Chapter 31: A New Jutsu
"What the hell, Pervy Sage? Isn't today a rest day?!"
Naruto was dragged from his blankets, furious, first thing in the morning.
Jiraiya ripped the curtains open. The sun had only just begun to rise.
"Get up, time to train! Real shinobi rise with the sun. The only ones who sleep 'til noon are dead-lasts."
"Who are you calling a dead-last!" Naruto instantly bristled, leaping out of bed. "Weren't you the one who made me stand watch outside the women's bathhouse all night for your 'research'?!"
"Hah? Stand watch?" Jiraiya feigned innocence, digging in his ear. "That was a test of your infiltration skills! A true shinobi must remain alert in any environment!"
"Liar!" Naruto grabbed his pillow and threw it. "You're just a pervert who wanted to peep, and you made me stand lookout in case you got caught!"
Jiraiya dodged the pillow, laughing. "That's called research, brat! Art requires inspiration, you know?"
"Inspiration? Right." Naruto looked at his so-called teacher with contempt. "You're just a pervert, and you're making up a fancy excuse. I bet your book isn't Make-Out Paradise, it's The Peeping Tom's Guide!"
Jiraiya shook his head, feigning profound wisdom. "What does a brat like you know? True art stems from life! Those delicate emotions, those moving moments... they're all hidden in the corners of everyday life."
"You think writing a novel is easy? To write the pull between a man and a woman, you have to observe real-world interactions! To write thrilling plots, you have to experience different environments! I am capturing the raw truth of human nature! I am sacrificing for my art!"
Naruto's brow furrowed. He pushed Jiraiya's hand away. "Cut it out! I'm not buying your crap! It's a rest day, I'm going back to sleep, and I'm not training with you!"
With that, he turned and climbed back toward his bed, trying to bury himself in the blankets.
"Hehe, I don't think so!"
Jiraiya simply hauled him up with one massive hand.
"Pervy Sage! Let me go! It's a rest day!" Naruto flailed his arms, trying to break the grip, but the hand was like iron.
He watched his soft bed get farther and farther away, yelling, "I was your lookout until midnight! I can barely open my eyes! Even training has to be humane!"
"Humane?" Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, carrying Naruto out the door. He deliberately shook his arm, making Naruto jiggle. "Real shinobi don't get rest days! When I was training with my master, forget sunrise, I had to hold a horse stance in the pouring rain until dawn! You can't even handle this little bit of hardship? And you want to be a shinobi?"
Naruto was dizzy, but he was still defiant. "That's different! You were willing! I'm being forced! And that wasn't training, it was peeping under the excuse of 'research'!"
As he argued, he tried to hook the doorframe with his foot, but the instant he made contact, the hand just yanked him forward.
Soon, they were at the training ground.
Jiraiya carried Naruto all the way there. But the moment he let go, Naruto flopped onto the grass like a wet noodle, closing his eyes and muttering, "I don't care, I'm sleeping. Not unless you promise we're not doing any of that tree-climbing or water-walking stuff. Only teach me a new jutsu."
"A new jutsu, eh?" Jiraiya rubbed his chin, his gaze sweeping over the training posts.
They were still covered in fist marks from Naruto's training a few days ago. The dents were uneven, proof that while the kid complained, he never slacked off.
But... thinking about it, his training had been a bit one-sided.
Chakra refinement in the morning, physical conditioning in the afternoon, and then getting dragged along for "research" at night. He really hadn't taught him a single decent ninjutsu.
"I've been 'training' him for days, but I really haven't taught him any actual jutsu," Jiraiya muttered, running the calculations in his head.
He paced around Naruto, hands behind his back. "But what to teach him?"
Logically, his specialty was Fire Style. From the Uchiha's Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu to his own Fire Style: Great Flame Bullet, and even the Toad Oil Flame Bullet combo... they were all powerful. If he taught Naruto those, his combat power would skyrocket.
But then he shook his head. Naruto's affinity was Wind, not Fire. More importantly, with the Nine-Tails' chakra inside him, if he lost control of a fire jutsu, it could easily trigger a rampage. He'd not only hurt himself but could destroy the training ground or even hit the village. Too risky.
Water Style, then? Jiraiya rubbed his nose. He could use Water Style, like the Water Disorderly Wave, but compared to a master like the Second Hokage, he was a total amateur. Teaching it to Naruto would just be a disservice. Besides, a genin needed a water source to use it, making it impractical.
And Wind or Lightning Style? He wasn't proficient in those at all. He couldn't teach his student something he barely knew. That would be an embarrassment to the name of the Sannin.
Jiraiya crouched down, looking at Naruto, who was still playing possum on the grass. He couldn't help but smile.
This kid. Just a few days ago, he was staring with envy as Jiraiya walked on water, and now he was too good for the basics.
But... come to think of it, what Naruto was best at was focusing his chakra into a single, explosive point. He used his massive chakra reserves to create immense power. Maybe he should start there?
"Hey, brat." Jiraiya poked Naruto's forehead. "Want to learn a really strong jutsu?"
Naruto's eyes snapped open. "How strong? Can it beat Sasuke?"
He remembered a few days ago. He and Kakashi had specifically called Sasuke to the training ground to spar, to see Naruto's progress.
Naruto had put everything he had into showing off his new taijutsu, only for Sasuke to beat him in one move, mocking him with a smile, "Still too slow."
"Even stronger than that," Jiraiya whispered, his voice full of mystery. "It'll let you catch up to that Uchiha kid. And maybe... even surpass him."
Naruto shot up from the ground. "Really?! Teach me! Teach me now!"
Jiraiya stood, forming a hand seal. "Watch closely."
Poof!
A cloud of smoke cleared, and five identical Jiraiyas stood in the field, all laughing. "How's that?"
"Shadow Clones?" Naruto's face fell. "What's the big deal? I already know that!"
"Wrong!" all five Jiraiyas said in unison. "This is the Toad Shadow Clone Jutsu! A Mount Myoboku secret. Once you learn it, your heart will be connected to the toads."
Naruto blinked. "T-Toads?"
"That's right, toads," Jiraiya explained. "Summoning animals are a vital part of a shinobi's strength. Connecting your heart to your summons is one of the best ways to get stronger."
"Alright! I'll learn that one!"