- Kai's POV -
It felt quite strange, walking around with one of the strongest men alive, knowing he was gonna die being impaled with big black rods by his own student who forced his mind into different people and his other student.
That.... came off wrong.
Come to think of it, there must be something the village must be doing about Pain, maybe they are not showing it, but things must be shit for the Third Hokage right now.
Poor Hiruzen, single handedly witnessed so many disasters and attacks.
Oh- so we were headed there.
"That," Jiraiya said, "boy, is the place where one of the greatest ramen in the world is sold. Ichiraku ramen. You know I go a long way back with the owner."
"It's looks pretty normal to me." I said.
The great Ichiraku ramen, second home to Naruto.
Jiraiya chuckled, "Yeah, true... But their food's much better than how the exterior looks." He said, and then sighed, a sort of melancholy in his voice, "There was this lady I once knew, she was crazy about this place, about the ramen here, treated it like treasure."
He's probably talking about Kushina. Afterall, she too shared her son's love for Ichiraku ramen.
"Ah well, let's get going, we'll have some ramen and head off." Jiraiya said and walked forward.
I followed behind him.
In a few seconds, we were inside the small ramen restaurant, sitting on stools.
The ramen guy was there, sorting things around with his daughter, Ayane was her name i think?
Their attention immediately shifted to us when we entered, the ramen guy and the girl instantly smiling, "Ah! Lord Jiraiya! It's been quite sometime!" The Ramen guy said.
"Ah, Teuchi! Indeed it's been quite some time since I was last here. It's refreshing to see you and young Ayame herem." Jiraiya said with a smile and looked at me, "Two bowls of my usual for me and this little man here."
Ayame looked at me and walked forward, eyeing me properly, "Oh wait, you are that Nara boy! Shikaku's adopted son, Kai, right? You are the talk of the town, everyone's praising your talent." She said.
Jiraiya chuckled, "Well well well, look at you, already getting so popular. I'd bet you'll be surrounded by ladies when you get older." He said.
I shrugged, "There are more important things to think and worry about than women."
Afterall, when you know that there's gonna be a shinobi who can single-handedly bring every single ninja in the world to their knees by himself and only lost after being betrayed is gonna be attacking you soon enough, you are bound to focus on getting strong enough to survive.
Afterall, it's unlikely I'll be getting any powers from the sage of six paths like Naruto and Sasuke.
Jiraiya laughed loudly at that.
A deep, shameless laugh that made a few people outside glance toward the ramen stand.
"Hahaha! That's a depressing way for a nine year old to think!" he said, leaning one elbow against the counter. "Most kids your age are worried about candy and academy exams, and you're over here acting like the world's ending tomorrow."
Because it kind of is.
Well.
In a few years.
Teuchi chuckled while preparing the ramen, "Still, ambition isn't bad in a shinobi."
"Ambition is fine," Jiraiya replied, "but this brat thinks like an old man already."
Ayame nodded in agreement, "Yeah, seriously, you sound like some retired jonin."
I snorted.
"If I was a retired jonin at nine years old, that'd actually be impressive."
Jiraiya barked another laugh.
"See? This is exactly what I mean!"
A few moments later, the bowls were placed in front of us.
The smell instantly rose into the air.
Rich broth.
Fresh noodles.
Perfectly cooked meat.
Damn.
Maybe Naruto was onto something.
"Eat first," Jiraiya said. "Then training."
I grabbed the chopsticks.
One bite later—
Yeah.
I got it now.
"...It's pretty good." I admitted quietly.
Teuchi immediately grinned proudly.
Jiraiya pointed at me dramatically. "See?! Another enlightened soul!"
Ayame rolled her eyes. "You say that every time someone likes the ramen."
"Because every time someone likes the ramen, I am right."
I continued eating silently.
Jiraiya suddenly spoke again between bites.
"So," he said casually, "what exactly are you planning to do with all that power?"
I paused slightly.
"...What do you mean?"
He shrugged.
"You've got talent."
Another bite.
"A lot of it."
Sip.
"You've got ambition too."
