"Here we are." Jiraiya looked up at the Uzumaki Country Pet Hospital in front of him and sighed. "To think the great Toad Sage's first time riding a bus ended up going the wrong way."
This Uzumaki Country really...
Couldn't they make the bus signs bigger?
Otherwise, how could a seasoned traveler like the Toad Sage get lost?
But...
Pet hospital?
Jiraiya stared at these words with a pained expression. In all his years traveling the ninja world, he had never seen such a place before!
Even issuing certificates for summoning animals...
Probably only Uzumaki Country does this.
What's the procedure like?
Do you need an entry permit to go inside?
If you mess around, will you get fined again?
After all...
At this rate, even a sage would run out of money!
After some thought, Jiraiya decided to ask someone for directions.
Why had he been caught in the first place?
Wasn't it because he ran a red light and got exposed for driving without a license?
Better not push his luck now.
Jiraiya looked around, considering who to ask. When he spotted a red-haired kid and a blue-haired girl walking out of the hospital, his eyes lit up—especially when he saw the white kitten in the girl's arms. Clearly...
They were here to get a pet certificate too.
So...
"Let's go with them." Jiraiya smirked slightly and muttered, "They'll definitely be thrilled to help the great Toad Sage."
After all...
He was the legendary Toad Sage, Jiraiya!
...
"Now you can relax." Nagato yawned. "Shiraben just had a cold." He stretched lazily. "Finally, I can go back to sleep."
"No!" Konan frowned at Nagato's sluggish demeanor. "Nagato, you're getting lazier and lazier."
"Have you ever seen Uzumaki Country at 3 a.m.?" Nagato retorted unhappily. "I train until three every night."
"So that's why..." Konan stood in front of Nagato and measured their heights. "That's why you're not growing taller."
"Mom said kids who stay up too late won't grow tall."
"..."
Nagato opened his mouth, wanting to say that even Jun-nii wasn't much taller at his age, but...
Seeing Konan's height...
She was definitely taller than him!
Was it really because he had been staying up late lately?
So...
He really had been working too hard.
Nagato decided he couldn't stay up so late anymore. He should exhaust his energy in the morning instead. Otherwise...
What if he ended up shorter than Konan?
"I-I'm just a late bloomer," Nagato muttered, avoiding eye contact. "I'll definitely grow taller later."
"So..."
"What should we do now?"
"Train!" Konan lifted Shiraben. "Let's bring Shiraben along. I noticed Shiraben is really smart. She'll definitely become a powerful ninja cat." She looked at the kitten in her arms. "Right?"
"Meow!" Shiraben nodded.
"..."
She was smart, but...
Shiraben was just an ordinary white cat!
Still, seeing Konan's happy expression, Nagato could only sigh. "You're right."
"Shiraben will definitely be strong in the future."
"Isn't that just a normal white cat?"
Who said what I was thinking?
Nagato looked up and saw a white-haired man with a sleazy grin stroking his chin. Instantly on guard, he pulled Konan back. "Hey, mister, who are you?"
Mister?!
Jiraiya froze at the word, clutching his chest and taking a step back...
He was only in his twenties!
Forcing a friendly smile, he said, "Kid, who are you calling 'mister'?"
"You, mister." Konan hugged the cat, blinking her big eyes. "Mister, why are you holding your chest? Do you have heart problems?"
"..."
Jiraiya reminded himself that as the Toad Sage, he shouldn't argue with kids.
So...
"I am one of the Sannin of Konoha, the Toad Sage, the heartthrob of the ninja world..." Jiraiya flashed what he thought was a dashing smile. "Jiraiya!"
"Jiraiya?" Nagato and Konan exchanged glances, then...
Looked back at Jiraiya. "Never heard of you!"
Uzumaki Country really was behind on the news.
Jiraiya sighed inwardly. "Little girl, your white cat is too ordinary. It can't become a ninja cat."
"Hmph!" Konan pouted. "No way! Shiraben is so smart. She'll definitely be strong."
