Jiraiya smiled warmly and folded his arms across his chest.
"Since I said I would become your master, of course I've made preparations."
He then looked at Sasuke seriously.
"Enough small talk. I've already thought of several ways to deal with the Mangekyō Sharingan and Tsukuyomi."
Sasuke's expression sharpened immediately. Anything related to defeating Itachi was of utmost importance to him.
Jiraiya raised one finger.
"First—block vision. No matter how powerful the Mangekyō Sharingan may be, it is still a dōjutsu that relies on sight. If the enemy cannot see clearly, techniques such as Hidden Mist or large-scale wind currents can interfere with their perception."
He continued calmly.
"Of course, someone with the Sharingan can still sense movement through chakra flow and observation. But if you avoid direct eye contact, you greatly reduce the risk of falling into genjutsu."
Sasuke nodded slowly.
That made perfect sense.
Jiraiya raised a second finger.
"Second—fight without looking into your opponent's eyes."
Naruto blinked.
"How are you supposed to do that?"
Jiraiya snorted.
"I asked Kakashi the same thing. According to him, only Might Guy can do it properly."
Naruto burst out laughing.
"That totally sounds like Guy-sensei!"
Jiraiya smirked.
"You can ask him for guidance if you want, but mastering that style won't be easy."
Then he raised a third finger.
"Third—use tactical methods."
He began counting examples.
"Use Shadow Clones to lure the enemy. Clones disappearing won't matter as much if caught in illusion. Attack from long range before they establish eye contact. Use overwhelming ninjutsu so they're forced to defend instead of casting genjutsu."
Sasuke listened in silence, but inwardly he was shaken.
Jiraiya had clearly spent time thinking about this for him.
For someone who had only recently accepted him as a student, that sincerity was difficult to ignore.
"I understand, Jiraiya-sensei."
It was the first time Sasuke said those words with genuine respect.
Jiraiya laughed softly.
"Actually, I know one more method."
He formed a seal.
"This is the barrier technique I taught Naruto before—the Celestial Shroud Formation."
Chakra spread around him in a faint circular wave.
"It was originally designed to detect hidden or invisible enemies. But it can also counter visual genjutsu users."
Sasuke's eyes widened.
"How?"
"Simple. It relies on chakra perception instead of sight. Once the barrier is active, you can close your eyes and sense every movement around you. If you don't look at the enemy, their visual genjutsu becomes useless."
Excitement surged through Sasuke's chest.
This was perhaps the most direct countermeasure yet.
"Please teach me, Jiraiya-sensei!"
Jiraiya chuckled.
"Of course. But every ninjutsu has weaknesses."
He glanced at Naruto.
"You know this one well, don't you?"
Naruto groaned.
"It burns through chakra like crazy. You have to keep releasing chakra continuously. It's terrible for long battles."
"Exactly," Jiraiya said.
Then he turned back to Sasuke.
"You don't have Naruto's reserves. Even if you learn it, you won't be able to maintain it for long."
Sasuke immediately understood.
"So I should learn it—but not depend on it."
Jiraiya grinned.
"Correct. Use multiple counters and adapt depending on the battle."
Then he muttered with amusement.
"You really are smarter than Naruto."
Naruto froze.
"Huh?!"
Jiraiya coughed awkwardly.
"I mean... a different kind of intelligence. You both have your own strengths."
Naruto crossed his arms and huffed.
"Hmph."
Jiraiya ignored him and continued.
"All right, Sasuke. I'll teach you the Celestial Shroud Formation first. After that, train in clone feints, battlefield obstruction, and blind combat tactics."
Then his tone became serious.
"There's one more issue."
Sasuke straightened.
"You are different from Naruto. His Curse Mark was sealed. Yours was awakened completely after taking Orochimaru's medicine and triggering it within the Four Black Mist Formation."
Naruto frowned.
Jiraiya's voice lowered.
"The Curse Mark gives you enormous chakra and power. It's a shortcut."
He paused.
"But it is also a double-edged sword."
Sasuke silently clenched his fists.
He knew that better than anyone.
"My solution," Jiraiya said, "is to place a Four Symbols Seal over it. The power can still be released during critical moments, but it will remain restrained the rest of the time."
Sasuke nodded.
"I understand."
"Good. Then let's begin."
Jiraiya immediately began teaching the principles of the Celestial Shroud Formation.
Sasuke absorbed everything with frightening speed.
The moment the explanation ended, he entered training without hesitation.
Watching him, Naruto scratched his cheek.
"He really doesn't waste time."
Jiraiya laughed.
"That's one of his strengths."
Then he turned toward Naruto.
"Now it's your turn."
Naruto's eyes lit up instantly.
"Earlier, you said you had a roadmap for increasing your future strength."
Naruto grinned.
"I'm ready."
He clenched his fists dramatically.
"I'm going to create my own original ninjutsu…"
He pointed at himself proudly.
"Wind Release Chakra Mode!"
Jiraiya's pupils narrowed.
He remembered Naruto mentioning this dream before, but hearing it again now made it feel real.
"Wind Release Chakra Mode…"
He exhaled slowly.
"If you truly succeed, your power may surpass ordinary jōnin by a huge margin."
His voice deepened.