Then his eyes shifted toward me slightly.
"But talented people with ambition usually end up becoming one of two things."
His voice remained casual.
But the weight behind it didn't.
"A great protector."
"...Or a disaster."
I stayed quiet.
Teuchi and Ayame subtly stopped talking too.
Not completely.
But enough.
Jiraiya wasn't really asking a casual question anymore.
He was judging me.
Measuring me.
Trying to figure out what kind of person I was.
Honestly?
Fair enough.
If I met a random nine year old with a stolen Mangekyo Sharingan, a bizarre bloodline technique, compatibility with natural chakra, and enough talent to make half the village nervous, I'd probably ask questions too.
I twirled the noodles around my chopsticks slightly.
"...Strength is strength," I finally said.
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow.
I continued.
"If you don't have enough of it, people die."
Silence.
"...That's how the shinobi world works."
Jiraiya observed me quietly.
No jokes now.
No grin.
Just attention.
"You say that like you've already accepted it."
I looked down at the broth.
"...Maybe I have."
Because unlike everyone else here—
I knew what was coming.
The Akatsuki.
Orochimaru.
Pain.
Obito.
The Fourth Shinobi War.
And then, finally.
Madara himself.
And then of course, Kaguya Otsutsuki.
Monsters after monsters after monsters.
Each stronger than the other.
And the worst part?
Most of them couldn't even be beaten through normal means.
Some required destiny.
Others required miracles.
And some required Naruto being Naruto.
Jiraiya suddenly sighed. XD
"...You remind me of someone."
I looked up.
"Who?"
He smiled faintly.
"Myself."
That got an eyebrow raise out of me.
"...Really?"
"Yeah," he said. "Believe it or not, I wasn't always this handsome and wise."
I scoffed.
Ayame snorted loudly.
Teuchi coughed into his fist to hide a laugh.
Jiraiya ignored us proudly.
"When I was younger, I thought strength alone could solve everything too."
His smile faded slightly.
"...Turns out it can't."
For a moment—
There was genuine exhaustion in his eyes.
Old exhaustion.
The kind built over decades.
Wars.
Losses.
Failures.
Students.
Friends.
Maybe even regrets.
Then he smirked again.
"But it still helps a lot."
There he was.
The real Jiraiya again.
I huffed a small laugh.
"...So what now?"
Jiraiya immediately grinned.
"Now?"
He slammed his empty bowl down dramatically.
"Now we start your REAL training!"
"...That sounds concerning."
"It should!"
He stood up suddenly and tossed some money onto the counter.
"Thanks for the food, Teuchi!"
"Come again, Lord Jiraiya."
Ayame waved slightly. "See you around, Kai."
I nodded once before hopping off the stool and following Jiraiya outside.
The village streets were calmer now.
Late afternoon sunlight stretched across the roads.
People moved around casually.
Shopkeepers talked.
Children ran around.
Normal.
Strangely normal.
Jiraiya walked with his hands behind his head.
"So," he said, "first thing's first."
His eyes shifted toward me.
"We are gonna be training now. No natural chakra or anything, I'll teach you maybe a jutsu or two, but we'll be mainly focusing on your chakra control and taijutsu for the time being." He said.
Nice. Getting trained by Jiraiya, certainly didn't expect this, but it's great.
Afterall, he was a sensei to three different Hokages.
And he was also trained by the God of Shinobi who was trained by the Original God of Shinobi and the third strongest ninja of all time, maybe Hiruzen in his prime was stronger than Tobirama, but who knows.
It's really crazy just how much stronger Hashirama, Madara, Tobirama and Hiruzen were than the generations that came after them, aside from Naruto and Sasuke, who got powers from Hagoromo.
Nothing much was said as we walked towards one of the many ninja training grounds.
Eventually, we stopped at one training ground.
It was mostly empty, save for the training logs and kunai marks carved into trees and some visible damage to the land.
Jiraiya stoped and turned around and looked at me, "So, brat, tell me everything you know. Ninjutsu, Chakra control, Taijutsu, blah blah blah."
