"You really want to know?"
Jiraiya stopped in his tracks and turned around. His long white hair blazed in the glow of the sunset like burning flames as he deliberately drew out his words, wearing an air of unfathomable mystery.
Naruto nodded furiously, like a pecking chick. His blue eyes brimmed with eagerness and longing.
The secret to becoming Hokage!
That was what he'd dreamed of his entire life.
If he became Hokage—if everyone acknowledged him—then no one would reject him anymore.
"Very well."
Jiraiya crossed his arms and struck the pose of a lofty immortal—though his bruised and swollen face slightly undermined the effect.
"I can teach you. But only if you become my disciple."
"This is my exclusive secret art. Not passed down lightly—only to my personal students!"
A disciple?
Naruto nearly blurted out I agree! on the spot.
But for once, he managed to rein himself in, swallowing the words and squinting at Jiraiya suspiciously.
"But… but I don't even know who you are! How can I just randomly accept you as my teacher? What if you're a bad guy?"
"Hahahaha!"
Instead of getting angry, Jiraiya burst out laughing in satisfaction.
"Good question! Kid, looks like you're not completely brainless after all!"
Clearing his throat, Jiraiya took several dramatic steps back, struck an exaggerated stance, and slammed his hands together in seals.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Bang!
A puff of white smoke erupted, and a small toad appeared at Jiraiya's feet—wearing a blue vest and puffing calmly on a pipe.
Naruto's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"A t-toad?! That's huge!"
If you grilled that thing… how long would it last?!
Before Naruto could process what he was seeing, Jiraiya struck an even more flamboyant pose—one hand on his hip, the other pointing skyward—and declaimed in a booming voice like a wandering bard:
"Roaming free between heaven and earth!"
"An immortal at ease!"
"A guest of Mount Myōboku!"
"The Mad Toad Sage—Jiraiya!"
On the final word, he dramatically flipped his white hair, attempting to look ethereal and awe-inspiring—though to Naruto, it looked more like dandruff flying everywhere.
Naruto was completely stunned.
His mouth hung open. The popsicle in his hand melted and dripped onto his clothes, unnoticed.
His brain had only one thought looping wildly:
This… this uncle… seems really strong… but also… kind of not right in the head?
Summoning toads.
Reciting poetry.
And that intimidating title—"Mad Toad Sage Jiraiya."
The impact on a child was overwhelming.
Strange as it was, one thing was certain:
This white-haired man was absolutely not an ordinary ninja.
Watching Naruto stand there slack-jawed, Jiraiya was immensely pleased with himself. He felt his entrance had been nothing short of perfect.
He relaxed his stance. The summoned toad calmly puffed on its pipe and blew out a smoke ring, clearly accustomed to its summoner's antics.
Jiraiya strode up to Naruto, hooked a thumb at his own chest, and grinned confidently.
"Well, kid? Now you know who I am. Think I'm qualified to be your teacher?"
Naruto nodded dumbly.
This white-haired uncle might be weird and speak nonsense, but anyone who could summon toads and carry such a grand title had to be incredible!
With him as a teacher, Naruto would definitely grow stronger fast—
Sasuke, you smug jerk… I'll beat you flat!
Fueled by thoughts of pounding Sasuke into the dirt, Naruto grabbed Jiraiya's sleeve eagerly.
"Mr. Toad Sage!(Ero-sennin) Then what do I have to do to become Hokage?! Tell me the secret!"
"Toad Sage?"
Jiraiya didn't mind the nickname at all.
He casually picked his nose and said in a profound tone:
"That… is something you have to find for yourself."
"Everyone has a different understanding of what it means to be Hokage. My path isn't necessarily yours."
"What?!"
Naruto's face instantly fell. He felt cheated and shouted angrily, "What kind of nonsense is that?! So you don't know either! Then why make me take you as my teacher?!"
"Idiot!"
Bonk!
Jiraiya rapped Naruto on the head, making him yelp.
"Who said a teacher's job is to spoon-feed you answers? My job is to teach you how to live, how to think, and how to grow stronger with your own power!"
"So you don't keep yelling empty slogans like a moron while getting beaten black and blue every day—dragging your teacher's reputation through the mud!"
The first part almost moved Naruto.
He even felt a little touched—thinking this Toad Sage might be unreliable, but his words made sense.
But then—
Beaten black and blue.
Dragging my reputation.
Naruto instantly exploded.
"What did you say?! Who gets beaten black and blue?!"
Like an enraged cub, he remembered Sasuke's earlier "sparring," burning with embarrassment and anger.
New and old grudges surged together.
Forget teacher and student!
Naruto leapt forward, clenched his fist, and swung with all his strength—straight at Jiraiya's still-bruised nose!
Naruto was kind-hearted, sure.
But calling him well-behaved would be a blatant lie.
Bang!
"Ow—!!!"
A cry rang out.
But it wasn't Jiraiya.
It was Naruto.
He felt like he'd punched solid rock. His knuckles throbbed painfully as he yelped and shook his hand.
Jiraiya rubbed his completely unharmed nose and burst out laughing at the reckless, energetic kid before him.
"Hahahaha! You've got fire, brat! That's a good thing!"
"But if you think you can hit this sage… you're a hundred years too early!"
"Damn it…"
Naruto glared at him stubbornly—but without realizing it, the distance in his eyes had faded, replaced by a hint of closeness and something else entirely.
Trust.
And all of this was quietly observed from the window of the Hokage's office.
An old man watched, pipe in hand, a long-unseen, satisfied smile crossing his face.
"Jiraiya… Naruto is in your hands now."
"I hope you'll guide him down the right path."
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