"You may even step into the realm of the Five Kage… perhaps beyond."
Naruto's grin widened.
"I'm going to become Hokage, so of course I need a technique like that!"
But deep inside, there was another reason.
After successfully bringing Sasuke back and changing fate, Naruto had received a system reward:
Wind Release Chakra Mode Prototype.
It was only theory—fragments of concepts and possibilities.
But for Naruto, that was enough.
With theory, practice, and guidance from Jiraiya, he believed success was only a matter of time.
Jiraiya smiled faintly.
"If you complete this technique, Naruto, no one in the village will ever be able to deny your worth again."
Then his expression hardened.
"But the difficulty will be unimaginable."
He began explaining carefully.
"Lightning Release Chakra Mode is a secret art refined through generations of the Raikage line. Countless years of development went into it."
He then pointed at Naruto.
"Even the Rasengan, created by the Fourth Hokage, took three years—and was still incomplete."
Jiraiya folded his arms.
"So tell me. How long do you think you'll need?"
Naruto answered instantly.
"One year."
Jiraiya nearly choked.
"One year?!"
He stared at Naruto as if looking at a madman.
"If you succeeded in three to five years, you would already be a once-in-a-generation genius!"
Naruto smiled awkwardly.
He actually wanted more time.
Unfortunately, the system had given him a strict deadline.
One year.
That was final.
So he puffed out his chest.
"Well… I am an unprecedented genius."
Jiraiya opened his mouth to argue, then slowly closed it.
After all…
Naruto had mastered three advanced sealing techniques in a month.
He learned Rasengan, Summoning Technique, and Wind Vacuum Blade in only three days.
Again and again, Naruto had turned the impossible into reality.
Jiraiya sighed and smiled.
"If it's you… maybe you really can."
Naruto beamed.
"Of course I can!"
Jiraiya then asked,
"Fine. Since you're so confident, what ideas do you have?"
Naruto immediately began reciting the prototype theories stored in his mind.
He spoke about chakra circulation.
Cell stimulation.
Wind pressure layering.
External armor.
Speed enhancement.
Offensive cutting currents.
Jiraiya's jaw slowly dropped.
"You've thought this through already?"
He muttered to himself.
"This is incredible…"
Naruto rubbed the back of his head and laughed.
"Hehe."
Jiraiya looked at his student with growing excitement.
Perhaps this boy truly could surpass every previous Hokage.
"All right," Jiraiya declared. "Since you've come this far, I'll help you turn theory into reality."
Naruto pumped his fist.
"Thanks, Perverted Sage!"
Jiraiya sat down and began analyzing the concept.
"Lightning Release Chakra Mode works by stimulating the body's cells and accelerating nerve transmission."
He looked at Naruto.
"So your Wind Release Chakra Mode should follow a similar principle."
Naruto nodded eagerly.
"Exactly!"
Jiraiya continued.
"But Wind Release is different. Lightning stimulates. Wind cuts, pierces, and tears."
He frowned.
"If you use it recklessly on every cell in your body, you may shred yourself from the inside."
Naruto quickly replied,
"Lightning is dangerous too! If used badly, you'd explode and die!"
Jiraiya burst into laughter.
"You're not wrong."
Then he became serious again.
"Any technique that activates every cell in the body is inherently dangerous."
He began reviewing Naruto's history.
"Your previous Wind Release training has actually been extremely comprehensive."
"You know large-scale techniques like Great Breakthrough."
"You know precision cutting attacks."
"You've developed taijutsu combinations using wind chakra."
"You can coat weapons and fists with chakra."
"You can compress and release wind pressure explosively."
He nodded in approval.
"In short, you already understand every major aspect of Wind Release."
Naruto puffed out his chest proudly.
"I told you—I'm already a Wind Release master!"
Jiraiya smirked.
"You really are."
Then he added,
"Even without this chakra mode, you're already an elite Wind Release specialist."
Naruto grinned from ear to ear.
Praise from Jiraiya meant everything.
But Jiraiya soon grew thoughtful again.
"Still… the first step of your new mode is stimulating the body's cells with wind chakra."
He tapped his chin.
"That enters medical territory."
Naruto blinked.
"Huh?"
Jiraiya smiled slyly.
"I have a suggestion."
Naruto leaned forward.
"What suggestion?"
Jiraiya's grin widened.
"Go ask Tsunade."
Naruto nearly fell backward.
"Grandma Tsunade?!"
He pointed accusingly at Jiraiya.
"Hey! I just officially became your disciple, and now you're sending me to someone else?! That's ridiculous!"
Jiraiya laughed shamelessly.
"I'm thinking about your future."
Naruto narrowed his eyes.
"No. You're trying to avoid work."
Jiraiya coughed.
"That is a cruel accusation."
Then he waved dismissively.
"Tsunade is the greatest medical ninja alive. If anyone understands how to safely enhance the human body with chakra, it's her."
Naruto paused.
That… actually made sense.
Jiraiya crossed his arms triumphantly.
"See? I'm a wise master."
Naruto groaned.
"You're definitely just being lazy."
Jiraiya laughed loudly as the forest echoed with the sounds of their bickering.
Nearby, Sasuke continued training in silence.
And for the first time in a long while—
The future seemed full of endless possibilities.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)