Kakashi nodded in agreement to Jiraiya's words.
"I'll make sure to teach these two a proper lesson!"
He turned his head toward Naruto and Shinju.
"You two! Why would you interrupt Jiraiya-sama's creative inspiration?! (ꐦ ಠ皿ಠ)"
"Do you have any idea how many years I've been waiting for the sequel to Icha Icha Paradise?! (눈益눈)"
Naruto spread his hands.
"I get what you're saying, but this old white-haired uncle was getting his material from the women's bathhouse. Anyone who saw that would want to stop him. (ー_ー)!!"
Shinju nodded.
"So Jiraiya-san's gathering material at a women's bathhouse… then does Icha Icha Paradise also write about… that? In that case, doesn't that mean Kakashi-sensei, who loves that book, is actually…"
Realizing where Shinju was going, Kakashi panicked and cut him off with a frantic denial.
"I am not that kind of person!! ＞_＜"
Jiraiya: "…"
"Come on, Kakashi, explain it to me properly. Just what kind of person are you?! (ꐦ ಠ皿ಠ)"
...
While Kakashi tried to explain himself to Jiraiya, Naruto and Shinju slipped over to Sasuke's side.
"Sasuke, training with Kakashi-sensei these past two days must've been really tough on you."
Naruto said with an expression full of sympathy.
Sasuke's face twisted in anger at Naruto's look.
"Idiot! Are you mocking me?!"
Naruto tried to squeeze out a sorrowful expression.
"Of course not! How could I be? (〃∇〃)"
Shinju: "…"
Could your thoughts be written any clearer on your face?!
Shinju changed the subject, casually asking,
"By the way, do you know that man Jiraiya-sama? He seems really important. Even Kakashi-sensei treats him with the utmost respect."
"Jiraiya…"
Sasuke thought for a moment before blurting out the name with excitement.
"The Legendary Sannin of Konoha!"
Shinju immediately understood. No wonder the name had sounded so familiar—it was one of the legendary Sannin.
The Legendary Sannin—disciples of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Among them, Orochimaru was the most notorious, his face plastered across every wanted poster at Konoha's gates.
The other two were rarely in the village, so it wasn't surprising Shinju and Naruto didn't recognize them.
"Sannin… then doesn't that mean he's as strong as Orochimaru?"
The thought struck Naruto.
Kakashi-sensei's ninjutsu didn't really suit him. Shinju spent most of his time training genjutsu, and Ebisu he downright hated.
These past few days, he'd been fretting about not having the right teacher. And now, one of the Sannin of Konoha had just appeared before him—Jiraiya.
Naruto had already witnessed Orochimaru's strength.
Even though Orochimaru hadn't used much force in the Forest of Death, just standing there, the Konoha S-rank criminal had radiated overwhelming pressure!
So, if Jiraiya was his equal as a Sannin, then he must be no weaker!
...
Meanwhile, Jiraiya's temper had cooled thanks to Kakashi's flattering words.
On top of that, he promised to release a sequel to Icha Icha Paradise within the next five years.
Kakashi, hearing an actual timeline, was overjoyed.
"Then I'll be counting on you, Jiraiya-sama."
"By the way," Jiraiya said suddenly, smoothly shifting the topic as he threw a subtle glance at Naruto and Shinju, "those two kids don't seem to have the right teacher yet, do they?"
Kakashi sighed, looking a little troubled.
"I originally wanted one of Konoha's elite instructors, Ebisu, to guide Naruto. But that kid seems to resist him a lot.
"As for Shinju… honestly, I can't think of a teacher in the village who could handle him…"
Then it hit him. His eyes widened as he looked up, his voice trembling with excitement.
"Jiraiya-sama… don't tell me—you intend to take them on yourself?! ٩(๑ᵒ̴̶̷͈᷄ᗨᵒ̴̶̷͈᷅)و"
Jiraiya nodded.
"Mm. Naruto is Minato's son. Whenever I look at him, I can't help but feel like I'm seeing Minato again.
"As for that red-haired kid… he's already mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique. He's a prodigy in ninjutsu. I can't let talent like that go to waste."
Kakashi's mouth twitched.
"If Jiraiya-sama is willing to teach them, then of course that's for the best. But… there's something you should know first."
"Shinju doesn't just use the Flying Thunder God. He's also proficient in Lightning Release, Earth Release, Water Release, Fire Release, Wind Release, and Wood Release. He even developed his own sealing techniques through sheer effort…
"Whether it's his learning ability or his insight, both are terrifyingly high!"
Hearing Kakashi's rundown, Jiraiya thought for a moment he'd misheard.
"…Huh???"
"That kid only just graduated from the Academy and became a genin. Can he really be as outrageous as you're saying?!"
"It really is that outrageous!"
Kakashi nodded firmly, patting his chest in assurance.
For a moment, Jiraiya's heart surged with excitement.
...
In his younger years, Jiraiya had once stumbled into a strange adventure, accidentally reverse-summoned to Mount Myoboku.
There, he'd met the Great Toad Sage, a being capable of seeing into the future.
The sage had foretold that Jiraiya would one day travel the world—writing, gathering inspiration, and searching for the savior of the shinobi world. That savior would become his disciple.
Later, Jiraiya followed that prophecy: traveling, writing, seeking the child of destiny.
He'd seen countless walks of life until he encountered a boy with the Rinnegan. Believing him to be the one, he took him on as his disciple, teaching him with great care.
And now—here stood another youth, even more talented than that boy!
Not wanting to risk overlooking the true child of prophecy, Jiraiya decided he had to take Shinju as his student.
So young, yet already wielding every elemental nature. And like Hashirama Senju—the God of Shinobi from decades past—he could even use Wood Release!
Had he not already met the child with the Rinnegan, Jiraiya would have been convinced that Shinju himself was the prophesied savior of the shinobi world.
But even so, the talent Shinju had already displayed was more than enough for Jiraiya to place great weight on him.
After all, the Great Toad Sage had never said the savior must have the Rinnegan.
"Kakashi, let those two follow me and train."
"Naruto has the Nine-Tails sealed inside him—he needs someone to watch over him. And the red-haired boy is an unrivaled genius—he needs someone to guide him down the right path."
Hearing the conviction in Jiraiya's voice, Kakashi immediately agreed.
Sure, it meant Jiraiya's writing would probably be delayed, and it might take even more years before Kakashi could read the next Icha Icha sequel.
But entrusting the two boys to Jiraiya-sama… nothing could be more reassuring.
୧⍢⃝୨
After that, Kakashi waved Naruto and Shinju over.
"Shinju, Naruto, come here."
The two kids hurried over eagerly.
"From now on, you'll both be training under Jiraiya-sama. He'll be your teacher." Kakashi announced.
"This… understood."
Shinju was stunned at first, but then nodded calmly.
Naruto lit up.
"Yes! ୧⍢⃝୨"
Sure, in their eyes Jiraiya was still a bit of a pervy old man—but with the title of Sannin added, it was hard not to feel a rush of admiration.