At Training Ground 3, Tatsuma and Minato sat on a pair of wooden stumps while Jiraiya stood before them, assuming his teacher persona.
"Regarding hair-based ninjutsu, I have created two techniques so far. Of course, they're still technically under development," Jiraiya began. "One is called Needle Jizo, and the other is the Wild Lion's Mane Technique. Both are B-rank in terms of difficulty, which, to be honest, is far beyond your current level."
He held up two fingers. "There are two main hurdles. First is chakra control. You need to be able to refine your chakra precisely enough to inject it into individual strands of hair. The more precise your control, the more versatile the jutsu becomes.
"The second hurdle is chakra volume. Like most ninjutsu, the power and range of both Needle Jizo and the Wild Lion's Mane are determined by how much chakra the user can pour into the technique. For control, you can practice exercises like Tree Climbing and Water Walking. By the way, do either of you actually know what those are?"
Tatsuma and Minato both nodded. Tatsuma knew because he was a transmigrator; Minato knew because Tatsuma had already spilled the secrets to him. Seeing them nod, Jiraiya looked genuinely taken aback.
At their age, he'd barely understood what chakra was, let alone how to knead it properly, much less known about advanced training methods like tree climbing or water walking.
Still, their knowledge saved him a lot of explaining. Jiraiya cleared his throat and continued, "Since you already know about that, let's talk about chakra volume. As you know, chakra is produced by mixing physical and spiritual energies. Therefore, the prerequisite for increasing your chakra pool is strengthening both your body and your mind.
"Physical strength comes from taijutsu. Mental strength comes from study, reading, reflection, and life experience. To be a powerful shinobi, you must be strong in both body and soul. This is the foundation for performing high-output ninjutsu—not just mine, but almost any powerful jutsu."
Seeing the two boys listening with such rapt, intense focus, Jiraiya felt an unexpected surge of satisfaction. He gave them a moment to let the information sink in before speaking again.
"Now, it's time for you to see the real power of ninjutsu. This is something they definitely don't show you in the Academy."
Without warning, Jiraiya leaped into the air. He whipped his long white hair back and struck a… well, a highly questionable pose. He blurred through a series of hand seals and roared:
"Ninja Art: Needle Jizo!"
The moment the seals were complete, his waist-length hair grew with supernatural speed. One portion wrapped tightly around his body like a protective cocoon, while the rest burrowed deep into the ground.
Thud-thud-thud!
Suddenly, thick bunches of hair erupted from the earth surrounding the stumps where the boys were sitting. The hair was as stiff and sharp as senbon, embedding itself deeply into the wood.
Hidden within the mass of hair, Jiraiya's voice echoed: "Needle Jizo is a close-range technique that combines offense and defense. More importantly, both aspects can be used independently. It's incredibly versatile."
As he spoke, the hair slowly retracted to its original length. Seeing the awe on the boys' faces, Jiraiya felt even more emboldened. He immediately began the seals for the next jutsu.
"Wild Lion's Mane Technique!"
His hair didn't just grow this time—it seemed to explode outward. The mass of white hair lashed out, slamming into the stumps beneath them. But it didn't stop there. The hair continued to extend, reaching dozens of meters into the surrounding forest. The strands wrapped around thick tree trunks, pulling them so tight the wood began to groan and bend.
"Wild Lion's Mane is an all-purpose technique. It covers short, medium, and long-range combat. It can be used for direct attacks or as a binding technique to set up teammates or follow-up jutsu. Of course, because you're flinging it in every direction, the defensive value is lower than Needle Jizo. However, there is another way to bolster your defense using this move."
Tatsuma and Minato watched, enthralled. Suddenly, Jiraiya let out a sharp low shout: "Hah!"
Crack! Snap!
In the distance, the massive trees ensnared by his hair were snapped in half or ripped clean out of the ground. Jiraiya yanked several trunks toward him with lightning speed, forming a makeshift wooden barricade around himself. He smirked proudly.
"See that? If your chakra control is high enough, you can pull in trees, rocks, or even enemies to use as a shield. You can reel them in or pin them in place to coordinate with other jutsu. For example…"
As the trees clustered in front of him, Jiraiya performed another set of seals.
"Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"
Fwoosh—!
A massive fireball erupted from his mouth, slamming into the timber and incinerating the trees instantly. Finally, Jiraiya released his control over his hair. He patted out a few stray sparks that had caught on his white locks and turned to the boys.
"Those are the two techniques I'll be passing on to you. Not today, obviously. I'll spend the next few days putting the instructions together and give them to you before I head out on my next mission."
"Thank you so much, Lord Jiraiya." "Thank you!"
Both were visibly excited. The jutsu Jiraiya had shown weren't exactly "stylish" in the traditional sense, but their raw power was undeniable. Learning such techniques was an incredible stroke of luck. For Tatsuma, it was also his first real hope of fixing his natural perm problem.
Afterward, Jiraiya shared a few nuggets of "ninja wisdom" that weren't part of the Academy curriculum but were vital in the field—like how Fire Style jutsu often end with the Tiger seal, while Earth Style often ends with the Snake seal.
Understanding these patterns allowed a shinobi to observe an enemy's seals and predict the type of jutsu being cast, allowing for a faster reaction.
Initially, Tatsuma and Minato hung on his every word. But as Jiraiya's voice droned on in its deep, precociously "middle-aged" tone, exhaustion began to set in. The fatigue from their all-night training session finally caught up to them.
As the sun began to dip below the horizon, Jiraiya sat on the ground, leaning back. To his left and right, Tatsuma and Minato had tipped over, fast asleep against his shoulders. He looked out at the beautiful orange glow of the sunset and felt a sudden, profound sense of melancholy.
"I have no idea where you two brats live, you know!" he muttered to the empty field. "Wake up and go home already!"
Ultimately, he didn't have the heart to wake them. He hauled them both back to his apartment, where he spent the rest of the evening on the sofa, nursing a bottle of sake and watching the late-night pay-per-view channels.
The next morning, as the first light of dawn filtered into the room, Jiraiya heard a groggy voice from the bed behind him.
"This pillow has such a gross old man smell... where am I?"
"OLD MAN?!"
Jiraiya, who hadn't really been awake yet himself, bolted upright as if he'd been electrocuted. He whirled around and pointed an accusing finger at Tatsuma.
"Get out! Get out of my house right now! This Great One does not smell like an old man!"