"Meow!" Shiraben glared at Jiraiya.
Jiraiya chuckled. "She really is clever."
"But..."
"Without proper training techniques, even the smartest cat is just a smart cat."
After all...
Only the Inuzuka clan had secret techniques for training dogs.
Otherwise...
Why weren't all the intelligent animals in the ninja world ninja beasts?
"Don't listen to this weirdo." Nagato tugged Konan away. "Let's go train."
But...
Seeing the kids about to leave, Jiraiya quickly said, "Wait! If you help me with something..."
"I can teach you how to train her into a ninja cat."
"Really?" Nagato eyed Jiraiya suspiciously, thinking he should probably call the police. This white-haired guy seemed shady no matter how you looked at him.
Definitely not trustworthy!
"Of course!" Jiraiya thumped his chest confidently. "The Toad Sage never lies!"
A toad...
Should be able to teach a cat, right?
No matter what, Mount Myōboku was one of the Three Great Sage Lands. There had to be a way.
So...
The Toad Sage never lied. If it didn't work, it was the toad's fault.
"Fine." Nagato glanced at Konan's hopeful expression and sighed. "What do you want us to do?"
"But if you trick us, I'll beat you up."
He'd report this suspicious guy to the police later.
"I just wanted to ask..." Jiraiya grinned. "How do you get a pet license?"
Beat him up?
Some kid. The Toad Sage wasn't scared!
So...
"Mister... I mean, the Toad Sage also has a powerful ninja beast." Jiraiya lifted his chin. "So I'm asking how to register it."
"That's it?" Nagato stared at Jiraiya in disbelief. "I thought it was something serious!"
"Did your pet get its triple vaccine? How many rabies shots?"
"Only after all that can you get a license."
"..."
Jiraiya was stunned. Registering was this complicated?
And...
His summon—no, his contracted toad was from Mount Myōboku. Did it need shots too?
"You haven't done any of that?" Seeing his expression, Nagato and Konan looked at him disdainfully. "Be a responsible pet owner!"
"Your ten years might be its whole lifetime."
"I think it might outlive me." Jiraiya rubbed his chin. "It's a toad from Mount Myōboku."
"Same logic. Its decades might be your whole lifetime." Nagato shook his head. "You should take your pet for shots first."
This guy...
A toad? What's so special about that?
He'd eaten one before!
Then...
"When will you teach Shiraben?" Nagato eyed Jiraiya warily. "Don't lie to kids."
"Hahaha." Jiraiya awkwardly looked away, unable to meet Konan's hopeful gaze. "Let me get the license first, then I'll find you."
He immediately sprinted toward the pet hospital.
"Believe me..."
"The Toad Sage never lies."
"..."
Watching Jiraiya run off, Nagato and Konan were speechless.
Had they...
Been tricked?
Otherwise...
How would he find them?
Maybe they should just call the police.
...
Meanwhile, Jiraiya...
"Hello, doctor."
After registering, he followed the receptionist's directions.
Not bad...
The staff here were really pretty.
"I'm here for a pet license." Jiraiya flashed what he thought was a charming smile at the young female doctor. "I heard I need shots here?"
"Where's your pet?" The doctor frowned at his sleazy grin.
"Here..." Jiraiya glanced around. "Mine's a bit big. This place is kinda small."
"Big?" The doctor gave him a dismissive look. "Call it out."
After years in this job, she'd seen all kinds of ninja beasts.
How big could it be?
Jiraiya saw her expression and sighed. Time to show her the Toad Sage's might.
Biting his thumb, he formed a hand seal and shouted, "Summoning Jutsu!"
"Poof!"
Smoke cleared, revealing a giant toad crouched awkwardly in the room.
"Jiraiya, why'd you call me?" Gamahiro grumbled, looking around. "It's cramped in here."
Then...
Jiraiya hesitated. "No reason. Just missed you."
Shots...
Would Gamahiro...
Hold it against him?
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