Sage chakra.
A power that Jiraiya had cultivated for several decades before truly mastering. To enter Sage Mode, he needed around five minutes of ritual time, but if it was only to display a bit of sage chakra, he could do so at any time.
Jiraiya extended his hand. As long as Ryosuke touched his palm, he would be able to sense the uniqueness of sage chakra.
"But… do you dare?"
Jiraiya looked at Ryosuke.
The next second.
Pa!
Ryosuke grabbed Jiraiya's hand. A faint golden ripple shimmered, contending on equal footing with the sage chakra in Jiraiya's hand.
Both their expressions changed slightly.
Jiraiya was surprised by Ryosuke's completely different energy system from shinobi cultivation.
And Ryosuke was shocked that the Ripple… actually produced a subtle resonance with the sage chakra in Jiraiya's palm.
"Why is this happening?"
Ripple, like a scalpel, pierced into the sage chakra.
"Chakra fused with another unknown energy, giving birth to a new power." Ryosuke looked at Jiraiya. "Is this the reason you call yourself a 'Sage'?"
Jiraiya cleared his throat and withdrew his hand.
He merely wanted to prove his identity and casually show off his strength. He didn't expect that with just the first contact, the logic of Sage Mode cultivation would be deduced by Ryosuke.
"When chakra and natural energy are fused in a certain proportion, they can produce sage chakra."
"Of course, this is an extremely arduous training process. One misstep, and there's the risk of turning into stone."
"Even someone as talented as me had to spend more than ten years to be able to use it proficiently."
Natural energy. Turning into stone.
These two concepts made Ryosuke think of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Part 2, Battle Tendency, and the Pillar Men, a group of immortal, perfect beings who feared sunlight and would turn into stone under it.
And sunlight… was a form of natural energy.
The Ripple Ryosuke trained in was a power that mimicked sunlight.
''If I master the technique of absorbing natural energy, wouldn't I be able to further enhance Ripple?'
Jiraiya, who had wandered for years, was highly skilled in reading people.
Seeing Ryosuke in contemplation, he knew Ryosuke was interested in Sage Arts, who wouldn't be? Jiraiya leaned in, "Wanna learn? I'll teach you."
"The tuition fee?" Ryosuke asked.
"No tuition fee."
Jiraiya waved his hand broadly, "As long as you're willing to return to Konoha with me, I promise, this time when you return, no one will touch you. I, Jiraiya, still have that much face."
"After returning, I'll take you to Mount Myōboku and have you sign the summoning pact with the Great Toad Elder."
Ryosuke chuckled lightly. So after all the twists and turns, he had dug a pit waiting for him to jump into.
"No need," Ryosuke said.
Jiraiya patted his chest, "You don't trust me? I'm telling you, I, Jiraiya of Konoha, am..."
Ryosuke waved his hand to interrupt. "It's not that I don't trust you. It's just…"
Ryosuke asked calmly, "If Konoha is so great, then why don't you return, and instead wander around outside every day?"
Jiraiya was speechless, "I… you… this…"
A thousand words, in the end, became a single sigh.
Yes, even he, who hadn't suffered persecution, was unwilling to return, let alone Ryosuke and Sasuke, two survivors whose entire clan had been massacred.
Jiraiya could help Ryosuke and Sasuke return to the village.
But could he help them get revenge?
If not… then what?
Tell them to let go of their hatred? Pretend nothing ever happened?
Why should they?
If you haven't suffered like others have, don't preach kindness to them.
Jiraiya pondered for a moment, then slapped his own mouth, clasped his hands together, and sincerely apologized, "Forget what I just said. This drink's on me as an apology. Don't go yet…"
He grabbed Ryosuke and shouted toward the private room door, "Boss lady! Bring out all your signature dishes tonight, it's my treat!"
Ryosuke couldn't resist Jiraiya's enthusiasm, and he did indeed want to know more about Orochimaru and Uchiha Itachi, so the group sat down again.
Dishes came up one after another, and soon the table couldn't hold them all.
Jiraiya touched his wallet and swallowed hard, "Boss lady, your signature dishes… aren't they too many…"
"Oh my, guest, look at you, so burly and heroic, clearly a man among men. I prepared the servings based on your physique. If you think it's too much, I'll remove some right away."
When Jiraiya heard "burly and heroic," "man among men," he grinned so wide his tongue stuck out.
The food quickly arrived in full. Ryosuke and Jiraiya chatted while eating, asking question after question. After three rounds of drinks, everyone was stuffed to the brim.
Jiraiya's face was red from drinking, and he raised the final cup, "Ryosuke, don't go back. There are too many problems in Konoha now. Danzo, that stupid..."
He glanced at the three kids staring at him wide-eyed, and swallowed back the word "bastard."
"I damn… Danzo is a damn chicken…"
With all the emotion stuck inside, Jiraiya's old face flushed even redder, and he ended with one line, "It's all in the drink."
And downed it in one gulp.
Ryosuke needed to find the culprit who destroyed Hope Village.
Jiraiya wanted to use the artificial human clues to track down Orochimaru.
With Ryosuke's Hermit's Purple and Jiraiya's ninja tracking techniques, the result would surely be twice the effect for half the effort.
The two quickly struck a deal, agreed to move together the next day, and then parted ways.
After parting with Jiraiya, Ryosuke bought meals and medicine for thirty people, and also rented a cart.
Takeshi pushed the food and medicine in front. Though exhausted and injured, he walked with fierce energy, eager to immediately feed everyone and treat their wounds.
Sasuke followed beside Ryosuke.
"Brother Ryosuke, that Sage Art Jiraiya mentioned, it's a big boost for you, right?"
Ryosuke glanced at him, "What, you want to go back for power? From the intel we've gathered, Danzo is most likely connected to the Uchiha clan's extermination. Don't you want revenge?"
"Of course I do. But…"
Sasuke opened his arms and looked at his palms, "These past days, the people and things we've encountered made me feel, there are things more important than revenge. And to do those things…"
"I need power."
Ryosuke asked, "These 'things', what are they?"
"To let ordinary people stop worrying about being killed, being driven to death, being sold like livestock, I want to be like you, Brother Ryosuke. To have the power to save others."
Sasuke clenched his fists. "If it's for that goal, I'm willing to set aside revenge for now."
"By any means necessary?"
"By any means necessary."
After saying that, Sasuke scratched his head a bit embarrassedly. "Brother Ryosuke… is that… right?"
Ryosuke shook his head slightly, "Maybe in the past, it was right. But now, it's not."
"Why?"
"Because with me here, you don't need to make that kind of desperate choice."
"I don't want you to become another Danzo. Wrong is wrong. Right is right. You can't reverse cause and effect just because your goal is noble."
Sasuke nodded, half-understanding, then asked, "Why might it have been right in the past?"
"Because, maybe one day, I'll die. Maybe I won't be able to protect you anymore. You might face one cruel decision after another."
"But before that day comes..."
Ryosuke smiled and ruffled Sasuke's little head,
"Be someone with a clear conscience."
"And also,"
Ryosuke extended his index finger, where a strand of greenish-blue energy slowly gathered.
Sasuke's mouth dropped open.
"I've already mastered natural energy."
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