He was a bit lazy. Although he had work, he preferred fishing. What he wanted most was a job that would allow him to fish at leisure while still earning a good income. He didn't want to get rich—he just wanted to enjoy a peaceful old age.
Unfortunately, in his previous life, he never found such a job, but this does reveal aspects of Xia Li's personality.
However, Xia Li had noticed some changes. Although his less desirable traits still existed, years of self-restraint had significantly reduced their severity.
There was another change, and Ino was probably the one who noticed it the most.
Ino could clearly feel that Xia Li had become more lively and expressive. She, who had always been straightforward and reserved, now spoke with a hint of chaos in her words. Moreover, her way of expressing affection had become unusual.
Yet Ino did not feel disgusted; she was actually somewhat pleased. Could it be that Xia Li had become even more charming?
Xia Li said she could do nothing about it.
After all, judging by Xia Li's behavior while learning transformation techniques, she was a bit of an old flirt—but it usually wasn't that obvious.
And Ino was his fiancée. In this world, there were no real dangers to worry about…
Honestly, if it weren't for concerns about affecting Ino's strength, Xia Li would have liked Ino to spend time developing a transformation technique that wouldn't revert under stress.
"Alright then…" Xia Li thought to herself, her expression remaining unchanged.
That was just surface-level. If it was merely for appearances, his reputation would be ruined.
At this moment, Xia Li stepped out with a purpose. She found herself in front of a bathhouse, looking at the women's pool.
She had no intention of peeping. Why would she go home and have Ino use a transformation jutsu to make her openly visible to others?
Suddenly, she sensed a Flying Thunder God mark in her perception and moved closer to investigate.
In fact, Xia Li had already guessed who her master was. Now that she arrived at the bathhouse, she was even more certain.
In the next instant, Xia Li vanished. When she reappeared, she stood behind a man with messy white hair, and then…
"Someone's spying!"
Xia Li's voice drifted into the bath, and Jiraiya froze in place. Although Xia Li had deliberately avoided Jiraiya with her Wind Style, he still noticed her presence.
Jiraiya turned, a smirk on his face, but before he could speak, Xia Li disappeared, and despair filled his eyes.
"Hey! There's a pervert over there!!"
Hearing the commotion inside, Xia Li smiled slightly. For Jiraiya, this kind of thing was trivial—happening every few days, and he handled it with no psychological burden.
…
"小 Xia Li, you didn't learn well, and you deceived your teacher!" Jiraiya growled after shaking off his pursuers, facing her fiercely.
"Long time no see, Jiraiya-sensei. I hope you like this little gift of greeting," Xia Li said with a smile.
"Very satisfactory, extremely satisfactory," Jiraiya replied harshly.
"In any case, peeping is wrong," Xia Li said.
"As a teacher, that's not peeping—it's collecting material! For art, for creation!" Jiraiya argued.
"Hmm, I don't see much difference. Why not tell them you're gathering intelligence? If it's really for intelligence, I doubt anyone would mind," Xia Li joked.
"…" Jiraiya fell silent. If he faced the others directly, he'd surely get beaten.
"You've changed, Xia Li," Jiraiya said after staring at her smile for a long time, sighing.
"Of course people change. Perhaps this is the real me," Xia Li replied.
"That's good," Jiraiya said, looking at Xia Li with a hint of relief.
As a ninja who spent all year gathering intelligence, he could hardly be unaware of the identity of Konoha's White Fang—he could even guess that it was Xia Li herself.
When Jiraiya first learned of this, he was somewhat dissatisfied with the Third Hokage. He had entrusted his prized disciple to the Third, and yet… this? It wasn't a trivial matter.
But seeing Xia Li now, Jiraiya felt perhaps he had misjudged the old man. Xia Li had not become cold or suspicious as expected, and in fact… she appeared slightly thinner.
"Jiraiya-sensei, long time no see," Xia Li said earnestly this time.
Jiraiya was startled, then laughed: "Ah, Xia Li, it really has been a long time."
They talked at length about Xia Li's experiences over the years. Jiraiya listened in awe at her remarkable life. Originally, he had intended to send Xia Li to the ANBU to gain experience, yet she had even earned the title on her own.
Later, Xia Li mentioned Orochimaru, and Jiraiya's expression turned serious. He admitted he had returned to Konoha tracking Orochimaru.
"Jiraiya-sensei, you need to pay closer attention to Third Grandpa. I think he can be quite stubborn," Xia Li said, slightly complaining. She told Jiraiya what she had discussed with the Third, but the old man ignored her.
"Haha, you dare say the old man is showing off? Don't worry, I don't underestimate him. He could challenge the three of us at once and not lose," Jiraiya laughed. "I trust my teacher."
Xia Li sighed, then asked, "Jiraiya-sensei, how long ago was this?"
Jiraiya was momentarily stunned, lost in thought for a while.
"The Third is 69 this year, and he has been Hokage for years. The workload is immense, so his physical condition may be worse than you imagine. You understand the effects of aging, right? There's a decline in every aspect of his abilities. Meanwhile, Orochimaru has certainly advanced. With both factors, the Third is actually in serious danger," Xia Li said. "Jiraiya, I have faith in the Third and Kakashi, but don't you consider the Third's age?"
If he weren't Hokage, he could rest more and preserve his strength. But the Third's nature compelled him to handle countless trivial matters, leaving him exhausted and even older-looking than his advisors.