I looked at him, "Uh... I know the three basic academy jutsus. I also know the Great Fireball jutsu, and the Earth wall jutsu, I have an affinity for earth style and fire style. And i perfected walking on trees using chakra."
"As for why I didn't try expanding my jutsu arsenal (they are losing to West Ham btw, mark my words. Go Hammers.), I didn't have much use of it. I was just getting better with the ten shadows and my taijutsu and chakra control."
"Hmph! For someone as talented and gifted with abilities like you, I'd have expected more, the old man really is getting soft now." Jiraiya said and sighed.
"Well, we'll be fixing that! I'll make sure I can teach you as much as I can before I leave the village!" Jiraiya, pumping his chest full of air and placing his fists on his hips, "Now go on, call me Jiraiya-sensi, that is, if you want to learn from me."
I'd do anything.
"Yes, Jiraiya-Sensei!" I yelled with all the enthusiasm in the world.
"Ah, now that I like! Good boy!" Jiraiya said and firmly patted my head, "Come on, my student. Today, i shall teach you one of the greatest jutsu in the world!"
"What is it?" I asked, excited.
"The clone jutsu!" Jiraiya said proudly.
My excitement quickly faded, and a deadpan appeared on my face, "The clone jutsu is one of the three academy jutsus. It's useless against anyone above chunin level, and I already know it."
"Not that jutsu, dummy!" Jiraiya said.
Wait what-
Oh.
THAT clone jutsu?!!
"I, am talking about the forbidden variant of the clone jutsu, the Shadow Clone jutsu!" Jiraiya said and putting his finger in the cross handsign of the shadow clone jutsu, and two identical variants of himself appeared beside him.
"Well, actually, this normal variant of the Shadow Clone jutsu isn't forbidden. What's forbidden is the Multi Shadow Clone jutsu, which can allow the user to make tens and hundreds of copies of themselves, but that puts a huge strain on the body and will mostly likely kill anyone."
He looked down at me.
"Considering you have pretty good reserves for your age, and your chakra coils seem to naturally develop more and more when exposed to strain, I guess you'd be able to handle one or two clones at a time."
I stared at the two identical Jiraiyas standing infront of me.
No transformation.
No illusion.
No weird transparency like the normal clone jutsu.
Actual physical bodies.
Damn, the Shadow Clone jutsu really was ridiculous.
Honestly, Tobirama was insane for inventing half the things he did.
"So?" Jiraiya asked proudly, crossing his arms. "What do you think?"
I widened my eyes a little.
"...That's actually really cool."
Not entirely a lie.
Seeing it in real life was definitely different.
Jiraiya smirked smugly, immediately buying it.
"Hah! Of course it is! This jutsu is one of the greatest creations in shinobi history!"
"...Didn't you say it was forbidden?"
"The multi-version is forbidden," Jiraiya corrected instantly, wagging a finger at me. "Important difference! One or two clones? Fine. Hundreds? Congratulations, your chakra network just exploded."
"...That sounds unhealthy."
"It is unhealthy."
One of the clones nodded sagely.
The other clone picked his nose.
"...Why are they acting differently?" I asked.
Jiraiya grinned wider at that question.
"Because they're real clones. Not illusions."
He walked closer and tapped my forehead lightly.
"Your thoughts split between them. Their experiences return to you once they're dispelled."
I blinked.
"...Wait."
Even though I already knew it, I still acted appropriately shocked.
"...You gain their memories too?"
Jiraiya pointed dramatically at me.
"Exactly!"
That—
That was the truly broken part.
Not the combat utility.
Not the numbers.
The training.
The information transfer.
The fact that Naruto somehow never became the smartest man alive despite abusing this thing daily was honestly incredible.
Jiraiya suddenly paused.
Then his expression shifted slightly.
"...Actually."
He rubbed his chin.
"I only properly figured out that application recently."
I looked at him.
"Huh?"
"The memory transfer thing." Jiraiya shrugged. "I always knew the clones returned information after dispelling, obviously, but I never really thought about using it for training before."
...
That was early.
Way earlier than canon.
Interesting.
