A Chance Encounter
Jiraiya soon found Naruto on the bustling streets of Konoha, shopping for ingredients. The boy was dressed in simple white clothes, his golden bangs falling gently over his clear blue eyes. A pair of black-rimmed glasses added a touch of elegance to his appearance, though they did little to dull the brightness of his gaze.
"Minato…" Jiraiya murmured to himself, his eyes misting over for a moment. But he quickly shook off the nostalgia. Minato was gone, and what stood before him was his son, Uzumaki Naruto.
Jiraiya had heard about Naruto's childhood—filled with darkness and malice. It was hard to imagine how a child with no one to rely on could survive, let alone thrive, in such an environment. Yet, here Naruto was, a beacon of kindness and warmth, the little sun in everyone's eyes.
No, Jiraiya corrected himself. Not just a sun—Naruto was the light in the darkness, a precious gem forged under immense pressure. To earn the acceptance of others, Naruto must have endured countless hardships. The thought filled Jiraiya with both admiration and sorrow.
As he observed Naruto from a distance, the boy approached a vegetable stall, greeting the vendor with a gentle smile. "Aunt Yamanaka, I'd like some vegetables and radishes, please. And some pork too. I'm planning to make pork and radish soup tonight."
"Naruto! It's been a while. Welcome back to the village!" Aunt Yamanaka's face lit up with a warm, genuine smile.
"Yes, this mission took longer than expected, but I came back as soon as it was over," Naruto replied, his tone polite and cheerful.
"Life outside is tough, but there's no place like home," Aunt Yamanaka said as she quickly packed the ingredients Naruto had requested. She added an extra bunch of vegetables, much to Naruto's protest.
"Aunt Yamanaka, that's too much! I won't be able to finish it all," Naruto said, shaking his head with a soft laugh.
"Nonsense! You're still growing. You need to eat well," she insisted, pushing the bag into his hands.
After a brief but friendly back-and-forth, Naruto finally accepted the generous offering. He bid Aunt Yamanaka farewell with a polite nod and continued down the street, greeting other villagers along the way. Many of them were parents of his classmates, their initial wariness having melted away over the years as they came to know Naruto's kind and diligent nature.
After about ten minutes, Naruto arrived at a quiet training ground. He set the shopping bag down by a large tree and called out, "You've been following me for a while now. Come out."
Jiraiya, who had been trailing Naruto, froze in surprise. "I was exposed?!" he thought, his mind racing. Over the years, he had honed his stealth skills to perfection, often infiltrating even the most secure locations without detection. Yet, here was Naruto, a genin, effortlessly spotting him.
"Who am I, you ask?" Jiraiya leaped out of his hiding spot, striking a dramatic pose on a nearby rock. "Listen well! I am the Toad Sage, a wanderer who hides his name from the world! There's nothing I can't do! The world is my stage!" He shook his flowing white hair dramatically. "I am one of the legendary Sannin—Jiraiya, the Gallant! The man who can silence a crying child and enchant a beautiful woman with a single glance!"
He spun around, his clogs clacking against the rock. "And that's me!"
Naruto's smile didn't waver. "So, you're Jiraiya, one of the Sannin," he said calmly.
"That's right! The one and only!" Jiraiya declared, puffing out his chest.
"Nice to meet you. I'm going home to cook now. Goodbye," Naruto said, picking up his shopping bag and turning to leave.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Jiraiya scrambled after him, his dramatic entrance completely deflated. "Aren't you curious? Why would the great Jiraiya appear in Konoha and follow you around?"
"Not really," Naruto replied, his pace steady. "You're probably here to check on the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and see if I'm as much of a problem as people say."
"Well, that's… not entirely wrong," Jiraiya admitted, scratching his head. He hadn't expected Naruto to be so perceptive—or so blunt.
A Teacher's Offer
In the sealed space within Naruto's mind, Minato spoke up. "It seems the Third Hokage has called Jiraiya back to the village to train you, Naruto. Despite his… eccentricities, Jiraiya is a master of many powerful techniques, including Sage Mode. If you learn from him, you could even train in Mount Myōboku. It might be a good place to refine your Reiatsu."
Naruto stopped walking abruptly, causing Jiraiya to stumble into him. "Is this really one of the Sannin?" Naruto thought, struggling to maintain his polite smile as he watched Jiraiya flail comically.
"I said," Naruto began, his tone tinged with exasperation, "don't follow me. I'm very busy."
"Wait, wait!" Jiraiya said, regaining his composure. "Actually, I heard you're Kakashi's student, right?"
Naruto nodded. "Yes."
"Well, isn't that a coincidence? Do you know who my student is?" Jiraiya asked, a hint of pride in his voice. "My student was Kakashi's teacher—Namikaze Minato. So, in a way, I'm your… grand-teacher."
Naruto raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "So, you want to teach me ninjutsu?"
"Exactly!" Jiraiya said, nodding vigorously. Then, realizing he might sound too eager, he added, "Well, to be precise, I'm open to teaching you if you're interested."
Naruto's smile returned, though it carried a hint of mischief. "Oh, no thank you. I'm doing just fine as I am."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Jiraiya staring after him in disbelief.
"Wait, hold on!" Jiraiya called, hurrying after Naruto. "I'm offering you the chance to learn from one of the legendary Sannin! Don't you want to get stronger?"
Naruto didn't stop. "I'm already strong enough."
Jiraiya groaned, running a hand through his hair. "This kid… I thought he was supposed to be a little sun. Why is he so… difficult?"