."
Jiraiya dragged Naruto toward the village.
At the gate, they encountered Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki on duty.
Jiraiya asked casually,
"Do either of you know Genjutsu?"
The two froze when they recognized him.
"You—you're—!"
"Lord Jiraiya?! One of the legendary Sannin?!"
Jiraiya smiled faintly.
"That's right."
Cold sweat soaked their foreheads.
"We heard you were traveling the world…"
"When did you return?!"
"This is wonderful news! We'll inform the Hokage immediately!"
Naruto frowned.
"Is this Perverted Sage really that famous…?"
Izumo nodded gravely.
"Of course. He's one of the most renowned shinobi in the entire ninja world."
"And especially now… his presence is desperately needed."
Jiraiya interrupted calmly.
"Orochimaru, right? I already know."
The two exchanged looks of relief.
"That's great… as long as you're here, we can rest easier."
Jiraiya waved it off.
"That's not why I came."
"I promised to train Naruto, but I'm terrible at Genjutsu."
"Which of you is familiar with it?"
Kotetsu hesitated.
"If it's basic Genjutsu… I can manage."
Jiraiya smiled.
"Perfect. You're coming with us."
"Now?!" Kotetsu exclaimed.
"Of course."
Kotetsu sighed and turned to Izumo.
"I'll leave things to you."
"Don't worry," Izumo replied.
Excited and nervous, Kotetsu followed Jiraiya.
They arrived at a secluded training ground.
Jiraiya crossed his arms.
"Kotetsu Hagane, right?"
"Apply Genjutsu to Naruto."
"Naruto, try to break it using the Genjutsu Release technique I taught you."
"Yes, Lord Jiraiya!" Kotetsu replied.
Naruto grinned.
"Alright, Perverted Sage!"
Jiraiya sighed deeply.
"…This kid is going to be the death of me."
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)