Jiraiya suddenly came to a realization.
No wonder this kid was able to successfully learn the Rasengan in such a short period of time. It turned out Minato had already laid the foundation for his training within the seal.
But this, in turn, proved that Naruto had completed the learning process of an A-rank hand-seal-less Ninjutsu purely based on a theoretical guide, without any guidance from a Jonin. This talent was even more astonishing than his father's back then.
"To what extent have you learned the Flying Thunder God Technique now?" Jiraiya inquired.
Naruto thought for a moment and chose a relatively conservative way to put it.
"I can already use it maturely in actual combat."
Jiraiya nodded with a calm expression, but his heart was in turmoil.
To have learned the Flying Thunder God Technique to the point of being able to use it maturely in combat at the age of twelve—there was no precedent for this in the entire history of the Ninja World.
Minato hadn't even come into contact with the Flying Thunder God Technique at that age.
But with the prior experience of the Rasengan as a foundation, Jiraiya had learned not to expose all of his inner shock in front of Naruto.
"What else did your father teach you?"
Naruto replied, "Spatial perception techniques related to the Flying Thunder God Technique, as well as some methods for precise Chakra application in battle."
"Although these aren't considered Ninjutsu, they were a great help in my later practice of other techniques."
Jiraiya nodded, then raised his finger to point at the translucent barrier wall that was still steadily operating in the room. "And what about this?"
"The Sensory Suppression Barrier isn't something from Minato's Ninjutsu system."
"My mom taught me this. She left more Chakra in the seal than Dad did, so the knowledge inheritance regarding Fuinjutsu was a bit more complete."
"Kushina?" Jiraiya's voice shifted slightly in tone.
He was stunned for a long while before shaking his head. "To think that both of your parents stayed inside you to keep you company."
Then, the smile on his face slowly faded. He clenched his fingers on his knees and then released them, as if he wanted to say something heavy but wasn't sure how to start.
Finally, taking a deep breath, he lowered his head and said with a tone of guilt, "I'm sorry, Naruto. I haven't returned to Konoha to see you even once all these years."
"As your father's teacher, as one of the Sannin of Konoha, and as someone who knew your background, I should have come sooner."
"At the very least, when you were little, I should have let you know that you weren't alone."
"This is my dereliction of duty. I'm sorry."
"If Pervy Sage really wants to make it up to me, then teach me Sage Mode."
Naruto didn't accept the apology, but instead looked at Jiraiya with a look of just the right amount of anticipation.
"It seems you are indeed very persistent about Sage Mode. Fine. After we bring Tsunade back to Konoha, I'll pick a time to officially teach you Sage Mode."
"One more thing. Whatever else you're hiding from me, confess it all today. So I don't discover it myself in a few days. By then, it won't be something that can be resolved by just treating you to a meal."
"Just a little bit more." Naruto said.
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya revealed an "as I thought" expression.
Naruto looked at Jiraiya's expression and smiled. "But now is not the time. When there's an opportunity, I'll let Pervy Sage see it for yourself. I hope you won't be too surprised then."
"Is that so."
Jiraiya was silent for a moment, then leaned back in his chair.
Since Naruto had already spoken to this extent, he didn't press further.
Someone who mastered the Rasengan and the Flying Thunder God Technique at twelve, could independently set up a Fuinjutsu barrier, possessed exceptional sensing capabilities, and could go head-to-head with the S-rank rogue ninja Itachi without losing ground—having a few trump cards hidden on him was not a bad thing.
Furthermore, Naruto had the Flying Thunder God Technique at his side. Space-Time Ninjutsu was the strongest life-saving method in the Ninja World. If he couldn't win, he could at least escape.
Thinking of this, Jiraiya felt a bit more at ease.
"Alright, get some rest early. We have to set off for Tanzaku Quarters tomorrow. Tsunade loves to hang out in places like this, it will take quite a bit of effort to find her then."
Jiraiya patted Naruto on the shoulder, and then carried his sake, swaying as he returned to his room.
After Jiraiya left, Naruto reached into his ninja tool pouch and took out the sealing scroll that sealed Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan.
Unrolling a small section of the scroll, he looked at the crow-shaped ink runes on the paper and remained silent for a moment.
Kotoamatsukami, the dojutsu within Shisui's Mangekyo, was hailed as the strongest genjutsu, capable of rewriting a target's will without them being aware of it.
This level of power in anyone's hands was a trump card capable of changing the course of a battle, but at the same time, it was also a hot potato.
Naruto rolled the scroll back up and put it back into his ninja tool pouch. As for the specific use of these eyes, it wouldn't be too late to study them slowly after returning to Konoha.