Jiraiya was stunned. After leaving the village, the old man's impression remained deep in his mind. Though he had briefly returned to take Xia Li as his student, he hadn't noticed the Third's decline in strength.
Now, Xia Li's words made perfect sense. Jiraiya considered the Third's expression and realized the old man truly had aged.
Jiraiya's face became increasingly serious.
"So, Jiraiya-sensei, you should listen carefully to Third Grandpa's advice," Xia Li said, finally relaxing upon seeing his reaction.
"I understand. I'll follow the old man's guidance," Jiraiya nodded solemnly, concern etched on his face. He absolutely did not want the Third to come to harm.
Though the Third had disappointed him in some ways, he was, after all, his teacher.
"Well, that's a relief. By the way, what are you doing now, Jiraiya-sensei? You're not stealing… materials, are you?" Xia Li changed her tone after seeing his eyes.
"Of course not. Xia Li, you know Naruto, right?" Jiraiya asked knowingly. He sensed the relationship between Xia Li and Naruto was not simple. The Gale Palm technique was certainly taught by Xia Li.
Jiraiya had confirmed Naruto's ninja talent was limited, so it must have been Xia Li who taught him.
Xia Li did not deny this and also told Jiraiya everything she had done for Naruto. There was nothing to hide.
"Really? The seal has been removed?" Jiraiya's expression showed surprise. He had planned to remove it later when taking Naruto out. Considering Xia Li's handling, it was much safer and better than he imagined.
As for leaving the Flying Thunder God mark, Jiraiya was not too concerned. He understood Xia Li's personality. Besides, if Naruto didn't mind, why should he?
"So… I will have a younger brother in the future?" Xia Li asked.
"Yes, that's right," Jiraiya nodded.
In fact, ninjas did not have "senior brother" titles like ordinary warriors. Even if they didn't formally meet, they could understand the meaning of what was said.
"Xia Li, what about you? What do you plan to do?" Jiraiya asked.
Xia Li's answer made Jiraiya widen his eyes.
"Yes, I should continue resting for a while, because I feel I'm about to make a breakthrough."
Recently, Xia Li had almost completely reduced training to regain a certain feeling, and she was slowly finding it again. She realized her breakthrough was near.
Jiraiya looked at his disciple, amazed at her strength, and now… he smiled with joy. Xia Li's power might soon surpass his own. Truly a remarkable genius!
"By the way, Xia Li," Jiraiya suddenly said awkwardly.
"What is it?" Xia Li felt a premonition of something.
"Well, could you accompany me when I collect materials? If I'm discovered, you could use Flying Thunder God to take me away…" Jiraiya scratched his head sheepishly.
Suddenly, Xia Li's expression darkened. She transformed into a Flying Thunder God and left, leaving Jiraiya flustered in the wind. Since she didn't agree, he had to accept it. Even if she escaped outright, it didn't matter. Jiraiya grumbled for a while, then shook his head and laughed.
As for Xia Li, she felt nothing amiss. On the eve of the third-round exam, although she had not fully adapted to this world, she had completely eliminated the last trace of lingering killing intent.
What followed was the breakthrough Xia Li had been anticipating.
Chapter 137: Breakthrough
After eliminating the last of her killing intent, nothing unusual happened externally. Normally, strange phenomena would occur to signal a protagonist's breakthrough.
At that moment, everything seemed naturally aligned. The state of emptiness and darkness reached a new level.
It seemed Xia Li had filled the reservoir, only waiting for the gate to open and release the flood. Now that the gate had suddenly vanished, the accumulated energy naturally surged.
Breaking through the void, Xia Li felt the world around her change dramatically.
The natural energy, previously only perceptible, could now be seen with the naked eye—though she could choose to ignore it.
Xia Li reached out, passing through the energy. It dissipated without being absorbed.
However, she sensed that, if she wished, she could absorb it.
She chose not to. Even though absorbing it without proportion control wouldn't petrify her, risking her life was unwise.
Thus, Xia Li realized she might need to visit Mount Myoboku again.
But time was pressing. The third-round exam was imminent, and Orochimaru had probably begun implementing his plans. She simply had no time to go.
Moreover, she felt these energies were different, containing something yet unknown. Xia Li could sense it but not explain it.
It seemed necessary to deepen her mastery of the state of emptiness and darkness. Xia Li understood this and sighed lightly.
Clearly, this state was only an initial level of what she learned from the Immortal Mode. Ultimately, she could keep advancing endlessly.
Xia Li's current state had surpassed the prerequisites for learning Sage Techniques. She felt that if she learned Sage Mode, mastery would come quickly.
Naruto took about a week, but what about her?
Xia Li understood that Naruto's influence came from his protagonist's aura. At the end of a story, one needs a reason to train, so it wasn't suitable as a reference. Proper training was the best approach. Jiraiya was a good example—though talented, he had not independently mastered Sage Mode in many years.
Also, interrupting the Immortal Mode training would waste more time.
After considering, Xia Li decided to wait until she finished recent tasks. When she had free time, she would go to Mount Myoboku.
The last time she would need Immortal Mode would be during tomorrow's third-round exam. No matter how confident, she knew she could not master it in one day.
Since it would not be used immediately, there was no need to rush.
Xia Li required two years to perfect her Sage Path cultivation, which already occupied a large portion of her training time.
She made her decision, sat cross-legged, and prepared to continue experimenting with transformations in the void.
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