Jiraiya scratched the side of his face.
"Honestly, I found out by accident while researching."
"Researching?" I repeated flatly.
"Important research."
"...Right."
"Very important research."
"..."
"Women's bathhouses are tactical locations."
"..."
"Don't judge me."
"I'm absolutely judging you."
Jiraiya barked out a laugh.
"Good! Means you've got personality!"
He suddenly clapped his hands together loudly.
"Now then! Enough talking! Cross sign!"
I straightened slightly.
Right.
The handseal.
Just one seal.
Cross.
Simple.
I brought my fingers up carefully.
"Like this?"
Jiraiya adjusted my fingers slightly.
"No, no. Tighter balance between the index and middle fingers. Shadow Clones require proper chakra division. If your control slips, the clone either collapses immediately or drains way too much chakra."
He leaned closer.
"And if you overdo it too hard, you pass out."
"...Lovely."
"That's the shinobi life, brat."
I exhaled slowly.
Focused.
Split chakra evenly.
Stabilize output.
Cross sign.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Poof!
Smoke burst beside me.
One clone appeared.
Then immediately exploded into smoke again.
Jiraiya nodded thoughtfully.
"Good."
"...Good? It literally died."
"Exactly. Which means you almost got it right."
"...That sounds fake."
"It's not fake! A failed clone means your chakra shape was correct, but your distribution was unstable."
He pointed at me again.
"Try again."
I clicked my tongue softly.
Focused harder this time.
The remaining traces of natural chakra still floating inside my system felt... strange.
Like my body was unusually awake.
Sharper.
More responsive.
I formed the sign again.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Poof!
This time—
Two clones appeared beside me.
Stable.
Solid.
One blinked.
The other immediately looked around.
"...Huh," clone-me muttered.
Jiraiya's eyes widened slightly.
Then he grinned.
"Well damn."
I looked between the clones.
"...That feels weird."
The clones spoke simultaneously.
"Yeah."
"...Really weird."
Okay.
That was creepy.
Jiraiya walked around us slowly.
Poking one clone's shoulder.
Then mine.
Then the other clone's forehead.
"Solid."
He sounded genuinely impressed now.
"Not bad at all for a first try."
I frowned slightly.
"...It feels easier than it should."
Jiraiya's gaze sharpened for a moment.
Then he looked at my stomach area thoughtfully.
"The natural chakra."
I blinked.
"Huh?"
"Your body is still adapting from earlier." Jiraiya crossed his arms. "Your chakra flow is more active than usual right now. More responsive too."
Interesting.
So Mahoraga's adaptation was affecting even this.
One of my clones suddenly spoke.
"So what now?"
Jiraiya smirked.
"Now we abuse child labor."
"...What?"
Before I could say anything else, Jiraiya made another shadow clone.
Poof!
A second Jiraiya appeared.
"Alright!" Original Jiraiya said proudly. "Training split!"
He pointed toward a nearby lake.
"My clone's taking your clones for chakra control training."
Then he pointed at me.
"And you're staying with me for taijutsu."
The clone Jiraiya waved lazily.
"Come on, mini-brats."
Both my clones groaned simultaneously.
"...Why do we have to do the hard part?"
"Because you're expendable."
"That's messed up."
"It builds character."
Before I could even react, both my clones were already dragged away toward the lake by clone Jiraiya.
I watched them go.
Still weird.
Really weird.
Jiraiya suddenly spoke beside me.
"You know," he said casually, "most kids would've celebrated learning Shadow Clones more."
I shrugged.
"I mean... they're useful."
"Useful?" Jiraiya repeated incredulously. "Useful?! This jutsu is incredible!"
"I know."
"You can literally multiply your manpower!"
"Yeah."
"Spy missions, combat support, diversions, training efficiency-"
"I get it."
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"...You're oddly calm about this."
Shit.
I immediately shrugged again.
"I mean, getting excited won't make me better at using them."
A pause.
Then Jiraiya laughed.
"Hah! Fair enough!"
Saved.
Probably.
Jiraiya stretched his arms behind his back.
"Alright then, since your clones are torturing themselves over water walking, let's see your taijutsu."
I stepped back slightly into a stance.
Jiraiya immediately winced.
"...Who taught you that stance?"
"...Uh."
"Nevermind, don't answer. It's awful."
"..."
"Your balance is leaning too far forward, your center's exposed, and your guard's too stiff."
Before I could respond—
He moved.
Fast.
Not serious-fast.
But still terrifyingly fast.
His fingers flicked my forehead.
I stumbled backwards instantly.
"...Ow."
"Too slow."
I rubbed my forehead.
"...You literally moved before I blinked."
"And one day your enemies will move faster than that."
Fair.
Jiraiya crouched slightly.
"Again."
For the next while—
I got destroyed.
Repeatedly.
Every time I tried throwing a punch, Jiraiya redirected it effortlessly.
Every kick got read.
Every movement got punished.
But—
He explained everything.
Footwork.
Weight distribution.
Timing.
Breathing.
How to properly rotate force through the hips.
How to not telegraph attacks.
How to observe shoulders instead of fists.
How to predict movement.
It was honestly ridiculous how good of a teacher he was.
No wonder Naruto improved so much under him.
At some point during training, Jiraiya suddenly asked casually—
"So, you know Naruto Uzumaki, right?"
I blinked slightly.
"...Yeah."
Jiraiya's movements slowed a little.
"You two are in the same class?"
"Yeah."
He nodded slowly.
Then quieter—
"...How's he doing?"
There it was.
Not casual anymore.
Not really.
I studied him briefly.
There was something genuinely careful in his expression now.
Like he wanted to ask more.
But couldn't.
Or maybe felt like he shouldn't.
"...He's loud," I said honestly.
Jiraiya snorted softly.
"Yeah. Sounds right."
"He skips class stuff sometimes."
"Also sounds right."
"He annoys people alot."
Jiraiya actually smiled at that.
A real one.
Small.
Tired.
Fond.
"...Yeah."
I paused slightly.
Then continued.
"...But he's not bad."
Jiraiya went quiet.
The wind moved softly through the training ground.
"...Most people avoid him," I admitted.
That smile faded a little.
Not fully.
Just enough.
"...I see."
I already knew why.
The Nine Tails.
The village hated him for something he didn't even understand yet.
And Jiraiya knew it too.
He looked away slightly.
Toward the sky.
"...Kai."
"Hm?"
His voice became quieter than before.
"Try to treat him well, alright?"
I blinked slightly.
Jiraiya scratched the back of his head.
"He... doesn't really have many people."
There was guilt there.
A lot of it.
Regret too.
Old regret.
"...You care about him alot," I said carefully.
Jiraiya froze for the briefest moment.
Then chuckled lightly.
"...Something like that."
Liar.
Not fully.
But definitely hiding most of it.
Still—
His expression softened slightly afterward.
"...It's still too early for me to meet him properly."
That surprised me slightly.
"...Too early?"
Jiraiya nodded once.
"...I'm not really the kind of person who should suddenly appear in a kid's life halfway through."
Ouch.
That one definitely came from somewhere personal.
Minato.
Probably.
Yahiko.
Nagato.
Too many ghosts followed Jiraiya around.
For a moment, he looked genuinely old.
Not physically.
Just...
Tired.
Then he slapped both cheeks loudly.
"ANYWAY!"
Mood destroyed instantly.
"We're not getting depressed today!"
He pointed dramatically toward the lake.
"Come on! Let's see if your idiot clones drowned yet!"
Right on cue—
Poof!
Poof!
Memories slammed into my head.
I staggered slightly.
Water.
Falling.
More falling.
Clone Jiraiya laughing.
Cold lake water.
Pain.
Humiliation.
"...Ow."
Jiraiya burst out laughing immediately.
"Hahaha! Looks like they sucked!"
"...I hate this jutsu already."
And honestly?
I could already tell.
Shadow Clones were going to ruin my life.
Well, atleast one of them had managed to stand on water for nearly a minute and then mastered it, and then clown Jiraiya had him dodging attacks on it.